If the Adored’s energetic

late set at Spaceland on Thursday wasn’t quite as explosive as many in the

garage-rockers’ memorable past, you could understand. These dudes had a lousy 2007: V2,

the label for which they released "A New Language" in July 2006, folded; and

he band parted ways with lead singer Ryan George.

On Thursday, playing as a three-piece, they certainly looked as if they were off to a

happier new year, with guitarist Drew Seventeen having taken over lead vocal duties as

well. But the trio clearly seems to be a band at a crossroads. Rumor is that Seventeen

and mates Max Humphrey and Nat Keefer have a side project in the works, but in an email

today Seventeen says the band is too uncertain about its musical future right now

"to go on the record about anything."

Stay tuned.

Highlights for the weekend, Jan. 18-19-20

First, two book events of note: Authors Suzy Shaw and Mick Farren will sign copies of

"BOMP! Saving the World One Record at a Time," which chronicles Greg Shaw’s

legendary fanzine and label "BOMP!" Joe and

Mike Nolte of the Last will perform at the signing, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday

at La Luz de Jesus Gallery. … And at 2 p.m.

Sunday, Orange County-based John Borack will sign "Shake Some Action: The Ultimate

Power Pop Guide" (a compendium of the best power-pop albums of all time, with

interviews, photos and other artifacts), at Freakbeat Records in Sherman Oaks.

Now for the shows: Chromeo’s gig tonight

at the El Rey is sold out; over at Safari Sam’s, there’s a deep lineup that begins at 8

p.m. with a set from New York City kid band (they’re 12, 12 and 13, respectively) Care Bears on Fire. … Psychedelia in

two places: Xu Xu Fang and others play

Bordello, and the Quarter After and

the Stevenson Ranch Davidians head

up a nice lineup at Spaceland. … On Saturday, while the Cool Kids are entertaining at the

Echoplex, Oliver Future and Casxio. … And on Sunday, it’s Om at the Echoplex, Jeremy Enigk at the Troubadour and Benji Hughes at Tangier.

Photo

of the Adored by Kevin Bronson / LAT

It was an interesting week in musical contrasts.

On the invitation of Fuel TV’s Daryl Berg, I stopped by Swing House in Hollywood on Monday to see the Bravery. The New York five-piece was at the recording studio-cum-rehearsal space to shoot a live segment for Fuel TV’s “Check 1, 2.” (If you’re wondering what the connection is between the band and the action sports network, apparently two of the dudes like to surf.)

While I was there, the quintet ran through three of their songs three times each for Swing House’s microphones and Fuel TV’s cameras, and I would be lying if I didn’t report that the performances were faultless–just like the recordings complete with spot-on vocals. Listening to the songs (”An Honest Mistake,” “Believe” and “Time Won’t Let Me Go”), I couldn’t help but remark to Berg how incredulous I was that these guys aren’t already superstars.

Seriously, the Bravery has a winning formula. It’s not theirs, of course, it’s Duran Duran’s: five really good-looking guys with flawless haircuts and sharp outfits to match, playing insanely catchy New Wave-y tunes–hi-hat-heavy drums, octave-friendly bass, breathy keyboards, distorted rhythm guitars and crystalline leads, plus sour-sweet, whiny vocals–that sound both supremely commercial yet genuinely edgy.

The band’s only modest success so far might have something to do with the fact that none of the band members–with the possible exception of the overly excited drummer–exhibited the slightest trace of personality at the shoot. I mean, it was dead silent between takes: No evidence of any camaraderie between the members; no jokes or horseplay; no comments, positive or negative, on the performances; no interaction with the crew, record company people or gawkers–just silence. They might have been wax works, but for the movement.

From the Bravery–an up-and-coming band with great chops (but no discernible personality) making a musical appearance–I go to Peter Tork, a rock ‘n’ roll dinosaur with questionable vocal tendencies (but tons of charisma) making a non-musical appearance.

The former Monkee was hosting a special edition of the Beauty Bar’s “oldies ‘n’ goodies” Wednesday night event, Goodie Tu Shoes. By hosting, I mean he was autographing copies of “Cambria Hotel,” a new offering from his rootsy, bluesy new rock ‘n’ roll band, Shoe Suede Blues.

Tork acted just the way any fan of the Monkees’ ridiculous TV show (or thoroughly excellent film, “Head”) would have expected: He was friendly, animated and totally goofy. I can’t vouch for Shoe Suede Blues being anything more than a respectable honky tonk-style bar band, but after being an extraordinarily well-known (if not necessarily respected) superstar, he deserves a lot of credit for starting over with a new band and doing the little extracurriculars newcomers must to get the word out.

I guess the answer to the question Tork posed here is “yes.” -Liam Gowing

[Photo 1: The Bravery at Swing House. Credit: Patrick Weir and Fuel TV. Photo 2: Peter Tork, right, and pal at Beauty Bar-L.A. Credit: Mary Jo Head.]

Dan Deacon is the demented young wizard behind last year’s freak-out electronica record “Spiderman of the Rings.” “Ultimate Reality,” his new DVD with video artist Jimmy Joe Roche, is a ham-fisted psychedelic feast of manipulated images from the Governator’s old flicks. Roche and Deacon, college roommates from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase, N.Y., operate in an artist’s collective called Wham City, which consists of fellow grads and new friends from Baltimore, their adopted city.

Deacon unleashed his maximalist onslaught Tuesday at the El Rey (read the review). I chatted with Deacon and Roche on the phone last week while they were driving somewhere outside Austin, Texas:

How’d you end up in Baltimore?

None of us [from Wham City] wanted to move to New York. It’s super-expensive and we wanted to stay on the East Coast. A friend who was living in Baltimore told us it was cheap and that the art and music scenes were pretty wide open. We went down there not knowing what to expect. We barely knew anyone — we had no jobs, no cellphones. We lived very much in isolation. There was a period of tears and smashing things and figuring out where we stood in the world but the social detox paid off. For the most part, the scene here is great.

You use lots of humorous squeaks and samples in your music. What’s the appeal of having those funny sounds embedded in these gorgeous contexts?

I really think those dog-barking sounds are just as beautiful as the glockenspiel. These everyday sounds are lumped into the realm of the silly instead of using them as real elements. So much of experimental music is pretentious and esoteric. I’m striving to create experimental, sophisticated, complex music that’s easy to listen to, that won’t push anyone away, no matter what their level of musical education.

What inspires you?

My personal aesthetic comes from Wham City. We push everyone to work as much as possible; we’re competitive but not in a negative sense. But my personal and musical aesthetic initially came in part from cartoons like “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” “He-Man” and especially “Looney Tunes.” That set the tone that things can be weird: the rapid-fire series of events, every instant utilized for set-up, every character a huge exaggeration, every action hugely blown out of proportion and then the constant scoring. When you’re young and you have no idea about all the cultural references, it makes it even more absurd. That went on to influence the way I think about music. I try to fill up every inch as much as possible, while still showing restraint.

Question for Jimmy: Why did you want to use Arnold Schwarzenegger films like “Terminator” and “Kindergarten Cop”? Me and Dan are both 26 — we grew up with Schwarzenegger throughout our whole lives. We’ve been thinking about Indian ragas and mythology. Schwarzenegger’s mythology is woven into all of his films. And now he’s a governor, a political figure. His films are massive and, in general, films are getting bigger and bigger — more explosions, more CGI. Films are a giant American industry — it’s our major cultural product. Schwarzenegger is in the middle of all that. But by reprocessing his films, making them into DIY, maybe spiritual and psychedelic experiences, we create a new, active relationship with him.

–Margaret Wappler

[Photo: Dan Deacon surrounded at the El Rey. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times]

With the exception of folks like Fountains of Wayne, Nada Surf and a few other people who will forever remain near and dear to our ears, power pop went out

of fashion when the Posies lost a secret arm-wrestling match with Nirvana in the early

1990s. Oh, purveyors of those ’60s and ’70s sounds crop up now and again, especially

locally, but they never gain much traction.

If a similar fate awaits the

Procession, you’d never know it from Wednesday night’s set in front of a small but

appeciative crowd at Spaceland. There was a quartet, helmed by two guys named John and

Paul, who told the sound guy, "just mix us old-school, like the Beatles."

The mix was pretty perfect, like the vocals from Procession principals J. Paul

Zawacki and John Schreffler. The Detroit expats, now residing in Atwater Village, proved

they could not only sing, but harmonize too, and the smiles on their faces were

as contagious as their big melodies. Their tightly played tunes had a

joie-de-pop that needed none of the accouterments bands often bring along with

their three-chord splendor — forced theatricality, or band "uniforms."

"We do what we do," Zawacki said afterward.

I will admit to having overlooked the band’s album, the crunchy-sweet "Musique

Magnifique," when it arrived last year. A couple spins this morning have made me

glad I got a second chance.

||| Stream "Don’t Le Go" and "Major and Minor"

here.

Photo by Elle Rese

Highlights for Thursday, Jan. 17

Sold out last week, the

Airborne Toxic Event’s residency continues at Spaceland, with Sunday Drivers, Bloodcat Love and the Adored. … Get Set Go brings its power pop-with-teeth to

the front room at the Knitting Factory. … Hip-hop phenom Lupe Fiasco holds forth at the House of Blues

Sunset Strip, while Twista is down the street at

the Key Club. … Hurt brings its power rock to

Safari Sam’s. … And it’s Young Heart

Attack at the Echo, Meho Plaza

at the Smell and Priscilla Ahn at the

Hotel Cafe.

Despite the fact that he hasn’t done his legacy as a great singer-songwriter any favors since, oh, 1983’s “An Innocent Man,” — and has garnered more headlines for driving into trees and houses than writing hit songs in the last few years  –  Billy Joel certainly deserves first mention in this week’s Will Call. Damn the trends (and any objects in the road). He’s a classic artist! The Piano Man will be at the Honda Center on Feb. 23. Tickets for the show go on sale Saturday.

There are a few other shows of note this week, including underappreciated rapper Talib Kweli, who plays the House of Blues Sunset Strip on Jan. 25 and 26 (tickets on sale Thursday); the Gigantour with Megadeth, which touches down at Long Beach Arena on May 21 (tickets available now); and the Hotel Cafe Tour, with up-and-coming singer-songwriters such as Jesca Hoop, Meiko and Jim Bianco at the Music Box @ Fonda on April 12 (tickets on sale Saturday).

But the Will Call Winner is undoubtedly the color black, which brings us to:

The Black Crowes, who will be playing their forthcoming album, “Warpaint,” in its entirety at the Avalon on March 20 (get tickets Friday);

The Black Keys, who will be playing the blues ironically at the Glass House on March 30 and at the Wiltern on April 1 (tickets for both shows Saturday);

The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, who will undoubtedly be dressing in black at the Key Club on Jan. 24 and at Safari Sam’s on Jan. 25 (both shows on sale now);

Black Mountain, who will be playing the Troubadour on Feb. 5 (tickets now).

and Black Pine, who will be opening for the Coral Sea at the Viper Room on Feb. 18 (tickets now).

How much more black could the Will Call column be this week? These guys have the answer.

– Liam Gowing

What do you call a guy who hangs out with musicians? A drummer! Yes, it’s an old joke, but it’s a good one. And there’s this one: How do you get a drummer off the doorstep? Pay for the pizza! Or: What concept do drummers and Einstein agree on? Time is relative! Wait, wait, one more: What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless! But seriously folks … We were thinking of drummers because of a really intriguing auction that’s underway on eBay for a good cause. Here’s the description:

“A once in a lifetime experience, visit the Sabian factory in New Brunswick, Canada, take a tour and spend time with the Artisans in the Sabian Vault (up to 1/2 day) selecting a setup. Package includes a 10-cymbal setup with a MSRP of $3,000, round trip airfare (US or Canada only) to New Brunswick, and one night lodging near the factory plus meals. The retail value is $4,000, but the experience is priceless!”

The auction benefits the victims of California wildfires, as does Thursday’s show at the Roxy by Perry Farrell and the Paul Green School of Rock All-Stars, which also includes a raffle and auction. All of it is fun and high-minded, unlike this joke: What’s the last thing a drummer says before he flies out the door of his band’s chartered jet? “Hey guys, I wrote a song!”

– Geoff Boucher

Last we heard from the roguish Denver chamber-pop quartet, they were reveling in the happy accident that was 2006’s indie-comedy success story “Little Miss Sunshine.” DeVotchKa was responsible for performing most of the film’s swooning, Morricone-inspired orchestral score. The band has a new album, “A Mad and Faithful Telling,” out on Anti- in March, and previewed a few tracks from it at a lunchtime PR-junket set at the Hotel Cafe.

First impressions on their big-indie-label debut: It’s less DeVotchKa-y, for better and for worse. Apparently, the mannered, awkward travelogue flick rubbed off on their songwriting. The band’s moon-eyed Gypsy romanticism has given way to a bit more of a starched-collar string-quartet refinement, yet also more swaggering mariachi laments.

DeVotchKa could have gone any number of directions for what will amount to their debutante ball post-”Sunshine,” and it looks like they decided to explore them all on different tunes. “Comrade Z” is a jaunty Balkan instrumental that comes closest to the Gypsy-rock micro-trend of 2006 that they were loosely allied with, but other white-gloved new numbers suggest a band that can do anything well (especially swooning open-plains melodrama and pan-ethnic folk), but it hasn’t quite settled into a commanding personality yet. Every member of the group is such a devastatingly great player and arranger that it (quite effectively) disguises the fact that singer Nick Urata is still learning how to be a frontman and not just a stock suave crooner. That everyone in DeVotchKa is a stunning instrumentalist (including Urata and his voice) dovetails perfectly when there are actors on screen. But we left the show wanting a little more connection with the actual humans onstage.

– August Brown

[Photo: DeVotchKa, looking blue and deep. Credit: Paul Shroder]

The Bird and the Bee will be

flying into the desert. Nice.

And one of those assembly-line electro acts that has me convinced technology has made

it far too easy to put out an album, the U.K.’s Does It Offend You Yeah?, will be

playing too.

Yeah, it does.

The spasmodic sagacity of the Henry Clay People can be a

little like watching somebody karaoke the encyclopedia, and the L.A. quartet’s spate of

shows in late 2007 seemed to augur their rise to bigger stages. The prolific foursome is

getting ready for a February residency at the Echo (batten down the fixtures) by putting

the finishing touches on a new EP.

With last year’s album "Blacklist the

Kid With the Red Moustache" just making it into many local music collections, TCHP

will have the five-song "Working Part Time" EP ready for the residency. The

title track ought to be the anthem for every indie rocker who juggles a day job with

being in a band. And, front man Joey Siara says, the band is writing and recording more

new material.

Here’s something from the new EP — "We just made up the

song titles last night," Siara confessed on Tuesday — featuring a rare lead vocal

from Joey’s brother, guitarist Andy:

||| Download: "Andy Sings!"

|||

Live: The Henry Clay People play Jan. 24 at the Detroit Bar in Costa

Mesa, and every Monday in February at the Echo.

Photo of Joey Siara getting

in the spirit at the Little Radio holiday party by Timothy Norris.

Highlights

for Wednesday, Jan. 16

Model K celebrates the release of its

new EP with a show tonight at the Hotel Cafe (where Buddy is playing a string of Wednesdays, and Ian Ball [of Gomez] is also playing). …

Fans of good, solid prog and classic rock, take note: Anaheim six-piece Dusty Rhodes and the River Band headline

the Echo tonight. … Army Navy plays Club NME at Spaceland. … Kim Kline plays the Viper Room (where

Switchfoot’s Jonathan Foreman was scheduled to play; he has postponed). … And it’s Hello Dragon and the High Wires among the bands rocking

the Silverlake Lounge.

First, there was “Lip Gloss,” Lil Mama’s earth-crushing and drums-only ode to windburn protection that sounded more menacing and ruthless than anything on “Curtis.” Now, M.I.A.-protege Rye Rye has a smoking, minimalist Baltimore club tune in “Shake It to the Ground” on Diplo’s Mad Decent label. Aside from an occasional farted-out bass, the production work from DJ Blaqstarr is again strictly minimalist percussion and gum-smacking chants until practically the end of the song. Have the kids decided they don’t need even a perfunctory Korg Triton stab to make a floor-filler? Either way, we dig the Misfits poster in Rye Rye’s bedroom in this made-for-pennies video and like to imagine that Glenn Danzig might return the favor someday with a guest verse.

–August Brown