Smithfield Bargain
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Who Are We?
- Sri Panchalam - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Light Percussion
Daniel Landau - Lead Guitar, Vocals
David Landau - Cello, Vocals, Saw, Light Percussion
Los Angeles-based indie folk/jazz trio Smithfield Bargain began at a birthday party in late 2009, when a sassy young lady in a pretty dress met two ruggedly handsome, stylish brothers in a room with a vacant piano. Discovering a mutual love for all sounds old and new, vintage and blue, and a willingness to make music out of anything at arm’s length, the young lady and the two gentlemen convened over tea, instruments and voices in a Los Angeles living room two weeks later. David rummaged up a wine glass, a vase, an empty wine bottle and a ceramic bowl, intermittently tapping out melodic rhythms while playing his cello. Daniel put on a hat and delivered some lines from his guitar. Sri took off her shoes and sang a melody with no words. Someone brought out a piece of paper and a pen. The best darn idea that night.
The result, Smithfield Bargain, offers up a musical encounter that connects the listener with the flip of a switch to sounds that cut across different worlds and genres, culturally and temporally. Sri lends a sun-dappled contemporary voice laced with an old-time, gypsy sweetness honed from years of classical training in South Indian vocals and singing rather loudly in venues both appropriate and inappropriate. Daniel (also of "The Brothers Landau," with brother David) provides a guitar of multiple faces overflowing with rhythmic progressions and chords alternately complementary and conflicting, and rich, honeyed vocals that coax both grandmothers and teenage girls alike. David imparts a picturesque cello that relates sounds from deep within, ranging from strong and soulful to sweetly melancholic, warm and handsome tenor and bass vocals, and an uncanny knack for excavating sounds from unconventional objects that didn’t even know they had it in them.
The band's finely crafted songs and charismatic, vaudevillian stage performance has earned them radio play on KPFK 90.7 FM, music video spots on Gorillacoustic.com, which features them playing live and unplugged from Shakespeare Bridge in Los Angeles, and shows at landmarks of the Southern California music scene, including the Troubadour and Fox Theater.
Smithfield Bargain's first full-length album is due to be released in 2012.
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Shows!
- 5/09/12 - Firefly Bistro
1009 El Centro Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
7pm - FREE
4/29/12 - South Pasadena House Concert w/Brad Colerick
2031 Berkshire Ave.
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Doors at 4pm, SB at 5:30 $15 donation
Song Circle at 7:45
4/05/12 - Harvelle's
1432 4th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401
8:30pm - 21+
$7 with flyer, $10 without
3/28/12 - Basement Tavern (at the Victorian)
2640 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
9pm-1am - FREE
3/13/12 - Station Hollywood at the W Hollywood Hotel
6250 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
8:30pm No cover, 21+ to drink
3/10/12 - The Last Bookstore Acoustic Fest
453 S Spring St
Los Angeles, CA
We play at 9pm - FREE
lastbookstorela.com3/08/12 - Folk on the Rox (above the ROXY)9009 Sunset Blvd.,West Hollywood, CA 900699pm - $10 Door - 21+https://www.facebook.com/events/354530251244605/
2/12/12 - Fundraiser for Player King Productions
Skinny's Lounge
4923 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
8:30 pm - $10 Door
2/11/12 - Granville House Concerts #32447 Granville Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90064
w/Son Ark and Dustbowl
8pm - $5 Donation if you are feeling generous.
1/05/12 - Angel's Piano Bar and Supper Club
2460 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
9-11pm - Free
SB's Slightly North/Southwest Tour
Confirmed Dates:
8/11 - Oregon Institute of Technology Summer Concert Series, Klamath Falls, Oregon - 7:30PM at the Fountain, Price: FREE
8/12 - Naked Lounge, Sacramento, CA - 8:00PM, Price: $5
8/13 - Red Feather Winery, Livermore, CA - 1-5PM, Price: FREE
8/14 - Olde Sonoma Pub, Sonoma, CA, Price: FREE
8/17 - Xtreme Bean Coffeehouse Music Series, Tempe, Arizona - 8:30PM-10PM, Price: TBA
8/20 - Private Engagement, San Diego, CA - 5PM
Stay tuned for more dates!
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Albums
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Photos
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Videos
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Posts
After the show at Xtreme Bean Coffee Company. We’re so happy to have made it to and through this show. The 48 hours previous were tough. We wouldn’t have made it through without the wonderful folks who spent time with us at the show tonight. You helped us power through. Thank you.
Our beautiful view of Mt. Shasta on the way back from Klamath Falls, Oregon last Friday. Doesn’t it look like we’re driving into the backdrop of a movie set?
After the show at Linnaea’s in San Luis Obispo, CA. It’s a little grainy because of the dim mood lighting, but that’s kind of in now in a retro way isn’t it? :)
The final version of our tour edition mixes! Our album will be called, “Pack Up the Moon.” The tracks on this CD are a little rawer than what will be the final album. We love them, so we thought it would be neat to put them out there in the world. There are only 100 of them, each individually numbered. And they come in a cover designed and handprinted by David who handcarved the prints out of linoleum. Special thanks to the reunioners at the Landau brothers’ family reunion for helping us put the finishing touches on them. Wrapping these in twine was harder than it looks!
We’ve shoved off from Los Angeles to the San Luis Obispo area. We have a couple of days before our shows begin, so we made a stop at the Landau brothers’ family reunion out in Morro Bay. Morro Bay is really pretty, especially if you like Treasure Island or pirates. The beach is covered in funny-looking seaweed and the sand is exceptionally soft. Where we are, you can see a huge mountain in the sea off in the distance big enough to hide at least two giant pirate ships. There are awkwardly cute birds everywhere called Snowy Plowers (their habitat has been sectioned off until September 30, just FYI). Best of all, we heard from one of the reunioners that the beach had great sand dollar pickings, so naturally, David and I went hunting. Lo and behold, there they were snuggled in the sand. These are a couple of the beauties we turned up!
Please note: No live sand dollars were harmed during our hunt. We just picked up some old relics that needed a good home!
- SB's Slightly North/Southwest Tour
Mid-August, we’re moseying on out of Los Angeles for a bit to play music for the good citizens of elsewhere-land. First stops are slightly North. Next stops are slightly Southwest. If you’re in any of these areas, come out and let us sweeten up your eves with the finest in spun song-
Current confirmed dates:
8/9 - Last Stage West, Atascadero, CA - 6-8PM
8/10 - Linnaeas Cafe, San Luis Obispo, CA - 8PM
8/11 - Oregon Institute of Technology Summer Concert Series, Klamath Falls, OR - 7:30PM at the Fountain, Price: FREE
8/12 - Naked Lounge, Sacramento, CA - 8PM, Price: $5
8/13 - Red Feather Winery, Livermore, CA - 1-5PM, Price: FREE
8/14 - Olde Sonoma Pub, Sonoma, CA, Price: FREE
8/16 - Strega, Reno, NV - 8PM
8/17 - Xtreme Bean Coffeehouse Music Series, Tempe, Arizona - 8:30PM-10PM, Price: TBA
8/20 - Private Engagement, San Diego, CA - 5PM
Stay tuned for more dates!
- Smithfield Bargain EP on Bandcamp!
Our self-titled EP is now on Bandcamp! Even Shakespeare anticipated with excitement. Behold! Unearthed lines from Act VI of “Romeo and Juliet”-
Juliet: Pray tell, Romeo, where doth that sweet music flow from?
Romeo: Mine lips?
Juliet: No, not thine lips.
Romeo: Mine heart?
Juliet: No, not thine heart. Why doth everything need be about thee?
-Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern-
R/G: M’Lady! M’Lady! The EP of Smithfield Bargain is available on Bandcamp!
Juliet: Huzzah! Warm Whispers? Radio Lullaby? Cliche! Hooray!? That devastatingly witty ballad to the Chainsaw Juggler?
R/G: Yes! Yes!
Juliet: Romeo, oh Romeo! Why doth thee not write me song with such stately charm and eloquence?
Romeo: Play-crashers…
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Bandcamp Link: http://smithfieldbargain.bandcamp.com
Full EP (4 tracks) - $4
Single Tracks - $1 each
We’re excited to be part of BMI/Koffeehouse Productions showcase at Harvelle’s on July 7! Sure to be a lovely evening! We’re on at 8:30PM! PRICE: $10/$7 with the flyer. Hope to see you there!!
We made it to the Top 5 for Roadtrip Nation’s Battle of the Bands! Come cheer for us as we duke it out (musically, speaking of course!) at Chain Reaction in Anaheim on June 30. Doors at 7. All ages. Tickets: http://www.allages.com.
Thank you to everyone who tweeted a vote for us to get into to the Top 5! You are awesome!
We’re playing Downtown Culver City’s Third Wednesday on June 15! “Like” our Facebook page to find out our exact location and come find us!!
- Smithfield Bargain at the Troubadour!
We’re at the Troubadour on Tuesday, March 8 along with King Devil, Brutus Gets the Girl, and The Body Parts!!!!!
We go on at 8:30PM!!!!
The show is only $5!!!
Here’s the Facebook invite for further details!!
Hope to see you fancy folks there! :)
- Special February 2011 Show!
We’re playing the very first installment of Remain Curious w/The Old Lumps and Moses Campbell, spearheaded by the wonderful folks behind Echo Curio, Eagle Rock Music Festival, and I See Sound, at Center for the Arts in Eagle Rock on Friday, February 18!
We now present you further details in a series of ellipses and exclamations -
Center for the Arts is located at…
2225 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90065!
There will be…
DJ’s!
Art installments!
All ages admitted!
Beer/wine permitted for 21+ folks with a donation!
CD’s of Echo Curio’s live recordings for the first 100 guests!
$10 cover!
Doors at 9PM!
We will be…
Playing not one, not two but THREE new songs, along with your Bargain favorites!
More updates/details on the Facebook invite - Remain Curious #1 - The Sweethearts Prom.
Bound to be the funnest of times!
See you there!
- January 2011 Shows!
January 13, 2011 - Harvelle’s w/The Dustbowl Revival, Santa Monica, CA - 9PM
January 19, 2011 - Villains Tavern, Downtown Los Angeles, CA - 9PM
January 21, 2011 - Tribal Cafe w/Kings Road, Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA - 7PM
January 27, 2011 - Angel’s Piano Bar and Supper Club - 9PM
Details on the MySpace! Happy New Year!
- December 2010 Shows!
December 10, 2010 - Viento y Agua Coffee House w/The Next Great American Novelist and Ana Caravelle, Long Beach, CA - 7PM
December 29, 2010 - Villains Tavern, Downtown Los Angeles, CA - 9PM
December 30, 2010 - Angel’s Piano Bar and Supper Club, Santa Monica, CA - 9PM
Details on the MySpace!
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Discography
- Albums/Compilations
"The Woodbine Demomixes," Three-Track Demo (2010)
Limited Edition Self-Titled EP w/Handmade Cover (2010)
Remain Curious #1 - The Sweethearts Prom - featured track, "Keepin' With The Times" (2011), compilation by Echo Curio.
First full-length studio album, forthcoming Fall 2011
Radio Play
KPFK 90.7FM's "My Side of the City" w/Steve Martin," featured tracks, "Warm Whispers" and "Workbook for the Dead."
Live set and interview on KPFK's "My Side of the City" on November 21, 2010.
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The Talk About Town
- "I walked in halfway through their incredibly fun set and was immediately hooked. Fueled by singer Sri Panchalam’s strong jazzy vocals and catchy rhythms courtesy of brothers Daniel and David Landau, the trio turned out a series of expertly crafted tunes that harkened back to a simpler time. If you’re in LA, I highly recommend seeking them out." - Mike Snow, Gorillacoustic.com."Thy work doth sing, Jove! Thy maid and her brethren brought to mine eyes such joyful tears!" - Hamlet, Act VI
"After seeing this crazy band I wanted to call my sister Phoebe and tell her how much she would like them. I really wanted to! I'm not kidding." - Holden Caulfield
"Listening to Sri's voice made me feel like I'd died and gone to heaven!" - Jesus of Nazareth
"What?!" - Ludwig van Beethoven
