Michael Benjamin Lerner’s unfettered take power-pop shone brightly on the first Telekinesis album – one of my favorite energy drinks of 2009 – and now, surrounded by a new cast of cohorts including Jason Narducy (Robert Pollard band, Verbow) and Cody Votolato (Jaguar Love, the Blood Brothers), he’s taken the first step toward a sophomore […]
[Birthday greetings go out today to Glenn Tilbrook …] Top 4 spots tonight to have your ears on: ‣ Sacramento’s Julie Baenziger brings Sea of Bees to the Bootleg Theater tonight. That’s Sea of Bees’ video for “Marmalade,” above – I posted the song in June [see also my LA Weekly piece on Jules]. Sea […]
Dead Man’s Bones principals Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields bring their children’s choir to an elderly care facility for a rendition of “Pa Pa Power,” and magic happens. Even before they bring the food.
[Birthday shout today to Jeff Tweedy. Here’s what’s up tonight:] Top 3 ways to raise your musical temperature: ‣ Jason Falkner headlines Spaceland behind “I’m OK, You’re OK,” an album that was only released last year in the U.S. after being out a couple years in Japan. The former Three O’Clock/Jellyfish/Grays guy has another album […]
Fitz & the Tantrums have gotten a lot of love in this little corner of the Internet, so I will offer the soul merchants’ new video for “Moneygrabber,” directed by Michael Mohan and filmed by Elisha Christian, without a lot of hoo-hah commentary. Except to say Noelle Scaggs is a force in her own right. […]
[Note: An earlier version of this post noted that Filter was playing the Roxy tonight. My bad. The band’s show there is Thursday. Apologies for the confusion.] Brief rundown of tonight’s activities: ‣ Manda Mosher celebrates the release of her “City of Clowns” EP at the Hotel Cafe. ||| Download: “City of Clowns” Also: Fitz […]
Perfume Genius is the alias of Mike Hadreas, whose debut album “Learning,” out now on Matador, is garnering increasing attention for its emotion and fragility. Home-recorded in his mother’s basement in Seattle and using only various combinations of voice and keys, “Learning” is a collection of stark memoirs, so honest they’re haunting, so wistful they’re […]
Cary Brothers’ sophomore album “Under Control” has some gems on it – knowing his resumé, they’re probably coming to a prime-time TV show near you – but no song quite like the über-ballad “Ghost Town.” First-time director Kyle Eaton takes some of the concepts from the song and runs with them in the video, with […]
Top 4 ways to keep that summertime adrenaline pumping: ‣ Jets Overhead have jetted in from Canada – that’s their new video for “I Should Be Born,” above – and since I’ve advocated for them before, I’ll do it again. They play the Roxy on a KROQ Locals Only bill (hmm, KROQ now reaches all […]
Kids, don’t try this at home, no matter how devoted you are to the Tribe of Kevin Barnes. Of Montreal’s video for “Coquet Coquette” features a lot of carnage at the band does battle with cannibals and a witch doctor on a deserted beach. The first single from the band’s new album “False Priest” (out […]
