Ancient Crux - Insound

So a little over a year ago I did a review for Ancient Crux's album Interracial Coupling (here's the review to refresh your memory). Anyway, I knew that Family Time was putting it out on CD but I didn't know that it was going to be available on Insound for super cheap! $4.80 to be exact!!! I love this CD! You should pick it up! It won't be around for long especially since they've only got a very limited amount in stock. Insound is a really awesome online music retailer. I've been picking up my music from them for years. A lot of times they throw in extra goodies that I wasn't even expecting. Sometimes a cool poster other times some pins or stickers.

Pick up Ancient Crux's Interracial Coupling at Insound

Signals - What Dreams

The Mae Shi is one of my all time favorite bands. So when I heard then news that they were splitting up I was a little bit disappointed. But then when I heard that the touring members of The Mae Shi were staying together and forming a new band called Signals, I was a little apprehensive at the idea. I didn't know what to expect. All I knew was that the lead singer, Jon Gray, was in another band called Man's Assassination Man and had been a part of the new Mae Shi lineup ever since their former lead singer, Ezra Buchla, left the band, the drummer, Jacob Cooper, does a project called Bark Bark Bark, and the guitar player, Bill Gray, is Jon Gray's cousin. But I'm an open minded person. The first time I've ever heard them was when they came out and played a show that we put on. It was an amazing show regardless of Bill's guitar amp going out on him at the very beginning of their set. Slowly, more music began to come out and now they've got a new music video, a downloadable mixtape, and a 7" available now. Good stuff. Can't wait for the Pre Coachella Party on April 15th!!!

Signals - "What Dreams" from signals LA on Vimeo.

Signals on Blogspot

60 Watt Kid

I just recently became familiar with the music of 60 Watt Kid although I've known about them for some time now. The spacey beauty of their music gives me chills. It's like hitching a joyride with The Silver Surfer.

BYODeath - Snowy Eyes

I like BYODeath. They remind me of older favorites of mine like Yo La Tengo and Sebadoh with a little My Bloody Valentine thrown in for good measure. Their new cassette is available now through Bridgetown Records, which is run by Kevin Greenspon. Check them out and pick up their cassette. Limited to only 100 copies.

Michael Nhat - Swimming to Cambodia

Michael Nhat has a new EP coming out soon called Swimming to Cambodia and he just recently posted a couple tracks off of it on his Myspace page. Also, recently one of my favorite magazines, Southern California based Giant Robot Magazine, met with him. Here's their blog about him. Check out the link at the bottom of the blog for his performance on KXLU's demolisten. You can download his performance on demolisten on there as well.

The Deepsea Goes -Oraoneiroi

The Deepsea Goes is a band that has been under the radar in the LA scene for a little while now but are just now beginning to generate a small buzz. We've had the privilege of hosting shows for them twice now and they seemed to get better from the previous show. I'm not saying that they were bad the first time around, not at all. They were incredible the first time. Yet the second time they played they blew me away. Live, this brother/sister, guitar/drums duo play with the intensity and loudness of bands like Mogwai or Boris but without the added drama or slow burn. Tearing through songs on their sets like an arsonist armed with an endless supply of kerosene and a flamethrower, there is never a dull moment.

Download The Deepsea Goes - There Is No Space and There Is No Start

Norse Horse

Norse Horse is another one of my current favorite bands. This kind of lush pop gets me every time. If I was running through a jungle such as the picture below, their music is exactly what would be running through my head. Apparently, Norse Horse began as a one man solo project with Ryan Beale, writing songs during his tenure in Korea, as the main songwriter but grew into a band. Obvious musical influences from and around the Pacific islands and Asia aside, it bodes that dreamy feeling that I usually get when I'm relaxing with friends at the perfect spot and everything is exactly where it's supposed be and, seemingly, no where else is better than where I am.

Download Norse Horse - Shoot the Kids, Squid Mt, Sun Smog & Joy, Gangplank Galleon, Swamp Trotter, and Sleepers

olFactory Records SXSW Mix

olFactory Records has a free mix ready for your ears but it'll only be available until April 16th. So get on it!!!

Download it here

Yep!

The great thing about Facebook is that it makes my job a little easier when it comes to telling you guys about up coming shows. Instead of posting a flier now, I can just post a link to the Facebook invite. How sweet is that. Anywho, here ya go.

The Ladder Canyon Campout

HIGH PLACES and NITE JEWEL. ALL AGES

PART TIME PUNKS w/SEA LIONS + THE NEW HOUSE + DJ Sumire [TWEE GIRLS CLUB]

Moonrats || He's My Brother, She's My Sister || Halloween Swim Team

Sean Carnage Monday Night!

SLANG CHICKENS @ BOOTLEG THEATER w/ TITUS ANDRONICUS AND LET'S WRESTLE

Garotas Suecas (Sao Paulo, Brazil) @ Space 120!!!

MODERN SLEEZE: MELTED CASSETTES/HALLOWEEN SWIM TEAM/VA FAN CULO & MORE!

Kría Brekkan & Drawlings in Los Angeles

JOSH MARTINEZ & SLEEP as the Chicharones @ SPACE120

Ty Segall//Slipping Into Darkness//DS:P!//Charlie & the Moonhearts

END OF IRONY west coast tour w/ Captain Ahab & tik///tik

Kevin Greenspon Southwest MINUS South By Southwest Tour

Desert Scum Records California Tour!

WAVED OUT

Marousa (Japan), Lemon Bear (Oakland) Narwahl Party + More @ Women!!!

Meth Teeth w/Eel Eater and Magic Johnson-FREE

Lemon Bear, Back To The Future The Ride, Cowan, Suzi Star at Sync Space

Luna Is Honey RECORD RELEASE SHOW FOR "COPY CATS"

Batwings Catwings - Finally, some recordings!

So Batwings Catwings have been around for some time now but just recently put up some recordings on their Myspace page. Check them out. I wonder how long it will be before we see a proper LP come to fruition.

Kid Infinity - Got a Big Head

Get it now!
Kid Infinity - Got a Big Head

Waved Out

So this show has been touted as a show of some of the best rising artists. It should be a great show regardless although I do feel Best Coast is way better on recording than live. Either way I think I just might check it out. Besides, the Mandoline Grill Truck and an Ice Cream Man will be there!!!

Jesus Makes the Shotgun Sound - Do not the clothes make the man

Jesus Makes the Shotgun Sound is one of my favorite bands today. The visuals on this video are chilling. They make me feel as if I'm watching the video that kills everyone on The Ring. Song is off of the EP "Damnant Quod Non Intelligunt".

Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound//Do not the clothes make the man?! from Ah Ritualism on Vimeo.

Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La

Here's the new video for the song "Jail La La" by Dum Dum Girls, a song off of their upcoming full length entitled "I Will Be". I like this version of the song better than the previously unreleased version. It's not so lo-fi which is really getting played out. The song's pop value isn't so covered up by the lo fidelity which can sometimes work in some bands favor (i.e. Best Coast) but not so much for bands that actually have more than slightly below average songwriting talent.

Dazzle Ships

So this brand of goth-y synth pop has been getting a lot of attention these days from bloggers like myself although I've always been a little skeptical of trends. I'm not saying that Dazzle Ships are following any sort of trend. They're doing what they like and that's what matters most. Fortunately, I like their music. Their brand of gloomy synth pop brings me back to my younger days when cool music to me were songs about doomed love and death. A topic I still venture to these days in my own writing but with much less naivete.

Download a couple tracks here

Tonight in Riverside

I will be in Riverside tonight for this really awesome lineup! Everyone should go! This show also marks Kevin Greespon's first show in Riverside since June 2008 and is also part of his South Minus SXSW tour.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

Change is good. Embrace it. To often we try to hang on to things that in the end were not meant to last. Enjoy the moment, for good or bad, you're in that moment for a reason. And at this moment I've come to the decision to change things up a bit here on this blog.

With all the recent changes to my life and all movement that has been going on in The Ghost Channel, rather than try and do weekly segments, I found it more feasible to post articles on my blog whenever I feel like it. It won't be the large posts that have been norm on this blog but rather it will be a bunch of short postings at random times of the day.

Let's hope this works out better for me.