Orange County Music Blog

There's two ways you can describe a vibrant, ground-breaking band. You can try piecing together the components of their sound, or you just talk about the way they make you feel. The first option is complicated and often involves a pile of stumbling adjectives, niche comparisons and a lot of suffixes like "-y" and "-esque." The second option, the one that comes from your gut and leads to phrases like "totally fucking awesome," works best for KeysNKrates.  This Canadian three-piece trades in a raw, rough and rhythmic style of "live remixing." What the hell does that mean? Well, here's a simple math problem for you: DJ+keyboard player+drummer+other people's songs+improvisation+insane talent=KNK. Basically, they rip through the fabric of classics from any genre they want, and as the DJ cuts it up, the keys and drums lay on top, adding their own flair with precision.

Are you into Munnys, Dunnys, Bunnys, Qees, Bees, Gwins, Skullys, and Bullys? (Ok, I made a few of those up) If you love vinyl toys, then you need to drive up to DesignerCon this Saturday in Pasadena!

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The show brings together vinyl toys, art, design, clothes, and more, with appearances by artists like Tim Biskup, Buff Monster, and Mr. Toast to name a few.

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DesignerCon takes place from 10am - 5pm on Saturday, November 21 at the Pasedena Convention Center. Admission is $5, kids 12 and under are free. Are you a smart shopper? Admission is free for everyone after 3pm! For more information on the show, visit the website.

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Get out those heavy coats cuz it'll definitely be reigning blood when Slayer, Megadeth and Testament hit the Long Beach Arena Jan. 22 as part of the American Carnage Tour.

In my 30 years on this planet, I've been to my fair share of concerts, but never have I seen anything like what I saw the one Slayer show I attended. It was about four years ago -- ironically, at the Long Beach Arena -- and the group had an upside cross made of guitar amps hanging from each side of the stage. It was the most metal thing I've ever seen and totally worth the price of admission. For those planning on attending in January, I hope they do this again because it was pretty fucking awesome.

Oh yeah, tickets go on sale tomorrow.

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Last Night: A Fine Frenzy, Landon Pigg, Among the Oak & Ash at the House of Blues Anaheim; Nov. 18, 2009

Better Than: Watching any one of a bevvy of vacuous female piano torch singers in today's wasteland of a music market. Way Better.


It was one of those nights. In what potentially was a portent for the rest of the evening, the burly bouncer at the House of Blues' entrance told us our photo pass was denied and that we would have to either check our camera downstairs or hoof it back through the mammoth Disney parking lot and stow it in our car (we checked it).

Inside, the sound system predictably piped in Death Cab for Cutie as clusters of 20 somethings sat around small tables sipping overpriced drinks.

The venue floor was a bustle with hipsters too cultured for the throngs of tourists pushing strollers around downtown Disney, and too well-groomed for the Silverlake set. It was one of those nights indeed.

Yet when the stage curtains parted, revealing crimson-haired stunner Alison Sudol and her band, A Fine Frenzy, things seemed to take a turn for the better.

Delivering songs in the tradition of such fem-fronted ensembles as Rilo Kiley, or Regina Spektor, A Fine Frenzy presented a set that was at all times dazzling, occasionally sentimental and dare we say, manic.

Welcome to Road Sores, Heard Mentality's latest feature, where bands on tour will guest blog about life on the road, photos, videos, what that smell is coming from the corner of the van, what they're listening to, or whatever the hell it is they feel like talking about that day. Ed Breckenridge from the Orange-based Thrice just sent in a few more photos from his iPhone, even addressing why lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi had to drop out of tour for a while.

Ed Breckenridge

"Normal preshow hangout in Philly."

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Chad Sengstock

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Yorba Linda metalcore band Atreyu is one of a handful of bands selected as part of Taco Bell's Feed the Beat marketing campaign. I perused the website and basically 100 bands from across the nation (including San Diego's Earthless, Cross Candaian Ragweed, Less than Jake, Municipal Waste and the Bouncing Souls) are given $500 in credit to spend at Taco Bells across the country. The catch is, the money can be spent for the company's Fourthmeal, which I think has something to do with food between dinner and breakfast. This should work out well because if you're in a band on tour, that's what time you're traveling.

Selected bands also receive marketing help from Taco Bell and all that jazz.

Congrats also goes out to Runner Runner from Huntington Beach, who will also be seen late night at Taco Bells across the country.

So last week we took a look at some delicious turkey crafts on Etsy--in keeping with the Thanksgiving feast theme, let's take a look at some mouthwatering cranberries.

Winterberry Halo Earrings by Emily Gray Jewels

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These delicate cranberries are sure to class up any of you turkeys. I really love the different shades of berry all mixed together. After the jump, more cranberry finds from talented Etsy crafters.

It's always good to see artists get credit where credit is due. And in the case of LMNO, it's definitely past due. Luckily, with the release of his latest album Devilish Dandruff with Holy Shampoo this week, this heavy-hitting Long Beach emcee is getting some well deserved attention. You may remember his conversation with the Weekly a couple issues ago wherein he talked about everything from his collaboration with French producer Yann Kesz (who he still hasn't met by the way) to the message behind his alphabetically sound stage name.