1,001 Nights of the Fold (if not more)

As a music fan, Los Angeles can be a very satisfying place in which to live. While the would be movie star moving to Hollywood to be discovered is a cliche, the city also attracts a plethora of aspiring musicians and so can boast several thriving local music scenes. Even for those artists who don't want to move here, perhaps preferring the rain and snow of Chicago or New York or perhaps the overpriced damp of the Bay area, those people still have to come down here and make a name for themselves in L.A. On any given night in southern California you can expect to have around five compelling shows to chose from if you want to go out. One or two of those shows are likely presented under the banner of promoter Scott Sterling's the Fold. The Fold Compilation is a 2-CD set that offers a good cross-section of the national and local bands that Sterling has booked over the last seven years, mostly represented by otherwise unreleased or hard to find recordings.

Some of the names may be familiar to you. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead played Fold gigs at the Silverlake Lounge both before and after signing with Interscope Records and they contribute a radio version of "Baudelaire." The Polyphonic Spree's cosmic pop is represented by "It's the Sun." The Black Heart Procession provide a killer version of "Song For A Mule" recorded at a Lounge gig in 2000. Metric, sort of a latter-day, depressive version of Blondie, seems to be a hot commodity and a driving demo version of their "The List" is included here.

Other artists may not be as familiar outside of the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Silverlake and Los Feliz where Fold shows are presented. Midnight Movies, who provide the opening "Human Mind Trap" and a bonus .MPG of "Persimmon Tree," are a band that should be heard by a wider audience. Fans of Stereolab and Nico should appreciate their keyboard heavy but unequivocally rocking sound. Gwendolyn's folk-damaged "Insect Perspective" answers the musical question "what would Sandy Denny & Syd Barrett's love child sound like if they had one?" Country singer Mike Stinson gets the last word with the set closing "Last Fool at the Bar," a typically wry original.

The Fold Compilation offers 31 portraits of the rich musical talent that L.A music lovers have come to take for granted. Want to know who the next big bands are? Want to hear what's going on out west without going through the hassle of flying? The Fold Compilation is a great place to start.