Sound & Fury in Los Angeles

You can’t find this in a travel brochure: COREY LICHT takes on the LA rock scene.

to finish the set with it. The Icarus Line’s music is every bit as vitriolic and powerful as their actions. Their sound is a punishing amalgam of Greg Ginn guitar work, Iggy Pop- style howling, and a heavy dose of psychedelic noise that’s reminiscent of Spacemen 3. Although their 2004 release, Penance Soiree, received critical acclaim from NME, Mojo, and Spin, the band still lives the same low-rent existence they always have in Los Angeles. However, The Icarus Line isn’t the only LA band that’s carrying on the rock & roll torch. 400 Blows is a three-piece band that plays pummeling rock shows in matching black military uniforms. The band sounds like Black Sabbath on methamphetamines with a high-pitched Darby Crash on vocals. On their debut, Black Rainbow, drummer, Ferdinand Cudia, and guitarist, Christian Wabschall, lock the band into tight, angular rhythms that singer, Skot Alexander, screeches darkly poetic lyrics over.

The Bronx is a band that thrives on spontaneity. Most of the songs on their self-titled debut were written the night before their album was recorded. The hard-hitting album was recorded live in the living room of Gilby Clarke, the former Guns & Roses guitarist. The result is an album that teems with a brutal urgency that recalls the sloppy recklessness that punk shows once possessed. The Bronx’s singer, Matt Caughthran, paints a stark picture of Los Angeles through his lyrics about his experiences growing up in the city, like witnessing a man being shot in the head in the song “Gun without Bullets.”

In all, LA bands like The Icarus Line, 400 Blows, and The Bronx are just normal guys who love good rock & roll. Sure, some of them may be signed to major record labels, but they’re not rock stars like the bands of the New York scene. Like their idols, Black Flag and The Stooges, they’re just here to rock.

Avoid skull fractures and unwanted sexual explorations, thanks to LAILA RUBIN’s trusty guide. Cut it out and put it in your pocket- it’s for your own good.

DO

Wear non-rippable clothing

Go on your back

Maximize surface area while staying straight and tough

Be prepared to fall head-first

Keep in mind that you might be fondled by strangers that could potentially smell

Be aware of the fact that you may not find your friends afterwards

Remember that it’s called crowd surfing, not lightly populated area surfing

Get strong people to lift you up –> none o them sissies

Enjoy the moment just like you would enjoy a freshly baked apple pie

Consider carrying a whistle for emergency purposes

The DOs and DON’Ts of Crowd Surfing

DON’T

Wear skirts (even Scottish men)

Do the limp fish technique

Go face first and see the ground as you slowly (actually very fast) fall face first

If you try twice, and get dropped, don’t do it again

Do it if you weigh over 170 pounds (or resemble an elephant/hippo/grizzly bear)

Go up on slow songs or near the end of songs

Fart in peoples’ faces

Pretend like you are actually surfing –> people do not equal waves

Dive Jump

Cry

Complain about people fondling your gluteus maximus

Keep a gun/knife/lethal weapon/sharp object in your pocket

Start conversations with people along the way—you may not finish them