The album “I Thought I Was an Alien” may be slated for an official Stateside release June 11 via Community Music, but chances are most fans of French chanteuse Stéphanie Sokolinski – aka Soko – will already know all 14 songs by heart.  Whether she’s acting in films or writing musical letters (like “I Just Want to […]
Graham MacRae has covered a lot of turf in Los Angeles. He worked for a major label; he now runs his own promotions firm; and he’s an illustrator (though he calls them “elaborate doodlings”). He even once co-owned a locally famous Echo Park record store (RIP, six years ago this month). MacRae’s songwriting has been […]
The first single from Boardwalk establishes the L.A. duo as aspirants to the legacy of the likes of Mazzy Star and Slowdive. Originally starting as a collaboration between Mike Edge and Amber Quintero, Boardwalk was joined by Mark Noseworthy (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros) on guitar and bass, and the band is finishing up […]
Anybody who witnessed the set by La Santa Cecilia at the Silver Lake Jubilee last May knew it was only a matter of time: The charismatic, Latin-fusion quartet of Marisoul, Alex Bendaña, Pepe Carlos and Miguel “Oso” Ramirez was destined for big things. With last week’s release of their major-label debut “Treinta Dias,” La Santa […]
No sooner had L.A.-based duo Deap Vally spent a little time back home – their debut EP “Get Deap” came out in early April and they rocked afternoon sets at Coachella’s dual weekends – than their music resurfaced in the U.K. to soak up some more of the Brit love that has made them fast […]
The breezy indie-pop on the debut EP by Bets casts the singer as a wide-eyed and sharply observant narrator of matters of the heart, and when there’s a view as in “Rooftop Lover,” beyond. Her voice is a delicate but expressive instrument, recalling Inara George, and the EP – which came out in January and […]
yOya, the L.A. duo comprised of Alex Pfender and Noah Dietterich that concocts songs boasting sweet soaring harmonies and stimulating electro-pop beats, has left us smitten again with the latest single off their forthcoming EP “Go North.” Following up last year’s “Nothing to Die” album, songs like “I’ll Be the Fire” showcase the duo’s feel-good […]
Not unlike its title, Pyyramids’ debut album “Brightest Darkest Day” ducks from the shadows to the light and back to the shadows again, seemingly from song to song. The mix of gritty guitars, slippery effects and cool electro is the handiwork of OK Go’s Tim Nordwind and singer Drea Smith (ex-He Say/She Say), who shows […]
Ready for a cool dip in the pool? The Picture and the Frame has you covered in their new video for the single “Okay” [which we fell for back in December]. On their new album “Reverb and Gin” (why is it we love that title?), the L.A. trio of singer-bassist Rose Shawhan, guitarist Rickett Baker […]
What would you do for love? Millions of singers ponder this question through their lyrics, but Travis‘ frontman, Fran Healy, shows what he’ll go through for simple love in this clip for their new single “Where You Stand.” As the band performs the title-track of their new album, Â Healy becomes a human art project just […]
