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Monday, November 17
The Moan
The Wayfarer
The latest band to grab the coveted Monday night residency over at the Wayfarer is The Moan, a throwback rock outfit hailing from Santa Ana. They play '60s gritty garage for the most part, though you'll find a polished popish ditty or two in their catalogue, and with a full six-member band plus two backup singers/dancers (the adorable Moanettes), it's a surprisingly full, layered sound. But don't take that too seriously–The Moan is a good-time party band through and through. Tonight (and every Monday in November), they play with an assortment of supporting bands. This session also welcomes SoCal soul band Allensworth, and the sweetly somber Hank and Her Ponies. (Erin DeWitt)
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Tuesday, November 18
Cold War Kids
The Observatory
A lot of the praise (and blame) for the current state of indie rock can be traced back to bands like the Cold War Kids. In effect, the explosion of the Fullerton-bred quartet was a bi-product of what we'll call the Garden State-era of indie rock–bands ushered in by a Zack Braff film that, for one reason or another, basically helped kickstart our modern love affair with all things folky, depressing and old-sounding. Watching them develop in tiny concert dens like Plush Cafe (R.I.P.), even we couldn't have predicted how big they'd get on the heels of their 2006 debut Robbers and Cowards. Even with their latest studio release, Hold My Home, we guarantee you that even half a decade and five albums later, there is a generation of hipster bands who still hold that songs like “Hospital Beds” and “We Used to Vacation” close to their flannel-covered hearts. (Nate Jackson)
Wednesday, November 19
Ms. Lauryn Hill
The Observatory
All great artists tend to be a little crazy–and Ms. Lauryn Hill sure embraced her eccentricity over the past decade. Arguably the grand supreme of '90s hip-hop, and the woman who single-handedly brought her New Jersey rap sound to the world, Hill is only just now slowly remerging into the spotlight. Sure, there was some backlash for live performances laced with odd behavior–but thanks to a record deal with Sony signed last year, we can (hopefully) expect some new music–the contract demands five songs and then an album. 16 years after the release of the game-changing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Ms. Hill comes to Orange County for a very rare appearance. In early December, be sure to catch Concerning Violence, a documentary about African liberation in the '60s and '70s, to which Ms. Hill lent her spectacular voice as narrator. (Erin DeWitt)
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Thursday, November 20
Heaps n Heaps
The Prospector
It took two continents and one single day for L.A.'s Heaps n Heaps to become a band–when co-founders Alisa the Australian and Zach the American finally met in person after talking online, they spent all their first moments together hashing out the songs that would become Heaps n Heaps. Now it's a little more than two years later, and Heaps n Heaps (named after some Austra-Alisa-ian phrasing) have developed into a full and rootsy indie band, singing about whiskey in smoky voices and exploring the high highs and low lows of life after last call. (Sings Alisa, “Loneliness don't exist when I'm with you…”) It's the kind of band that should fit the Prospector's environs just about perfectly. (Chris Ziegler)
Friday, November 21
Blood Brothers
The Observatory
Seminal hardcore band The Blood Brothers reunited for their adoring fans at FYF Fest in August 2014 nearly seven years after their band breakup, and tonight they return to Southern California in OC for an engagement at the Observatory. Formed in 1997 in Seattle by teenage friends Jordan Billie, Johnny Whitney, Mark Gajadhar, Morgan Henderson and Cody Votolato, the group have gone on to be one of the most beloved hardcore acts to arise from that era. In between their breakup and reunion, each member has gone on their own various projects, from clothing lines to solo projects to side bands. Wherever they continue their musical journeys, its clear that perhaps there's hope for The Blood Brothers to converge their collective synergies once again for fans. Catch them tonight at the Observatory and see what happens. (Aimee Murillo)
See also
10 Punk Albums to Listen to Before You Die
10 Goriest Album Covers
10 Most Satanic Metal Bands
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