Star turns at the turntables

So you missed your favorite buzz band’s big gig last week? Fret not. These days you’re even more likely to catch their god-like auras in another, more intimate setting. Just don’t expect to hear that big hit single, or, for that matter, any of their songs. And forget about instruments.

At dance clubs, bars and even live shows around town, many well-known musicians are abandoning their amps for records, turning the turntables on the idea of DJs as rock stars, and revealing a whole new dimension of sonic aptitude and flair.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the trend started. Was it Bauhaus bassist David J’s turn as an electro-head, or maybe Boy George’s conversion from crooner to U.K. club king? In L.A., one hub for talent can be found at the free Wednesday night gathering known as Radio at Star Shoes, which in the past year has offered a stellar procession on the decks that includes Peaches and members of Franz Ferdinand, Ima Robot, Interpol, Junior Senior, Moving Units and Ladytron.

Though the club’s creator, Stephen Hauptfuhr, never set out to specifically showcase turntablists, his circle of friends and his background (he’s an alum of the rave scene who used to go by the name Kool-Aid, and a musician himself) helped the night blossom into a popular after-party spot for touring groups and their pals. Soon band members themselves wanted to get in on the action, tailoring the retro-shoe-store-themed bar’s atmosphere to their liking.

“Being a DJ doesn’t just mean four-on-the-floor house,” Hauptfuhr says. “I think a lot of musicians like to DJ because it can be an extension of their own musical personality. It’s great to go to an after-party for your own show, but if you can actually be a part of it by DJing, that’s all the better.”

At the long-running indie rock dance night called Bang!, Saturdays at the Ruby, post-concert soirees and record release parties have featured DJ sets from the likes of Tim Burgess from Charlatans UK, the Dandy Warhols, Carlos from Interpol, and two members of the Smiths -- bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce -- who gave the crowd a history lesson of sorts several months ago, spinning a mix of ‘60s rock and even their own stuff, something most artists rarely do.

“I spun my stuff out once, and it bothered me,” says Timmy Anderson, guitarist for the electro-punk outfit Ima Robot and a guy who has been DJing as long as he’s been riffing. “I wanted to hear what it sounded like really loud, and it sounded awesome. It felt weird, though.

“It’s cool being in a band and DJing. No manager, no agent, no one telling me what to do.”

This liberated, laid-back attitude is what makes Star Shoes, and Beauty Bar and Tokio around the corner, where Anderson’s a regular, a magnet for music types.

“They come to the club to have a good time, and before you know it they just want to get off on the turntables,” says Johnny Nixon, co-owner of all three Hollywood spots. Indeed, Beauty Bar may have started the craze locally a few years ago with “Celebrity DJ” nights, where everyone from Courtney Love to Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagen whipped up a frenzy from the booth.

As of late, the salon-like space’s Thursday night party, which used to be put on by Har Mar Superstar, has featured luminaries such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and the young punkettes from the Donnas.

It might be less conspicuous than the scene in Hollywood, but a gathering called Sinking With the Ship, held every Sunday at the Bigfoot Lodge in Los Feliz, features an equally notable collective of bands including Earlimart, Panty Lions, Let’s Go Sailing and Irving.

Although “the Ship” actually refers to the rehearsal/recording/art space where these groups cultivate their own lush sounds, the night, which began at the Little Cave in Highland Park, has helped the ensemble’s list of co-conspirators grow to include bands such as the Polyphonic Spree, Grandaddy, Pine Marten, Silversun Pickups and Dios Malos.

“Our thing is a little more homespun,” says Panty Lions singer-guitarist Ashod Simonian, who mans the night. “We play a lot of friends’ bands here. It’s not really about what’s popular or hip.”

While most of the shindigs that feature mega-musician guests aren’t promoted as such (often it is purely spontaneous or a day-of-the-event, word-of-mouth thing), there’s no denying that when it happens, a certain excitement infuses the night.

A publicized appearance by tour mates Elefant and Ambulance Ltd., who spun at a rooftop party at the Standard downtown a few weeks ago, attracted capacity crowds. And even local rock jocks with advertised gigs -- such as Faster Pussycat singer Taime Downe’s glam slams between sets at Metal Skool at the Roxy, and Coyote Shivers’ punky, funky selections at Goldfingers -- inspire groupie-like enthusiasm.

But what do “real” DJs have to say about novice ax men and crooners cutting in on their action?

“I don’t have any negative feelings about it,” says Bang! co-promoter Joseph Brooks, who has been a DJ and club impresario (spinning at hot spots including Scream, Makeup, Cherry and his current club Ruby Tuesdays) for about 20 years. “Some of them, like Carlos of Interpol, really do know what they’re doing. But some do need direction, because they don’t necessarily understand the mechanics or how to keep the energy going on a big dance floor. Good records don’t always mean a good DJ, at least in a club environment.”

Still, as the success of crossover artists such as Moby and Fatboy Slim shows, star power can be a seductive thing for those on the dance floor. Back at Star Shoes, Friday night recently saw a surprise set from Bjork.

“Sometimes it’s just how music is presented, and a name like that can do anything, as opposed to having a no-name DJ trying to push the boundaries,” Nixon says. “When someone like Bjork or Peaches puts different stuff out there, people are more open to it.”

“DJing is really such a subjective thing,” Hauptfuhr says. “It’s like art; one person likes this and one person likes that. You’d have to be comparing technical skills to really be able to say someone is better or worse than another. I prefer to keep it about the music.”

*

Lina Lecaro can be reached at weekend@latimes.com.