"Some of L.A.s best degenerate bands will be seeping up from the underground to make you cry, laugh, mosh and feel hornier than you ever thought imaginable," wrote promotors Basic Cable Programming on their website, by way of a description of My Slutty Valentine fest, and that's not bad but it doesn't really do it justice.
My Slutty Valentine celebrates Valentine's Day, but leaves out the cheesiness and vanilla romance. In its place, we get heaps of sex positivity, feminist and queer joy, and a ton of glorious outfits. Love is in the air, but lust won't be pushed out. Frankly, the event is a fucking riot.
Music Connection was at The Echo and Echoplex from the 5 p.m. start on Sunday. That meant 20 bands, conveniently overlapping, on three stages (inside at the two neighboring venues, plus a third on the Echo patio).
Nobody was bad and, indeed, we discovered plenty of bands and artists that will appear in the pages of our magazine in the future.
First up was brutal and uncompromising hardcore punks CNTS, swiftly followed by deceptively upbeat rocker Spooky Marvin (bit Ramones, bit Gun Club). Codex continued the rowdy punk vibe outside.
The Memories have a sound that is somehow lo-fi and upbeat. Somewhere between Weezer and Dinosaur Jr. They were followed by the raw, AC/DC-esque rock 'n' roll of Tyranis. Bushfire upped the ante somewhat. Incredible tunes, boundless energy and a frontwoman who looks like she's ready to kick everyone's ass.
Caravan222 offered a change of pace; outlaw country and dusty Americana, with an edge and real heart. Then there was the glorious trash rock of Lord Friday 13, who wowed with their glitter-and-grime take on glam-punk. Legs were kicking, balls were swinging, and feet were tapping.
Shamon Cassette were a bit of a revelation. P-funk, punk, metal and hip-hop collided in a gloriously loud, perfect mess. The wonderfully named Warblob put the focus back on the hardcore punk, as did the even better-named Spunk. The latter in particular went for the jugular with a set of riotous, gnarly noise.
Mz Neon may well have stolen the night. "Check on your trans friends--we're not ok," she said. "Things are crazy." That is undoubtedly true, and the crowd at the Echoplex was quick to show its support. Naturally, we will too.
The alt-rapper was spectacular, with tunes like "Pussy Stick" (we think) whipping up the Slutty crowd. Magnificent.
L.A. punk vets The Urinals were playing to a younger crowd that what they might be used to, though they had fiery gems like "Ack Ack Ack" to blast through. They didn't disappoint. Neither did Chimera, who have a vocalist with one of the better hardcore voices we've heard in a while.
If Mz Neon stole the night, Poppy Jean Crawford ran her close. The alt-pop star-in-the-making recently announced a tour with veteran Brit goths The Mission UK, and on this evidence she'll go down a treat. Elements of PJ Harvey and Siouxsie Sioux meld beautifully, as she purrs through her stunning set.
Greenwitch add some welcome death metal to the night, while S.O.H.'s brand of lively punk rock kept the energy levels high (although we don't know what the initials stand for). Slaughterhouse followed suit, and then it was time for Mac Sabbath.
Yeah, it's all a bit silly. The band's rewriting of Black Sabbath songs to cover fast food subject matter is, frankly, ludicrous. But the yin to that yang is that the musicians inside the costumes are super-talented, the songs sound immense, and the showmanship is glorious.
Songs like "Chicken for the Slaves" and "Sweet Beef" reinterpret Sabbath classics in a manner Ozzy could never have imagined. But shit, it's fun.
On the way out, we caught a bit of indie-pop artist Mothe, and we heard enough to intrigue. We'll be checking out more.
