It was packed from wall to wall for Wally De Backer on Thursday night at the El Rey Theatre. Known better by his stage name, Gotye provided an hour-and-a-half high for those lucky enough to get their hands on tickets to the sold-out show.

Initially only a megastar on his home turf, the Australian multi-instrumentalist quickly rose to international fame during the last year. His hit single “Somebody That I Used to Know” featuring New Zealand’s Kimbra had much to do with it, but as soon as Gotye walked on to stage it was apparent that his undeniable charm and talent has fueled his rise.

In comparison to his first U.S. show at the Satellite, the elegant décor of El Rey Theatre better suited Gotye’s set. Although that first intimate outing will remain a treasured experience (especially because the audience got to provide the horns when the backing tracks went out during the last song), Thursday’s spacious venue truly enhanced anthemic songs such as “Eyes Wide Open,” which opened the night’s set.

Gotye, who has been making music since his teenage years, has a knowledge of music and technology that would intimidate even the biggest gearhead. This was evident once he started playing with his synthesizers, drum kits, organ, vibes (the list could fill out the rest of this review), but it’s his amiable stage persona that transforms the awe into a familial enjoyment.

“How you doin’?” he asked, smiling from ear to ear. “Lookin’ good. I can actually see some of you. Thanks for coming.”

Interweaving various genres including R&B, funk, rock and pop, Gotye and his four-piece band mostly played songs from his first U.S. album “Making Mirrors.” However, the madman — who was almost spinning in the center of all his instruments — did make a point to touch base with his previous album “Like Drawing Blood” via songs like the mystical “The Only Way Out” and the mid-tempo grooved “Thanks For Your Time.”

But the random whoops in the audience escalated into screams of delight as he went into “State of the Art,” and before the first measures, Gotye made sure to properly introduce the song before all the special effects occurred. “This is about those who have fallen in love with an organ. This song is about my organ.” With the song’s animated music video projected on to the screen in back of the band and the seductive vocal effects, which brought Gotye’s voice down a few octaves to sound like electronic mix of Barry White and Thurl Ravenscroft, the set took a heavy funk-influenced R&B turn.

“The magic of technology,” Gotye pointed out after the song was over, still using the downwardly pitch-shifted effects. They continued on an electronic route with one more song as he had all his band members actually drop their instruments to play only samples of instruments on “Thanks For Your Time,” before dropping the tempo and softening the dynamics for “Save Me” and “Bronte.”

Yet, the room erupted most when it came time for them to play “Somebody That I Used to Know.” “Oh, do you know this song?” Gotye  jokingly asked. Even with Kimbra unable to make a guest appearance, a sea of cell phones filled the air as everyone desperately tried to capture the live experience of the wildly popular break-up anthem. Kimbra’s part was also replaced by a strong chorus (surprisingly in tune) of all female attendees, making it somewhat of a special duet.

It’s hard to believe that virtually no one in the room had heard of Gotye before last summer, and the Belgium-born 31-year-old was gracious about all the attention he’d received. In fact, he thanked seemingly every person working at the venue by name.

And to top off his good-guy personality, Gotye returned for an encore featuring the most feel-good songs from his catalog. “We didn’t go anywhere,” he assured in a tone that implied the thought of them never returning was simply ridiculous, and off they went into “In Your Light,” “I Feel Better” and “Learnalilgivinanlovin” to celebrate the night’s success.

L.A. art-pop band Hot As Sun opened the night with their repertoire of R&B-influenced electro. Early birds got to catch frontwoman Jamie Jackson and Deborah Stoll donning fake mustaches. Jackson’s impressive vocal range was especially showcased in songs such as “Only a Woman,” and new songs featured M83-esque rave-ups. But it was their closer “Come, Come” that won the audience over. Smooth moves from Kenan Peters also didn’t hurt.

Photos by Debi Del Grande

Join me at 11 a.m. today on Moheak Radio for two hours of mostly new local music. In the past week or so, the likes of Delta Spirit, Superhumanoids, Robert Francis, Whispertown, Lady Danville and the Ross Sea Party have unveiled new songs. We’ll visit them, and toss in a blast from the past from a band that is playing a reunion show on Monday night. I’ll be the guy on the webcam, with the coffee, feeling like he went to three shows last night.

After the jump, the playlist:

The Mae Shi, “The Lamb and the Lion” (Monday at Pehrspace)
WALK, “Icebreaker”
Superhumanoids, “Geri”
Delta Spirit, “California”
Harriet, “Sign”
PAPA, “Ain’t It So”
The Ross Sea Party, “Thunder”
Act As If, “Running Wild”
Daniel Ahearn & the Jones, “High Life”
Miracle Days, “Never/No”
Sloan Martin, “Provinces of Night”
Robert Francis, “Some Things Never Change”
Whispertown, “Open the Other eye”
Black Swan Runners, “Ff Ff Fire”
LauraLaura, “How Far to Run”
Haroula Rose, “Love Will Follow”
Jack Littman, “Little Pretty Thing”
Lady Danville, “Operating”
Rhye, “Open”
Dead Ships, “Bones Cracked”
Nite Jewel, “One Second of Love”
Briertone, “I Am Jacob”
Standing Shadows, “One by One”
Youngblood Hawke, “Glacier”
Cannoneers, “All It Takes”
Moostache, “Thrills”
Nacosta, “Take”
Doctor Rosen Rosen, with Meg Myers, “Poison”
Just an Animal, “Kamikaze”
Fonda, “Loving You Made Me Sad”

When the Silver Lake Jubilee returns in May for a third year, the nascent neighborhood festival will come with a higher admission price and a new location.

The May 26-27 street party moves one block from its previous Myra Street location to Santa Monica Boulevard, just below Sunset Junction. And general admission — $5 the Jubilee’s first two years — will now be $20.

“At the end of the day, we set the $5 ticket price out of naiveté,” concedes Jack Martinez, executive director of the sponsoring organization, the Los Angeles Arts & Athletics Alliance (LAAAA). “We have make sure we do what’s fiscally responsible for the organization, and make sure we have a safe, clean festival.”

The Jubilee will feature 35-plus bands on two stages, along with more than 75 vendors, 15 food trucks and 40 comedians and other performers, along with a free community area for children’s activities, games and informational kiosks repping other nonprofits. But the hiked ticket price is sure to raise howls of protest from residents and music fans still stinging from last August’s debacle surrounding Sunset Junction, the long-running street fair that was scotched at the 11th hour because it could not come up with the required funds to pay city fees. Among the hot topics was how SJ’s sponsoring organization, the Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance, spent the receipts from a festival that, in its early years, was free.

Martinez acknowledges the Jubilee’s higher ticket price might induce a similar outcry. “That’s something that going to happen naturally,” he says. “But all the complaints people had about Sunset Junction — I feel like we’ve stepped up and addressed them. We’re a very transparent organization as far as where the money goes, and what we contribute to the community. We’re really proud of that.

“In the end, we want to be able to stage a quality event and answer our commitment as a nonprofit.”

On its website, the Jubilee offers a breakdown of where patrons’ $20 goes — half to community programs, and the rest for such expenses as city fees, administration and marketing. The group also lists 16 beneficiaries of its fund-raising efforts.

The music lineup is expected to be announced March.

Photo by Laurie Scavo

Happy Friday, everybody:

► Long Island quintet Twin Sister, on their first headlining tour, visits the Echo behind their 2011 debut “In Heaven.” Ava Luna and  Talkdemonic support. That’s Twin Sister’s video for “Kimmi in a Rice Field,” above.
► This month’s installment of First Fridays at the Natural History Museum brings San Francisco’s the Soft Moon to the museum’s North American Mammal Hall, along with Light Asylum and Julia Holter.
► The Honorary Title’s Jarrod Gorbel does a solo tour stop at the Bootleg Theater, with Madi Diaz and Kelly Jones supporting.
► Veteran troubadour Martin Sexton visits the El Rey Theatre behind his new EP “Fall Like Rain.”
► The distaff half of Fiery Furnaces, Eleanor Freidberger, headlines the Troubadour. [See our post from Monday.]

Also:

Ethan Gold, I Am Eve and Cassorla at the Satellite
Rocco DeLuca at the Hotel Cafe
Pimps of Joytime at the Mint
Mike Watt and Barrio Tiger at the Redwood Bar
Bikos and Sweaters at Taix
Raw Geronimo, So Wrong at Home Room
Submerge at the Central SAPC
Emilie Autumn at the Glass House in Pomona
Stolen Babies at the Viper Room
Hyper Crush and Starting Six at the Roxy
Gee-Slick and 1 Shot Deal at the Key Club
Forrest Day at Molly Malone’s
Saint Sea Hat at Lot 1 Cafe
The Chuck Dukowski Sextet, Guy Blakeslee and Jeffertitti’s Nile at the Smell
Wet Power at Pehrspace

Whispertown, the songwriting vehicle for Morgan Nadler that was originally known as Whispertown2000 and then The Whispertown 2000, has emerged with new music for the first time since 2009′s “Done With Love” EP. And it’s different. On her 2008 album “Swim,” released via Acony Records (the imprint helmed by Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings), Nagler framed her wistful ruminations in woozy folk. The first single from the forthcoming album “Parallel” album is neither particularly woozy nor folk; “Open the Other Eye” is an assertive synth-pop number featuring a gauzy web of vocals from Nagler, Maria Taylor, Neva Dinova’s Jake Bellows and Now It’s Overhead’s Andy Lemaster. LeMaster, the Athens, Ga., studio guru has worked with the likes of Bright Eyes, Azure Ray, Taylor and L.A.’s own Mezzanine Owls, recorded and mixed the album, with Bellows co-producing.

||| Download: After the jump, use the widget to score an mp3 of “Open the Other Eye”:

London quintet Bombay Bicycle Club has always straddled the sound of folk and rock, but their latest record “A Different Kind of Fix” (out now A&M/Octone Records) showcases yet another different movement in their sound. With the help of producers Jim Abbiss and Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, M.I.A.), Bombay Bicycle Club has expanded their sonic palette via layers, loops and repetition. Their music video for “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep” illustrates the fluidity in their songs. Directed by their friend Anna Ginsburg, the stop animation clip features a protagonist and his dreams by whimsically focusing on his claymation breathing to intensify the pulse of the song. To celebrate their upcoming tour dates, Bombay Bicycle Club will also be releasing their “Leave It” EP on Feb. 14 on iTunes.

||| Live: Bombay Bicycle Club plays Feb. 15 at El Rey Theatre.

Our cups overfloweth:

► His new album “A Wasteland Companion” en route in April, M. Ward plays at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. [That's his new video for "The First time I Ran Away," above.]
► Gotye, his album “Making Mirrors” out this week, plays the sold-out El Rey Theatre, joined by Kimbra, who’s featured on the hit “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Hot As Sun opens.
► The Jayhawks, boasting their original lineup, return to the play the Avalon.
► Mutemath rocks Club Nokia, with Canon Blue opening.
► Harriet celebrates the release its debut EP “Tell the Right Story” with a show at Harvard & Stone.
► Nashville quartet the Features rock the Bootleg Bar, with Duniven opening.
► Black Bananas — the newly named project of Royal Trux’s Jennifer Herrema — performs at the Echo.
► Good local bill at the Airliner, where Y LUV, 2 Hearts and Chemicals, the New Division and Facts on File team up.
► And Aaron Embry plays the Hotel Cafe on a night when Ed Sheeran and Antonio Beliveau (of the Crash Kings) are also on the bill.

Also:

Doomtree and 2Mex at the Troubadour
News of the Fire at the Silverlake Lounge
4onthefloor at the Satellite
Angels & Airwaves at the Glass House
ghost, Blood Ceremony and Ancient Wisdom at the Roxy
Dharma Bums at the Mint
Hyro Da Hero at the Viper Room
Bollweevil at Taix
News Of The Fire @ Silverlake Lounge
Non Ultra Joy at the Hard Rock Cafe
Jonwayne at Los Globos
Frank Fairfield at the Redwood Bar

Saint Motel is good at cinema. Oh, the L.A. quartet can write pop hooks too, but as the nifty collage of 16mm film, video and iPhone images in the band’s new video for “At Least I Have Nothing” reminds, the foursome of A/J Jackson, Aaron Sharp, Greg Erwin and Dak first came together in film school at Chapman College. And their initial release, “ForPlay,” had as many videos (six) as songs. “At Least I Have Nothing” is the B-side to Saint Motel’s latest release, the 7-inch “Puzzle Pieces” single. As they continue work on a full-length release, their reputation for turning live shows into memorable events grows. Valentine’s Day may never be the same.

||| Live: Saint Motel, along with Races, stage “Heartbreaker’s Hideaway” on Feb. 14 at the Belasco Ballroom downtown.

No sooner had Matt Pryor finished a victory lap behind the Get Up Kids’ comeback album, last year’s “There Are Rules,” than he released his second solo album. “May Day” is a folksy tour through the heart and mind of the beloved Kansan, revealing him as somebody who still believes in the game of love but who’s been around enough to know the outcomes. As with the rest of his estimable catalog with TGUK, the New Amsterdams and his kids’ music incarnation the Terrible Twos, there’s no shortage of hooks on “May Day.” Or smart couplets. Or sticky choruses. Sing along if you must.

||| Download: “Your New Favorite”

||| Live: Matt Pryor, joined by Dustin Kensrue, Anthony Raneri, Chris Conley, Ace Enders and Evan Weiss on the “Where’s the Band Tour,” performs Feb. 5 at the Troubadour and Feb. 7 at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana.

Evan Voytas’ sound — fizzy bursts of R&B and funk beneath a keening falsetto — has been a long time in the making. In the four-plus years since he moved to L.A., the multi-instrumentalist has performed with rising stars from both the indie and mainstream realm. But if you were go to back in time and ask the college student Evan Voytas about the future, he certainly wouldn’t expect to list experimental producer Flying Lotus or teen idol Teddy Geiger on his resume. The story of Voytas’ personal voyage to the breathy crooner he is today may be quite surprising.

With a full-length on the way and a couple of warm-up shows in support of his latest EP “Feel Me” (out now on Dovecote Records), a five-track exploration in reverb-y synth-pop, we took the time to chat with Voytas about mystical experiences, teen heartthrobs and Prince.

||| Download: “Can’t Let Anybody Know Who You Are” and “You Don’t Even Know Where It’s At.”

Congrats on the release of “Feel Me.” I heard you kind of went on an overseas vacation while you were recording it.

Yeah, I recorded it in L.A., and went to mix it in Lewes. It’s a tiny town in the English countryside like an hour outside of London, and there’s an old castle there. It’s famous for this mound. … It doesn’t look like much, it isn’t, but it’s supposedly from the Stonehenge era. When you stand on it during certain times of the year you’re supposed to be able to experience different weather phenomena or something. I guess I should research the mound some more.

“The Weightlessness” is a standout track because it has a mystic groove to it. What’s it about?

A friend I had grown up with had taken trip to Mexico and when he came back he was telling me all these far-out stories. One of these stories was about meeting this shaman who said “This is what the world is made of.” And suddenly he saw — well he wasn’t sure of what he saw — [but] he saw some type of liquid come out of her hand. It was supposedly some mystical or bizarre magical experience. The lyric of that chorus is “She said the world is liquid and I trust she knows.” It’s pretty much about that story.

How long did it take you to finish writing this EP?

I know I started “The Weightlessness” and “When It All Goes Away” a while ago; those were the first two written. I try to have a staple of demos ready to go so when it’s time to release something new, I have a bunch of songs to pull from and make sure they work well together. But like I said, those songs were started years ago whereas “Can’t Let Anybody Know Who You Are” was only written a few months ago. I think I had 15 songs which I was willing to finish up then choose five for the EP.

So if you have enough songs for a full-length, does that mean a full-length is definitely on its way a lot sooner?

Yes, but I’m also writing music for it right now. I’d rather leave old songs behind and focus on new stuff. There may have been 15, but if something doesn’t strike me within the first 20 minutes of working on it, I just abandon the idea and start on a whole new song. So even though I do have a lot of old stuff to fall back on, I’d like to start fresh and see what happens, too.

You’re known for playing with Flying Lotus and Gonjasufi. Does contributing to other people’s music on stage affect songwriting for your solo material?

Tremendously. I mean I was a jazz musician before I started playing with Teddy Geiger, and he was first person I saw record a song by himself. I didn’t know anything about recording then. We were driving from New York to do our first big show in L.A. to open for Hilary Duff at the Greek Theatre. (Yeah, you know Hilary Duff, the musician.). And he just set up his laptop and Ram Box. I didn’t know you could really do that. Also, I really learned a lot from Gonjasufi by just watching the way he carries himself with confidence, the way he commands an audience, and the way you can’t help but pay attention to him when he walks in to a room. He had such a strong presence.

Geez. How was it playing for a teen heartthrob?

It was a shock for me and him. I think we were happy to have each other on tour to share the disbelief, I guess. It was really strange. It went so fast for me because I got the gig my last week of college and it was a perfect transition. I ended up hitting the usual post-college crisis later in my 20s, but this was convenient, to go right out on tour. There was a tour bus, catering, the whole “rockstar” treatment. It was cool, but it was strange playing for such young girls. By the end of the tour, I was ready to not be attached to a teenage audience anymore. When you’re a side man you’re supporting another cause, and I was ready to do my own thing. But there were fan clubs and the girls would make you cookies.

It’s hard to deny your jazz studies have affected your version of pop, but did you ever think would have the sound you have today?

No, I mean I wanted to be the best jazz guitarist in the world. That was the plan since age 13. I was playing with the best guitarists in the world and playing with the best musicians in the world. I was completely on the right track and then I left to play teen pop. That decision came down to that summer. I was working (selling tickets) at the Natural History Museum. I thought I can keep doing this for a summer job or go on tour and come back and do whatever I want. So I decided to do the tour. I kind of took off and I did it for much longer than expected.

So, Teddy Geiger basically changed your life.

I guess. I have no idea what would have happened, but my life had such a trajectory. I knew exactly who I wanted to play with, who I would study with, what I wanted to sound like. It was all very calculated and one event pretty much disrupted everything. But it’s been pretty interesting.

You get a lot of comparisons to Prince. How do you feel about that?

I like Prince. I’ve never been a full-on Prince fan, but whenever I do hear Prince, I think “This is good.” Obviously, he’s Prince. He’s definitely one of my favorite guitar players, but I think most of the comparisons are coming from the falsetto.

Is there a reason you sing mostly in falsetto?

A couple of things led to that. When I was touring with Teddy Geiger, I was doing the higher harmonies for the background vocals. So that got me singing in that range when I started recording my own stuff. There is more full voice on recordings now from when I first started but the high harmonies are always there. I feel like I can get more of an intensity out of the falsetto voice than I can get from my full voice. Typically, when I’m working on stuff, I just automatically go there.

What are you happiest with in regards to the “Feel Me” EP?

It’s hard to say because it’s been tricky getting a consensus for the album. It’s quite the divisive set of songs, but my favorite is “You Don’t Even Know Where It’s At.” It was hard to even choose a single because every song could have been a single, which is better than none of the songs being able to be a single. But the conflicting consensus is kind of a blessing, because I can do whatever I want then.

||| Live: Evan Voytas plays tonight at the Echo with Fugiya and Miyagi and TV Girl.