Live Review: Crosses at Hollywood Forever Night 1

There is something really quite beautiful to the excitement of making music that comes to one naturally and then performing said music to a crowd that devours each and every melody, rhythm and lyric. That’s what I saw and heard last night as I attended Crosses first live show in many years and their first of a three night stay at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. The room was packed from the front to the back of eager fans waiting for this night, and at 9:15, Chino and Shaun made their way to the stage and so began the “revival” of Crosses.

For the next hour and thirty plus minutes, I as everyone in the crowd was completely swept away with the goodness that permeated from the stage to the crowd. Playing a majority of songs off their new album, Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete, the moment, the first song “Initiation” started there was no turning back and rightfully so. Chino Moreno sounded on top of his game as he sang his ass off on new songs like “Invisible Hand,” “Ghost Ride (which happens to be a personal favorite off of the new album),” “Found,” “Grace,” “Last Rites,” “Pulseplagg,” “Vivien,” “Sensation,” and “Girls Float + Boys Cry (which features The Cure’s Robert Smith on the album. No, he wasn’ there).” Even when they performed “Big Youth” (which on the album features EL-P. Again, no he was not there), hearing Chino’s flow on that song brought all of us in the crowd back to quite the nostalgic time. And the few older picks they played like “This Is A Trick,” “Telepathy,” “Option,” and “Bitches Brew” which featured Chino’s signature scream that ignited the crowd as they/we all screamed along! This show was something special. Watching Chino just be in his element and letting his more playful side come out is always a good time. Then you have Shaun Lopez, musically guiding everything along with meticulous fashion. The combination of these two is quite the pair. And you can’t forget the history of Deftones and Far so, if you know then you know! The way the set played out was one of those magical ones too. Even with it being just Chino and Shaun up there, it was alive and bombastic (and if/when they add live drums again, oh damn)!

On other thing I loved about this show is the setting. It’s been quite a cool and dark modern gothic vibe for the whole aesthetic and roll out of their new album. Having the first shows back in quite some be held at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary was quite the way to introduce this new era. The songs, performance, the energy in the room, and the sense that for the hour and 30 plus minutes the craziness of everything in the world just seemed to be on pause while this show swept us away.

Crosses Set List:

01) Inititation
02) This Is A Trick
03) Vivien
04) Found
05) Ghost Ride
06) Pleasure
07) ThHolyGhost
08) Sensation
09) Grace
10) Bitches Brew
11) Pulseplagg
12) Holier
13) Invisible Hand
14) Girls Float + Boys Cry
15) Last Rites
16) Big Youth

Encore:
17) Telepathy
18) Option
19) Goodbye Horses (Q Lazzarus Cover)

Review & Photos By: Brian Lacy (sorry bout quality of the shots, I was too into the show!)

Gallery:

New Release: The Smile- Wall Of Eyes

What a good way to start the week. Today, The Smile, the band featuring Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and former Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner) have announced their second album. Wall of Eyes, the follow-up to their superbly eclectic and quite spelendid 2022 debut, A Light for Attracting Attention, is due out January 26 via XL Recordings. This new album sees the band working Sam Petts-Davies instead of longtime producer/collaborator Nigel Godrich. The video for “Wall Of Eyes” was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Inherent Vice, Magnolia, etc). If you haven’t heard The Smile yet, I recommend it. There’s bits of Radiohead in it but, it’s more jazzy, funky, and quite fun. I look forward to their album being one of the first of 2024 that I listen to!

The Smile- Wall Of Eyes:

Ultimate Set List: Deftones (Updated)

One of my good friends just went to the annual Dia De Los Deftones festival. It looked like a pretty solid show especially with Knocked Loose and Rile playing alongside Deftones. After the show was over my buddy sent me some video of some songs and I naturally looked up the set list. It was nice to see some rarities played though the majority of the set was a lot of the usual suspects. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, sometimes, it would just be nice to switch it up. Which brings me to my next Ultimate Set List, an updated Deftones set. This one is pretty damn good if I say so myself.

Guideline 1: What line up of the band would it be

Guideline 2: Where would you want to see the show

Guideline 3: maximum 25 songs (In order of how the set should go)

Lineup: Chino Moreno, Abe Cunningham, Frank Delgado, Stephen Carpenter, Chi Cheng

Venue: Fonda- Los Angeles

01) Engine No. 9
02) Elite
03) Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)
04) Good Morning Beautiful
05) Diamond Eyes
06) Kim Dracula
07) Digital Bath
08) Risk
09) When Girls Telephone Boys
10) Swerve City
11) Around The Fur
12) Rocket Skates
13) Radiant City
14) Cherry Waves
15) You’ve Seen The Butcher
16) Lhabia
17) RX Queen
18) Entombed
19) My Own Summer (Shove It)
20) Change (In The House Of Flies)
ENCORE:
21) Hole In The Earth
22) Knife Party
23) Rickets
24) Minus Blindfold
25) Pink Maggit (with “Back To School”)

Ultimate Set List: Baroness

I’m a couple weeks removed from seeing the mighty Baroness live. That show was one of the best ones I’ve seen all year. The time leading up and afterwards put me in a rather fun mood of listening to various Baroness albums and songs. Due to that, I thought I’d put together an Ultimate Set List for my dream Baroness show.

Guideline 1: What line up of the band would it be

Guideline 2: Where would you want to see the show

Guideline 3: maximum 25 songs (In order of how the set should go)

Lineup: John Baizley, Gina Gleason, Sebastian Thomson, Nick Jost

Venue: The Bellwether or Fonda

Set List:

01) Morningstar
02) The Sweetest Curse
03) March To The Sea
04) Last Word
05) Try To Disappear
06) Front Toward Enemy
07) Jake Leg
08) Choir
09) Chlorine & Wine
10) Cocainium
11) Tourniquet
12) Magnolia
13) Seasons
14) A Horse Called Golgotha
15) Beneath The Rose
16) Anodyne
17) Under The Wheel
18) Borderlines
19) If I Have To Wake Up (Would You Stop The Rain)
20) Shine
21) The Gnashing
22) I’m Already Gone
23) Take My Bones Away
Encore:
24) Shock Me
25) Isak

BANDCAMP FRIDAY: November 2023

Today is Bandcamp Friday (when they wave their fee for 24 hours) and why not showcase some great bands and their albums/singles that are out now! Check out these bands and show them some support! There’s a ton of great bands and albums on this list. Take some time and discover something new! Enjoy! If I missed your band, let me know and I’ll add it to the list!


Iress:

https://weareiress.bandcamp.com/

Centershift:

https://centershift.bandcamp.com/

Filth Is Eternal:

https://filthiseternal.bandcamp.com/

Rival Cults:

https://rivalcults.bandcamp.com/

A Light Within:

https://alightwithin.bandcamp.com/

MAL:

https://malsongs.bandcamp.com/

Arc Angles:

https://arcanglesla.bandcamp.com/

Greg Puciato:

https://gregpuciato.bandcamp.com/

If It Kills You:

https://ifitkillsyou.bandcamp.com/

Spirit In The Room:

https://spiritintheroom.bandcamp.com/

Black Magnet:

https://blckmgnt.bandcamp.com/

Constraints Of Light:

https://constraintsoflight.bandcamp.com/

Contranistas:

https://contranistas.bandcamp.com/

SOM:

https://somtheband.bandcamp.com/

Fact Pattern:

https://factpattern.bandcamp.com/

Haunted Horses:

https://hauntedhorses.bandcamp.com/

Lived In:

https://lived-in.bandcamp.com/

Deaf Club:

https://deafclub31g.bandcamp.com/

Common Wounds:

https://protagonistmusic.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled-11

Powder Pink & Sweet:

https://powderpinkandsweet.bandcamp.com/

In Parallel:

https://inparallelband.bandcamp.com/

Will Haven

https://willhaven.bandcamp.com/

False Fed:

https://falsefed.bandcamp.com/

Fake Figures:

https://fakefigures.bandcamp.com/

Osnova:

https://osnova-us.bandcamp.com/

Cowboy Destroy:

https://cowboydestroy.bandcamp.com/

Live Review: Baroness at The Bellwether

I love when I go see a band live that I haven’t seen in a while and I’m completely blown away. That happened the other night when I ventured out to The Bellwether in Los Angeles to see the one and only, Baroness! Riding high on their exceptionally great new album, Stone, Baroness delivered a show and set that shows that there is no slowing down for this band. If anything, they’ve only gotten better over the years. Having seen different lineups of the band over the years, I have to say this line up of John Baizley, Gina Gleason, Nick Jost and Sebastian Thomson is the best the band have ever sounded. It’s almost as though these 3 members were the missing ingredient for Baroness.

As the clock struck 9:00pm, the lights dimmed and the giant Baroness backdrop lit up and as they entered to “Embers” the opening of their new album, it was clear that business was about to be handled. Ripping right into “Last Word” it was apparent that Baroness is on a whole other level live these days. After “Last Word” it went straight into “A Horse Called Golgotha.” then onto “March To The Sea.” That trifecta alone was intense. Then came the awesome “Beneath The Rose” and from there we went into another exceptional new song, “Under The Wheel.” After that it was a nonstop onslaught of great song after great song including a personal favorite of mine “Tourniquet” from their Gold & Grey album. For their encore, they unleashed “Take My Bones Away” and “The Sweetest Curse. What a way to end the show.

Baroness are one of those bands that have such a vast catalog and cross section of influences which makes for great art, music and live shows. One of the things I loved most about this night and their set were the little extended jams to certain songs. When you listen to a Baroness album, especially those epic songs, you get swept up by it all and then live when those songs are played and they extend those parts ever so sweetly, it’s like hearing the song again for the first time. It’s quite a beautiful feeling. Another thing I have to mention is the intensity in which each member of the band played with. Watching them on stage put out the level of energy they did and play as hard as they did really upped the ante. As I mentioned in the opening, having Gina Gleason, Nick Jost and Sebastian Thomson in the band really completes the core. Their abilities as players and writers have pushed Baroness to explore different avenues which has made the band truly stand out and not be defined by one genre. This night showed that Baroness is here to stay and they are only getting better. If you haven’t seen Baroness live, I highly suggest you do as well as listening to their new album, STONE.

Baroness Set List:
01) Last Word
02) A Horse Called Golgotha
03) March To The Sea
04) Beneath The Rose
05) Under The Wheel
06) War, Wisdom and Rhyme
07) Anodyne
08) Chlorine & Wine
09) Tourniquet
10) Shock Me
11) The Gnashing
12) Isak

Encore:
13) Take My Bones Away (Tour Debut)
14) The Sweetest Curse

Review & Photos By: Brian Lacy

Baroness Live:

New Release: Xtine & The Reckless Hearts- 8 Meet 6

Being a part of putting shows together with The Cobalt Presents (aka The Cobalt Cafe) the past couple years has been quite fun. I’ve gotten to see a ton of really great bands because of it. There have been a few bands that have played Cobalt shows that I’ve really taken a liking to. One of which just recently played one of our shows and released a new single/video. If you aren’t familiar with Xtine and The Reckless Hearts, you should change that! This all female rock band is the real deal. They are infectious, energetic, and one hell of a rocking band. Their new single “8 Meet 6” is about the current attacks on women’s rights. It’s about how we must all come together and fight for eachother, strength in numbers, unity among the masses. The fight against the war on women! And it’s one hell of a song to boot! Do yourself a favor and check out what Xtine and The Reckless Hearts have going on. I have a feeling you will dig it!


Xtine & The Reckless Hearts- 8 Meet 6:

New Release: Chelsea Wolfe- Whispers In The Echo Chamber

About a month ago, Chelsea Wolfe released “Dusk” from her upcoming new album. Today, we have further details on the album, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, which will be out February 9, 2024 and the first single “Whispers In The Echo Chamber” has been released. Speaking on the song Chelsea said “This song is a rebirth. It’s my sincere hope that this song and ultimately the full album will help inspire others to empower themselves and step into their authenticity. I’m right there with you on that journey- as I wrote these songs, they demanded to be lived.” I look forward to this new chapter in the catalog of Chelsea Wolfe!


Chelsea Wolfe- Whispers In The Echo Chamber:

New Release: Osnova- Octavian

A couple months back, I ventured out to an old familiar spot I used to frequent in Hollywood, Boardners, to go see my friends in The Baby Goats during their residency for Club Decades. If you haven’t seen The Baby Goats live, I suggest you do, they are “Fun As Fuck.” No joke, they are seriously one of the most fun, entertaining live bands in Los Angeles. It was on this night that I saw a band before them that caught my attention. As they played, I kept getting more and more drawn into their dreamy soundscapes and shoegaze vibes. With that in mind, allow me to introduce you to Osnova.

The origins of Osonovo began in 2018 as former music journalist and DJ at KXLU FM in Los Angeles, Jean- Claude Vorgeack (aka JC) went looking for a drummer and Sam Ribeyro answered the call. The two would spend time bringing life to JC’s home recording demos throughout the pandemic. It wasn’t until July of 2022 that the final piece was found in vocalist Caroline McLaughlin. With the final puzzle piece in place, Osnova could now begin to hone their sound. Their sound is dreamy and cinematic with bits of shoegaze and alternative rock that all together create an atmospheric yet edgy style that stands out amongst the other shoegaze bands of their ilk. The band released its self-titled debut EP in fall of 2022, and finally made their live debut in November of the same year to a rapturous audience. Osnova has continued to find favor in the Los Angeles dark and dreamy music scene and has now partnered with LA record label Dune Altar (one of the best Indie Labels around) for the release of their latest single “OCTAVIAN,” which is otherworldly!

Osnova- Octavian:

Find Osnova Online:

Bandcamp

Instagram

Youtube

Live Review: Better Lovers at The Roxy

When the news first came out about Better Lovers, the level of excitement in my mind about it was pretty high. Then came the first release “30 Under 13” , then their surprise EP and from there I was in. It’s never easy to start again but, thankfully, the passion and drive found in each member of Better Lovers exists on a level that is on another stratosphere and the end result is one hell of a punch to the face in a total awesome way. This night at The Roxy was just that and then some.

Opening the night was Entry. They were the perfect band to start this night off. Having just seen them about a week or so ago when they opened for Converge, I knew that right as they started that this was going to be “a night.” Their set was blistering and ravenous as they blazed through song after song. In fact, I tend to think they were even better this night than when I saw them a couple weeks back. Entry are fast becoming one of my favorite Los Angeles based bands to see live. Definitely check them out!

Next up was Roman Candle from Las Vegas and they went off. While still keeping with the hardcore element, Roman Candle has more of a metallic/melodic edge to them which offers up different dynamics within their songs. Their set, was an onslaught of heaviness that not only was a great pre-cursor of what was to come but, made me a fan as well. I look forward to the next time Roman Candle is in Los Angeles.

Finally as the clock hit 10pm, the lights dimmed down and over the PA a ton of different snippets of songs played all with the word “love” accented. Then the curtain rose and from there for the next 40 minutes, the Roxy absolutely exploded. Opening with “Become So Small” was one hell of a way to kick things off. Then after that my favorite song released so far, “God Made Me An Animal” took things to a whole other level. With bodies flying off the stage both band and audience members, you knew right away that this was the real deal. “Sacrificial Participant” had a ton of crowd participation singing along. Two new songs were played and those ones went off with one hell of a bang. Just wait till you hear these new ones, this band is only getting started. Being that Better Lovers only have so many songs, they pulled out a cover of Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage” and absolutely nailed it. So much so that they made it their own by adding their own signature touches to it. Closing out their short yet oh so sweet set was “30 Under 13” and at this point it was no holds barred. By the time it was all over, you could tell the audience was all into it and didn’t want it to end. In fact, I wouldn’t have even minded if they had taken a mini break and played all those songs again.

Better Lovers have arrived and they are just getting started. Their time on the road this summer definitely made them a very tight band. The intensity that each member brings to this band permeates from the stage to the audience. It’s infectious and it doesn’t want to stop nor should it! I look forward to the next Better Lovers release and tour. If more bands took cues from the bands that played this evening, live music would be thriving again. This show was just what I needed after one hell of a week. I left this show not only inspired to want to get back into playing music but, with the feeling that good heavy music is alive and well. You just have to be looking at the right places to find it!

Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy
(note on the pics- I was having too much fun enjoying the show to really want to take pictures)!

ENTRY:

ROMAN CANDLE:

BETTER LOVERS: