The elegant folk- and soul-tinged dream-pop of Some Go Haunting is the work of Aria Pullman and Jason Rivera, who after releasing an EP in 2012, elevated their profile this summer with the release of the painterly single “House of Arcadia.” The new song “Me & You” – from the forthcoming full-length “Wandering Souls” – earned them […]
At one point during Tennis’ packed-to-the-rafters show Saturday night at the Troubadour, singer Alaina Moore noted that her husband/bandmate Patrick Riley’s parents had driven up from San Diego to take in the concert. Were they happy now, she asked light-heartedly, that he didn’t attend business school? The duo’s career moves seemed very astute at the […]
Indie-rock quintet StaG clawed its way into L.A.’s consciousness this spring with the release of their ambitious, cinematic full-length “Difference.” Since then, the band – singer-keyboardist Matt McGuire, singer-guitarist Will Walden, guitarist Matt Hamper, bassist Anton Krueger and drummer Casey Baird – have proved they back it up live and embarked on working on new music. There’s […]
Long Beach’s Steve Krolikowski has been making music as Repeater for almost a decade, embracing the mostly Anglophile strains of post-punk, new wave and alt-rock. Last year Repeater released an EP of older recordings that Krolikowski said represented a turning of the page, and now Repeater is back, sounding invigorated, with a new lineup and […]
Chicago native Greta Morgan was a touring musician at age 16, and by the time she was 20 her band the Hush Sound had released three-full-lengths. Born Greta Salpeter, she segued to Gold Motel after relocating to L.A., but now she has found a distinct voice as Springtime Carnivore. The album bearing that name, “Springtime […]
Francisco the Man’s “Loose Ends” (out next week via Fat Possum/Small Plates) is quite possibly the longest-incubating debut album in recent memory – after all, singer-guitarist Scotty Cantino and gang have knocked around southern California for at least six years, watching bands and styles of facial hair come and go, sticking resolutely to the notion […]
Echo Park trio Criminal Hygiene continue to play rowdies on the road, but it doesn’t mean they haven’t had to clean up their act as well as their sound. Compared to the scuzzy “Blak Water” the band released back in 2012, Michael Fiore, Michael Hiller and Sean Erickson are delivering tunes featuring more refined production with […]
Let’s call the new single from L.A. trio Mini Mansions insurrectionist new wave – “Death Is a Girl” treats the ’80s as the distant memory they are rather than the here and now. A little bit dark, a little bit psychedelic and plenty propulsive, the song is the first taste of Mini Mansions’ much-anticipated sophomore […]
By John Girgus To call me [and this blog**] a fan of Kitchens Of Distinction would be a massive understatement. Infinitely deeper than the “shoegaze” and “dream-pop” mirages that led me their way, they remain at the very foundation of my musical influence. When songwriter and singer Patrick Fitzgerald recently opened the floor to a […]
Our fever had hardly worn off from last fall’s debut “Call Yourself a Lover” when Pr0files released a follow-up single “Luxury” this summer. The duo of singer-keyboardist Lauren Pardini and producer-guitarist Danny Sternbaum keep the vibe dark and sexy with third outing “Forgive,” released today. The smoldering track sounds like a lost ’80s classic, boasting […]
