I know last week I promised a review of the Year Of No Light show in Glendale (at The Complex) but – much like the Frost/Hecker show at Los Globos two days prior – the band elected to play in almost complete darkness. Which meant I couldn’t get many photos. As I don’t know the group’s oeuvre all that well, posting three foggy/dark photos and a paragraph or two wouldn’t have done their show justice. The French five-piece (two guitars, bass, a drummer, and a second drummer/keyboard player) played recognizable songs from Tocsin and Ausserwelt loud enough to rattle walls and assault eardrums. You would never have guessed this was YONL’s first ever show in America. Other than a minor technical hiccup before the final song of the evening, they were flawless and appeared quite comfortable in front of the foreign crowd. It was only after the set concluded – when I shook hands with Shiran Kaïdine (guitarist) – that I noticed his hands were shaking. It has to be exciting and nerve-wracking as hell for a European group to play their first show in this country. I think the adrenaline was still coursing through his veins even after the lights came back on. I was really impressed with their live sound. The two-drummer attack was especially fun to hear and see. If Year Of No Light happens to be playing a show in your hood in the near future, you would be wise to check them out. As for people in the Los Angeles area, The Complex is a pretty cool venue! For a small club they had a decent beer list, both on draught and in bottles. The room was fucking freezing, but the fog machine warmed things up a bit. Or at least made the place feel a little more stuffy.
There’s plenty of other news to report as well. On Friday (Halloween) the duo behind Player Piano launched their newest video, “Ghost Waltz“.  A twist on David Arnold’s “Untitled Waltz,” this arrangement by Sonya Belousova is absolutely beautiful, and the accompanying video directed by Tom Grey is fun, and totally befits Sonya’s brilliant music. The good news for those of you who enjoy their videos is that they have a bunch more amazing episodes to come in the near future. Having seen some brief glimpses of what’s in store for Player Piano fans, I can say that they only get better with each successive production. Stay tuned. Oh, and subscribe to their YouTube channel, like ’em on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.
And because we were joking about it earlier today, I have to alert your attention to my buddy Noah’s band Dirt Dress. They had their new music video for a song called “Revelations” premiere today on the website for Entertainment Weekly. It features a pretty actress with a fancy name and parts of the Los Angeles River that I never knew existed. We’re all very proud of Noah and his band. If you want to hear more of their music, you can stream and buy stuff from their BandCamp page. I recommend Donde La Vida No Vale Nada. Also you should like Dirt Dress on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter. I say “them” but I’m pretty sure it’s all Noah. Way to go, rock star!
…If I can find the time tomorrow I’ll post a mix tape, but I’m pretty sure I won’t.
