Communique #2: I know it's been a long time. Don't worry, I've missed you too.





Family
In July's edition of Spin there was a brief snipet that caught my attention on a book called Family. It's a collection of concert photos and candid portraits of Devendra Banhart plus other musicians and artists from Los Angeles' Bohemian/Freak-Folk crowd. The photos, taken by Lauren Dukoff, a native LA photographer and longtime friend to Banhart, gather to create feeling of intimacy that one would normally find in a family album or with pictures of old friends you keep on a shelf. Included with the book is a compilation of artists featured including Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Bat for Lashes, Feathers, Espers, Vetiver, Bert Jansch, Vashti Bunyan, and many others.

Buy or check out Family on Amazon




Sunset Junction
Now that it's summer, my mind is starting to wander off on thoughts of all the shows that pass through LA around this time of year. One event that I'm looking forward to, Sunset Junction, managed to snag my stamp of approval by keeping a casual, fun atmosphere in a small time street carnival setting while still managing to deliver some pretty hip names in indie music. Last years festival-esque line-up included Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, !!!, and the Black Keys with other artists and DJs performing on other separate stages and areas. While no headliners have been named, smaller acts have been announced such as Silver Lake locals Nico Vega, Warpaint (who were recently featured in Family), and War Tapes (who I think I remember opening for Rx Bandits or Moving Units once at the Glass House).

Bonus Points : Contact Sunset Junction and request Devendra Banhart and Silversun Pickups to play. SunsetJunction@SunsetJunction.org

Warpaint

Curiosity got the better of me recently, after having seen this bands name around I decided to check out their myspace. The bands blog linked to an online article in which they described themselves to Fader magazine as being "... collectively a libran cancerian lioness with a bit of geminiacal insanity and scorpionic fire". This co-ed four piece out of LA's Silver Lake obviously has a taste for rock that's both occult and star cross'd and it shows in the soft sounds of their melodramatic psychedelic fuzz. The female-led vocals wail and croon like a spirit astrally projecting itself through time-space for an effect that's both haunting and soothing. The voodoo priestess chant on the track "Elephant" sits around a bubbling brew that explodes with drums and guitar when each new ingredient is added. While "Burgundy" is a playful march through a haunted forest at midnight, the acoustic "Billie Holiday" channels spirits like a campfire ghost story by spelling names and covering renditions from legends past.

Warpaints myspace

Download "Elephant" on Faders Post