Mika flashbacks, and other midweek notes ...

[Emptying the notebook from a busy week of music ...]

Color me disappointed in having missed the Mika spectacular Monday at the Wiltern. Yes, I fall distinctly on the "hater" side of this Europop phenomenon -- his cringe-worthy exuberance reminds me of every girl in my high school who ran for class president. He seems to acknowledge and even play to his detractors too, as Mikael Wood's excellent review of the show pointed out.

But more than one faithful Buzz Bands correspondent who attended found it as entertaining for the audience dynamic as the wildly choreographed stage show. Here was the reaction of the pal who sent the above photos:

The crowd would have followed him off a cliff if he asked them to. There were three O.C.-type college girls with homemade "I" "Heart" and "Mika" on their T-shirts, and they always walked around in order, so they would read "I Heart Mika." I was floored by the number of straight guys in the audience -- guys who did not come with girls. Not hipster metro straight, but baggy jeans, sweater, baseball cap and glasses straight. The performance was totally solid, completely charming, with tons of energy -- even with the multiple extended intros to songs while the set changed. There was a puppet, snow, a giant inflatable doll, plush costumes, costume changes, characters, dancers -- if Peaches got a lobotomy, tons of money and was forced to watch children’s programming all day, this show would be the result.

So take that, haters.

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Also missed a moment at the Echoplex on Monday night: Bone Thugs-n-Harmony did a cameo with Rickie Lee Jones.  I simply need to be in three places at once.

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Local tidbits: The Front plays its final show tonight at the Prospector in Long Beach. There's a note about the band's breakup here.  That brings to three the number of band breakups I've heard about recently -- the nice fellows in the Prix and Simon Dawes, respectively, also have called it quits.

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Happy Valentine's Day: On Tuesday, the Greg Kurstin/Inara George force known as the Bird and the Bee released a digital-only, Feb. 14-themed EP called "One Too Many Hearts." I'm not one for V-Day mush, but the four-song effort is pretty sublime. Did you forget flowers, guys? Head to iTunes.

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Happy Mondays guitarist Kav has been around town DJing, and now he's assembled a full band (including some collaboration with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) to play his own music. The full-band version of Kav debuts Sunday night at the Whisky; he's playing stripped-down on Feb. 25 at the Troubadour.

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Things: Electrelane has remixed the Little One's single "Ordinary Song" and you can download it here. ... Styrofoam has remixed Cassettes Won't Listen's "Paper Float." ... Moby has a downloadable from his new album at RCRD LBL -- right this way. ... Taken by Trees, a.k.a. Victoria Bergsman from the Concretes and a Peter, Bjorn and John collaborator, plays the Roxy on Feb. 28, and here's her song "Lost and Found." ... Rock Insider, via GorillavsBear, has the scoop on Radiohead remixes here -- as well as an item on Wallpaper signing to local imprint Eenie Meenie (complete with download). ... And speaking of V-Day sounds, here's something from Daedelus (from the recent release "Live at Low End Theory" on the AlphaPup imprint): "Now's the Time."

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Spaceland celebrates its 13th year with a March 2 show featuring 13 bands for $13. All the performers will be alumni of the venue's Monday night residencies over the years -- that's a formidable cast. Confirmed so far: The Tyde, the Vacation, Oliver Future, the Blood Arm, Run Run Run, 400 Blows and the Movies. I have a hunch there might be a big-name surprise or two in store, but it's just a hunch ...

Comments

[moys]

Mika's show looks very much like seeing The Flaming Lips in concert, hmmm, costumes, confetti, balls and the like. Unoriginal