Andrew Youssef

Greg Graffin commanding the stage at House of Blues, Anaheim

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Andrew Youssef

Peter Hayes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

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The Hype: For those still pissed about the shutting down of the Ninth Annual Grrl Fair scheduled for March 6 (click for more info), last night's showcase at Proof Bar felt like a well-intentioned consolation prize. A good chunk of local female rockers (and their male band mates) scheduled to play the defunct outdoor event were thrashing in full force inside the dim, Santa Ana haunt. Bands from around the way included Teen Rex and Street Spirit, accompanied by Mermaid and LA band Stars at Night. And apparently a local music fan named Bonnie was holding a mask-themed birthday party. If that doesn't earn this event some "hype" points, then what else will? More >>

Christopher Victorio

Gianna Gianna performing with BLOK Feb. 2 at Chain Reaction, Anaheim

The Hype: BLOK were on a winning streak long before the OC Music Awards--the fact that they were dubbed "Best Hip-Hop" act Saturday only confirmed their superiority. Captivating swarms of sweaty club kids and open-minded hip-hop fans across LA and OC, the group were on a high-powered roll as they kicked off the second night of their Monday March residency at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.

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Gray Beltran

Appleseed Cast played both volumes of Low Level Owl--plus rare cover

The Hype: After acquiring a new record label and a few new band mates, the Appleseed Cast went on tour last year to promote their seventh album, Sagarmatha. Now the band is touring again, but this time they're playing both volumes of Low Level Owl, their landmark 2001 album. How exactly the Appleseed Cast would recreate their double record--heavily engineered with ambient sound, enveloping synthesizers, and multilayered guitar--remained to be seen. Whether or not recent addition John Momberg could measure up to previous drummer Josh Baruth, whose playing shined on the studio recordings of Low Level Owl, would be crucial.

The Show: Though normally a quartet, the Appleseed Cast were joined by a keyboard player when they started their set at the Glass House. On "The Waking of Pertelotte," the keyboardist created a layer of ambient music while frontman Christopher Crisci and guitarist Aaron Pillar chimed in with soft guitar plucking. When the instrumental segued into "On Reflection," Crisci opted not to start singing until toward the end of the song. "That outstretched hand you had to shake," he intoned, almost shouting, "will sell you out." The singer's voice, alternating between furious shouts and gentle whispers, has always been a key component of the Appleseed Cast's sound, forceful yet often subdued by the music.

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Lucas Vocos

Dva Damas

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The Hype: Quadrophenia has been rocking all things funk, punk, blues, garage and psych--with bands and DJs--every last Tuesday of the month at the Crosby in Santa Ana for the past year. Last night it was time to celebrate the anniversary. Orange County acts Charles' Mansion, Dva Damas and Brother Cecil provided the soundtrack for the drunken revelry.   More >>

Andrew Youssef

Wesley Eisold of Cold Cave

The Hype: Cold Cave's dark, synthpop 2009 album Love Comes Close is the complete amalgamation of 1980s New Wave laced with dark electro. Started by ex-American Nightmare and Give Up The Ghost frontman Wes Eisold, Cold Cave began as a solo project but has evolved to include multi-instrumentalists Dominick Fernow (aka Prurient) and former Xiu Xiu member Caralee McElroy. Cold Cave have built a burgeoning fan base by incorporating New Order's icy hooks and the Cure's bouncing melancholy with a bit of Trent Reznor's deafening industrial crunch. More >>

Christopher Victorio

Dustin Apodaca of Dusty Rhodes and the River Band

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The Hype: Dusty Rhodes and the River Band's distinctive brand of indie-informed, neo-classic rock has made them one of the most celebrated bands to emerge from Orange County in recent years. Their past two albums--2007's First You Live and 2009's Palace and Stage--were released on LA-based SideOneDummy (Flogging Molly, Gogol Bordello) and met with strong reviews. Dusty Rhodes and the River Band are a seasoned touring act, as well, spending more time playing nationally--with acts ranging from Los Lobos to fellow OCers the Aquabats--than locally. The Gypsy Lounge quickly filled when they took the stage shortly past 9:30 p.m. Their set was part of the OC Music Awards final showcase series. 

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Chad Sengstock

Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio

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The Hype: The members of gloomy pop-punk band Alkaline Trio live in different parts of the country, which means tours can begin anywhere. With this in mind, singer/guitarist Matt Skiba, bassist/singer Dan Andriano and drummer Derek Grant chose the Glass House in Pomona to kick off a seven-week national tour to promote  their latest record, This Addiction. The 13-track disc, scheduled for a Feb. 23 release on the band's newly formed Heart & Skull (in conjunction with Epitaph Records), is being hailed as a return to form, which for most bands is either the kiss of death or the reclaiming of a throne. Luckily for the Trio and their fans, the answer is the latter.

The Show: Skiba took to the mic to say hello before the group launched into the title track of their latest record. As expected, most of the audience bopped heads politely, but didn't know the tune well enough to get wild. The mellow vibes dissappeared for old-school favorites such as "Mr. Chainsaw," "Armageddon," "Crawl," "Goodbye Forever," "Nose Over Tail" and "Fuck You Aurora." The kids dug these tunes, but it was material from the band's middle era ("In Vein," "We've Had Enough," "Fatally Yours," "Sadie," "Blue Carolina" and "Blue in the Face") that got people most excited.
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The Hype: Every Sunday, the Continental Room in downtown Fullerton hosts Notes From the Underground, an unabashed blend of garage rock, punk and all things grimy. This week, Anaheim garage rock label Burger Records

 made their presence known on Valentine's Day with buzz-worthy bands Pterodacdudes, of Anaheim, and the bay area's Impediments

, both widely known for crazy live shows. The Field Trip

, a regular folk rock fixture at the Continental Room, also performed.

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