Call it intuition, but I knew exactly what ESP was going to sound like as soon as I saw the L.A. trio’s photograph. Cinematic production. Featherweight vocals. Vaguely tribal beats. More synths than songs. It all adds up to opaque dreamscapes at the hands of keyboard-wielding brother-sister duo Aska and Seiya Matsumiya and drummer Bobby […]
Going down a bold path similar to the sonically eclectic Fool’s Gold, Salt Petal seasons the exuberant indie-rock on its forthcoming EP with all manner of global influences. The L.A. quartet, whose members include Autumn Harrison (vocals/accordion), Rodrigo Gonzalez (guitar), Hiroo Nakano (drums) and Dayna Richards (trumpet), fuses Argentinian folk, Brazilian tropicalia, Cumbia and up-tempo […]
Anybody who’s heard the cringeworthy cover of “Rhiannon” by Best Coast on the otherwise-OK Fleetwood Mac tribute album might appreciate what synth-pop alchemist Baron Von Luxxury has done with the song. No matter what you think about electro artists getting their bytes on classic tunes, at least Von Luxxury (the producer/songwriter born Blake Robin) has […]
There’s something in the let-it-rip methods of L.A.-based Hello Echo that will appeal to fans of the edgy alternative rockers of the 1990s as well as exuberant nu-folkies of today. Singer-guitarist Sean Alyward, who once toiled for the mid-aughts buzz band Apollo Sunshine, has found a happy place between garage-rock, surf-pop and Americana; the band’s […]
The Donnies The Amys – the glorious confluence of singer-songwriter Donnie Stemp’s emotive paeans and drummer Amy Wood’s artful rhythms – have decided to capitalize after all. Their name, that is. The pair have already capitalized on their collaboration; their debut album (which you should have by now) is a collection of agile indie-pop that […]
He’s My Brother She’s My Sister is thick with the schtick – between the thrift-store costumes, tap-dancing percussionist and the sibling revelry of vocalists Rob and Rachel Kolar, they’ve constructed an indie-Vaudeville aesthetic that asks, if you please, to check your practiced sense of cool at the door. There’s more than a kernel of truth […]
It’s all about expectancy. L.A. trio-turned-quartet the Happy Hollows have unveiled their first new material since their 2009 debut “Spells.” “Endless” reveals a different tonality in Sarah Negahdari’s guitar playing while still serving as a (fast-moving) vehicle for the frontwoman’s prodigious talents. The foursome – now Negahdari, Charlie Mahoney, Richy Epolito and Matt Fry – […]
Voxhaul Broadcast has been added to the Echo Park Rising lineup to anchor the Echo stage, and Hands, Calvin Love, Oh Boy Les Mecs and the Dead Ships have been slotted to play the Echoplex as plans are finalized for the free, one-day neighborhood festival on Saturday. Fool’s Gold (previously announced) highlights a big lineup […]
So how’s your summer going? Great? Well, this will make it even better. Soft Swells – whose bright self-titled debut album gave everybody a head start on the summertime vibe when it was released back in February – have unveiled a new single. “Summer” sounds like a classic the moment Tim Williams picks the first […]
Blondfire, the brother-sister electro-pop duo who have just signed to Warner Bros. Records, heads up the lineup for the September edition of the KCSN / Buzz Bands LA local music series at the Federal Bar in North Hollywood. The band, anchored by Bruce and Eric Driscoll, will be joined by newcomers Western Scene and Go […]
