The Echo Turns 10!

Voted by Filter Magazine as one of Los Angeles’s top 5 music venues, The Echo is coming-up on it’s 10^th anniversary this December 3^rd.

An eastside gem, the Echo has featured prime artists such as Beck, Band of Horses, The Decembrists and Vampire Weekend. Its helped launch the careers of acts with their notorious free residencies - including recently Foster The People (resident in early 2011).

Whether musical karma or just the vibe and standards of it’s surrounding, if you see an unknown artist at the Echo, chances are they could blow up soon after (Chain Gang of 1974, Tic Tic Boom!, Polaris At Noon, Cassettes Won't Listen and many more are all playing the residency this month). But the Echo wears many hats; a venue that showcases fresh talent, hosts legit dance parties and simply remains a prime spot to hit the bar on a weekend night (Funky Sole, the free DJ fueled soul-funk dance party event on Saturdays is always good). It drew such attention that it ultimately opened Echoplex downstairs.

To thank all fans of the Echo in celebration of their 10 years, SUPERGOODMUSIC is excited to giveaway tickets to a few shows at this favorite hot spot in the next coming weeks.

Starting tonight, a few of you had the chance to win tickets to the Echo for 11.11.11, featuring Austra, Grimes and Baron Von Luxxury! It’ll be an evening filled with ornate and highly creative sounds from the underground disco beats of Baron Von Luxxury to the catchy synth-gothisms of Grimes, and Canadian trio Austra.

If you missed out on that - Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears with support from Sheepdogs is gonna stir up a stage of funky rock-soul and hot harmonies in the Echoplex downstairs. Its $18+ and tickets are $17 at the door. Unfortunately we don't have tickets to giveaway to that show - but I promise it will be excellent. Just check out this video from Black Joe Lewis - "Livin In The Jungle" - if you're not convinced.

The Head & The Heart Stand Tall In The Folk Rock World

The Head and the Heart, the six-piece pop-folk band from Seattle, WA, released their debut self-titled album in early January of this year. The sextet give a new feeling to the traditional pop-folk trend set by artists such as Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, and The Tallest Man on Earth. Unlike these other fold bands, however, The Head and the Heart’s debut packs a ton of energy behind the traditional folk sound, especially in the first two tracks on the album: “Cats and Dogs” and “Coeur d’Alene,” which transition into each other seamlessly.

And, of course, behind every great folk album are the lyrics. The Head and the Heart write many of their songs about traveling, friends, and the sheer beauty of nature, giving the album an authentic Americana feel that would have made Walt Whitman proud.

As much as you may have loved Fleet Foxes and the other aforementioned folk artists, The Head and the Heart have an incredible advantage over them with the infectious energy that they have accomplished with this album. The energetic piano and contrasting, prolonged “Ooh’s” and “Ahh’s” create a near-perfect balance, and contributes to much of the album’s substance.

Perhaps whats best about the Head and the Heart, though, is that every song is remarkably distinct. Songs like “Down in the Valley” portray the purity of their Americana-folk feel, while the changing tempos of “Sounds Like Hallelujah” vaguely reminds me of Queen’s famous “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Here is a video of them performing "Down In The Valley"...

The Head and the Heart is bound to appeal to faithful fans of the current folk trend, as well as fans of great alternative pop. And if they keep up the great sound found on their debut album, they very well may surpass folk artists like Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses in both fame and critical acclaim.

by The Converse Rock Star; edited by Boom D