Tasty Saturday tidbits

That FM beacon of proper taste emanating daily from Santa Monica, KCRW, won't announce the lineup for its annual Sounds Eclectic shindig until its on-air pledge drive starts on Jan. 26 -- not that we'd want anybody to miss that. But word is that a couple of local Buzz Bands favorites are playing the concert, the scrappy quartet Cold War Kids and the swoon-worthy trip-hop duo Bitter:Sweet.

Observation: At what other concert could you hear two such disparate acts on the same bill? Guess that's why they call it eclectic. The show will be April 14 at Gibson Amphitheatre. Tickets go on sale Feb. 15 for KCRW members; Feb. 27 for general public.

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Cold War Kids will pile up some frequent flier miles this month, having scheduled dueling residencies in New York City and L.A. The local gigs will be a couple of those let's-return-to-where-it-started shows, in this case the Silverlake Lounge for Fold promoter Scott Sterling -- who says, by the way, he's never had shows sell out more quickly. Those dates are Jan. 12 and 19, and the band has another local show Jan. 26 at Spaceland. The NYC shows are Jan. 10 (Pianos), 17 (Union Hall) and 24 (Mercury Lounge).

In addition, bassist Matt Maust's exhibition of album art-inspired work, which just ended a run at the Orphanage Gallery in Silver Lake, opens Jan. 18 at NYC's Headquarters Studio (385 Broadway). The L.A. opening party drew a huge crowd; before joining Nathan Willett, Jonnie Russell and Matt Aveiro in the band, Maust was an in-demand designer for album art. He still does such work as time allows, and the band's website remains a great respository for his unique sensibilities documenting the band's travels.

Also at the Cold War Kids site: Free download of six songs the band performed at a benefit show at the District Lounge in Orange.

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Better horizons for L.A. indie-rock quartet Division Day: They've been signed to upstart label Mercy Records, which will re-issue in March a remastered "Beartrap Island" (a do-it-yourself release for the band last year). Division Day has the February residency at Spaceland.

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The Plug Independent Music Awards will throw their festivities Feb. 10 at Irving Plaza in New York City, with Stephen Malkmus, Silversun Pickups and Deerhoof among the performers. Before that, the Plugs are taking the show on the road -- they've scheduled a show Saturday (Jan. 13) at the Little Radio warehouse in downtown Los Angeles featuring Great Northern, Foreign Born and the Gray Kid, among others.

If we knew what a "meem" was, we'd probably go on and on about all the marketing tie-ins and such. But we'll keep it to the music.

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Tonight's touts: Punk straight outta Eagle Rock, the Briggs at the Troubadour; Scottish kids the View at Spaceland

Comments

[Byron]

Matt Maust will be displaying more artwork at Found Gallery (previously The Orphanage) in Los Angeles in early 2008.

Check it out:

www.foundla.com

http://www.foundla.com/blog/2007/05/23/more-news-cold-war-kids-will-return-in-08/