[Birthday greetings go out today to Suzi Quatro …] Top 5 ways to feed your ears tonight: ‣ Get some soul – Fitz & the Tantrums, whose debut album “Pickin’ Up the Pieces” isn’t out until Aug. 24, stokes the fires by kicking off a Thursday night residency at Spaceland. ‣ Canadian indie-rockers Born Ruffians […]
[Fabrizio Moretti hits the big three-oh today. Drinks at the Little Joy?] Top 5 ways to get through your humpday: ‣ Born-again indie band Hot Hot Heat (that’s the video for “21@12,” above) kicks off its residency at the Bootleg Theater, with up-and-coming pop fanatics Chasing Kings and swoonworthy Stone Darling opening. ‣ School of […]
Top 5 ways to rock away your Memorial Day Weekend hangover: ‣ DJ Jeremy Dawson of Shiny Toy Guns, along with live sets from San Diegans White Apple Tree and Buddy Akai, play a benefit show at the Echo for the Yes on Proposition 15. The event was put together by California Common Cause – […]
“Oh, Samuel Stewart, you are so grounded. No allowance, and no ‘Guitar Hero’ privileges for a week!” “Awww, mom …” OK, so I imagined that exchange after seeing the light-hearted DIY video for “How Long Will It Take,” a cover of the 1969 reggae hit by Pat Kelly that later was famously covered by Jeff […]
L.A. trio Pollyn’s languid, atmospheric electropop sounds as if it were made on slow simmer – not even the disco beats on its debut album “This Little Night” seem to faze singer Genevieve Artadi, whose sultry vocals recall the David Arnold-composed “James Bond” soundtracks. The soundscapes laid down by guitarist Anthony Cava and beats/effects guy […]
[Raising a glass to Siouxsie Sioux on her birthday …] Top 5 musical entanglements this evening: ‣ Berlin techno/house duo Booka Shade visit the Fonda Theatre behind their recently released fifth album, “More!” (which includes the single “Bad Love,” featuring vocalist Chelonis R. Jones). ‣ Onetime indie darlings Voxtrot say goodbye to L.A. – their […]
[Happy birthday, Paul Weller. What I wouldn’t give for a little Jam this morning:] Top 5 ways to make merry musically in Los Angeles tonight: ‣ Watch enchanting Australian brother-and-sister folkies Angus & Julia Stone – their new album “Down the Way” is awfully sweet – on the first of their two sold-out nights at […]
[Let’s see … the National is in town for two sold-out shows; it’s Morrissey’s birthday on Saturday, and I have massive show conflicts each of the next three nights. Weekend of Epic Mopery.] Buzz Bands’ Top 5 places to be this weekend: The National, tonight and Saturday at the Wiltern. Silverlake Jubilee, Saturday and Sunday […]
Australian synth-rockers Midnight Juggernauts – who made a few friends at Coachella 2008 and even more when they rocked the Roxy last fall – are coming back to the U.S. The trio’s second album “Crystal Axis” lands on June 1; dance kids, if you like your electro slightly spaced-out, with body-pounding bass, this might be […]
With its close crops, quick cuts and vivid imagery, the video for the title track to We Barbarians’ debut album “There’s This There’s That” brings the same emotional intensity that the Long Beach trio’s music does. The album, which is out on Cold War Kids bassist Matt Maust’s imprint, has the anthemic feel of early […]
