Ah, St. Patrick’s Day.  When the beer is green, the tattoo parlors are filled, and the spirit is rowdy.  This St. Patty’s Day, I headed down to the Key Club on the Sunset Strip to check out a showcase of some LA bands: Phathom, Culprit, thatwasthen, and Bethpage Black.  The crowd was surprisingly small, given the festive feeling of the night, and the atmosphere was quieter than I would’ve guessed; but, the bands played on and my face was sufficiently rocked off.

Phathom

Phathom kicked off the show with their well-crafted full-bodied rock.  While the bassist, Yannick d'Assignies, jumped around hilariously, lead singer Matthew Sikora impressed the crowd with his powerful vocals. Their songs were dynamic, and calculated tempo changes kept things interesting.   It was cool to see the band up there full of energy and really enjoying themselves, despite an unresponsive crowd.  They mentioned their upcoming record, out in May, and wished the guitarist, Jason Stone, a happy 21^st birthday by inviting the crowd to join Sikora in singing to Stone. Phathom then launched into a cover of “Where Is My Mind” by The Pixies, which, according to my notes, was “legit”—and indeed it was. Their heavy and energetic sound had me wowed and made me want to go out and buy some combat boots.

Picked By: Kelly Knapp

Who: The London Souls

Where: Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn, NY

When: Monday, March 14 at

Cost: $5

Picked By: Rebecca Haithcoat

Who: Goapele

Where: Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA

When: Monday, February 14th at 8pm

Cost: $20-$23

Age Restrictions: All Ages

Happy Friday! It felt like it would never get here, huh? Before you start your weekend, listen to the latest compilation of music from the artists we’ve featured last week on BestNewBands.com.

“Hook, Line & Sinner” - Texas in July
Lauren Novik started the weekend off by interviewing metal-based Texas in July. Here’s some of what was said:

LN:  Alright let’s get through with the basics, shall we?  What bands do you attribute your main musical influences to?
TIJ:  You know- a bunch of different stuff.  Forever In Terror.
LN:  So are most of your musical inspirations metal-based, or would you say you’re semi-eclectic when it comes to that?
TIJ:  We’re kind of all over the place- Alex listens to a bunch of country.
LN:  Cool- so I won’t be going in the car with you, ever.
TIJ:  No, no- like 75% of the time hip hop’s playing.  That, and slow jams.
LN:  Kidding- but that’s a little different from what you play on stage!
TIJ:  We like to think that hip hop has the same feel as metal in some ways…

Read the rest of Lauren’s interview here.

The gentlemen of Bethpage Black know the drama that comes with being in a heavy rock band.  Just glancing at the emo aesthetics of My Chemical Romance or The Used, you will soon pick up on the themes of exorbitance, emotiveness, and melodrama (and often the use of the colors white, black and red) in both image and music.  And while Bethpage Black continues this tradition through their photos and overall image, they need no such flourishes on stage.  These guys hold their own musically; they have an electric presence and put on a wicked show, whether they're in a t-shirt and jeans or a pinstripe Edwardian suit, complete with tophat.  I got to sit down with them after their stellar set at the Troubadour and find out just what has helped shape the appeal and sound of this window-shattering group.

Claire Gallagher: Who’s who? What are your names, what instruments do you play, etc?

Matt Carmichael: Vocals

Davin Givhan: Guitar

Derrick Tucker: Bass

Steve Coy: Drums

SC: Our "5th Beatle" on keys, gtr, horns is Nic Chaffee, but he's not an "official" member of Bethpage Black

Today’s Playlist includes a little bit of everything BestNewBands.com has featured this week, from folk to punk-rock to dubstep - everything your music-loving hearts could desire! Listen and enjoy...

“Shoeshine” - Black Taxi

In this weekend’s BackStory Bonus, the guys of Black Taxi tell us about their single, “Shoeshine.”

“Shoeshine is a song written by lead guitarist Bill Mayo and sung by frontman Ezra Huleatt. Mayo wrote the song while on an Amtrak train home to New York City from Cape Cod, where he had been working at a golf tournament. Amused by the wealthy golfers and their mistresses partying around him, he created an account of a successful man leaving his wife and family for a tramp. The golf reference in the song is a direct result of his working the tournament, and far too fun and symbolic to leave out of the chorus.”

Read the rest of Black Taxi’s BackStory here.

The word of the evening, ladies and gentlemen, is talent.  Last night at the Troubadour, raw talent was apparent in every band that graced the tiny stage, making for an awesomely accurate portrayal of today’s local rock scene.  Six groups came and went, each bringing a different and individual sound, thus creating a more than satisfying night of face-melting.  With an entire glorious new year of concert-going ahead, this show set the bar for many acts to come.  Bring it on, 2011.

The Modern Drone

The night started out early with The Modern Drone.  A few people lingered and chatted on the floor, and the show instantly took on a concert-out-of-your-neighbor’s-garage feel.  The sound was good—promising—but the newness and inexperience of the band was apparent.  This is not a bad thing; rather, it’s quite interesting to be able to compare this embryonic trio to a more developed band with a definite presence and a sense of cohesion and confidence (such as thatwasthen).  Here were three kids before me—skinny-ass boys in old tees and jeans—shredding and jamming and looking a little nervous, but undeniably talented and filled with potential.  Two more years practicing in Mom’s garage and playing some local gigs and I think I’d see a whole new band.