[Happy Wednesday, and happy birthday Wayne Coyne …] The Phenomenal Handclap Band are one of those acts you have to suspend your disbelief to like. When I saw them at the El Rey Theatre last year, I couldn’t get past their preening hippiedom, let alone dial in to their mish-mosh of disco-folk. Some people seem […]
[Oh, the difficult choices – lots of very good local shows going head-to-head tonight:] The Parson Red Heads, who’ve been working on a new album, surface to play a little music from it as they headline the Bootleg Theater, where Seven Saturdays – who we liked when they were called Firs – celebrates the release […]
Stellar songstresses back-to-back tonight at the Hotel Cafe – first it’s Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor [pictured], abetted by Brandon Walters, followed by Jesca Hoop. … There’s a full plate of residencies – Year Long Disaster (with It’s Casual) at Spaceland, the Northstar Session (with David George) at the Bootleg Theater, the French Semester (with the Monolators, […]
[Elvis Aron Presley would have turned 75 years old today. I’m not quite sure what to do to honor this non-milestone. I do know that there will be Elvi — is that the plural? — aplenty tonight at the Echoplex for the 24th annual Elvis Birthday Bash. Here are some other weekend highlights:] Tonight: The […]
Even when he’s not backed by his band Thrice, O.C.’s Dustin Kensrue [pictured] has some pretty formidable songwriting chops, as he displayed on his solo album “Please Come Home,” released two years ago this month. Kensrue gets top billing on a tour called “Where’s the Band?” – which features the frontmen of four rock bands […]
[Happy 24th birthday today to Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys. In L.A., meanwhile, the new year is starting to get busy …] Does the warm weather (it was 75 today at Buzz Bands HQ) have you longing for winter? Might be a good night to take in Spaceland on Ice at Pershing Square downtown. […]
England-bred folkies Charley and Hattie Webb – the Webb Sisters – are headlining tonight when the Hotel Cafe reopens after its holiday hiatus. The sisters are also supporting Rufus Wainwright at the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach on Saturday. … The Viper Room’s “10 Days of 2010” continues with Casxio and Funeral Party offering the […]
Now for something a little bit different: When Olin and the Moon kicks off a Tuesday night residency this week at the Echo, it won’t be the usual four-bands-and-a-cloud-of-dust routine. The tangy, twangy L.A. five-piece will basically be serving as hosts of a pizza, beer and bingo party during which only one support band will […]
[Happy new year, everybody. Buzz Bands was away on some vocab rehab for a couple of weeks, but now we return to help you lurch – did I say lurch? I meant ease – into a new decade. I hope to have some changes in the coming weeks; for now, get your year off to […]
[Happy birthday to Rick Nielson. And here’s my last daily post of the year …] Three SoCal bands with big releases coming in the new year play the Echo – Local Natives, Voxhaul Broadcast and Chief. Local Natives’ “Gorilla Manor” is out Feb. 16 on French Kiss; the NYC-birthed, Santa Monica-based Chief will have an […]
