Mercury Prize nominee Jessie Ware‘s vocals may been most familiar with music fans through SBTRKT’s records, but a handful of singles on her own have her poised to become an international breakout star. Her soulful sound with dark yet seductive elements suggest she’s the Sade for today’s generation. Ware’s vocals take the spotlight in tracks […]
Your Thursday show menu: ‣ Public Enemy – just announced this week as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee – visits Club Nokia, performing along with X-Clan, Monie Love, Schoolly D and Leaders of the New School. ‣ Gee, does anybody like Social Distortion? The veteran punk band’s string of sold-out southern California […]
When we shared the title track of Nico Vega’s forthcoming album “We Are the Art” in late October, we thought the next bulletin to come from the electrifying L.A. quartet would be details of the release – which had been delayed due to singer Aja Volkman’s pregnancy. Not so fast. This week Nico Vega announced […]
Between holiday parties, shopping and anxiety attacks over the looming 12-12-12, here are tonight’s shows: ‣ Graham Parker & the Rumour, reunited after three decades (and even with a bit playing themselves in the upcoming film “This Is 40”) haedline the Roxy Theatre. ‣ John Cale visits the El Rey Theatre behind last month’s release […]
When I last caught up with Richie Follin, he was still playing in Cults (his sister Madeline is a member) while slowly working on his new project Guards. The Orange County native, now ensconced on the other coast, engaged in some those-were-the-days niceties about his old band the Willowz (last spotted in 2009) and looked […]
Incoming: Social Distortion, Graham Parker, John Cale, Atlas Genius, Chris Isaak, the Game, the Sword, Alt-J, the Tragically Hip, the Growlers, JMSN, Public Enemy, the Doobie Brothers, Jessie Ware, Cass McCombs, King Tuff, NOFX, Dead Sara, Vaud & the Villains, Agent Orange, The Weeknd, the Aquabats, DeVotchKa, Vanaprasta, Aloe Blacc, Harry Shearer and Judith Owen, […]
‣ The first night of KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas goes off at the Gibson Amphitheatre, with Garbage and AWOLNATION reprising their performances at May’s Weenie Roast, and Rise Against, Bush, the Lumineers, Walk The Moon, the Gaslight Anthem, Slightly Stoopid, Two Door Cinema Club and Youngblood Hawke also joining in. Set times. ‣ Live performances […]
The Ellen Frances-directed video for the Reflections’ second single, “Disconnected,” reminds us all too much of the zoning out many people do while traveling during the holidays. Its kaleidoscopic focus on subway tunnels is like a zany limbo between zombie-like autopilot and alertness upon destination. Like the clip, the song itself is riveting but wonky […]
Queen Caveat has been around the bars and clubs of Hollywood and the Sunset Strip enough to know this dude’s game. With their new single “Mr. California,” the L.A. hard-rock quartet fronted by siren Lauren Little offers a pile-driving response to the artifice their home turf seems to breed. The video was filmed in the […]
‣ The Polyphonic Spree’s annual December shows in their hometown of Dallas have featured tap-dancing grandmas, bell choirs, comedians and all kinds of holiday high jinx. They bring their “Holidaydream” tour (that’s the title of their new album too) to the Fonda Theatre tonight. ‣ No Doubt winds up its seven-night stand at the Gibson […]
