The loose, lo-fi rock ’n’ roll of L.A. quintet the Acetates recalls the days before fancy recording techniques smoothed out all the rough edges in folk and blues music. The fivesome of Simon Elbaum, Oren Klein, Nick Wheaton, Brian Morales and Brian Cannady have no problem with frayed edges; the rough-and-tumble feel of their early […]
Breaking up is hard to do. So is making breakup albums. Charlie Wadhams wrestled with both in crafting the songs for “Out at the Bar,” his first solo release since 2010’s EP “Upside Down” and first full-length since 2006’s “Free Up Your Schedule.” Wadhams, long a under-recognized treasure on the L.A. songwriting scene dating back […]
L.A.-based quintet Machineheart traces its roots to Tacoma, Wash., emo-pop band He Is We. Trevor Kelly was co-founder of that band; Jake Randle, Carman Kubana and Harrison Allen were touring members; and model/singer Stevie Scott replaced ailing frontwoman Rachel Taylor as touring vocalist in 2012, a year after they released a full-length on Universal. After […]
It’s taken a minute for the Peach Kings to release their “Mojo Thunder” EP – they unveiled the title track last June – but the duo of native Texan Paige McClain Wood and Silver Laker Steven Trezevant Dies finally have it finished. It’s another chapter in the duo’s bluesy lounge noir; their spare arrangements place the focus […]
We’re not too sure if the girl is missing her long lost love or if the skeleton is actually missing his lover, but the semi-creepy and self-directed video for Early Morning Rebel‘s “Shallow Breath” is hauntingly sad. The fashion-forward L.A. duo are out to pull on heart strings again with another pop noir ballad that […]
What do you get when you mix 50% of Cold War Kids, one-third of We Barbarians and the writings of a Trappist monk? You get French Style Furs, the new trio featuring singer Nathan Willett, bassist Matt Maust and drummer Nathan Warkentin. This week, FSF revealed the first three songs from its full-length, “Is Exotic […]
Some San Diego locals may recognize the frontman of L.A. quartet Wistappear. His name is still Ian Lipson, but he’s got a new project now that he’s in the City of Angels. Recruiting Evan Jiroudek, Marcus Hogsta and Isaac Tamburino, Lipson’s work as Wistappear is an interesting fusion of psychedelia, wonky rock n’ roll and folk-pop. […]
If there’s one L.A. band who has been shamelessly putting out dance music within the last couple of years, it’s MTG – formerly known as Mind the Gap. The Venice Beach quartet, whose sound is part pop-rock, part funk and part electro, has been relentless with their live shows and their songs translate the energy. […]
Ever since they roared out of the North Hollywood School of Rock with a sense of purpose far beyond their years, music has been more than kids’ stuff for Lydia Night and Marlhy Murphy. Night is 13 and Murphy 11, and together they are Pretty Little Demons, a garage-rock duo with a batch of original […]
Considering all the frilly runs she sang for “American Idol” back in 2012, Jen Hirsh’s vocals recorded under the moniker Monogem reveal a new refreshing, alluring side to the Los Angeles singer-songwriter. Hirsh’s melodies here are sung with sophisticated control in songs like the slinky disco-pop gem “The Glow” and she’s even riding a little […]
