LA Weekly Los Angeles is a hotbed of music, and L.A. Weekly is here to help you navigate this embarrassment of riches. From female punk rockers more salient now than ever to the dulcet tones and magnificent coif of the the Melvins' King Buzzo to Corrine Bailey Rae and Seal, here are the 12 best best shows in L.A. this week.
fri 7/13
The Coathangers
RESIDENT DTLA
With President Trump set to appoint a new judge to the Supreme Court and further tilt that institution even further to the right, the name Coathangers suddenly becomes relevant again as women's rights advocates fear the reversal of Roe v. Wade. The Coathangers — the band — embody the frustrations and rage many people are feeling these days. On their new concert recording Live, which was recorded over two nights last year at Alex's Bar, the Atlanta punk trio have their silly, goofy moments as singer-guitarist Julia Kugel manipulates a squeaky toy on “Squeeki Tiki.” But even that track, which rides along Meredith Franco's rubbery, Slits-style bass lines and Stephanie Luke's primal drumming, is full of unrestrained rage as the toy is used as a sarcastic kiss-off to “a bad memory.” Other highlights range from Franco's “Burn Me” to Luke's “Adderall.” —Falling James
Melvins
THE TROUBADOUR
He likely never intended it this way but, at this point, King Buzzo's incredible hair is as iconic a rock & roll vision as KISS' makeup or Angus Young's schoolboy uniform. It's a thing of ungodly beauty, and it's only gotten more pleasing to the eye as he's aged and the bonnet has grayed. That said, the Melvins have never been about gimmicks but, rather, bone-tremblingly intense stoner punk music that has remained monolithically uncompromising but simultaneously eclectic enough to draw in fans of both grunge and grindcore, and everything in between. The Melvins are a force of nature. Incredibly prolific down the years, they put out the Pinkus Abortion Technician album in April of this year. Their cover of the Beatles' “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is worth the price of the record alone. —Brett Callwood
Body/Head; Credit: David Black
Body/Head
HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY
In their later years, Sonic Youth evolved from a fearsome collective of intense noisemakers into a relatively mellow and more typical alt-rock band. Bassist Kim Gordon's sullenly restrained vocals and skeletal bass lines often were the most intriguing aspect of the New York group as they settled comfortably into their more pop-minded, easy-listening phase. She has returned to her roots in experimentation with Body/Head, her ongoing project with guitarist Bill Nace. While some of the selections on the duo's new Matador Records release The Switch occasionally echo the woozy, fulsome intensity of early Sonic Youth, Body/Head stubbornly explore even stranger musical territory. Such convulsive tracks as “Change My Brain” and “Reverse Hard” clock in at over 10 minutes apiece, and the duo's occasional cryptic vocals are buried in layers of crushing guitars and avant-garde sound effects. —Falling James
sat 7/14
Triple-B Records showcase
HI-HAT
Dip yourself in the warm seamy goodness of modern American hardcore music at today's Triple-B Records showcase for some of the bands you might have missed in the sweltering welter that was this year's Sound and Fury Festival. There's the vegan straight-edge majesty of Ecostrike, meditating loudly and forcefully on what lessons there were to be learned from the strife and chaos of the '90s; French breakbeat pioneer Candy; Atlanta hardcore from Abuse of Power, with their impressively philosophical When Then Becomes Now 7-inch heating up cerebral cortexes from coast to coast; Broward County, Florida, wave-makers and risk-takers Secondsight; and the metallic side of hardcore punk from Finnish mind-melters Foreseen. The more time wears on these days, the more it seems that hardcore is less a single festival or a genre than it is a way of life. —David Cotner
Fu Manchu
THE WAYFARER
It seems incredible that SoCal stoner-rock band Fu Manchu formed way back in 1985, but it's true. Kinda. They originally formed as a hardcore punk band called Virulence, and changed name and style in '90. Still, these guys have been busting their asses for 33 years, and their 12th album, Clone of the Universe, dropped in February. While the lineup shifted significantly early on, with singer/guitarist Scott Hill the only original member, there's actually been only one change since 1996 (noted drummer Scott Reeder joined in 2001). The consistency that arrived with the new millennium has seen the band knuckle down and put out one quality album after another. Mind you, it's in the live environment that they always crush. This relatively low-key gig at the Wayfarer should be deafening. —Brett Callwood
Eligh
THE ROXY
“No pill can give me pleasure like the present,” Eligh declares on “Last House on the Block,” the title track of his latest solo album. “I'm looking out my body like a window sill/It's like a drill into my temple, just to make a thought to something simple.” The local rapper continues the theme of recovery from drug addiction that he explored on Grey Crow, but he also delves into the redemptive power of friendship on “Hey You.” Elsewhere, Eligh collaborates with his frequent musical partner The Grouch (“Focused,” “Pain on the Break”) and Dilated People's Evidence (“Burn”). “When the fire burns hot inside, this man knows he's alive,” he muses. “The speaker knows the power of the language.” Often celebrated for his work with The Grouch and as part of the rap supergroup Living Legends, Eligh reveals more of his inner world when he goes solo. —Falling James
Sonic Boom; Credit: Ward Boult
sun 7/15
Sonic Boom
WHISKY A GO-GO
A band featuring former L.A. Guns (and Black Cherry) singer Paul Black, and Dogs D'amour guitarist Jo Dog, isn't necessarily going to thrill too many people in 2018. Black isn't considered as important an ingredient in L.A. Guns' history as Phil Lewis, despite the fact that his tenure in that band predates Lewis'. Meanwhile, English sleaze-blues rockers The Dogs D'amour were always a cult band on this side of the Atlantic. So we're looking at two overlooked '80s rock musicians joining forces. The thing is, their Sun Down and Yellow Moon album from 2000 is an underrated gem. Magic happens when you get these two in a room together, not least because they're both excellent musicians and songwriters. Hollywood sleaze-punk vets Motorcycle Boy also play. —Brett Callwood
mon 7/16
Dead Sea Records showcase
WHISKY A GO-GO
This is interesting. Dead Sea Records is hosting a showcase of affiliated metal bands, from regions as far-flung as Texas, Mexico, Arizona and Northern and Southern California. Headlining are Pigweed, the multivocaled groove-based metal/hardcore crossover band that have built a solid reputation opening for the likes of Volbeat and Drowning Pool. Representing SoCal are thrashers Taipan, whose The Nine Battlegrounds album included guest appearances from members of Megadeth, Exodus and Ministry; and Kanserus Strait. Hellheart, Lost Horizons and Exiled From Grace represent the northern part of this state, while Vachteria and Meltdown are from Mexico, and Beneath the Fallen Suns and Saalythic are from Arizona. And all for only 10 bucks. —Brett Callwood
The Anti-Job; Credit: Steven Dewall
tue 7/17
The Anti-Job
THE BOOTLEG THEATER
“Let the people stare,” Amanda Jones sings on “You Caught My Heart by Surprise,” from The Anti-Job's 2016 EP, As a Place. She coos about “dancing in the clouds” with a dreamy melodicism even as her band shifts from Pixies-style alt-rock into jaggedly noisy stops and starts. On such tracks as “Elope,” Jones' winsome vocals are framed by pretty pop settings, but guitarist Martin Lopez-Iu and drummer Lee Harcourt like to transform even the most straightforward song structures with unexpected and occasionally jazzy sonic twists. “Someone Else Inside You” starts out as a low-key, intimate confessional before it surges forward with a pop-punk effusiveness. Jones and Lopez-Iu began playing together in 2009 when they were attending Vassar College before relocating the group to L.A. —Falling James
wed 7/18
Joe Budden
THE REGENT THEATER
A former member of the hip-hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, Joe Budden has since made a name for himself as one of the most outspoken voices in hip-hop and rap culture. Anyone who recognizes the name will know the New York rap veteran has no filter, especially when it comes to his Twitter fingers. After a very successful run as a host on Complex News' Everyday Struggle, Joe now has his own self-titled podcast, The Joe Budden Podcast, with co-hosts Rory and Mal. Entertaining listeners around the world, it was only right he embark on his own tour. We're just glad he's coming through L.A.! —Shirley Ju
Corinne Bailey Rae, Seal
HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Since the release of her self-titled debut album in February 2006, British singer-songwriter-producer-guitarist Corinne Bailey Rae has been one of the hottest properties in contemporary R&B. Writing songs that are deeply personal, easily relatable, beautiful and heart-wrenching, she continued to earn accolades with 2010 sophomore album The Sea, which was conceived in the wake of her husband's 2008 death. 2016's The Heart Speaks in Whispers is her most recent album, and it's typically poignant. This show at the Hollywood Bowl sees her playing before Seal, who is performing Rat Pack standards with members of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. So, if you have a hankering to hear Seal singing “My Way” or “Fly Me to the Moon,” this is the gig for you. —Brett Callwood
thu 7/19
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
THE ROXY
Stephen Malkmus came to attention as a member of alt-rock icons Pavement, but his presumed side project with The Jicks has been going on for nearly 20 years. The Portland, Oregon, group's latest album, Sparkle Hard, encompasses the momentous opener “Cast Off,” which moves from an austere piano-laden introduction into surging waves of guitar, and more brightly poppy tunes like “Future Suite,” which is coated in a veneer of sparkly glitter. “Bike Lane” is a more anthemic, guitar-based classic rocker, whereas “Middle America” is introspective and contemplative as Malkmus croons sentimentally, “Crush me back to where I belong.” While the band will be part of a big bill at the Greek Theatre with Courtney Barnett and Waxahatchee in October, tonight's a chance to see them in a more intimate venue. —Falling James
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