The gauzy psychedelia on L.A. trio Derde Verde’s 2011 mini-album “Moon/Mirror” comes from a lot of different places – talking in time-stamps, those would be the genteel ’60s, the experimental ’80s and the shoegazey ’90s. For the sweet single “Go to Sleep,” video director by Yelena Zhelezov (who’s also done work with Julia Holter and […]
Did you score any new music on Record Store Day? Echo Park shop Origami Vinyl made it a little easier on music fans’ budget, hosting an all-day free show at the Echo with a top-drawer crew of local bands playing along with Wisconsin’s All Tiny Creatures and Zammuto, the new project from Books’ Nick Zammuto. […]
Your wonderful Wednesday: ‣ It’s a night of crackling modern power-pop at the El Rey Theatre – Ben Kweller headlines behind his new album “Go Fly a Kite,” supported by Kentucky’s Sleeper Agent, fresh out of Coachella and getting some ink from the Times, and NYC’s the Dig, whose sophomore album “Midnight Flowers” is on […]
As a solo singer-songwriter, Austin Hartley-Leonard carved out a nice niche in soulful Americana, releasing an album and an EP, getting a slew of TV placements and earning a spot as a Hotel Cafe favorite. His new guise as Broken Anchor takes his melodically rich songwriting into the realm of atmospheric indie-pop, and if his […]
Frankie Rose has come a long way since her lo-fi days in female indie-pop armies such as Vivian Girls and the Dum Dum Girls, and her time in Crystal Stilts. She’s proved her pop-songwriting chops when she fronted her band the Outs a couple of years ago, but Rose has elevated her game further yet […]
At noon on April 12, 30 pianists sat down in a different location all across L.A. County to play the first prelude of Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier.” It was the L.A. kick-off to a globally oriented public art project called “Play Me, I’m Yours,” a project founded by London artist Luke Jerram in 2008. During the […]
You’d better tread carefully when you cover Sam Cooke, and L.A. electro-soul collective Caught a Ghost have tackled Cooke’s 54-year-old gem “You Send Me” with proper reverence here. The brainchild of principals Jesse Nolan and Stephen Edelstein, the nine-piece band has been short on formal releases, but bit by bit (and video by video), Caught […]
Of this year’s Coachella reunions, returns and resurgences, none seemed to warm the musical loins of fans as much as Pulp’s. (OK, maybe Refused was 1b.) The Britpop warriors gave exhilarating performances both weekends, with Jarvis Cocker providing a clinic on how to be a rock frontman. Pulp were equally thrilling at their very theatrical […]
‣ Almost three years after their debut EP of propulsive dream-pop came out, Magic Wands today release their first full-length, “Aloha Moon,” and it’s very good. The duo of Chris and Dexy Valentine celebrate with a headlining show at the Satellite, supported by Blue Jungle and the Sister Ruby Band. That’s Magic Wands’ video for […]
Here’s the great thing about OFF!: everything. Keith Morris means it, always has. The Black Flag founder is 56 going on 17 going on 56. His cohorts Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Mario Rubalcaba (of Hot Snakes), and Steven McDonald (of Redd Kross) are ace, always have been. They’ll blow your hair back live, even if […]