L.A. rock songstress Jonneine Zapata might be unsigned, but she’s hanging out with the right people. Zapata, whose self-released debut “Cast the Demons Out” remains one of the finest albums to emerge from L.A. this year, will be opening for the Mark Lanegan-fronted Soulsavers on a 15-date national tour in September. Included is a Sept. […]
Swedish songstress Lykke Li [pictured], whose 2008 debut “Youth Novels” was produced and co-written by Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn & John, brings her danceable (and remixable) indie-pop to the Wiltern. Local quartet the Deadly Syndrome, who’ve been holed up working on a new album, open. … Speaking of danceable, the Ting Tings are paired […]
[Happy August. And happy birthday, Shirley Manson …] The members of blues-pop provocateurs Gomez live all over the place these days, and for their sixth album, “A New Tide,” a lot of the songwriting was done online. Can’t do concerts that way, though – the quintet’s national tour behind its new album visits the Wiltern […]
[Let’s start Thursday by wishing Kate Bush a happy birthday …] And let’s continue it with with a song off the Sounds’ new album, “Crossing the Rubicon”: ||| Download: “Dorchester Hotel” The Swedish quintet’s Blondie-indebted rock has cast quite a spell on SoCal audiences the past couple of years. Their new album, recorded in L.A., […]
[Apologies for the radio silence yesterday; I think Buzz Bands’ server problems have been fixed. Here are some delectable options for tonight:] That band with Jack White in it is getting all the attention, but there are several other newsbies filling my ears with hot-licked blues-rock. Band of Skulls, playing L.A. for the umpteenth time […]
The nominees for the U.K.’s Mercury Music Prize were announced this week, and if about half the shortlisted artists aren’t already familiar to Los Angeles audiences, more will be soon. In fact, the latest (and greatest, if you believe NME’s breathless accounts) synth-pop sensation, La Roux, play to a sold-out Troubadour tonight, with four other […]
[Why, it’s Thurston Moore’s birthday Saturday. That’s reason to celebrate, right?] Today: It figures to be a touching night at the Echoplex, where artists and admirers gather to honor the late Sky Saxon of the Seeds. The Sky Saxon Tribute will feature, among others, Billy Corgan [pictured] of the Smashing Pumpkins and Mark Tulin of […]
[Birthday cheers to Fran Healy of Travis. And speaking of cheers, it’s hard to go wrong if you go out tonight:] The free “Also I Like to Rock” series winds up its run at the Hammer Museum with Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros playing from their recently released album of ’60s-styled anthems, “Up From […]
[Birthday greetings go out to Rufus Wainwright today. Meanwhile, big doings all over SoCal tonight:] No Doubt’s return to the road has been triumphant, from all the reviews, and it finally hits the band’s native southern California tonight. Paramore is the main support band at the sold-out Gibson Amphitheatre, and although they don’t seem to […]
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs [pictured] celebrate the release of “Under the Covers Vol. 2” (out today on Shout! Factory) by appearing at the Grammy Museum as part of a series called “The Drop,” during which artists perform and discuss their work. The album from the power-pop ace and Bangles vocalist uses 1970s gems as […]
