The Echo became a sauna on Wednesday night. Fans of Alt-J piled into the venue for a sold-out show and expected to get hot and sticky, but even with high expectations, no one could have been ready for the fiery performance from the Leeds, U.K.-based quartet. ||| Photos by Carl Pocket Playing their first headlining […]
“Kiss Me Crazy,” the latest single off Bear In Heaven‘s sophomore album “I Love You It’s Cool,” is yet more evidence that the Brooklyn trio has moved further away from the dark, droning electronic rock on 2010’s record “Beast Rest Forth Mouth.” But it hasn’t been a bad migration. Frontman Jon Philpot’s bright vocals work […]
No idea why it’s taken me so long to post about the Stripminers. Maybe it’s because, as Brett Anderson is quoted as saying, “All our songs are totally different.” And it’s true, their debut album “Movies” appeals to any number of old-school sensibilities – punk, Americana and garage-rock – paralleling most closely the work of […]
HARD Summer kicks off today L.A. State Historic Park, and with lots going on, Buzz Bands LA contributor Jonathan Buchanan shares the five acts he absolutely, positively does not want to miss: Amtrac Amtrac is Morehead, Ky.’s Caleb Cornett. Released last September, his debut full length LP, Came Along, is a gripping blend of chillwave […]
Many of L.A.’s eyes and ears are on Hard Summer this weekend, but there’s another music festival that’s offering a unique experience. The 3rd New L.A. Folk Fest brings 30-plus artists to rustic Zorthian Ranch in Altadena on Saturday, showcasing SoCal’s robust, eclectic and DIY folk scene. On today’s Buzz Bands LA Show on Moheak […]
It’s suddenly feeling like a long holiday weekend … ‣ The first day of Hard Summer 2012 goes off at L.A. State Historic Park with Bloc Party, Boys Noize, Bootsy Collins, Miike Snow, A-Trak and more. Are you going? Recommended reading: The “Getting Here” section of Hard’s website. Riding the Metro is free today with […]
Bloc Party’s evolution sounded a little bit like a revolution on Wednesday night – so much so that during an intermission interview at a show the U.K. quartet did for KCRW-FM, the station’s music director Jason Bentley asked the band whether their new tunes constituted their “metal phase.” “There are moments of musculature,” Kele Okereke said […]
Youngblood Hawke, along with Great Northern, Lili Haydn, Sara Radle and Davis Fetter, have been added to the lineup for Lobsterfest the weekend of Sept. 14-16 at Ports O’Call Village in San Pedro. They join previously announced bands the Blasters,  Dum Dum Girls, Saint Motel, NO, Races, JJAMZ and Jail Weddings at the annual waterfront […]
Matt Ellis, “Candy” – The Sydney, Australia-born songwriter trotted the globe before sinking his roots in Venice a few years ago, which has turned out to be an excellent station for his finely honed Americana. Ellis’ 2011 album “Births, Deaths and Marriages,” his fourth full-length, came soaked in pedal steel and honesty. And the 38-year-old […]
The Ruby Friedman Orchestra launched the new monthly live music series presented by KCSN and Buzz Bands LA in audacious fashion on Tuesday night, and it wasn’t just her shoes. With her full-throttle vocals soaring, Friedman and her band delivered an hour of exhilarating diva-rock to a big crowd at the Federal Bar in North […]
