[Birthday greetings go out today to Paul Oakenfold …] Top 4 Monday night hangs: ‣ Physical Forms – a new five-piece featuring the Mae Shi’s Jeff Byron and Marcus Savino, Busdriver, Kevin Lenhart (Division Day) and Marty Sataman (Silver Daggers) – debut at Pehrspace. Got the lowdown from Byron himself. ‣ Strong finish to this […]
[Happy birthday, Julian Casablancas, who, the archives tell me, was born in 1978 on the day Keith Moon died.] Top 4 detours from the Hollywood Bowl traffic jam for the Dave Matthews Band concert there: ‣ MNDR (pronounced Mander), the nom de dance music of Amanda Warner (pictured) and Peter Wade, play the RSVP-only It’s […]
[If you root through the archives, you find that Aug. 16 is a pretty momentous day in music history. Robert Johnson (1938) and Elvis Presley (1977) died on this day. Madonna (1958) and LL Cool J (1968) were born. Any headlines so far today?] Top 3 reasons to open your ears (and possibly wallet) tonight: […]
[Birthday wishes go out today to Butch Vig.] One album-release show, three residency openers, and more: ‣ Ferraby Lionheart plays the Bootleg Theater to mark the release Tuesday of his sophomore album “The Jack of Hearts.” ‣ White Arrows has the Spaceland residency (with Kenan Bell and the Franks supporting tonight). ‣ Fol Chen is […]
Last month, Fol Chen debuted the video for “In Ruins,” which was shot by director Chris Wilcha (“This American Life”) in Iceland. Today the L.A. art-pop collective springs a new video for another track off their sophomore album “Part II: The New December” – “The Holograms.” It’s a riveting, noirish piece directed by Keith Musil […]
[Woefully behind on reviewing local releases, but here are two that are out today. Catch-up to come later this week:] Baths, “Cerulean” (Anticon) – The debut album from 21-year-old wunderkind Will Wiesenfeld, already anointed the newest star of (the Weekly-coined) L.A. beat-music scene, feels like a classical composer’s take on modern electro. If chillwave digitizes […]
[The man born Curtis James Jackson – 50 Cent – turns 35 today.] My top 3 reasons to leave Buzz Bands HQ tonight: ‣ Marina & the Diamonds (that’s Marina Diamandis’ video for “Oh No!,” above] play a sold-out show at the Troubadour behind her debut album “The Family Jewels.” ‣ Art-pop ensemble Fol Chen […]
In April, we dutifully dispensed “In Ruins,” the teaser track from “Part II: The New December,” the forthcoming sophomore album by L.A. art-poppers Fol Chen. Cool, percussive stuff with vaguely melancholy overtones. Well, the song’s nothing compared to the video. Director Chris Wilcha (“This American Life”) ventured to Iceland to film near Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano […]
Art-pop ensemble Fol Chen’s second album for Asthmatic Kitty, “Part II: The New December,” will be out July 6, and frontman Adam Goldman (who goes by Samuel Bing in this outfit) and mates have brought along some travelers for this trip into their glitchy sonic universe. Angus Andrew and Aaron Hemphill of Liars (with whom […]
