Floating Away

Win tickets to KCRW's Sounds Eclectic Evening

We here at Floating Away are huge advocates of public radio, particularly the great music that comes out of KCRW here in Santa Monica. As mentioned previously, the line-up this year for their benefit concert is particularly strong and if we had some extra money in our change jars, we would most likely be attending.

If you can't afford to attend a show of this magnitude, but still love the music that KCRW plays, then you are in luck.  Filter Magazine is giving away a pair of SILVER level tickets for the show and tickets to the exclusive after party with Z TRIP. 

All you have to do is click here and enter before March 23rd.

The line-up again:
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
BEN HARPER
SIA
GOMEZ
LEWIS TAYLOR
FEIST
GOLDSPOT

Get Your 3 Quarters Worth

To celebrate their 75th anniversary on March 20th, Canter's Deli on Fairfax has announced a special menu (and unbelievable price).  Each visitor will receive a corned beef sandwich on rye bread, pickle, chocolate chip rugula and a schmear of potato salad for 75 cents.

Talk about an incredible deal. Remember when those stupid collect call commercials were all the rage like 3 years ago and they advertised that you can't get anything for under a dollar except a collect call.  I would so much rather have a corned beef sandwich than a collect call.  It's good to know where your priorities are.

Some little known facts about Canter's that you may not have known:
The Canter brothers started the deli in Boyle Heights in 1931.
The current location on Fairfax was the former Esquire Theater.
Slash of Guns n' Roses used to work the cash register.

Filter Magazine Party at MOCA

This was sent my way and looks like it could be really cool.  Filter Magazine is throwing parties all over the country in the next month.  Some are clearly better than others, but the LA one isn't that bad. All other dates here.

RSVP for the event by emailing the address on the invite below.

 

Hollywood Bowl, Summer 2006

Last week, the Hollywood Bowl announced their summer concert schedule. While it doesn't compare to the Chicago music festivals or Central Park Summerstage, there are always a couple of good outdoor shows to look forward to.

This year is no exception . . .

July 6 - Belle and Sebastian w/ the LA Philharmonic
July 23 - The Flaming Lips and Thievery Corporation
August 2 - Al Green
August 13 - Bob Marley: Roots, Rock and Reggae Concert
September 6 - James Brown w/ Angie Stone
September 8-10 - Willie Nelson

According to the Hollywood Bowl website, the Belle and Sebastian show marks the first time the band plays with a full orchestra.  Could be very cool.

In other Belle and Sebastian news, they are playing Saturday and Sunday night at the Wiltern with the New Pornographers and playing an instore at Amoeba Records on March 20th.

Help me pick a new shirt

For a while I have been eyeing some new clothing. indie dont dance seems to think I should shop for OC related clothing, but today I saw a great new Jon Stewart shirt. 

So, I will let you, the readers, decide on which shirt is better. I kinda love both, but feel that I can't really pull off either. Vote in the comments.

If you want to buy your own, here for Seth Cohen and here for Jon Stewart.

Kiss Me Deadly, Voxtrot, Pink Mountaintops at the Echo | Pics

Kiss Me Deadly:

I have been waiting for this show for some time and it did not dissapoint me one bit.  We arrived in time to catch the end of Montreal's Kiss Me Deadly who I had never heard of, but were really incredible.  They are really tight, dance rock.  The crowd was on the small side for Kiss Me Deadly, but everyone was bobbing their head and moving along.  I think it is hard not to dance around to music being sung to you by a woman in a red unitard.

Their label website has some free music. If you have not heard this band, listen to these tracks and buy their music. They are really great.
MP3: Kiss Me Deadly - Dance 4
MP3: Kiss Me Deadly - Dance 1

********
Voxtrot:

When the indie rock darlings from Austin, Texas took the stage, the crowd packed it in, everyone was singing along and dancing to the songs off the first EP.  The new stuff was really great too and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were selling the new EP even though it starts shipping at the end of the month.  The band has incredible energy and delivers on all of it songs.  They played all of my favorites (sans Long Haul), including a cover of Heaven by the Talking Heads.  Listened to the new EP on the drive home and I am very impressed. They have found a formula and are sticking to it. The new EP is really great and have posted two songs from it. The last was the song they closed with and I loved the anthemic chorus: "You are so young, so feel alive".

MP3: Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives
MP3: Voxtrot - Soft & Warm

********

The Pink Mountaintops:

My night closed with The Pink Mountaintops. I was incredibly confused for a while as they reminded me a lot of Black Mountain and some of the band members looked familiar, but was told that they are in fact two separate bands that share members.  Pink Mountaintops are definitely the more aggressive, louder, bigger brother of the two.  I think their website says it best:

"Their debut record begins with "She caught my eye and I was on fire" and it ends with a repetitive begging plea "Don't walk away!" from a reworking of Joy Division's Atmosphere. In between these bookend statements, mountains are fucked, an ode to rock'n'roll groupies is sung, and tales of loose panties and ex-models are exposed."

As you can imagine, these guys were great, they played serious rock and roll. Loud, fast, hard. They did not mess around.  Again, the crowd did not dissapoint. They were jumping around and bobbing their heads to the kick drum. 

MP3: The Pink Mountaintops - Rock and Roll Fantasy
MP3: The Pink Mountaintops - Can You Do That Dance?

We left before The Joggers took the stage. Anyone stay for their set?

Learn how to become a Super Hero

On my way home yesterday, I saw an amazing outdoor campaign for the new MARVEL Super Heroes Exhibit at the California Science Center.  The exhibit begins March 27th and will be live through September 4th.  The exhibit will then begin touring other Science Centers in the U.S.

There are two things that really struck me about this ad.  First was its wonderful use of the actual lamp post signage medium.  You see these ads all day long driving around Los Angeles.  Most of them are simply signs that don't take advantage of the unique layout.  One reason these banners stand out so much is because they do capitalize on the unique layout.  The ad shows a figure that is half Super Hero and half you.  The actual lamp post accentuates this idea.  As a result, it's easy to understand the key message of this ad:  Become a Super Hero at the California Science Center. 

On a side note, the last lamp post campaign that I loved was about three years ago for the LA Philharmonic.  Remember the "Phil your..." campaign?  I tried to find pictures, but couldn't.

Of course the second thing about this ad that really works is the content.  Seriously.  Who wouldn't want to become a Super Hero?   I think this exhibit is going to be wildly successful.  If you do attend, please share your experience with us.

Some fun things to do at the Exhibit:

• Test the strength of Spider-Man's webs
• Explore which area of the Incredible Hulk's brain is responsible for his trademark rage
• Put on an exo-suit and experience Iron Man's strength
• Experience the life of Doc Oct with multiple limbs

The (Real) Video iPod: Coming Soon

You may have heard that Apple is currently working on an iPod designed exclusively for video with a 4" widescreen.  There is speculation that the entire front of the iPod will be display with a touch screen scroll wheel that appears when you touch the screen.  I found this video that illustrates what it may look like. 

Oscar Review: Salma Hyek is one hot broad and other fun insights from the Academy Awards

Enough said.  I appologize for the bad cropping job on the first picture.  Special thanks to egotastic for the Oscar pics.

Reese wasn't looking too shaby herself.  There's just something about Reese that I love.  And the thing is...I hated her until I saw Walk the Line.  Now I'm her biggest fan.

I haven't seen Brokeback yet, so I was shocked to realize that Jen from Dawson's Creek was in it.  (Even more shocked about the nude scene). But here's what I don't get....the "Michelle Williams" who was in the audience, looks nothing like the "Michelle Williams" I remember. 

Alright, here's an obscure one.  If Dan were in town, he'd be able to name this song....but I was very surprised to hear the Scissor Sisters song being used in a Jaguar commerical.  If anyone knows what song I'm talking about, please share.  As you probably can tell, I'm not the main music contributor to this blog.

Floating Away Artist Profile: Letting Up Despite Great Faults | MP3

I first heard of Letting Up Despite Great Faults from indie dont dance.  It is hard to forget a name like that, but for some reason, it took me way too long to get around and hear their stuff. 

Do not be like me. 

Letting Up makes beautiful orchestral techno pop (did I just invent a genre?) that is light on the vocals.  Aquarium Drunkrard hears a lot of Postal Service/Dntel in them, I hear that, but I wouldn't group them in that category.  I am thinking more if the Dirty Three were a bit more into the samples (and occationally sang).

Lucky for us, Letting Up is a Los Angeles band that plays locally a lot.  I am going to try to check out their show tonight, try to do the same.

MP3: Letting Up - Disasters are Okay (Highly Recommended!)
MP3: Letting Up - If You Are Here Today
MP3: Letting Up - Pretending Green Grass

March Dates:
March 1 - Silverlake Lounge, Silverlake
March 2 - Lava Lounge, Hollywood
March 10 - No Future Cafe, Pasadena
March 29 - Good Hurt, West LA