Thundercat, neé Los Angeles’ Stephen Bruner, brought his 2013 tour to a close at the sold-out Echoplex on Thursday night, returning home triumphant traversing and North America. After a rousing introduction by the Gaslamp Killer, the six-string bass virtuoso took the stage fronting the three-piece band, flanked by Dennis Hamm on keys and Justin Brown […]
There was a moment during Sam Smith’s show Monday night at the Troubadour – his first of two sold-out nights in Los Angeles – that seemed to sum up the evening perfectly. It came during his third song, “Leave Your Lover,” while the acoustic guitar gently strummed, as Smith reached the chorus, gazed out at […]
It’s always a relief when a new band releases an excellent debut album and follows it up with a sophomore effort that both expands and surpasses their previous sound. Minneapolis’s electro-pop outfit Poliça, the project of singer Channy Leaneagh and non-touring producer Ryan Olson, achieved that with this fall’s album “Shulamith,” fleshing out their synthy […]
Up-and-coming Los Angeles singer-songwriter Jarell Perry has already worked with the diverse likes of Childish Gambino, Diplo, Fat Joe, Rusko and Usher, and is set to break out with the release of his forthcoming “White EP” on Dec. 10. The former UCLA student released his debut album “Simple Things” earlier this year. Its “future R&B” […]
Los Angeles producer/rapper/songwriter Jonezen, neé Chris Jones, just released the music video for “Dedications,” the first single from his forthcoming album “Beautiful Disaster.” It was directed by Raul Perez, and follows his win at the Los Angeles Music Awards for Best Hip-Hop Artist. Following an arrest, doctors told Jonezen that his excessive drinking may kill […]
As days off go, Sunday was full-on. Shortly after 6:30 p.m. outside the Shrine Auditorium, the Fool’s Gold Records owner took the stage to a huge applause and said, “My name is A-Trak and I’m going to play some records.” The DJ/producer, who started the label with Nick Catchdubs in 2007, also won the DMC […]
Four years after what was to be their stretch of “Wave Goodbye” shows and last run for the foreseeable future, Nine Inch Nails surprised everyone earlier this year with the announcement of a new album, “Hesitation Marks,” and subsequent “Tension” tour in support of it. Over the course of 28 songs that spanned their entire […]
It was almost as if by the time you got down to the Fonda Theatre’s floor on Thursday night, through the pat-downs and multiple checkpoints, that security was looking the other way when came to smoking marijuana, which the crowd did relentlessly throughout this night of the appropriately titled the “Smokers Club Tour.” Every four […]
Chino Hills’ Vex Ruffin is set to release his self-titled full-length on Nov. 12 via Stones Throw, who signed him after getting an unsolicited demo in the mail (the only artist the label has acquired that way). Combining a variety of influences including primitive electronica, hip-hop, psychedelia and new wave, Ruffin creates understated, beat-driven music […]
The dynamic duo of modern-funk ambassador Dâm-Funk and G-funk godfather Snoopzilla, née Snoop Dogg, have teamed for a new project entitled 7 Days of Funk, with a self-titled EP out on Dec. 10 via Stones Throw Records. Snoop’s newest moniker, following his reggae turn as Snoop Lion, is drawn in reverence to Parliament-Funkadelic’s bass player […]