Tag: Malcolm Sosa

Radars To The Sky and a temporary hiatus

On March 20, 2014

Well, I’m certainly glad I pop onto the dreaded Facebook every now and again. I was originally going to report with a sad heart that after nine years, Radars To The Sky would be calling it quits with one final performance on Saturday, March 22 at El Cid. However, it now appears to be only a 3-month hiatus. Great, great news. They’ll be performing with The Californian and The World Record (and recent RTTS members Ceeca and Malcolm Sosa will be playing with them). Late breaking news: their long-time bandmate, “saxophone maestro and new father-to-be-any-minute Matt Kozlov” will be joining them. After that, Kenny Kupers will be moving to New York to open a bar (yes, apparently true) and Kate and Andrew will be living in Washington D.C. for a year. I’ll keep an eye out for any offshoot projects, and it seems now that we will see the band together again eventually. For the record, I first profiled them here in 2009 and included them in my infamous “Eastside L.A. Roundups.” I haven’t yet had the pleasure of seeing them in person, so I’m glad to hear they’re still alive and kicking. In the meantime, can someone who’s going to be at El Cid do me a favor and film a few songs? Thanks.

As for their recorded legacy to date, there are the three EPs— the aptly titled EP, The Big Bang EP, the Detritus EP—and their brilliant full length album, Supra/Infra. And unless I have this wrong, it seems like they’ve been working on some new material? The show preview states that they’re preparing their second full length album.

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My Musical Highlights of 2013

By julie

On December 30, 2013

In Indie Music

(clockwise from upper left): A blessing to see all my favorites this year - The Henry Clay People, The Happy Hollows, Malcolm Sosa's 123Death and The Airborne Toxic Event

I’ll be honest — 2013 was a bitch of an “all work and no play” year, but the times I did get to cut loose with some fine music were pretty spectacular. There were a few really nice festivals (not a format I’m typically fond of), an intimate backyard deck show in Echo Park and the swan song of a beloved L.A. band. What might have lacked in quantity was well compensated in quality. Due to my work circumstances, I had to select carefully, so what you’ll find here are mostly old favorites. As the year winds down, it does so on a rather ominous note, and I’m not entirely certain what the future holds. Ok, no one is ever certain; I’m especially not certain. If there’s anything in a musical vein that I hope for in 2014, it’s that however my life changes, it does so in a way that I can experience a wider range of musical delights in the new year. For a comprehensive overview of top recordings released in 2013, visit Ryan’s Smashing Life for his ’50 Best Albums of 2013.’ Meanwhile, here are six of my personal live performance highlights, in chronological order.

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Lost and Found (VII of XII)

By julie

On October 12, 2013

In Indie Music, Musings, Road Trips

A Los Angeles story of madness and awakening, in twelve parts

123Death at Los Globos, Silver Lake

Part VII: Boardner’s in Hollywood to Los Globos in Silver Lake… and back again.

It was now Day 6 in my bleary haze of broken sleep and beautiful sights and sounds. Tuesday night — must be time for my personally-curated “Julie’s Eastside L.A. Welcoming Party” (or so it seemed). Former members of Death To Anders, Rademacher, Radars To The Sky and The Henry Clay People, all in new projects at two different clubs at opposite ends of town. It was also the night when I wondered why, despite all our technological advances, transporters haven’t yet been invented.

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The Infamous Eastside L.A. 2013 Roundup – part I

By julie

On January 3, 2013

In Indie Music

(top left to bottom): Nightmare Air, Malcolm Sosa and Kim Haden, Local Natives

Hello fellow Eastside L.A. enthusiasts. It’s been nearly a year since I’ve done this (February, to be exact), so it’s time. My rules for inclusion are as follows: the band has to have had something vaguely resembling an update within the past few months or some clear indication that they have not in fact broken up or gone into semi-hibernation.

By those standards, the following bands are “MIA” and presumed gone (if not, please let me know): Autolux, Death To Anders (but see below) and Just An Animal (formerly Red Cortez; see Harley Cortez and Calvin Love solo projects below).

I have also decided, after this update, to let go of those bands who have defected to Brooklyn (or other parts), but I will of course continue to cover my favorites separately. So without further ado >>

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Rademacher: Baby Hawk! New Album and Tour

By julie

On June 23, 2011

In Gigs, Indie Music

photo by Stephen Gamboa

Here’s some seriously great news which I’m finally getting around to posting. For all you Rademacher fans out there (and if not, why not?), the long-awaited follow-up to the 2007 release Stunts is just a few weeks away. Baby Hawk (Park I of III) is available for pre-order on bandcamp and will be released Tuesday, July 5th. The album will be available via itunes and emusic on July 12th. Have a listen to the complete song below, or go to their soundcloud page to listen to each instrument separately. Cool. For those uninitiated: poignant and raw, deceptively simple lyrics that cut to the bone, set against slick, interesting pop music (with more sophistication and sonic magic of late). Dive in.

THEY ARE ALWAYS INTO THAT MIX 06 by BabyHawk

“All the best songs / are love songs / I don’t think that you can argue / no, I don’t think you can argue that… convenient explanations for the way things are… who really cares? / who really knows? / who’s responsibility is this?”

They’ll also be on the road starting July 1, though for the time being, just in Cali. However… somewhat reliable sources tell me there are plans to come East in the fall. Hopefully this time they’ll make it past Chicago.

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College Kids and Rademacher demos! (such a tease)

By julie

On March 18, 2011

In Gigs, Indie Music, Music News

old Rademacher press photo. maybe it'll embarrass them into getting a new one. maybe not.

UPDATE: (from press release) “Rademacher, will be playing several dates in Southern and Central California during the month of April and will return to the studio to record the follow up to their full length debut, STUNTS…. The new record, titled BABY HAWK, will be engineered by Josiah Mazzachi (of Los Angeles band Light FM) at his Eagle Rock, CA studio, The Cave. The band will be releasing Baby Hawk on their own label, Hot Mess Magic, in three parts, with material being released digitally in June, August and a final and physical release slated for December of 2011.”

Two yummy treats from College Kids and Rademacher. Finally getting around to posting these. Enjoy.

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College Kids New Demo: The 704

By julie

On January 20, 2011

In Indie Music

Catching up on some cool music. One of the coolest of all – a new demo from College Kids, the new musical collaboration of Rademacher‘s Malcolm Sosa and Kim Haden (of Yellow Alex), whom I first mentioned last October. Seriously, I want to see Mr. Sosa in some sort of incarnation here on the East Coast so badly, I’ll take anything – Rademacher, College Kids, or a Vaudeville revue passing through town.

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Malcolm Sosa & Kim Haden’s College Kids – new band, new song, & debut show at Spaceland!

By julie

On October 23, 2010

In Gigs, Indie Music

Kim Haden + Malcolm Sosa = College Kids

I’m still waiting for Rademacher to make it to the East Coast, but in the meantime, Malcolm Sosa and his girlfriend Kim Haden (formerly with Light FM and now with Yellow Alex) have a new band they’re calling College Kids. They’ve just released their first song, “The Big Fresno Fair”; a sweet, funny, wistful ode to their hometown, delightfully reminiscent of Malcolm’s songwriting in Rademacher which I’ve known and loved for some time now. The song also features Blake Jones on Theremin. Their recording project is being produced by Josiah Mazzaschi (Light FM) and Sam McConnell (Breakfast Records) at their studios in Eagle Rock, The Cave and The Manor. This excellent track promises big things ahead.

If you’re in Los Angeles Monday night (Oct 25), you can see their debut live performance at Spaceland (they’re on at midnight). Oh, and by the way, this just so happens to be the final night of the Radars To The Sky month-long residency, which also features South Pasadena band Torches in Trees. This residency has been presented by KROQ Locals Only show and prominent L.A. music blog Web In Front.

My god, that’s a whole lot of information. Check out this awesome new band! And go see them, if you’re lucky enough to live or be in the area…

[audio:http://www.bostonsurvivalguide.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/02-The-Big-Fresno-Fair.mp3|titles=The Big Fresno Fair (mp3)]
The Big Fresno Fair (mp3)

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Review: Rademacher – “Bellyflop” EP (JAXART)

By julie

On November 19, 2009

In Indie Music, Reviews

“I’ve got 3,000 MySpace friends
and sofas to crash on
from here to New York
and the adventures just continue..”
– Car Wash Donations

This current assessment by Malcolm Sosa a.k.a. Mike Mancillas of Rademacher would suggest that life is good, though looking back at this past year, I’m thinking it must have been a rough ride. In February, their new drummer Eden had just joined he and bassist Greer McGettrick in time for a 6-week West Coast tour that would include 12 shows with The Airborne Toxic Event and The Henry Clay People. For Rademacher (judging by their tour diary) things got off to a shaky start, and then four of the dates ended up being rescheduled. Initial plans to be at SXSW were scrapped, but then they rejoined Airborne’s shows for Las Vegas, Pomona, and Sacramento. More big changes followed, with Eden leaving and then Malcolm and Greer parting ways. A brand new line-up, from what I can tell, was first unveiled back on April 21 at The Echo, and I’m guessing it’s this same line-up that’s featured on their new EP, Bellyflop, released last month by JAXART Records. Mind you, I could be totally wrong about some or all of this; if anyone has better information, please let me know! I’m not exactly sure who’s in the band, except for drummer Eli Reyes, who also plays in Fresno-based The Fay Wrays.

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Band Profile: Rademacher

By julie

On April 11, 2009

In Band Profiles, Indie Music, Reviews

Malcolm Sosa and Greer McGettrick of Rademacher

This is the first of, if things go as I envision, an ongoing series of band profiles. I’m not able to get out to shows too often right now, but there are many bands I really like and want to talk about. Some I hear of through various means (including those from the Boston area), and maybe a few will stumble upon my humble blog and send me stuff, ’cause I’m lonely and I like when people email me out of the blue like that. I begin with a Fresno, California-based band called Rademacher.

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