She Said She Liked The Ocean

I was at The Mod Club Tuesday for two bands from L.A. I don't remember another year where I've seen so many indie bands from that state including The Marías, The Regrettes, Death Valley Girls, and French Vanilla. I was feeling light-headed and a bit detached throughout the show having gotten sick over the Thanksgiving week-end. In fact, I had to admit defeat and skipped out on the sold-out concert of Big Thief the next night.

Though I was mostly in a daze, I was impressed by both acts. Opener Chelsea Jade, along with 2 singers, sang some high-energy dance songs. I was on the fence with the typical EDM beats but was won over by some sonic flourishes and her interesting lyrics. I wasn't surprise to learn that like local singer Ivy Mairi, Jade came from a folk music background. The set was enliven by some judicious choreography somewhere between modern dance (think Sia's videos) and straight up club moves. Jade already had fans in the audience but converted quite a few more.

MUNA opened with Number One Fan and got the crowd going strong for their entire set. Their cross between indie and electronic pop kept the energy level up. A middle section with songs from their new albums had more of a rock feel with singer Katie Gavin describing it as their "Dixie Chicks/Avril Lavigne moment". But the night ended on a rave-like atmosphere as they did their "Bangers section" and advised their fans to "bring their best dance moves because there's no encore". So the crowd partied to Hands Off and I Know A Place. The show closed with the cathartic new song It's Gonna Be Okay, Baby which chronicled the ups and downs of Gavin's life.