Even Though I’m a Grumpy Bastard, I Still Approved a Story on Anavan

There is no screaming, skulls, or lyrics about destruction on Anavan‘s new record, Cover Story (Slanty Shanty). It’s super dance-y. And fun. Listen to the MP3s below and keep an eye out for an upcoming ALARM story on the band.

Anavan: “BOOM”
from Cover Story on Slanty Shanty Records

Anavan – BOOM (MP3)

Anavan: “The Perfect Sound”

ANAVAN – The Perfect Sound

Grum: “Whoa” (Anavan Remix)

Grum 1 Whoa (ANAVAN RMX)

Our old GSL pal Sonny Kay wrote this about Anavan’s members:

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. No other singer-drummers come to mind except Phil Collins, and out of respect to Aaron, I’m simply not gonna go there.

ANAVAN have shared staged with NO MEANS NO, CRYSTAL CASTLES and MONOTONIX; they’ve toured with HEALTH and CLIP’D BEAKS; they’ve lent their gear to a thousand other bands you have and haven’t heard of, and they’re just getting started. Flagbearers for no particular scene or agenda, ANAVAN are as unique a Los Angeles institution as Ron Jeremy, The Smell, and taco trucks. And no, they in fact are not from Alaska.

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