Beastie Boys have canceled upcoming concert appearances – including a Sept. 24 date at the Hollywood Bowl – and pushed back the release of their new album “Hot Sauce Committee Part 1” after band member Adam “MCA” Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his salivary gland. The cancer is considered treatable, and Yauch […]
The songs of Miss Derringer are filled with tears, and blood, and an unhealthy dose of weaponry and various sharp objects. The Los Angeles quintet, not unlike the visual art of its frontwoman Liz McGrath, roots around in a sort of Gothic-tinged Americana while applying a whimsical veneer to its tales of felonies, misdemeanors and […]
The first music from supergroup Monsters of Folk has emerged – the quartet is giving away a song from its forthcoming self-titled album (out Sept. 22 on Shangri-La Music) as a free download. The foursome, including Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and singer-songwriter M. Ward, began their collaboration […]
[Salutations to birthday guy Carlos Santana today. Here’s what’s up tonight:] NYC shoegaze/jangle-pop quartet the Pains of Being Pure at Heart [pictured], who played great shows at SXSW and at Spaceland earlier this year, return to L.A. – fresh from the Pitchfork Music Festival – for an engagement at the Echo. … If you like […]
Story and photo gallery by Laurie Scavo Devendra Banhart was not the star of the show Saturday night at Space 15 Twenty – no matter how much his fans wanted him to be. He was merely the subject of a book. Maybe that explained the brevity of the singer-songwriter’s set in front of an overflow […]
[Birthday greetings go out Saturday to the Super Furry Animals Gruff Rhys; now here are some suggestions for your busy weekend:] Today: Things to do while waiting for some astute businessperson to release the Happy Hollows’ full-length album: 1) Sigh; 2) Go see them at the Echo tonight. … Downstairs at the Echoplex, Three Mile […]
After the jump, the playlist for this morning’s Buzz Bands show on Little Radio – see you next Friday at 10 a.m. Pacific time.
[Ears to the ground for new music from L.A. …] So I arrive back in L.A. today thirsting to catch up on all the sounds that have been sent me, and I immediately happen on this song by Jonathan Haskell, who makes music as Firs. Talk about air-conditioning for the soul. This instrumental piece is […]
[Getting back into town today after a little road trip. Thanks to my pinch-bloggers the past few days; happy birthday to Stewart Copeland; and here’s a full plate of music goodies from which to sample tonight:] My trip to the heartland yielded a good read or two, including this Riverfront Times interview with Son Volt’s […]
The music of L.A.’s Courtenay Green ping-pongs between the confessional (and even confrontational) pop of ’90s songstresses such as Natalie Merchant and the carefee confections of ’80s girl groups. It’s clever, maybe sassy (though if it’s sexist to use that adjective, I humbly apologize), and very self-aware – in her video for “Beyond Therapy,” after […]
