My poor little neglected blog. And to think I had such enthusiastic intentions when I first started this thing. But alas, life seems to have gotten away from me and finding the time, and more importantly, the words has been more difficult than anticipated.

My muse seems to be in hibernation, hiding out from late arrival of another California summer, which is a shame because I've been to quite a few amazing shows lately and have added even more to the already full list I started back in May.

Angus & Julia Stone at The Hollywood Forever Masonic Lodge back on May 26 turned out to be a delightful show. It was a decidedly unusual place to hold a gig, but the venue itself was lovely and set a really incredible mood and tone for the night. Julia Stone, as it turns out, is a remarkable jack of all trades and it was amazing to watch her hop from one instrument to another with each new song. Highlights of the night: having Nick Maybury accompany them on "Yellow Brick Road" with his masterful, haunting guitar skills and getting to hear/see "Private Lawns" live (if you didn't already know, it's a cover of Doris Day's "Just Blew In From The Windy City" from Calamity Jane, a film I grew up watching and adoring).



And then there was Mumford & Sons, for which I have so many words I'm going to skip them here and just say that it was, without a doubt, the best show I've ever been to and I've yet to recover. I also had a chance to briefly meet the guys at a radio event the day before and they are arguably some of the nicest, most genuine people you will ever meet. Look for a obscenely long recap of said events in the near future where I wax poetical and ramble on about new standards being set and the sheer joy they've brought to my life. It's gonna be a doozy.





The night after Mumford & Sons was another British act of a completely different vein: The xx. I wasn't really sure what to expect of the show or how their rather mellow music would translate to a live performance, but it turned out to be surprisingly powerful.



My friends and I then caught the first night of Sam Bradley's Tuesday night residency at The Hotel Cafe on June 22. We've seen Marcus Foster and Bobby Long a handful of times, so we thought we'd finally give Sam a go and I'll just come right out and say it: didn't really do much for any of us. He has a really fantastic voice and buckets of charm and charisma on stage, but I'm a little confused as to what kind of musician he is, what sound he's going for, and I think maybe he is too.

That didn't stop the usual horde of fangirls from showing up and a large majority of them making complete asses of themselves. The needle on my Secondhand Embarrassment Meter never left the "Holy Fuck I'm So Embarrassed For Them - Please Don't Judge Me By Their Actions" mark all night. Sam also gets a gold star for being incredibly gracious and staying after the show to sign, take pictures with, and speak to the longest line of fans I've ever seen outside that particular venue, even as the staff was trying to clear the alleyway. 'A' for effort, man. And then, then there was Bobby Long's show at The Troubadour. This was my fifth time seeing Bobby and it could very well be my last. It's a really long story and like my forthcoming Mumford & Sons post, it'll get its own dedicated review. I'll preface it by saying that my heart is a little broken. And by a little, I mean a lot.

Now I'm all caught up. Upcoming shows I'll hopefully be posting about in a more timely manor: Laura Marling (!!!) on 7/28, Civil Twilight on 7/29, We Are Scientists on 8/6, John Mayer on 8/22, Something Corporate on 8/28, Local Natives on 9/18, The xx and Warpaint on 9/22, The Black Keys on 9/28, Matt Hires on 10/9, and last but not least FLORENCE + THE MACHINE on 11/6.

Needless to say, I'm a bit excited for what's to come.