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Thee Oh Sees Slay Teragram Ballroom Night Before Album Drops/Tour

Danny Baraz August 16, 2016

Is there anyone in independent music that has more going for them than John Dwyer and his band, Thee Oh Sees? In an industry that has been turned upside down, Dwyer and others such as Ty Segall have been successfully proving out the new business model for musical acts that aren’t corporate concoctions of sterile art, ripened just right for commercial licensing. Indy bands have proven that there is a demand for raw and innovative rock and roll, even as it disappears almost completely from the mainstream. Indy bands have proven that there is still a dream to be chased that can sustain their lives and compulsion to create with hard work and an untiring proliferation and output. On Thursday night, Thee Oh Sees threw a party at The Teragram Ballroom the night before their new album, A Weird Exits dropped and the night before they left on an extended tour of Europe that includes a backend leg in the US. While many bands might be content in taking the night off before a three month tour, whether John Dwyer wanted to brush up on some of the new tracks or he just wanted another stack of chips to add

Mish of White Lung at The Teragram shot by Johan Ramos

White Lung and Plague Vendor Whip Crowd Into Frenzy at Teragram Ballroom

Michelle Hernandez July 11, 2016

On Friday night at The Teragram Ballroom, fans swerved right into the impulsive energy of Whitter, California’s own, Plague Vendor, opening for badasses, White Lung. The band kicked their tour off right in the pit of Downtown Los Angeles, serving up the tastiest tracks from Plague Vendor’s new album, Bloodsweat. There was no blood in sight but there was plenty of sweat splattered on stage. I still get euphoric flashbacks of singer Brandon Blaine’s performance, shaking his chest, thrusting his hips and whipping his hair around. No doubt he is a mad and sexy genius. Plague Vendor was opening for the almighty White Lung but I was there to see PV. High Functioning Flesh also played and are included in our gallery below. I took a look around at the crowd and noted that there was a majority in the audience; T-shirts with the Bloodsweat album cover on them, spread out in the cluster of people. And if they weren’t already fans then they sure as hell left that night new fans. The lights transitioned to red. Brandon Blaine entered and a score of applause welcomed him. With no words exchanged between band mates, drummer Luke Perine started the show with the

Rooney Rocks L.A. For The First Time in 5 Years At Teragram Ballroom

Brent Smith May 10, 2016

The prodigal son returns. In this case, it’s Robert Schwartzman. Rooney’s comeback has gotten lots of people swooning, and the sold out album release party for Washed Away (their first album since 2010) at the Teragram Ballroom was the perfect homecoming. I arrived in the middle of Wild Wild Horses, the British foursome who made me do a double-take to make sure I wasn’t in the middle of an Axe Body Spray ad. I kid. But seriously, is boy band rock a thing? If not, these stallions are paving the way for a potentially treacherous path. Go for it, ladies, they’re there for the taking! The guitar and bassist had a pretty rad dynamic; riffs gave off electro effects, which I thought was interesting. They had me looking around the stage for any traces of digi-programmed tracks, but nothing. I don’t care who you are, making a guitar sound like anything but a guitar is never not awesome. Don’t let their squeaky clean stage persona fool you, either. They curse in cockney accents and can drink with the best of them. Deep Sea Diver from Seattle was up next, and they gave a hell of a set. Orchestrator and mastermind

Bleached Bring Catchy Hooks, 818 Pride & Friends to Teragram Ballroom

Danny Baraz May 8, 2016

There are certain taboos in modern day, independent music journalism which you don’t breach, for any reason, lest you be nailed to the cross of insignificance. You don’t speak ill of Ty Segall, John Dwyer or Mac DeMarco, never say anything negative of Low End Theory and never play cards with a guy who’s named after a city. Then again, if classic day journalists from Rolling Stone were able to trash Black Sabbath and Zeppelin and continue to increase their circulation despite saying Jimmy Page was “a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs.” I have very little fear of being judged for “getting it wrong” and most of the time, I’m willing to go out on a limb if I believe in what I’m saying. I think I was the only person who reviewed Tame Impala’s “Currents” that didn’t put Kevin Parker’s musical pee pee in my mouth. And now that I’ve had more time with that album, I stand by every statement, even though 3 or 4 songs on that album have grown on me since the time I reviewed it. That being said, saying that I’ve always thought the band Bleached and their live

Aquadolls And Friends Preview Summer At Teragram Ballroom

Joanna Bautista May 3, 2016

Every show I go to I get so nervous because people can never seem to find my name on the press list. I actually made it in before the first band played so it saved me a lot of work from pushing to get a good spot. It was no surprise that The Teragram Ballroom started off with a small crowd. Jurassic Shark is honestly an underrated band; layers of delay and reverb always does it for me. Whoever wasn’t there soon enough, -or at all, missed out on catchy riffs and an up and coming band to watch out for. So Many Wizards performed soon after with their dreamy, indie sounds that pleased the crowd. Lead singer/songwriter Nima K has a knack with riff and melody and their set was marvelous. Summer Twins followed So Many Wizards and they were the reason I had come. Teragram was their first show back home from their tour across the country. The sister’s, Chelsea (vocals/guitar) and Justine’s (drums) 50s and 60s influence, give the band their vintage vibe, from the band itself to their clothing. The crowd was young and perfect for their dream pop sound. Couples were dancing and the band had reminded the

Lust For Youth & Drab Majesty Bring Dark Vibes To Teragram Ballroom

Brent Smith March 28, 2016

It was a night of dark wave synth-pop acts—musicians whose sounds and performances not only blurred the line between singer-songwriter and producer, but gave us Angelenos an electro beacon for something profound beyond the hypnotic singularity of our cellphone glow. Spearheaded by Lust For Youth, it was a also a night that properly introduced me to the noise/punk/electronica sound coming out of Copenhagen and other pockets of Scandinavia. Just as Ty Segall and cohorts here on the West Coast are constantly collaborating and intermingling themselves into one huge rock ‘n’ roll collective, so is Lust For Youth along with bands like Iceage, Lower, Vår, Puce Mary, and Hand of Dust. While Segall’s sonic quest seems to trace elements of blues, rock, proto-punk and psych, Lust For Youth’s seems one of exploration (and maybe reconciliation?) between post-punk, experimental noise, ambient, and house. The results are both sinister and sublime. The full moon was keeping me going, its light beaming like the sun in the clear, black sky as I rumbled into downtown on fumes. The doorman at the entrance gave me blue and pink bracelets and I went into the cold theater space, mostly empty with a few kids moping around

Ty Segall and the Muggers at Teragram Ballroom by Kayla Clancy

Ty Segall Redefines Himself Again With The Muggers at Teragram Ballroom

Brent Smith January 20, 2016

Ty “Baby Face” Segall & The Muggers Get Emotional at the Teragram Ballroom Before entering the Teragram Ballroom (“No Ins and Outs!”) I dragged my boots along 7th street past the Mexican skater boys popping ollies and into Monty Bar for a cheap drink. Janky tensions were high as we were scrambling for a last minute photographer and I buried myself along the crowded bar of black leather and wild makeup. Behind me on the wall, a mounted deer head was engulfed in a stark spotlight, and for a minute I was in The Roadhouse from Twin Peaks, waiting for Julee Cruise to appear onstage and serenade me straight into the Red Room; which all seemed appropriate considering there was a David Bowie/Lemmy tribute show slated for the night. I could feel the static in the air on my tongue. I got the photog confirmation, downed my Old Fashioned and bounced. In the Teragram, chattering skulls flooded the two parallel bars in the foyer—the early effects of a sold out show. Blue, silver, and black guitar picks embedded in the walls made up a Mediterranean mosaic of sacred geometric patterns as Charles Moothart took a seat next to me at

The Bronx at The Teragram Ballroom shot by Josh Allen

The Bronx And Friends Bring Holiday Chaos to Teragram Ballroom

Danny Baraz December 24, 2015

For those who spend time thinking about it, the evolution of punk rock is a fascinating progression. From it’s origins of out of tune power chords being banged out as an expression of rage and frustration by a minority of well informed youngsters, to it’s corporate acceptance and well polished image of typical teenage angst, it just won’t die away, as predicted. To me, The Bronx are the apex of the punk rock format. A group of ultra talented and polished musicians with one of the most charismatic frontmen in any genre. I think The Bronx have stretched punk rock to it’s furthest limits with musicality and raw power. Last week, lead singer Matt Caughthran and crew brought their White Drugs Xmas Party to The Teragram Ballroom for two consecutive nights of holiday cheer. Night 1 featured The Bronx spinoff, Mariachi El Bronx and a complimentary set of opening acts and Night 2 featured The Bronx OG format. After seeing Mariachi El Bronx a couple times in 2015, I opted to go see The Bronx for the first time in awhile. Also on the bill was yet another project by Caughthran, The Drips along with San Diego Noise/Grindcore outfit Retox. The

The Garden “Haha” Record Release Party at The Teragram Ballroom

Danny Baraz October 20, 2015

On Thursday, October 15th, nouveau punks, The Garden held their record release party for “Haha” at The Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles. The VadaVada Vaudevillians, Wyatt and Fletcher Shears opted for a setting that reflected their art- fresh, bombastic, chemically imbalanced and extremely vivid, rather than the sterilized and homogenized stronghold that spawned it- Orange County. But even with such guests as Tyler, the Creator in attendance, The Teragram Ballroom still only reached 2/3rds capacity by the time The Garden took the stage, thus critically challenging my proclamations of L.A. being the epicenter of music in America. Afterall, if Angeleno’s aren’t swarming to see The Garden then my braggadocios proclamations about L.A. being the center of the music universe are somewhat unfounded. Joining The Garden at The Teragram Ballroom and setting the tone for the evening was ex Murder City Devils frontman, Spencer Moody and young rockers, Slow Hollows. We walked into the Teragram and Spencer Moody was already on stage. Toward the beginning of his set, Moody reminded me of a mix between Tom Waits and Lemmy Kilmister. He was quite intriguing. Moody was joined on stage by a Fender Telecaster and the most bored drummer in the world. He

Albert Hammond Jr Strokes The Teragram Ballroom

Johann A. Ramos October 16, 2015

Albert Hammond Jr. headlined The Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles Wednesday night in support of his third solo album “Momentary Masters”. Who could have predicted that one of the most anticipated shows of 2015 would have landed on a hump day? The record, according to Albert himself, was inspired by astronomer Carl Sagan’s book “Pale Blue Dot”, a book about space and the future of mankind. I can’t claim that I have been able to make the connection, but I can tell you that Strokes rhythm guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. definitely composed and produced this album with an out of this world mentality. Momentary Masters is great, sonically, and the instrumentation is nothing short of spectacular, but it doesn’t do their face melting live sound justice. Directly supporting Albert were Day Wave and they played a tight set. I could tell that a lot of the audience members weren’t too familiar with the band (The chick next to me kept referring to them as Date Wave to her other friend. The band even repeated their name towards the end of their set and she still kept calling them Date Wave), the crowd seemed pleased with their set as they swayed their