MP3: BOOM
Flagbearers for no particular scene or agenda, ANAVAN are as unique a Los Angeles institution as Ron Jeremy, The Smell, and taco trucks. Recently, they’ve shared the stage with NO MEANS NO, CRYSTAL CASTLES and MONOTONIX, toured with HEALTH and CLIP’D BEAKS. Birthed from the pregnant stew of downtown’s now legendary all-ages venue, The Smell, ANAVAN cracked their shell alongside groups like NO AGE, ABE VIGODA, FOOT VILLAGE, and MIKA MIKO. Their sound, however, owes as little to their local peers as it does the aforementioned duos. The most obvious break from convention was (and still is) the conspicuous lack of guitar – an absence one forgets shortly after the first glorious note is struck. In a city full of 5-, 7-, hell, even 10-piece ensembles, the concept of “less is more” starts becoming something of an emergency. When less equals as much more as ANAVAN delivers, the wheat has already begun showing the chaff where to stick it. “Power trio” hardly does them justice.
Their sophomore album “Cover Story” finds the band honing their pop sensibilities while maintaining the driving energy and DIY work ethic of their punkier, self-titled 2006 debut on Gold Standard Labs and singles for Deathbomb Arc (Foot Village, Captain Ahab,Thurston Moore).
Some words on ANAVAN from Sonny Kay (GSL founder, singer of the VSS, Angel Hair…)
L.A. trio ANAVAN first appeared in 2004, in the wake of the handful of percussion-centric bands who’d been stirring-up the underground for the previous couple of years. With their drum kit taking center-stage (and their helmet-mics firmly in place), I prematurely assumed at first sight that their sound would owe much to the likes of PINK AND BROWN and LIGHTNING BOLT. I was wrong. ANAVAN’s empassioned, dare I say sexy, postpunk groove bypasses the cerebral yardwork of noise and pummel-rock, by aiming squarely on the listener’s need to shake something. Free your mind and… well, you know the rest.
But exactly who are these people?
– Bret Berg, longtime KXLU deejay and macaroni connossieur, is without a doubt one of the most skilled bassists this city has to offer. In another time and place he would have put Peter Hook out of work, no questions asked. His flawless 4-string histrionics are the band’s heart and soul, not to mention a rock-solid foundation for…
– Molly Williams, the trio’s secret weapon (and vegetarian gourmet). Disguised inside a battered football helmet, she commandeers the keyboards as if at the helm of some cosmic cargo ship, conjuring unforgettable melodies like those only ever imagined by Vince Clarke. A woman of few words, her backing vocals are equal parts Jane Weidlin and Exene Cervenka, something of a yang to the yin provided by…
– Aaron Buckley: esteemed web designer, outdoorsman, vocalist and drummer par resistance. Undoubtedly loathe to admit it, his will certainly be the most well-earned bottle of Crystal Geyser on any given night at The Smell, Pehrspace, or some other ventilation-deprived hole in the darkest recesses of L.A.’s underbelly (not that the same doesn’t apply when ANAVAN play mainstream rock clubs, too). Imagine Keith Moon channeling Fred Schneider (perhaps that should be the other way around…); big shoes to fill, indeed, but this dude’s a size 12.
*Fun Fact: Molly and Aaron hail from Ketchikan, Alaska. Famous for its “bridge to nowhere”
ANAVAN will be touring Europe throughout the month of November, and will be hitting the UK meeting up with LA comrades NO AGE and MIKA MIKO.
“Their music? The opposite of tame. Percussion-heavy, part noise rock, part 80’s-inspired synth-heavy electronica. Sans guitara” RCRD LBL
Tour Dates
Oct 30 – Heidelberg, Germany @ Zum Teufel Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg
Oct 31 РLiege, Belgium @ Inside Out Club Liege, Li̬ge
Nov 1 – Utrecht, The Netherlands @ DBs Utrecht, Utrecht
Nov 2 – Hamburg, Germany @ Astrastube Hamburg, Hamburg
Nov 3 – Poland, Poznan @ Kisielice Poznan
Nov 4 – Germany, Berlin @ Lokal Berlin, Berlin
Nov 5 – Czech Republic, Prague @ Klub 007 Prague
Nov 6 – Germany, Frankfurt @ Elfer music club Frankfurt
Nov 8 – Italy, Carpi @ Mattatoio Club Carpi
Nov 9 – Geneva, Switzerland @ L’Usine Geneva
Nov 13 – France, Bordeaux @ Heretic Bordeaux
Nov 14 – France, Paris @ Fleche Dor Paris
Nov 15 – Germany, Karlsruhe @ KOHI Karlsruhe
Nov 16 – Germany, Trier @ Ex-Haus Trier
Nov 17 – Germany, Potsdam @ Black Fleck Potsdam
Nov 18 – Germany, Hannover @ Cafe Glocksee Hannover
Nov 20 – Aalborg, Denmark @ 1000 Fryd Aalborg
Nov 21 – Norway, Oslo @ Radio Nova @ Klubbscenen, Chateau Neuf Oslo, Oslo
Nov 22 – Sweden, Stockholm @ Fritz’s Corner Stockholm, Stockholms län
Nov 26 – UK, Brighton @ Freebutt Brighton
Nov 27 – United Kingdom, Cardiff @ Club Ifor Bach Cardiff
Nov 28 – UK, Birmingham @ The Institute Birmingham
Nov 29 – UK, Manchester @ The Deaf Institute Manchester
Nov 30 – UK, Liverpool @ Jammfactory Liverpool
Dec 1 – UK, Southhampton @ The Joiners Southhampton
Dec 2 – UK, London @ The Dome w/ No Age and Mika Miko
I’m a big fan of this band and Crystal Castles definitely worth checking out.