Hirishikesh Hirway, the songwriter behind L.A.’s the One AM Radio, had a simple proposition: If anybody donated $500 or more to the Internet radio station and DJ collective Dublab, he’d cover a song of the benefactor’s choice. He issued the challenge on Facebook, and a fan named Gerard Cronin stepped up. (Cronin’s employer matched the […]
Join me at 11 a.m. Pacific time for this week’s installment of the Buzz Bands LA show on Moheak Radio. It’s almost time for our year-end local-song countdown (coming in December), but for now I will tour some recent arrivals in the BBLA archives, including Shana Halligan, Carina Round, NO, Monte Mar, Ben Heywood, Bikos […]
Groupies, this laugh is on you. Margaret Cho’s video for “Baby I’m With the Band” (from her comedy music album “Cho Dependent”) was made at this year’s Bonnaroo 2010, where she romped with rock luminaries too numerous to mention. (Check out the look on Brendan Benson’s face at 1:15.) It’s posted here not just because […]
Fun, fun Friday: ‣ Hey, Cold War Kids, it’s been a while. Last spotted turning in a brilliant sunset set at FYF Fest, the L.A. quartet plays a hometown date at the Troubadour behind their release from earlier this year, “Mine Is Yours.” Electric Flower, the new duo pairing Imaad Wasif and Secret Machines drummer […]
Future Islands‘ set at FYF Fest was one of the most memorable of the afternoon, and with good reason. With a profound romanticism that parallels their high energy, the Baltimore synth-pop band has one of the most highly regarded albums of the year. “On the Water” (out now via Thrill Jockey Records) is roller-coaster of […]
Santa Barbara quartet Howlin’ Woods oscillate in the space between spacey psych-pop and simmering, soulful folk, and one of the notable qualities about their self-titled debut album is that there is space in their music. The band – singer-guitarist Jordan Chetakian, guitarist Griffin Chetakian, keyboardist-bassist Brian Chandler and drummer Matthew Farrington – has been cultivating […]
No matter what its stylistic explorations – and there have been many – Lambchop’s music has been sneaking up on me for the better part of 20 years. Today the band anchored by singer-guitarist Kurt Wagner announced that on Feb. 21 they will release their 11th album, “Mr. M,” a string-laden collection dedicated to the […]
OK, this qualifies as an insanely busy night on the show circuit: ‣ Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds do the first of two nights at UCLA’s Royce Hall behind their big-selling debut album. That’s the video for “AKA… What a Life!,” above, featuring Russell Brand and (at the 4:16 mark) a Low Flying Owls T-shirt. […]
The soundscapes on Julia Holter’s debut album “Tragedy” are equal parts hallucination and incarceration. Oh, and mythology, too, since the Cal Arts-educated Los Angeles composer’s work is based on the Greek play by Euripedes. Holter’s collages are glued together by synth, harmonium, percussive field recordings and her plaintive voice, and at times you’d feel like […]
A poor schlub with a heart of gold meets a woman with a body of platinum in Reno, Nev., and after a fling is eventually framed for her murder by her vindictive, estranged husband. He tells his story of woe from death row, the needle only minutes away. Sound like a feature film? It’s actually […]
