Tonight in L.A.: Jail Guitar Doors benefit (Jackson Browne, Ben Harper, more), the Art of Elysium’s Genesis (Beck, SOKO and more), Elvis Costello, the Rentals, Phantogram, DakhaBrakha, the Record Company, the Baseball Project, Atmosphere
Here’s what a fantastic Friday sounds like: ‣ An all-star benefit concert, “Jail Guitar Doors” – former MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer’s effort to bring music programs into corectional facilties – goes off at the Ford Ampthitheatre, featuring Jackson Browne, White Fence, Ben Harper, Tom Morello, Jill Sobule and more. ‣ The Art of Elysium’s Genesis benefit […]
Following a rousing performance at FYF last month, Los Angeles’ Flying Lotus, née Steven Ellison, is gearing up to release his fifth studio album, “You’re Dead!” on Oct. 7 via Warp Records. It is set to feature appearances by Angel Deradoorian, Snoop Dogg, Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar and Thundercat, as well as FlyLo’s rap alter […]
New York trio The Last Internationale was one of the small-stage highlights at last year’s Sunset Strip Music Festival – the band had been spending some time in 2013 hanging with Tom Morello leading up the recent release of their blues-infused, politically charged debut album “We Will Reign” on Epic Records. The time in L.A. […]
When we first introduced Bom Bom back in January 2013, we figured they would be topping the radio charts in no time with the fresh pop track “Woman.” Vocalist Sophie Stern and producer David Greenbaum both knew better though; mapping out the next pop-perfect tune warrants some more time and tweaks. (Stern already has writing credits […]
L.A. quartet Allah-Las are the 1966 Volkswagen Bus of garage/surf/jangle rock – positively retro cool, like time-capsule cool, daddy-o – but lacking the horsepower to tackle the slightest of inclines. I’ve been in a small minority of guitar-pop fans who haven’t genuflected over the foursome’s meticulously crafted work; there was crowd-surfing at their packed-to-gills Echo Park Rising […]
Stars will return Oct. 14 with their 7th studio album “No One Is Lost.” In anticipation of the release, the Toronto-based quintet have released a second single titled “Turn It Up.” Whereas the first single “From the Night” sounded like they’ve been digging through crates of disco gold, this new track is more on par […]
The Vaselines are one of those comeback/reunion stories that almost make you believe in a musical deity that metes out justice. The Scottish band, formed in the late ’80s by Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, were famously embraced (and covered) by Nirvana – although not many others – and it’s impossible to avoid thinking about them […]
When we caught Matt Kivel at Echo Park Rising last month, it was obvious that he has a sense of humor. Perhaps that’s why he asked his new acquaintance Ben Elie, someone who had no experience directing music videos, to direct his clip for “End of Adventure.” The whimsical result is an endearing collection of special effects […]
If the name doesn’t give you liftoff, maybe Sex Helicopter’s music will. The Los Angeles quintet – singer-guitarist singer-guitarist Jeremy McLennan, along with Cary Singer, John Rockwell, Marcus Högsta and Mac Sinise – engage in a lot of decade-hopping on their first EP, “Great”, now available as a free download. They’re strongest when they plumb the bent […]
Tonight in L.A.: OK Go/Allah-Las, City and Colour, Neon Trees, Mother Falcon, Kins, WAZ, Phantogram, Senses Fail, Brian Wright, HUNNY, Yell for Help
Your Thursday evening options: ‣ It’s another big Thursday night at the Santa Monica Pier – power-pop quartet and video wizards OK Go and L.A. garage-rockers Allah-Las team up at this week’s free Twilight Concert Series. ‣ Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green brings his City & Colour (last spotted in SoCal playing Coachella in April)Â to the […]
