Update!

The picture above is from my show at Pehrspace on August 1st, which was the release party for my album Princess. It was an exciting show, and I’m really grateful for all the amazing people who came to see it. Sean Carnage has more photos on his website.

I’ve been doing a lot to promote the album, but probably the most fun thing has been this interview I gave to Mark Givens (of D.I.Y. heroes Wckr Spgt) for his massive electronic literary zine, MungBeing. Mark let me talk – a lot – about my musical history, my ideas about digital distribution, and Marcel Duchamp (of course). If you like that kind of stuff, you should read it! If not, you might want to check the nice little mp3 sampler that comes along with the interview – it includes some rare and unreleased jamz from my solo act, Big Whup, the New Motherfuckers, and Pizza!

Speaking of Pizza!, we just released this new video for our old song “Be a Man.” It was directed, beautifully, by our friend Blaine Ludy. When will we finally release new music? Sooner than you’d expect…

Oh yes, and there are also a couple of live shows to promote. One is this party at 5 Star Bar to celebrate the anniversary of the Summer Fun Time Society, an event production crew headed by my pal Vivian. You can RSVP on Facebook. Here’s a flyer for that one:

Finally, I’m organizing an event with FMLY on Saturday, Aug 27 at Tierra de la Culebra in Highland Park. It’s a “stripped-down” affair, and it will feature semi-acoustic performances by the likes of the Monolators, So Many Wizards, Dnonkong, Seasons, and Magick Orchids. You can also bring an instrument if you’d like to jam as well. Here’s the Facebook invitation. A flyer is forthcoming.

Filed under: Events, geoff geis, get excited, mp3, pizza, princess, Reviews, vanity projects, Video, be a man, blaine ludy, fmly, geoff geis, magick orchids, mungbeing, pizza!, so many wizards, summer fun time society, thank you come again, the monolators

Princess reviewed in LA Record

Earlier this year, I recorded an album called Princess that will be released July 15 via Vanity Projects. I was really happy to see that the album had been reviewed, by Mr. Walt Gorecki, in the new LA Record. Here’s what he said:

Geoff Geis: Princess review from LA Record #104

Filed under: geoff geis, princess, Reviews, vanity projects, geoff geis, la record, princess, vanity projects, walt gorecki

In LA Record: My new column, and a review of Kid Infinity in 3-D

LA Record #100 is available now.

I’ve had some stuff published in LA Record recently.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, you should check out the hundredth print edition of the paper. It’s a 112-page extravaganza, and it features my new column, “Heart of Darkness,” which is all about the “D.I.Y.” underground in the city. This edition focuses on Moses Campbell and the group’s involvement with the Smell.

I also did a live review of Kid Infinity’s recent 3-D show at the Smell, which was published online today. Unfortunately, larecord.com is having some problems; a lot of people (including me) see a “Warning: Reported Attack Site” disclaimer when they go to the site. Anyway, I’ve published the review of the show here, in case the LA Record link doesn’t work for you:

Filed under: Human Interest, Reviews

Video Free Silverlake

I was recently asked to fill in for Jed, the editor of Radio Free Silverlake‘s weekly column Video Free Silverlake, who is on vacation. I didn’t particularly feel like hyping up a bunch of Silverlake bands by posting their most recent videos, so I did a little tour of Top 40 Radio instead. Here is the article, including videos by Kelis, La Roux, Lady Gaga, and more…

Album of the year!

Filed under: Features, Reviews, kelis, la roux, lady gaga, radio free silverlake, silverlake, top 40

in LA Record: Review of “Love Songs for When You Leave Me” by So Many Wizards

I recently wrote a review for LA Record of So Many Wizards’ excellent new EP Love Songs for When You Leave Me.  It can be read here.

So Many Wizards will be joining my bands Big Whup and Pizza! at Big Whup’s 7″ Release Extravaganza Party at the Smell on Saturday. Please don’t miss this one, for your own sake.

Filed under: Reviews, big whup, la record, love songs for When You Leave Me, pizza!, so many wizards, the smell

In LA Record and on thefmly.com – Features on Kid Infinity

Last week I went to go see Kid Infinity’s new video “P.Y.C.O.” debut on the big screen at the Downtown Independent. I really had a great time at the show, and the video is pretty damned awesome too. I wrote about the show for LA Record, and you can read my review here.

I was also just added as a blogger for the FMLY, and I used my debut post on thefmly.com to pimp KI.

They deserve it!

Filed under: Esoteria, Reviews, fmly, kid infinity, la record, p.y.c.o.

In LA Record – Review of Kyle Mabson’s Birthday Party

LA Record recently published my review of Kyle Mabson’s Birthday Party at Pehrspace. Click here to read it. It features my perspective on Signals, Breezee One, XboxRox, and Abe Vigoda. I think that it came out really well, although there are two typos that I made and didn’t catch before I sent it to the editor. I won’t tell you where they are.

Filed under: Reviews, abe vigoda, breezee one, kyle mabson, la record, pehrspace, sean carnage, signals, xboxrox

In LA Record: Porchfest Review

Click here to read LA Record‘s review of Porchfest.

I participated in this show and helped write the review with my friends Daiana and Pablo. Morgan made the excellent illustration at the top. Thanks to Drew, Jon, and Morgan for making this  party happen!

Filed under: Reviews, la record, porchfest

Julian Casablancas

A lot of people have been saying that Julian Casablancas’ new solo record, Phrazes for the Young, is underwhelming. I don’t agree. I’ve been listening to it a lot recently, and I like it – it’s certainly not a classic, but it continues a comfortable aesthetic that I’ve been enjoying for years and seems like a pretty predictable follow-up to First Impressions of the Earth. That record, too,was panned as underwhelming at the time and I was also not sure why. It seems to me that the only reason anyone would be underwhelmed by a Strokes record is if their expectations were informed by all of the hyperbolic hype about “saving rock music” from which the Strokes benefited (or suffered, depending on who you ask) in 2001. If you just look at them as a regular rock band, I think that there’s a lot to like on all three of their albums.

But anyway… Casablancas gets pretty much all of the songwriting credit in the Strokes, so a solo record from him is interesting because it shines light on the creative process within the band – what, exactly, do the other Strokes do? From this record, it would seem that their main role is to edit him. Most of these songs are sixty to ninety seconds too long (single “11th Dimension” is the exception – it should only be thirty seconds shorter), and I can’t help but think that this would be better not as an eight-song record but as a ten-song LP of the same length.

Casablancas’s lyrics are getting better and more straightforward. On the last record he was all like “I have nothing to say, I have nothing to say!,” yet he opens this one with “Out of the Blue,” a pretty honest expression of regret. I particularly like that song and “4 Chords of the Apocalypse,” which is musically like his “Oh! Darling” but is lyrically chill – instead of breaking down and crying he’s rational and calm: “I’d give you anything, but I’d give you problems. So be with anyone you want – it’s alright with me.” Dude’s good at being flippant.

My favorite song is the single, though. It’s good and it’s way catchy. If it weren’t so “indie” in execution, it could probably be a famous sports anthem.

Filed under: Reviews, julian casablancas, phrazes for the young, the strokes

Hot Topic in Food and Water #18

Jon Barba reviewed Hot Topic’s debut performance in issue #18 of his zine “Food + Water.” You can probably get a copy of it if you go and see a Nicole Kidman show this month.  He’ll be on tour with Kevin Greenspon.

Filed under: Reviews, food + water, hot topic, jon barba, ports o call