Thanks for the link, Mat! It seems Dave "really liked that, no seriously..."
"My favorite act in LA? Probably Gary Jules." Nic Harcourt, Host of KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic
Miranda Lee Richards || Listen || Watch
Miranda Lee Richards first came to some attention in 2001 with the release of her debut album, The Herethereafter, which featured a wonderfully sparkling version of the old Rolling Stones tune “Dandelion.” Written just as the Stones were entering their psychedelic period in the mid-’60s, it was a perfect little ephemeral soap bubble of a song, with atypically sunny, hippie-ish lyrics and an airy-fairy musical backing that was countered by Charlie Watts’ thunderous tom-tom fills. Richards’ remake was even more precious, with her sweetly true melodies replacing Mick Jagger’s rough shouting, and it announced the arrival of a unique stylist. Her long-awaited follow-up album, the new Light of X (Nettwerk), produced by Rick Parker, charms with delicate, carefully rendered balladry and gently laid-back pop tunes. There’s a hint of country music and wide-open spaces with Ben Peeler’s pedal-steel adornments on “Savorin’ Your Smile” and “Olive Tree,” and Richards’ radiant voice lights up the dusky guitar riffs of “Early November.” She gives good jangle on the power-pop reverie “Pictures of You,” while Parker frames her solemn piano chords with shimmering guitar plucking on the ballad “Here by the Window,” which builds a haunting momentum with bluesy grandeur. Her lyrics dip a little too often into facile clichés (“biting the hand that feeds us,” “caught in the headlights,” etc.), but Richards’ gorgeous singing usually elevates even the plainest sentiments. - LA Weekly
with:
Lower Heaven || Watch
Whispering Pines
Nick Jago
Parked uncomfortably in a compact space between the luxury vehicles that are Weezer and the Cars, the latest from this L.A. quartet struggles mightily to squeeze out the passenger door. Airtight production, monster hooks and big dollops of fuzz- and candy-coated noise from guitarist Josiah Mazzaschi and keyboardist Kim Haden make this a great freeway album — listen to “The High” with the windows down — but the electro sheen gets awfully thick in places. - Buzz Bands
with:
The Parson Red Heads
The Spires
French Semester
¡¡¡ MARK YOUR CALENDARS !!!
"LA's Vallenato Champs!"
"..they've gotten really goddamn good live... I couldn't stop smiling and I found myself looking forward to hearing them play tonight even before they were done with their set. And the EP? Also great." - Joe Feilder - Radio Free Silver Lake
Amongst the myriad of musicians that call Los Angeles home, Local Natives, a band favoring a new breed of energetic, percussion driven indie rock, have come to fruition. This clan of five gentleman craft songs reminiscent of a musical tribe, singing and dancing in harmony. Imagine if Beirut and Sufjan Stevens decided to join the eccentricity of Talking Heads and the aura of Broken Social Scene for lunch in Columbia and you’ve pinpointed what is Local Natives. In the age of auto tune and vocoders, Local Natives is one of those rare bands who is defined by their ability to deliver live. In fact, it has been more of challenge for the group to translate the vibrant and exciting nature of their performances to a recording than vice versa. But blessed with the charisma to tempt even the most despondent hipsters and shy concert goers into dance machines, Local Natives have honed their skills in both recording and performing the past few years. - Bio
The holloys’ dynamically evolving sound of avant-garde techniques and influences drawn from a diverse range of cultural traditions and musical genres culminates in the release of Art Wars, their new, five-track EP. With its beat-heavy blend of trance, dance, Afropop polyrhythm, neo-prog, electronica and soaring pop melodies, Art Wars finally ushers rock into the 21st century.
Los Angeles-based visual artist and musician Jim Brown has taken the holloys through many incarnations and performance venues. Jim has toured the holloys throughout Mexico and Japan as a solo act, performed in the piss-stained alleys and lofts of LA’s gallery district, and has included an acclaimed solo show at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. At the same time, the holloys sound has evolved from ambient noise through abstract trance jamming to Art Wars’ successful reintegration of song and voice on its five, searing, pop-inflected and exquisitely danceable tracks.
Here's some video of Soko's last and only known L.A. performance:
Echo Park Named One of Top 10 Great Neighborhoods
And when you hear that, you might find yourself asking which Realtor came up with that ranking. Luckily, this time there is some creditability behind the designation: the American Planning Association. They "singled out Echo Park because of its breathtaking topography set in the hills above downtown, historic architecture, pedestrian-oriented streets and stairways, and engaged residents who, over the years, have gone to great lengths to protect and preserve their community," according to an APA release (add: their website has more info and history on why EP was chosen) .... more after you click on the image!
SUBMIT YOUR PICTURES!!!
THE MAE-SHI @ Spaceland
THE MOVIES @ Spaceland
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