Part Time Punks Festival Highlights and MPThreeeeeees

I should have blogged about this festival before it happened... but I ran out of time. I missed the guest list and wasn't sure I wanted to shell out $20, (although you can't beat that price for all these bands), times are a bit tight right now... so we had to get a little creative... So glad I went! Part Time Punks every Sunday night at The Echo in Echo Park and every Thursday 2-6pm on KXLU, 88.9FM Los Angeles and streaming world wide.

Bands I saw in order I saw them:

Vivian Girls - Hot girls from Brooklyn that rock the house. I would love to see them at a crazy house party or small dumpy venue with a lot of drunk teenagers. The crowd just stood there and nodded their heads to their punky, surf synths and melodic singing. Vivian Girls are cute but every song sounded the same to me. I wanted someone to wail. I got bored, but their CD is good.

MP3 - Tell The World
MP3 - Where Do You Run

Nervous Gender & Medium Medium - I honestly don't know these two bands very well. Nervous Gender had much appreciated personality. The band was an eclectic mix of age and style. The singer looked like an Irish Mobster that at one point bent over and pointed his ass to the audience in a very Ace Ventura like performance. There was a cute asian girl on bass, a young, long-haired guy on guitar and another older dude on... something else. They had a prominent voice and held the crowd for a solid three of four songs.

Medium Medium played downstairs in the Echoplex and as my friend Jenny said, "Who are those old dudes downstairs with the saxophone?"

- I couldn't find any tracks for these guys... btw, a lot of saxophone last night.

Love is All - I was fading and wondering how long I would last at the festival until Love is All played. My second wind kicked in as soon as the Sweds started rocking out. The lead singer, Josephine Olausson, is amazing. She has the sweetest voice but can really wail. Busy Doing Nothing started off the dancing and screaming that later resulted in blisters and a sore throat. If you missed them go see them at The Smell this Tuesday, 11/18 with Abe Vigoda, The Vivian Girls and No Dzzz. They live in Sweden so catch them while they're here!

MP3 - Busy Doing Nothing
MP3 - Make Out Fall Out Make Up
MP3 - I Ran (Flock of Seagulls Cover)

Pylon - Oh my god oh my god oh my god. Pylon was the biggest surprise last night. Pylon is an amaaaaazing band from Athens, Georgia. They were really big between 1979-1983 and hadn't played together for an audience in ten years or so. This is a band that never lost their magic like some of the other reunion bands... I was up in front, dancing with my friends. Jumping, sweating screaming, going nuts. They were so great. I think they were wondering who all of these kids were that knew all the words to their songs and were losing their shit. They let two ecstatic fans come dance on stage and played two encores! At the end the guitarist took pictures of the audience and they all gave sincere thanks for being able to be there. Oh man... definitely the best show I've seen all year.

MP3 - Cool
MP3 - The Human Body
MP3 - Stop It

Softboiled Eggies - Yay Softboiled Eggies came on late so we got to catch them. Their soft, sweet melodies were perfect to wind down to post Pylon. The video screen above the stage was playing a video of shieks marching perfectly on beat.

MP3 - Can You Send Blame
MP3 - She Fell Through the Trees

A Certain Ratio - The headliner of the night was the most disappointing. They seemed to be playing newer songs and brought a guest female singer on stage that I wasn't into. I took a break outside and then went upstairs for Ariel Pink.

MP3 - Do The Du (John Peel Session)

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - I LOVE Ariel Pink! I don't know what it is about them. They're all over the place but they definitely have their own style. They wear wigs and have fun and don't give a fuck about what anyone thinks. By the time I saw them I was so tired and sober but could not stop dancing. These guys are local. See them when you can.

MP3 - Interesting Results
MP3 - Every Night I Die At Miyagi's
MP3 - L'Estat
MP3 - Calm Me Down

Mika Miko - Six hours late and these girls finally made it on stage. The blond girl sang into a red telephone turned microphone and was the cutest thing I'd seen that night. I wish I had a camera, her colors were great. Music is so good too. I can't help but wish I was in a band like theirs. Too bad I was too tired, blistered and hungry to stay to the end. I'll have to catch them again.

MP3 - Wild Bore
MP3 - Business Cats

The Muslims - They played at the same time as Love Is All, so I missed them. I have seen them before though. They're great!

MP3 - On My Time
MP3 - Nightlife

The Urinals - They played so early and I missed them but I would have loved to have seen them.

MP3 - Surfin' With The Shah
MP3 - Sex
MP3 - I'm Like You

A big KXLU crew was there with the camera so pictures will be up soon. Only press was allowed in with cameras so I don't have any to post right now. There will be posted here soon along with photos from Gang Gang Dance too, so look out for them later!