The weekly recommendations

We here at Indie Schmarm feel it is our duty to not only report the news, but now to also give a weekly recommendation of things that we feel are deemed worthy of our attention. We’ve decided to bring out the big guns and encompass multiple categories such as books, film, T.V., food, and of course music.

This last week’s Indie Schmarm recommendations:

The Music:

Sunset Rubdown: Shut Up I Am Dreaming

This little nugget came out last year and I unfortunately didn’t get much of a chance to listen to it until a few months ago. I was a little unsure how I felt about the record when I first heard it. Not too far before receiving the record, I had been attempting to listen to Swan Lake and was being let down by it. Then there is Apologies to the Queen Mary by Wolf Parade which is a fantastic record. Shut Up I Am Dreaming at first felt kinda like a meld between Swan Lake and Wolf Parade, but with of course Spencer running the show vocally entirely on Sunset Rubdown. Recently however, Shut Up I Am Dreaming has really come to show its own form. It continues to impress me and just this past week it really took off. Stadiums and Shrines II opens the record powerfully with the first lyric being “Can I lift my dress up for you?” and just jumps into a song it seems that’s about insecurity and emotions with having to face things that aren’t always easy to face. It just sets the bar for the songs right away and makes it seem human and not just some kid’s emotionless indie rock band. From there it takes you on a whirlwind of adventure complete with songs containing creatures eating babies, to songs about hating snakes. There is this sort of creepy dark aura too over parts of the record almost like Danny Elfman was walking by their studio one day, tripped and fell in, then quickly got up and ran out. The production too is rather junky and sloppy sounding. Often times Spencer’s vocals are extremely low in the mix and completely incoherent but in a really good way.

Get it. Buy it. Love it.

The Movie:

Factory Girl

This isn’t a movie I’d say go right out and see it right now because you wont live if you don’t. It’s more of a “yeah that was pretty good and Andy Warhol was a freak if that’s how he was in real life…and the Star Wars kid who played Bob Dylan wasn’t very good, but he was ok at times…oh and the girl who played Edie Sedgwick was pretty like Edie was and a good actress. I’d also imagine Nico from The Velvet Underground to be exactly like she was portrayed in the movie, so that’s neat.” I’ll see it again someday and this really is the only movie I’ve seen recently that was worth noting.

The Food:

Ichiban

This sushi restaurant is located on 120 S Brand Blvd. in Glendale. This is my favorite sushi restaurant in LA that I’ve found to date. Most the sushi is half off, so instead of paying out the nose on nearly a $40 dollar check for one person, you’re of course only playing about $20. I eat a lot of food and I rarely pay above $20. The sushi is great, the atmosphere is great and the service is great.

This completes Indie Schmarm’s weekly recommendations. Enjoy yourselves out there in this cruel and beautiful world with your new found information to a better living.

End Scene,
Dan Tana