Lovely Bad Things

Lauren Curtius, Brayden Ward, Tim Hatch, and Camron Ward are Volcom’s The Lovely Bad Things, one pillar of the growing OC beach and basement scene that’s been expanding rapidly over the last few years in part due to the help of Burger Records founders, sunshine, marijuana, and good vibes.
Today we’re premiering the guys and girl’s video for a single that’s been said to feature a “Frank Black-style spoken-word stammer” in the midst of a record littered with “sweetheart pop-punk”, “wah-wah guitar”, and “oh-my-God-I’m-being-attacked-by-furious-bees” guitar, the latter being the timbre I’m most intrigued by.

his premiere comes just before the band begins preparation for a brief stint supporting neighbors and California darlings, Best Coast, with a little help from Brooklyn’s own Guards. Watch this video and don’t be a square- buy some tickets.
- Death and Taxes

Maybe there's some axiom about bands that cohabitat together stay together, and most times it's of a feathery weight in worth, but for The Lovely Bad Things a comradery is at play that bleeds into their records. It's not supposed to work out with that band you played in in high school. Ultimately, someone grows up, gets obsessed with prog and breaks up the pop-punk band. But this Orange County band kept it together, two of the members got a pad, and reserved plenty of crash space for their band mates.The LBTs call their home The Lovely Bad Pad. It's where they practice, write, invite traveling bands to play and crash, and where the majority of their technically official debut was written.

After cutting their teeth with Burger Records, the LBTs got swooped by your little grom-bro's favorite clothing brand turned label, Volcom Entertainment. Maybe it had something to do with the LA Weekly calling their cassette New Ghost/ Old Waves one of the best punk records in the city in 2011? Maybe it was some of the same tactics they employed when they limped into a slot on the Primavera Sound festival. Much like The Orwells, The Lovely Bad Things give off the vibe that the kids are alright and not ruined by the shameful path of pop-punk since the mid-90s. You wanna root for the LBTs because Black Francis really shoulda let Kim Deal take the reigns more and maybe this time a band can get it right.

The band took a democratic approach to recording The Late Great Whatever, which meant Star Wars references were encouraged - fugg it why not two? - songs based on impressions of pro wrestlers were a go, and influences are worn on ones sleeve, along with tattoos of TIE fighters. - Impose Magazine

There's a distilling that goes into the makings of a Lovely Bad Thingssong. It's a boiling out or an infusing of the impurities, of all the broken legs and the splintered hearts. It's taking all of it into account and seeing what can drip out through the filter, from the glob of gunk sitting there above. It's a melting down and a hammering out of all of the rough edges and the sharp points. It's getting the clots out - thinning them, at least. It's running the ends of fingers over some of the places that have been knocked harder than others, where the bruise might have waned, but the knotty thump is still there, able to be felt just below the surface. The folks in Lovely Bad Things songs seem like they're frustrated - and rightly so. They're spitting mad, but they're romantic about it. They're spitting into a warm sun and they're sure that the catharsis will be here soon. - Daytrotter

"Bands like L.A.-based quartet Lovely Bad Things restore The Spin’s faith in the future and assure us that the fuzzy jangle of the '90s isn't entirely forgotten. Their diverting jumble of sprawling guitar noise, boy-girl pop harmonies and punked-up tempos was an obvious spawn of the Pixies' bipolar alterna-pop, but also had us wishing bands like Crackerbash listened to a little more Black Flag, or Bunnygrunt was way more into Sonic Youth. Each member rotated instruments on nearly every song, and while The Spin’s appetite for twee-pop and rage-blackout combos was just getting whetted, we could sense this half-capacity, born-in-the-'90s crowd getting increasingly anxious for the main event." - Nashville SCENE

"Driven by a manic, chaotic enthusiasm, Orange County’s The Lovely Bad Things play bash-it-out garage rock that doesn’t skimp on hooks or harmony.

The Late Great Whatever, the band’s full-length debut, finds Brayden and Camron Ward, Tim Hatch and Lauren Curtius hop-scotching from one propulsive, infectious song to the next, drawing inspiration from surf and punk, as well as a big dose of the Pixies.

“Hear or Anywhere” starts the album off with thumping toms, fuzzy guitar hooks and with Curtius on lead vocals, the band sounds like an amped-up neo-girl group, pausing to catch its breath before rushing into the final unbridled chorus.

The band’s readily professed love for the Pixies shows up first—and most clearly—on “Fried Eyes,” which presents an uncanny yet fresh take on those touchstone elements: sharp guitar riffs that slice across the bouncing bassline, a quietly echoing blend of male/female vocals, surreal lyrics (“Fried eyes next to a fried heart. Would you care for a slice?”) and then that punch when the tension breaks into a storm. “Pixies-esque” is a difficult tag for any band to burden itself with, but The Lovely Bad Things pull off an homage that’s exciting enough to return to again and again.

On “Kessel Run” (the Star Wars shorthand for frantic, reckless speed is no accident), the band cranks the punk to a breakneck pace, shouting breathlessly about talking to strangers. “Darth Lauren” completes the long-ago-far-away two-fer, welding some fever-dream psychedelic rock onto the band’s garage punk.

The band is back in PixiesLand on “Rope Swing,” with Curtius again front and center, wielding a hazy, bittersweet melody that takes a breakup song past the hurt, past the fallout, to look at the long-term emotional scars. “Oh, I know that I’ve got some shit I need to work on / But boy do I feel bad for the shrink who takes your case on,” she sings, from the point of view of someone seeing past the heartbreak to the psychological abuse that caused it.

On “Randall the Savage,” The Lovely Bad Things turn toward the yelpy oddball end of their spectrum. “It’s getting weirder, but it feels the same,” the band shouts again and again, over a jittery bassline and unhinged guitars. “Honeycomb Cocoon” and “Styx and Branches” balance out the album’s strong closing stretch, equal parts sugar and speed.

The band jokes that every one of them has ADD, and from the highly adrenalized pace it’s almost believable. The fact they all sing and they all swap instruments lends even more of a helter-skelter spirit to the songs, but The Lovely Bad Things are too dialed in, too in command of their raw and boundless energy to drop some scattershot mess of an album. The Lovely Bad Things channel their inspirations with more than enough musical and songwriting skill to stand apart. The Late Great Whatever is a thrill ride built from top-shelf materials." - Paste Magazine

"From the L.A. band's forthcoming 'The Late Great Whatever'

If Pixies were Los Angeles surf punks instead of Boston smartypantses, they might've sounded a lot like the Lovely Bad Things. The boy-girl vocal exchange that powers this rambunctious quartet's infectious songs is positively Frank and Kim, but the playful humor and slackerly vibes are their own, making the band's music an enticing addition to the conversation. While their last release, 2011's New Ghost/Old Waves came out on beloved So Cal tape label Burger Records, they've upgraded to Volcom's imprint for their forthcoming full-length, The Late Great Whatever, which promises "not one but two Star Wars references on the tracklist [sic], Bigfoot on the cover, a shout-out to Macho Man Randy Savage and a relentless collection of the strongest songs Lovely Bad Things have ever done."

Considering the buff nature of SPIN premiere "Fried Eyes," we're actually inclined to believe that last part. Stay tuned for more from these guys, while L.A. locals will get a handful of chances to catch them during their February Tuesday-night residency at The Echo." - SPIN

The Lovely Bad Things, The Late Great Whatever (Volcom)

After cutting their teeth with Burger Records, the LBTs got swooped by your little grom-bro's favorite clothing brand turned label, Volcom Entertainment. Maybe it had something to do with the LA Weekly calling their cassette New Ghost/ Old Waves one of the best punk records in the city in 2011? Maybe it was some of the same tactics they employed when they limped into a slot on the Primavera Sound festival. Much like The Orwells, The Lovely Bad Things give off the vibe that the kids are alright and not ruined by the shameful path of pop-punk since the mid-90s. You wanna root for the LBTs because Black Francis really shoulda let Kim Deal take the reigns more and maybe this time a band can get it right.



Posted on March 04, 2013. More on: destruction unit, void, jolly dream records, umberto, confrontations, not not fun, the underachievers, indigoism, brainfeeder, iceage, my bloody valentine, matador, antwon, in dark denim, greedhead, salva, odd furniture ep, friends of friends, serengeti, saal, graveface, beach fossils, captured tracks, clash the truth, krista, james pants, vex ruffin, stones throw, the lovely bad things, volcom, the late great whatever



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- Impose Magazine

Rock’n’roll is a tricky thing these days. It should be easy when one thinks of the gorgeous simplicity of a couple guitars, a bass, and drums, but electronic music is king these days. What can four or five people jamming in a dingy practice space give you that you haven’t heard before yet? But that’s where the beauty lies. The magical power of rock’n’roll is still alive; you just have to be looking in the right places.

The Lovely Bad Things are nothing more than four musicians who use power chords, guitar solos, propulsive drum beats, and a combination of hollering and singing. This has been done before. The difference is that The Lovely Bad Things do it better than most and there’s still so much room for growth. When you hear a track like “Fried Eyes” you fall head-over-heels in love with the possibilities of guitar-driven music. The nasty-stabbing riff leads the way before the drums kick into overdrive. For three and a half minutes, the sky opens up and your bones are warmed with sunshine that reflects off of the cleanest waves that California has to offer. There’s a warm-blooded quality to the Lovely Bad Things that reminds you that rock’n'roll meant a whole lot more before so many bands took to over-producing themselves in the studio.

The band just released its new album The Late Great Whatever and I’ve fallen in love with every song. The album recalls the best moments of everyone from the Pixies to the Rolling Stones to a bar-brawl-ready Raveonettes. Summer is on it’s way so you had better snatch this album up if you’re on the lookout for the perfect soundtrack.

Bangstyle stole a few moments from the band to inquire about the recording process and why it’s not a good idea to force a song.



BANGSTYLE: How did the band get started? Was it an organic process or was everyone looking to start a band?

Lovely Bad Things: The band started in October 2009, when Camron and Brayden asked Lauren to start up a band after Camron and Brayden’s original band broke up and Lauren was in between bands. Tim was asked to join soon after that and everything sort of came naturally once we we’re all together.

BANGSTYLE: What’s the writing process like?

Lovely Bad Things: The writing process is super laid back and spontaneous at times. We all contribute elements to each song, whether it be lyrics or guitar or drum parts, it’s mainly a big group effort and nothing is ever forced. We all love writing together immensely.

BANGSTYLE: What is your first musical memory? Did you know you wanted to be musicians right away?

Lovely Bad Things: None of us thought we were going to be musicians in the beginning but once we all discovered how much of an outlet it can be and how in love we were with an instrument, that was all we needed and nothing else mattered after that. As far as musical memories go, Lauren’s dad has always played guitar in their house and Brayden and Camron’s mom always would play different records in the house when they were growing up.

BANGSTYLE: What’s been your favorite venue to perform at? Why?

Lovely Bad Things: We’ve played at so many different places: houses, bars, festivals, DIY spots, record stores, you name it. If there’s an outlet to plug our amps in, we’ll play it. So in that sense, it’s really hard to pick one favorite show or place to play. We genuinely love to play everywhere and anywhere and we take something from each experience and have a blast doing it. We absolutely love to play live.

BANGSTYLE: What are some of your non-musical influences that inform the music?

Lovely Bad Things: It all varies from time to time depending on what were all into at the moment, but really we’re all huge movie and sci-fi fans and we tend to like to geek out over all of it. For the album, we put out recently it was heavily influenced by David lynch and his works, mainly the television show Twin Peaks, as well as some Star Wars references snuck in there. Traveling a lot and touring also holds a lot of weight on influencing how we write or how are music takes shape because your taken out of what you consider normal and put into what is seemingly the unknown. It often makes you see things differently than you normally would.

BANGSTYLE: The tracks on Late Great Whatever are pretty evenly split between male and female vocals. Is there a way you figure out who gets what songs to sing on?

Lovely Bad Things: It usually just happens. Whatever the song calls for is what we all decide on. There are no egos involved, so when it comes to something like that, no one is fighting to take control of the song. It’s a conscious group decision on what would work best for the song and what is going to sound complete to us.



BANGSTYLE: I have to praise the guitar tone on the new album, especially on a track like “Fried Eyes”. Is there a formula you’ve honed or do you just plug in and let it rip?

Lovely Bad Things: First, of all thank you so much! That means a lot! Because truth be told - Bangstyle

Burgerama
The Observatory
March 22, 2013

Last night, Burgerama turned The Observatory turned into many things--a giant house party, a BBQ, perhaps even an old-fashioned kegger. For the sake of Burger Records, we'll just compare this to another independent event: Factory Records parties of the late '70s in Manchester.

The crowd, with the average age being no older than 19, snowballed into a huge punk rock party, with Burger Records and their cavalcade of bands from OC and beyond. Think Dazed and Confused but instead of the partying point being the water tower, it was a venue in a Santa Ana business park.

With last year's edition of Burgerama hailed has a success, the event added an extra day and with the strong lineup of both bands within the Burger extended family and outsiders, the event sold out pretty quickly.

Driving up to the venue, we saw a drunk girl stumbling across the parking lot already in search of a trash can to puke in. The place was bumping; there kids all over the place, there was hardly anywhere to move, but we wouldn't have had it any other way. There was a delicious barbecue set up on the far right patio that grilled delicious burgers (duh, what else?) and hot dogs.

For the sake of simplicity, we're going to keep the banter about the sets to minimum since there was so much ground to cover. But we've come up with a simple grading system and in honor of Burger Records, we're grading on a one cassette (pretty shitty) to a five cassette (best we've ever seen) scale.

Nick Waterhouse: Per usual, Waterhouse was dressed in his Sunday's best and his six-piece backing band along with two finely dressed backing female vocalists who were in peak form. The singer was crisp and led his band through 35 minutes of grooves that led some to crowd surfing during the set (crowd surfing to blue eyed soul? Hmm, ok). After he took his blazer off after the second song, things got serious and it was easily one of the best of the night.
Grade: Four cassettes

Bleached: With the kinda, sorta Go-Gos-meets-Best Coast sound, the ladies were rocking pretty hard. With a new record coming out in a couple of weeks, it was easy to see that they were doing their best to round into form. It took them a while to find their groove, but once they did, it was solid. And yes, if you're scoring at home, there was some wild crowd surfing here as well.
Grade: Three cassettes

Lovely Bad Things: Ah, one of our favorites. From what we saw of their set in The Constellation Room, the quartet was rockin' pretty hard. Bodies were flying and it was impossible to see them without the fear of losing a tooth or breathing in disgusting air or event someone's gross sweat in your face. That's the sign of a great punk rock show.
Grade: Three and a half cassettes.


The Spits: Judging by their appearance, you would have thought that they were the bizarre Spinal Tap if they decided to wear black embroiderd robes when they recorded the video for "Stonehenge." They roared through an all-too-short punk set, squeezing as many songs as they could in a 35-minute period. Anytime you can teach a lesson of how to a be a kick ass punk band to a group of kids who aren't old enough to have seen The Ramones live, then it's a job well done.
Grade: Four cassettes

Black Lips: The evening's headliners were surprisingly well behaved (at least by their standards). They mixed up their set between early rockabilly tracks and their trademark garage-meets-psychedelic-meets punk rock. Backed by a banner that looks like it had been spray painted minutes before the show, the Atlanta-area native rocked and proved once again why they're one of the most dynamic bands in their genre. Too bad most of the kids had already gone home by the time the band hit the stage at 12:25 a.m. Oh well, curfew sucks.

Grade: Four cassettes

Critical Bias: Being easily one of the oldest people at a punk show is both humbling and sad.

The Crowd: Average age 19

Overheard in the Crowd: "Can you take this picture for my mom?" asks girl from Vancouver, who subsequently poses as she's about to crowd surf with PBR tallboy in hand. Her mom must be real proud.

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- OC Weekly

"Giving this album a listen was like taking some weird trip through a huge garage where all the different music phases I’ve gone through throughout my life were playing: surf, Riot Grrrl, punk, indie, and even a little No Doubt (their ska-era sound, circa 1990). Too far-fetched? In my dreams? Considering that an EP technically isn’t a full length album, it’s pretty amazing that the Lovely Bad Things are able to show such diversity in such a short amount of time. The beginning of New Ghost/Old Waves is playfully deceptive: what starts as a couple of indie tracks with female vocals turns into a cornucopia of mighty garage-driven genres. “Icee Creeps” begins a little surfy, with a nice guitar twang to open, and then develops in a Bikini Kill-esque sound: multiple harmonies and fast-paced drums. “Dinosaur Song” picks the listener up and throws them up against the wall, expecting them to get up and return the favor—its high energy just begs for destruction. It’s that energy, those driving guitar riffs, and the constant presence of Lauren Curtius’s vocals that string together what otherwise might be a disconnect between the songs. When everything completely slows down for the last song, “Blood on My Moccasins,” the EP’s most trippy, folky number, you’ll be glad! At last, your heartbeat has a chance to catch up with the rest of your body." - L.A. RECORD

"LA’s Lovely Bad Things are a garage band in every sense of the phrase. Every member can play each others instruments with all of them taking turns on the microphone. They’ve all been playing music together in some capacity for years, and they continue to progress and have fun while doing so. With brazen guitars, overdriven bass lines, and surf style harmonies; Lovely Bad Things create the perfect lo-fi soundtrack for your nostalgic desperation; recalling a time when the house party at the end of the week was all you could think about besides agonizing over your high school crush. While lonely hearts will always yearn and teenage angst will never die, Lovely Bad Things are just the band to remind us how to have fun." - IHEARTCOMIX

"Fun, full of life and edgy LA based independent: “The Lovely Bad Things” are at that point in a modern bands career where they are finally getting a little due attention. They joined a powerful contingent of LA artists that rushed Austin in March (Including Pangea, Vanaprasta, Delta Spirit, Dead Sara) for SxSW, helping spread their call beyond LA county. The Lovely Bad Things create a deliberately simple, catchy indie rock straight out of the 1980's. It comes over with that spirit of the rebellious that spawns from the punk rock scene, and you can hear that influence. Think of the surfy, western punk rock riffs that defined the Dead Kennedys. For me, I picture some car chase scene from a Tarantino movie – whatever connects you to the music is just fine, don’t be shy, here are 2 tracks from their EP New Ghost, Old Waves." - The Indie Jam

"The Lovely Bad Things are a southern California garage band with strong Burger Records roots. Most of you GET BENT readers are well aware of the institution that is Burger Records and its reputation for producing some of the most exciting records for the past half decade or so. More upbeat and mixed with an interesting Cursive meets B-52s twist, the Lovely Bad Things’ New Ghost/Old Waves EP is a cocktail best sipped when you are ready to hit the beach or take a toke ride to a party.

While the clear cassettes are no longer available, there are about a hundred or so fancy yellow tapes still floating around the states (check Burger) for you to get a feel for their impressive singalong campy kitchen sink rock. If you are in the So Cal region, look for them in your local rock spot." - Get Bent

"This past Monday might have been one of our favorites. The Lovely Bad Things, recently signed to Volcom Entertainment, had us up out of our seats in no time. I mean, a cute red-headed girl with bangs and three dudes playing straight up rock n' roll is just our cup of tea. We can only hope longWKND will continue booking L.A. bands on the rise, giving us a whole new definition of 'a case of the Mondays.'" - Foam Magazine

"Lovely Bad Things' re-release of their cassette New Ghost/Old Waves now both on vinyl and available for download, is doing nothing to help the acute jonesin' for summer weather that afflicts all thoroughly soaked, sun-deprived Pacific Nor’westers this time o’year. Believe you me. You can practically smell the coconut scented Coppertone when their dreamy AM radio sounds come wafting through your speakers. With their infectious guitar riffs and wall-of-sound guy-girl harmonies, it’s hard to decide whether you should backcomb your hair into a beehive and do the frug, or let your hair down, kick back and puff puff pass. Both retro-inspired scenarios these SoCal garage rockers invoke with their jangly beach-pop seem equally appropo. In addition, the undeniably talented quartet of Lauren Curtius, Timothy Hatch and brothers Brayden and Camron Ward are well known not only for jubilant live shows, but they’re also prone to switching up vocals and playing each others instruments with equal aplomb.

So with no further ado, MOKB is pumped to debut the Lovely Bad Things’ I Just Want You To Go Away, the first release off their EP New Ghost/Old Waves via Volcom Entertainment. Think surfboards, shake shacks and a sun-bleached pier where The Pixies meet up with The Shangri-Las… like I said, dreamy." - My Old Kentucky Blog

"Lovely Bad Things are releasing the New Ghosts/Old Waves EP (Volcom Entertainment) on March 13, and it supplies some head-bangin’ beats and catchy garage sounds. If the Pixies and the Black Lips were to have unprotected sex, the Lovely Bad Things would be the resulting baby. Download single ”I Just Want You To Go Away” below." - Magnet Magazine

L.A.'s punk scene went places in 2011 -- mostly to the beach and the bar. Many of the year's best records in the genre were heavily infused with a surf-garage rock sound and lyrics about being really, really fucked up. It's a rather stark transition away from The Smell's sober ethic.

A note: These albums weren't ranked entirely in the traditional way; I also took into account how well the energy from their songs translated into live shows.


?

5. The Lovely Bad Things
New Ghost/ Old Waves
After stirring up a feeding frenzy for their Shark Week tape, The Lovely Bad Things further chummed the waters with New Ghost/Old Waves. Playing what has been accurately described as "kitchen sink rock", the quartet are best at their fastest. Standouts include the Tiger Army-esque "Old Ghost," and "Icee Creeps," an excellent loose mess of a track.


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2011, Best Punk, Fidlar, Kai Flanders Comments (36) Write Comment Email to Friend Print Article - L.A.Weekly

The Lovely Bad Things are so much fun that you’ll want to bottle your sweat for the next time. The young quartet, straight outta La Mirada, fashions undeniably hooky, unfailingly cathartic proto-punk that abides all traditions of garage rock — biting guitar riffs, furious rhythms, shout-sung lyrics and more than enough ’tude go with their tunes. Little surprise, then, that Camron and Brayden Ward, Timothy Hatch and Lauren Curtius have been making noise in the DIY community, and soon the Lovely Bad Things’ scene figures to grow larger. Their recent EP is titled “New Ghost/Old Waves,” a cassette release from Burger Records whose contents will make their way to vinyl via Volcom Entertainment come March. Like some of L.A.’s favorite hell-raisers — the Growlers, Tijuana Panthers and FIDLAR — the Lovely Bad Things revel in the unvarnished glory of the ’60s and ’70s. Not such a bad thing at all. - Buzzbands

October 19, 2011
The Lovely Bad Things: Bonfires & Surf-Garage-Fuzz


La Mirada, California's The Lovely Bad Things do a pitch-perfect job of fusing surf-rock guitar tones with jangly garage fuzz and ear-pleasing harmony-glazed vocal melodies. Songs like "Cult Life" and "I Just Want You To Go Away" belong at a beach party right beside a blazing bonfire and a mass of jubilant dancing and singing party-goers. To put it simply, this is feel good music. To date, the band has put out two cassette tapes: one on Ultravivid Recordings in 2010 and a follow-up on Burger Records this past July. As soon as this band releases something on vinyl, I'm buying. (via R&G)
- Matt Carr for Everybody taste

The Lovely Bad Things, consisting of brothers Brayden and Camron Ward, Timothy Hatch, and Lauren Curtius, are simply put the ideal family of a band, with each member being able to play every single instrument. So to say when you see them live, you can watch the musicians switch off between drums, guitar, bass, as well as singing. Their New Ghost/Old Waves EP, following the hyped Shark Week tape, was just released off Burger Records this July with a coinciding West Coast tour.
Based in La Mirada, the band is accredited for holding legendary shows at the “Bad Pad” with other local bands and also some well known artists such as Ty Segall and Peter Bjorn and John (with the Ward brothers’ parents in full support). The entire tape definitely has the whole garage DIY sound, but The Lovely Bad Things demonstrate their innate talent with the range of style their songs are able to achieve.
The EP begins with a washed-out, surfy pop feel during “You Done Messed Up,” which includes incredible harmonies between Camron, Brayden, and Curtius, setting the vocal trend for the rest of the tracks. The lyrics reflect typical problems of youth such as “You need someone to talk to/ but no one really wants to,” that can also be seen in the slower “I Just Want You to Go Away,” when Brayden belts “I don’t know what I’m searching for/but I know that you’re not it,” “I don’t know what I want anymore/I just want you to go away.”
The band takes on a less serious note near the end of the tape with quirky “Dinosaur Song” and “Blood on My Moccasins.” “Dinosaur Song,” the EP’s shortest and most fast-paced track, comes in more quickly than the rest of the songs, in which Curtius is able to show off her vocal array while being complemented by Hatch’s harsh shouts. “Blood on My Moccasins” takes the EP back to the beachy groove with some acoustics and soft tambourine, while Curtius’s melodious “oohhs” counteract the lyrics “You got a face as ugly as sin/well you got blood on my moccasins.”
From eccentric song titles to heavier lyrics, New Ghost/Old Waves is tremendously catchy, and you cannot help but get the tracks stuck in your head after a few listens. It is the perfect tape to get The Lovely Bad Things on your radar, and it certainly should be a part of your end of summer soundtrack.

Track List:
You Done Messed Up
I Just Want You to Go Away
Icee Creeps
Old Ghost
Dinosaur Song
New Waves
Blood On My Moccasins


(Aly Vander Hayden)

Filed under Music, Reviews · Tagged with Brayden Ward, Burger Records, Camron Ward, Lauren Curtius, New Ghost/Old Waves, The Lovely Bad Things, Timothy Hatch

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Avatars by Sterling Adventures
- Ladygunn

The Moon Block Party served as a crash course in the gems of our local music scene. The festival was a first of what's to be an annual arts and music festival in the Pomona Arts Colony. It benefited the Pomona School of the Arts.


Several big hitters from LA and OC music scene came out and played on indoor and outdoor stages, with four stages going at once. All of the festivities were hugged between the row of art galleries along Second Street. There were close to ten food trucks, including Slap Yo Momma soul food at the entrance, to feed the hungry audiophiles and art enthusiasts.


Unlike some music and art festivals that are music dominated, the Moon Block Party was a perfect blend of the two. The Aerolight stage was placed in an awesome garden of scrap metal sculptures.
Lovely Bad Things The La Mirada four-piece brought a high-energy set to the block, which made them a perfect band to start the day off with. They drew a crowd that spilled out of the cramped room they played in and into the street. The fast-driving garage rock--along with such antics as bassist Timothy Hatch playing his way through the crowd and out into the street--served to get the crowd sufficiently pumped. The trade-off of male and female vocals and the instruments the members play keep their sound fresh from one song to the next.




- OC Weekly

The Lovely Bad Things “Shark Week”

Released: September 2010

You can check out ”Shark Week” here: http://www.facebook.com/lovelybadthings

Convincing, rebellious. Variation, exception. With their ambitiously cool return to life (My Kin), marathon of ashy desperation and sincerity (Kevin), bouncing jog of getting away (Wematayne), sweetly spoken measure of awareness and questioning (Cult Life), and unrivaled fun in a hectic lifestyle (Cocaine Werewolf Super Awesome Fun Time), Los Angeles natives, The Lovely Bad Things, diminish typical sounds by creating a run away thrash you’ll be addicted to.

Sincerely,

California
- Tumbler~ Kylie

Jan 17th, MLK day 2011 was a good day. Not only did the holiday create smooth sailing on the LA freeways, it was a true pleasure to hear the "I have a Dream" speech in it's entirety while I piloted my old Honda in and out of traffic. Topping the day off with a heavy dose of good music would soon put the icing on the cake. Put on by usual suspects at FYF, this show pulled favorites from previous FYF events, namely Screaming Females, La Sera, Audacity and The Lovely Bad Things.

The Lovely Bad Things started off the festivities with a shifty pile driving tune that sounded at once new and retro- think of the Bride taking on the Crazy 88 gang in "Kill Bill". I saw heads in the ever growing crowd bopping instantly. After the opening song, Lauren Holland moved from the drums while Brayden Ward passed the bass to her like it was a baton in the 440 relay and moved behind "his" drum kit. In a flash, she started the bass line for "Kevin" - a progressive post punk song bolstered by Cameron Ward's biting vocals and Tim Hatch's guitar work. TLBT's do not have one lead singer and switch up musical sounds as often as their instruments- creating cohesive surf pop / post punk songs that stick to your ribs and make you want to do something (?) whether it be dance, head bop, mosh or punch someone in the face, (you had to be there). They performed many of the songs from "Shark Week" as well as brand new tunes.

Audacity, those boys from Fullerton, California - took the stage next. Kyle Gibson, (guitarist, lead vocals), asked someone to get drummer Thomas Alvarez a beer and then the party started. Most of Audacity's members have jammed together since 6th grade learning their instruments in the process and while they hold firmly to their punk garage rock roots, you can hear grunge, blues and pop influences sprinkled in the guitar and vocal melodies. Bassist Cameron Crowe and guitarist Matt Schmalfeld beef up the sound as they kept the set lively with a cover here and there and favorites like "Teenage Town". I am loving Gibson's gritty vocals more every time I hear them live and I hope his voice and their overall sound never loses that teenage wail.

La Sera who is currently on a US / European tour to promote her new 7 inch release hit the stage next. Katy Goodman cheerfully announced that she had gotten the flannel shirt she was wearing from Audacity so as to be in keeping with the general style that night. It was a cute moment and set the feel for the rest of La Sera's set which was free and easy, full of pretty, intimate melodies and bright dancy guitar leads. La Sera has gone through some changes in recent weeks so Devin Williams lent his talent that night along with drummer Matzah, formerly from Woah Hunx. I had missed La Sera at the last Xmas FYF show so this particular show was a nice introduction to Katy and the guys.

The first time I had seen Screaming Females was at the FYF fest. They were like a heavy dose of aspirin for the FYF headache caused by the sweltering heat, the long lines and the nasty ass porta potties. Hearing and seeing them in the glare of the LA sun was a divine experience indeed. Pint sized Marissa Paternoster shredding her guitar and belting out her strong vocals counter posed by big- big King Mike on bass was both awe inspiring and a little amusing. Not amusing as I was laughing at the spectacle but amusing because they inspired so much fun. I got home that night and immersed myself in all things that are the amazing Screaming Females. I was thoroughly impressed in drummer Jarrett Dougherty's DIY attitude toward promoting SF's as well as all of their work ethic. They are the real deal. I was really looking forward to seeing them at the Echoplex when I was actually hydrated.

They DID NOT disappoint. From the first bass line to the last power chord their set showed off the tightness and inspired rock of a band that has honed their sharp skills for over 5 years- From all I have read, they bring it to every performance whether they are playing in a leaky cold basement in New Brunswick to a hand full of die hard rock fans to several thousands of fans at a rock festival. While Marissa is the focal point of Screaming Females because of her guitar prowess and blistering vocals- SF's is a band that creates truly original songs and behind the tsunami that is Marissa's vocals there is also a nice vulnerability and warmth in the undertow. Be sure and see Screaming Females next time they are in your area.

BEHIND THE REVIEW: Before the show it was a blast to see Lauren Holland, Brayden Ward, Katy Goodman, and Marissa Paternoster all behind or around the merch tables selling T-shirts, CD's and more.
I had a chance to speak with all of them and they were all more than cool.
- AP

*WARNING* WARNING* MOSH ZONE* If you think for one bloody moment that you can simply do the head bob or dance in your own little space a few rows back at a Lovely Bad Things show then you are sadly mistaken because while you are lost in their brazen garage / surf rock assault you will more than likely feel a bunch of bodies slam into you and nearly knock you on your ass. This would be the case tonight as the crowd swelled as they took the stage. TLBT's songs move from the frenetic of the mosh to dancing on the beach. "Icee Creeps" barrels over you with a double time beat and vocals that invite you to scream along only to shift into a break that is steeped in California surf culture with tom tom beats and heavy dirty guitar chords. "Kevin" is hyper and catchy with a bridge that got the crowd pogo-ing. "Old Ghost" churns like a locomotive and "Cult Life" is bitter sweetly upbeat. All the players shift instruments even taking turns behind the drum kit. Sonically, think Black Lipsish, Pixieish, but not. Lauren, Brayden, Tim and Camron sweat and move on stage and ask their audience to do the same. The music is so infectious that complying is not all that hard to do.



Dante from Dante versus Zombies moves his lanky frame with a grand fluidity like he is made of rubber instead of flesh and bones. I imagine if he was in a car crash and stone sober he would walk away as if he was drunk as hell. A veteran of countless bands and musical projects, Dante is the consummate entertainer who knows how to hold the audience in the palm of his hand. With his jet black hair, velveteen jacket and rock flamboyance he reminded me of a cross between Pelle Almqvist of the Hives, Mick Jagger, and (dare I say) Jim Carrey. The first thing he did was assign someone in the audience to be the safety captain during the show because, as he said, "We are a safety conscious band." Dante versus the Zombies pumps out songs full of jangly guitars and moving bass lines creating a sound that inhabits some space in between spaghetti westerns, sci-fi, and retro post punk and they also dress for the party. In fact, back up singer Laena was adorned in what appeared to be a hot pink burqa, her face covered for the entire show. Gabriel and Matt with their nearly matching hollow body Gibsons played off each other well along with bassist Jada and drummer Jeff. The songs, like Dante, have a flair for B- movie dramatics. "Branded by Nuns" swings wonderfully with western guitars like some Adam Ant song. "Oblivion" burns like a 50's leather jacketed tear jerker and "Bible Belt" has fantastic drum breaks and rings out like a Duran Duran song if Duran Duran was into spy caper music. Dante versus Zombies = solid music and cool theater. Fantastical.

- Adler Bloom








































































































Posted by American Pancake at 12:49 PM Email This
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- American Pancake

Who loves surf music and live show bands? Of course, Indie Update does!

We’ve featured plenty of artists here at the site and we’re up more… Today, we choose to feature a band from Los Angeles who brings surf music in to the real thing—The Lovely Bad Things.

The way people define indie rock has evolved through generations, but what’s really amusing is to still find young artists make music the pure indie way, and that is: making creative music, bringing exciting live performances, and enjoying the music with audience!

The Lovely Bad Things are often described as a cross between the Pixies and Black Lips, and we couldn’t agree more. “Shark Week”, their first LP, features the band’s musicality of indie rock music, from surf to punk, garage to noise, psych to pop, and more—the group has so much to offer in the music scene. And there’s no doubt they are set to bring a stage on fire as they bring the excitement of live music back to the audience.

The Lovely Bad Things began in October 2009 with members Lauren Curtius, Camron Ward, Timothy Hatch and Brayden Ward. According to the group, no member stays on one instrument throughout the entire set with each member often playing every instrument at least once as the performance progresses. They all also share the vocal duties including four-part harmonies. Pretty amazing for such young musicians, right?

From their bio, the group began gaining popularity in the LA/OC collective DIY scene early on, which then expanded to a much larger spectrum opening up for larger acts and working with FYF. Acts they have supported include No Age, Wavves, Peter Bjorn and John, The Thermals, The Growlers, Screaming Females, Crystal Antlers, Abe Vigoda, Slang Chickens and many more. “Shark Week” was released in September 2010 on cassette for UVR. And now, The Lovely Bad Things are working on the release of a 6-song EP sometime this summer.

Keep it up guys! We at Indie Update look forward to featuring you again and your first EP as well!

Check out The Lovely Bad Things on MySpace, like them on Facebook and get updates about their upcoming shows and events. You can also find videos of the group’s performances on YouTube.

More Links for The Lovely Bad Things:

Last.fm
Twitter

- Indie Update

After attending the release party for The Lovely Bad Things first full length Shark Week (courtesy of UV records), which was held at LA’s renowned and lovely venue The Smell, and watching them play a killer set my friend decided to cop the tape. This new young up and coming band consists of members Lauren Curtius, Brayden Ward, Timothy Hatch, and Camron Ward, all are very talented musicians who play everything in the band and by that I mean almost every member can play drums, bass, guitar and sing. And they do it very well, each member playing every instrument and singing with their own unique style(a real treat to watch live).
After watching them play live I kinda had an idea of what to expect before putting the cassette in the tape deck the next day. On the first listen through, Shark Week gives off a very garage rock vibe that’s similar to Thee Oh Sees but with a surfier sound. After a few more listens you realize the bands overall sound on the album is also a lot like the highly melodic punky indie band The Pixies (Surfer Rosa era). The recording itself has very a DIY feel to it but it works well for the music and compliments it nicely. Camron Ward, who sings the lead vocals a majority of the time, has a very distinct yelp and singing voice that help give a lot of the songs their overall feel. But all the harmonies laid down throughout make the songs very catchy and cause them to get stuck in your head for a while.
The first track on the tape , My Kin, starts off in a wash of delayed guitar but when the second guitar furiously kicks in a little later it sends the song into the very surf garage punk feel that encompasses the overall tape. Why has very catchy vocals and lyrics and is easily one of the best tracks here. Ugly Kids features nicely meshing screams by Camron and Lauren and a really nice energetic guitar riff. Big Sur is very catchy and enjoyable surf pop and displays the other side of the band nicely. The harmonies on the final track Wematanye make it sound like classic surf rock and is music you could easily enjoy hanging out at the beach. Basically the tape is made up of tracks that are either surf pop garage songs or punk ‘make you wanna mosh at a show’ tunes. You also have to keep in mind it’s their first full length and it’s a pretty strong one at that. So in short, go to one of their shows and pick up a tape at the merch table. Cant wait to see what the future holds for The Lovely Bad Things.
-Gino Fabio (for GAL)
Side A
1. My Kin
2. Kevin
3. Why
4. Cocaine Werewolf
5. Cult Life
Side B
6. Ugly Kids
7. Surfin on Skulls
8. Big Sur
9. Wematanye - Gino Fabio for GAL

"Opener band The Lovely Bad Things was quite good, rocking steady and rotating instruments every two or three songs." - TANK TOP DIARIES

Last night at the Glass House in Pomona, California, FYF, who are mere weeks away from hosting their big bash in downtown Los Angeles, hosted their FYF Summer Night. It was a bit of a preview of the large FYF Fest on September 4, as a few of the bands who played at The Glass House are playing both shows (Wavves, Abe Vigoda, The Growlers).


(Wavves)

Headliners Wavves, featuring singer-guitarist Nathan Williams and Jay Reatard's former backing band, played a set that equally favored both new album King of the Beach and 2009's Wavvves. The Pomona youth was no match for the Glass House's security team, as many kids (as well as Wavves' own backstage guests) hit the stage and dove into the crowd from early in the set during the pop punk "King of the Beach" all the way through noise punk closer "No Hope Kids".


(The Growlers)

The Bill Murray-approved group The Growlers can be described as a Western-influenced surfpunkabilly band featuring a genuine frontman in Brooks Nielsen, who looks and sounds like the kind of guy Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons would be if he grew up to be a gloriously sleazy 70's lounge singer. The crowed seemed most interested in The Growlers than any other band the entire evening and for reason as The Growlers are now rapidly increasing in national prominence as they have been in local LA prominence over the last few years.


(Abe Vigoda)

Abe Vigoda is a true Los Angeles local band as they basically play about 8 shows in the southland per week. Their forthcoming album Crush should solidify them as an elite indie band as the addition of electronic percussion and icy synths to the sound of many of the new material they performed at The Glass House could open them up to a wider audience.

FYM had kind of a non-run-in with Abe Vigoda guitarist and Microkorg maestro Juan Velasquez at The Oinkster in Eagle Rock and on Twitter the other day, and then briefly met him face-to-face at The Glass House show. Nice guy!

One-time FYM Jam of the Day and Crush track "Throwing Shade" was a highlight of their set and we captured it on video:




(The Lovely Bad Things)

La Mirada's The Lovely Bad Things seemed about as young as most of the crowd there and they definitely fed off of each other's energy. Besides the energetic quality of their music, their constant swapping of instruments kept things interesting throughout their set and the crowd felt it too, as they seemed to want to hear more after they finished.

As previously mentioned, Wavves, The Growlers, and Abe Vigoda all will be playing FYF Fest on September near downtown LA along with a ton of other excellent bands. Don't miss out:



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Labels: Abe Vigoda, concert, FYF, FYM On The List, The Glass House, The Growlers, The Lovely Bad Things, The Oinkster, Wavves
4 comments:
Anonymous said...
I shot The Lovely Bad Things as well as Crystal Antlers- who were my two favorite bands there. I posted most of the Lovely Bad Thing's set or maybe all of it,I can't remember now and am working to post the Crystal Antlers although the video is almost in the dark. I could not understand why CA wasn't on the main stage????

Search The Lovely Bad Things glass house and you will surely find the concert footage-- !!!

August 14, 2010 9:20 PM
Will Sellers said...
I was really into the Lovely Bad Things. I have a big crush on Lauren from PBT now. And yeah, obviously Crystal Antlers weren't written about because they played down the street, which was strange. Hopefully one day I'll get to write up on them.

August 15, 2010 1:03 AM
Will Sellers said...
LBT* not PBT. I was thinking of MJ's "PYT". Oops.

August 15, 2010 1:05 AM
Anonymous said...
I meant to say search The Lovely Bad Things glass house on Youtube, (it was a long night last night). Anyway, I am looking forward to FYF and capturing a lot of the bands on vid and pics. I am particularly excited about seeing Dead Mans Bones, Let's Wrestle, Man Man, School of seven belts and more-- I am REALLY disappointed that The Lovely Bad Things are not listed- and I hope that changes soon.

August 15, 2010 12:48 PM

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- for Young Moderns

El Rey review with The Thermals
The Lovely Bad Things opened the show. After their set a guy in front of me shook his head almost violently and said, "SHIT! That was a great opening band." It was hilarious. I mean who says such a thing. It seemed to come from a deep well of a guy who had seen countless bad opening bands. The Lovely Bad Things are collectively Camron and Brayden Ward, Lauren Curtius and Tim Hatch and they did offer up musical surprises. For one thing, they did not have one lead singer but all sang lead, some time two different singers singing sections within the same song. The songs also had varied tempos and interesting time signatures but still managed to keep things catchy and punchy in the surf pop, garage rock vein with bottom heavy bass and drums, bright dirty guitars and taught vocals. The quartet also switched instruments throughout their set which seemed to be less about showing off but more about having fun on stage. - AP

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “House Party?” Hmmm…beer on ice…guys…girls…music…good times…and that 1990s movie with Kid and Play. You do not, however, think of an appearance by Peter, Bjorn and John. Well, thanks to Sean Carlson and FYF—there was not one, but two super secret house parties featuring P,B and J, as well as The Lovely Bad Things, Devin Therriault and the So So Glos.

With all the planning of a military operation, the FYF team orchestrated two killer secret shows. The first being at what is referred to as The Lovely Bad Pad on a quiet suburban street in La Mirada. The crowd was kept to a minimum and the lucky ones who milled into the xmas-lit garage, or more specifically, the semi sound proof rehearsal room, were in for a tight sweaty indie rock show. Devin Therriault and his band, who I had just seen perform at the Echoplex days earlier, jammed out their 1950s style rock with a “Wild Ones” abandon and The Lovely Bad Things churned out their surf pop / post punk to a dancing, head bopping tightly packed crowd. I did a double take when I saw Peter Morén from P, B and J packed in like a sardine, head bobbing to The Lovely Bad Things as well. That is when I realized, “Hey, Peter, Bjorn and John are really going to play in this garage.”

And play they did although at times I think even they didn’t believe it. I apologize in advance for butchering the names of these Swedish towns. This is the banter before the first song:

Peter: “Hallo. Thanks for having us. I played in a basement in Naatka once. It’s a suburb of Taakal but I haven’t played here in a garage.”

Bjorn: (looking up at the packed rafters)- “What’s up there?”

Peter: “Bjorn played drums at that gig actually…the basement in Naatka. Do you remeber that?”

Bjorn: (pause) “No.”

The audience, myself included, was cracking up. I loved these guys from the get go. They were very funny and sweet. Then they proceeded to rock the “skit” out of that tiny room, mostly playing brand new songs. They played a nice long set and probably would have played more had it not been for the fact that we were all sweating up a storm from all the body heat. Seeing Peter, Bjorn and John in the confines of that garage rehearsal room was an awesome (albeit a little surreal) experience.

Being the down to earth and cool chaps they are, they hung out and met with their adoring fans, took pics and all. Then it was time for Secret Show 2.

FYF announced the location for the 12 pm show at 9pm. The party would continue at a warehouse space in the fashion district of L.A. After passing through security I headed up about 6 flights of stairs to a large open room like a large New York city flat. In fact, the guys from Brooklyn-based Devin Therriault said this space made them feel the most at home. Factory style glass-paned windows flanked one side of the room and couches on the other and a motorcycle was parked near the back wall. The “stage” area was backdropped by those factory paned glass and white Christmas lights cascaded from the ceiling into glass bottles turning them into light bulbs. The people cascading into the room looked somewhat less suburban than those at the La Mirada house. Maybe it was because it was a more urban crowd or maybe it was just that it was a late night crowd but it looked like a hipster heaven. The room was dressed up and ready to party Swedish style. Drinks and conversation filled the room and the room was buzzing for live music.

By the time The Lovely Bad Things strapped on their guitars, the room was pretty densely packed. Their brief 3 song set was loose and fun—and varied from the garage show hours earlier. The guitarist pushed into the crowd a couple of times, spurning them to mosh, and while they simply chose to dance or move to the music, they enjoyed the invitation and pushed him back. The Lovely Bad Things all switched instruments and lead vocals, shifting tones in keeping with that surf power pop/garage rock vibe. The audience ate it up and begged for one more song. TLBT’s re-strapped on the guitars, asked for a request and fans responded with “Big Sur.” They tore into the wave crashing song that has guitar flashes of Dick Dale and the Deltones (on steroids).

After a quick gear change, the boys from Sweden took their place amidst the white xmas lights. Peter took to the mic and said: “Good evening, welcome to Sweden,” and launched into “Second Chance”—a power pop treat with dramatic downbeats. I actually prefer this live version to the studio version. Next, “Dig a Little Deeper”—a super catchy bit of pure pop. Fueled on by an ecstatic audience (amidst the hoops and hollas, a girl near me said to her friend: “I’m poopin’ in my pants right now”), P, B and J continued to perform songs off their new release Gimme Some. Peter’s guitar work live has got more “ooomph” than on the CD and seeing him pick off the catchy guitar strains to “Eyes” was a treat. The boys stirred the pretty pop power ballad “ - L.A. Record

I walked in to Burger Records in Fullerton, greeted by the slimy green walls and the regal cat sitting on a couch, named Eleanor. When I found out that Pangea was playing with The Lovely Bad Things and Tijuana Panthers at Burger just a city away from me, for free, my initial thought was, “Could a show be any more perfect?” Pangea is from Newhall, CA, and they have that upbeat surf-y sound that goes wonderfully with The Lovely Bad Things and Tijuana Panthers. You can tell a lot about their attitude and sound from the names of their songs. They started it up with “To Drunk To Come” (the appropriate spelling written on my note card courtesy of William, the lead singer and guitarist), a very fast paced mosh-worthy song at first that slows down into a 1960s reminiscent beat. They then played “Get Away Free,” a fun song that made us all break a sweat in the ill ventilated sardine can that Burger Records became. Next was “Hold My Hand,” which forced me to take my Cosby sweater off and dance like I was an American Bandstand girl (except Pangea wasn’t lip syncing). William said “Thanks for clapping you guys,” as they then played “Shitty,” which has that old surf sound with a new age twist, because obviously The Routers wouldn’t title a song “Shitty.” William said “This is our last song. Thanks for putting up with us. We appreciate it.” He then began their last and favorite one, “No Feelin’,” which made the crowd go wild. The stop-and-start drum beat and the loudly defined bass definitely didn’t stop anyone from dancing, and neither did the heat of the record shop.

Next up was The Lovely Bad Things, following Pangea complimentary with their “surf punk” music. It is impossible to be uninterested when the first song they played is about a cat named “Kevin.” This song is incredibly addicting, every instrument perfectly audible and catchy. Even when it slows down in the middle, the crowd was still feeling it. They went on to the next track, “Why,” which slowed us down progressively, but it was still beguiling. This song sounds very happy, but the lyrics include, “I slit your throat, and took you up to the San Francisco Bridge,” which makes it all the more badass. Following was the song that everyone always feels the need to mosh to, “Cocaine Werewolf Super Awesome Fun Time.” Even though saying the title is a bitch, my adoration for this song won’t stop because it’s too fast and fun to ever let anyone lose interest. They then played two new ones entitled “Old Ghost” and “Earnest Goes to Hamster Stratosphere,” as they all switched instruments and showed everyone’s individual talents. Lauren belted it out in “Earnest,” and we were all able to hear her beautiful strong voice more clearly. They played “Dinosaur Song,” which is awesome enough in sound, and the fact that it’s about the dad in Step Brother’s makes it all the more. Last was “Wematanye” (in reference to King Of The Hill), an amazing song that puts me both on a wave, and on my couch watching King.

Next was the band we were all entranced by. I was lucky enough to be standing right in front of Tijuana Panthers, and I of course danced with Dan through their whole set. They played everyone’s favorite, “Creature,” which will never cease to be a phenomenal song. It’s just about the most fun song there is to dance to. They played my favorite, “Crew Cut,” an amusing anthem for all those cute crew-cutted men out there. I believe I was singing it so loud that the mic might have caught me. After that came “Don’t Shoot Your Guns,” which has more of a nice British pop punk sound to it. A few in the audience shouted “Bainbridge!” and they decided on “Boardwalk” instead, a song that puts you right on the pier. Tijuana did “Redheaded Girl,” which is a sweet song that put Lauren from TLBT on all of our minds. TJ Panthers once again covered “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays” by the Buzzcocks. A classic song that’s catchy as hell, and they do a hell of a job at covering it. They finally gave those crazy kids “Bainbridge,” as Dan danced with us, and he said “This one’s for the ladies,” as they quickly went into “Girl Gone Wild”—and, yes, subsequently we went wild. I hope that these three bands reunite during the summer to play their fast-fun-surf-punk-badass music and play right on the beach, and we can all go surfing together afterwards.

- L.A. Record