L.A.-based quartet Monarch debuted in January with the bursting-with-bombast single “Stay.” The second volley from the band — singer Brennan Strawn, guitarist Taylor Johnson, keyboardist Brian Willett and drummer Joel Plotnik — is “Snow White,” a down-tempo meditation articulating a heart full of regrets. It’s produced by Brent Kutzle (the OneRepublic bassist) and appears on the foursome’s […]
Roots-rockers Infantree are making their new album … in the most literal sense. The Valley-bred quartet, now independent after releasing a couple of full-lengths on Neil Young’s Vapor Records, recorded their new album “Return to Zero” themselves. And now the band — Alex Vojdani, Donald Fisher, Matt Kronish and Jordan Avesar — are hand-cutting their own […]
“People aren’t getting picked off by bears in the very very back?” Colin Meloy asked the capacity crowd at the Greek Theatre on Saturday night. It was typical good humor from the Decemberists frontman, who emerged on stage dressed in a sharp gray suit, holding a glass of wine, as one by one the remaining […]
Los Angeles duo The Bad Years, the project of Sami Akbari and Aaron Mort, put out their debut double A-side single in the fall, and are back with the eclectic but cohesive four-track “Beautiful Liar” EP, which is a departure from their previous material insofar as expanding their sonic palette and switching up their tempo. […]
Ain’t gonna make no joke at May 4 here, no I absolutely will not: ► Cillie Barnes [see “Symmetry” kicks off a residency at the Satellite, supported by Sun Drug, Draemings and the Grand Southern. ► Alt-rockers The Moth & the Flame and indie-pop outfit Freedom Fry are sharing this month’s residency at the Echo. […]
Incoming: Wango Tango, Cillie Barnes, The Moth & the Flame, Freedom Fry, Golden Coast, Mesmi, Los Lobos, Kodaline, the Moody Blues, MS MR, Thee Oh Sees, Reggie Watts, Gold Star, Other Lives, Mika, Max & the Moon, Gal Pals, Gaby Moreno, Puro Instinct, Steve Poltz, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Shlohmo, Esperanza Spalding, Local H, […]
Spring has sprung, and that means it’s time for the semiannual KCSN Pledge Drive. For this week’s drive, we’re keeping the chatter to a minimum so we can keep the music at a maximum — on tonight’s L.A. Buzz Bands Show, which kicks off at 9 p.m., I’ll be telling you briefly about all the […]
Not every band will allow time in their show for the audience to take selfies with the members on stage. But electro-pop group Big Data are conscious of such social trends and obsessions with technology. Powered by NYC’s Alan Wilkis who plays, produces, and mixes everything on the recorded tracks, Big Data performed live as […]
Less than two months after his last rager in Los Angeles, Baltimore’s Dan Deacon returned for another go-round, bringing his “Gliss Riffer” tour to the Echoplex. It was a typically sweaty affair, with Brooklyn art-poppers Prince Rama doing their best to steal the show with a memorable opening set. Photos by Carl Pocket, courtesy of […]
Mexican rockers Kinky and local folk/tropicalia/dance fusionists Salt Petal brought a Latin flavor — and a huge crowd — to the May edition of First Fridays at the Natural History Museum. Their two sets in the North American Mammal Hall capped a night of science, dinosaur sightings, food, drink and DJ sets from Raul Campos […]
