Summer’s here, and that means barbecues and poolside parties for most people. However, Orange County’s Young the Giant will be hard at work and on the road from now through October, and this time they’ll become globetrotters as they visit the U.K., Australia, the Netherlands and more. We swear it seemed just like yesterday that […]
Ever since they set about stirring desert twang, spacey electronics and reverb-drenched textures into an Ennio Morricone-like dust storm. Spindrift has been most cinematic band around, even when your imagination provides the only visuals. The latest psychedelic excursion from songwriter Kirpatrick Thomas and friends is titled “Classic Soundtracks Vol. 1,” with each track getting a […]
British folk-pop duo Slow Club returns with a follow-up to 2009’s highly-regarded debut “Yeah, So” this fall. The sophomore release is titled “Paradise” (out Sept. 13 via Moshi Moshi), and indications are that Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson’s quirky influences, ranging from Destiny’s Child to noise-pop, have borne fresh fruit of the bittersweet variety. The […]
Sunday’s shortlist: ‣ Peter Murphy hits SoCal behind his first solo album in seven years, “Ninth.” Check out the hand-painted sets in his video for “I Spit Roses.” Murphy plays the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa tonight, with a date Wednesday at the Troubadour in the offing. ‣ Big noise at the Wiltern tonight, where […]
Picks for your splendid Saturday: ‣ Seattle’s Motopony, riding high on the strength of the self-titled debut, plays a free, KCRW-sponsored show (8 p.m.) at One Colorado in Pasadena. That’s their video for “King of Diamonds,” above. ‣ Globetrotting songstress Keren Ann visits the Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State L.A. behind her latest […]
This afternoon I violate a longstanding Buzz Bands LA policy against posting material by artists who wish to remain anonymous, or work under fake identities. “Feels Like” was written a few days ago by guy who plays in a band I’ve seen, and who says, “I’ve been through some hard times and just felt like […]
I think this note from Explosions in the Sky says it all, so I will just cut, paste and edit a bit: “In the 12 years that we have been playing together in this band, we have never made or released a video for any of our songs. Over the years many fans (perhaps yourself […]
Lots and lots to start your weekend: ‣ Rooney and Voxhaul Broadcast team up at the El Rey Theatre. Rooney’s latest batch of power-pop “Eureka” is edgier than their first two albums; Voxhaul’s debut “Timing Is Everything” came out in March. ‣ Black Lips and Cerebral Ballzy bring the party to the Music Box. Black […]
No one said relationships were easy, and Raleigh, N.C.-based band the Rosebuds would back that statement. For a band whose origin derived from romance, it takes bravery to realize not all types of bonds can survive. Separating to save the band, Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp stepped into a territory that is both familiar and […]
[Birthday greetings today to Jason Mraz and KT Tunstall. Now for the daily dose …] Top picks on the first of many busy Thursdays the rest of the summer: ‣ One national magazine calls Will Sheff “Dylan for the Facebook generation.” Don’t know about that, but his band Okkervil River has made another fine album, […]
