never fall away

In lieu of yet another proper post, I bring pictures from the two shows I went to last week, both of which surpassed all my expectations for very different reasons.

Laura Marling @ The El Rey Theatre (7-28-10)


Laura is stormy and soulful and a well of sadness and hope and captivating in such a raw and powerful way. You could hear a pin drop during the entirety of the set, the audience was so rapt with silent attention. I've never been part of an audience so in awe of a performer before that we all dared not speak or make a sound lest we interrupt the moment.

There's also Laura's band to mention. They are phenomenal and when they play together, the five part harmony is so full, so lush, it's spine chilling in the best possible way. Pete Roe's voice in particular blends so well with Laura's that I may or may not have gasped when he started singing on the first song.

It's hard to reconcile Laura's youth with her world wary lyrics and the depth of her earthy voice, but it's impossible not to believe ever word, feel every emotion, and marvel at her unadulterated talent.

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Civil Twilight @ The Hotel Cafe (7-29-10)


It's been a year since I first heard "Letters From the Sky" on Harper's Island (yes, that song from that episode) and after missing them when they were in town in April because I was in New York, I was determined to see them this time around. And boy am I glad that I did! Holy shit, you guys. I never expected what we got Thursday night. They were unbelievable. They are, by far, a better live band than they are a recorded one. If you've ever been to the Hotel Cafe, you know how small a venue it is and they just about brought the walls down.

Every song was over five minutes long, sweeping anthems that swelled to epic proportions and had the entire audience cheering. Andrew, the guitarist, is masterful and played every inch of his guitar in ways I've never seen before (he did play it with a bow at one point, one of my favorite tricks). Steven, Andrew's brother, lead singer, and bass and keyboard player, sounds even more incredible live, with a stunningly solid falsetto voice and considerably more rhythm than you'd expect.

Absolute Punk's review of their album pretty much says it all.

Needless to say, I was stoked to find out that they'll be opening for Jimmy Eat World in the fall. I can't wait to see them again!


You can find the rest of my photos at my flickr account.

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.

L.A. has got me on my knees

The slow weeks leading up to the summer I had planned have finally come to an end. Next Wednesday Mao and I will being seeing Angus and Julia Stone at the Hollywood Forever Masonic Lodge. Both Tuesday and Wednesday's shows are sold out, but they've just added a third show at The Stronghold in Venice (if you follow the link and become confused by the sight of a website for custom jeans, suspenders, fancy hats, and shiny shoes, don't fret, it's the right place - it doubles as both!), so if you plans of trying to catch them while they are in town, buy quickly.

Mao was also kind enough to alert me to the news that Freelance Whales will be opening for Tokyo Police Club on August 12 at the El Rey Theatre (tickets are already on sale). Seeing as I missed them when they opened for the Shout Out Louds, I'm thrilled that I get to see them after all. They really are one of my favorite bands.

This was also a great week for new music. I picked up the new Black Keys album, "Brothers", and the new one by Band of Horses, "Infinite Arms." I've had TBK on loop for the last couple of days, so I haven't had much time to give BoH a proper listen, but from what I've heard, they're clearly just as good as ever. And just the thought of seeing TBK at the Palladium in September gets me all tingly. Goddamn they are incredible and soulful and sexy.

You know who else has some serious soul: Marcus Foster. Q Magazine made available a new EP version of "Shadows of the City" as their Track of the Day and it's brilliant. It's moody and haunting and lays out a really cool beat. You can listen to it here. It was my favorite track of his to begin with and now he's gone and added a full band and "ghost choir" and managed to make it sound new again. I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's beyond me why this man isn't a bigger name in music. If this is a hint of what we can expect from his forthcoming EP and general evolution as a musician, I can't see him staying one of my favorite secrets for much longer.

If you're following summer festival news, the Austin City Limits Music Festival lineup has been announced! I can't even...I was beside myself when I saw all the bands lined up to play. There might have even been a bit of flailing. It looks to be one hell of a weekend and until the thing sells out, I'm holding onto hope that I somehow make it to this one. A girl can dream, right?

Speaking of festivals, SPIN has compiled a Bonnaroo Mixtape 2010 that is free for download. Get it while you can! It's a pretty standard mix of some of the more well known bands playing, but it's free and a taste of what's to come and you'll never see me turning down free music.

live music is my second job

Physically, I've been back from New York for almost two weeks now, but that non-corporeal part of myself that really counts...fairly sure it's still wandering around the Village or lounging about drinking a latte at Cafe Grumpy or up to its neck in books at The Strand. Why do vacations ever have to end? Oh, that's right, they don't pay for themselves and reality is nothing if not the greatest buzzkill of all time. I want to go back. I need to go back. But alas....

That being said, this summer is shaping up to be chock full of distractions of the concert kind and so I'm here to compile a list of shows that are confirmed (i.e. I haven already paid the modest ticket prices and the dreadfully outrageous service/"convenience" fees) and unconfirmed (still working on finding tickets and/or partners in crime to accompany me).

It's safe to say that 2010's list of concerts far exceeds lists of previous years (last year I only made it to thirteen shows). I'm beyond stoked. Also, consider this a list of recommendations; you can't go wrong with any of these bands or musicians. I've linked to all the artists and venues should anyone be interested in checking them out via the web or in person. Without further ado:

.SUMMER CONCERT LINEUP 2010.(* unconfirmed)
5/19* - Horse Feathers @ Bootleg Theatre
5/20* - Freelance Whales @ The El Rey Theatre
5/26 - Angus and Julia Stone @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6/4 - Mumford & Sons @ The Music Box
6/5 - The xx @ The Music Box
6/22 - Sam Bradley @ The Hotel Cafe
6/26 - Sarah Jaffe @ Bootleg Theatre
7/9 - Bobby Long @ The Troubadour
7/12* - Kings of Leon @ The Hollywood Bowl
7/15* - Jay Nash @ The Hotel Cafe
7/28 - Laura Marling @ The El Rey Theatre
8/22 - John Mayer @ The Hollywood Bowl
8/28* - Something Corporate @ Club Nokia
9/25 - Band of Horses @ The Greek Theatre
9/27 - The Black Keys @ The Hollywood Palladium

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited for this summer. I might not be in New York any longer, but living in Los Angeles certainly has its perks.

*edited to add the Something Corporate show. I WILL have tickets come Friday. (ETA: I wasn't lying. Got my ticket!)

the high road is hard to find

I need this book in my life. I also need a handful of the posters on my walls, lovingly framed, for my viewing pleasure. Frankly, this is how I wish all music artwork was done: simple but creative. Of course the ones I want the most are sold out. But if you're a fan of music artwork and have $24.95 to spare, it's well worth the modest price and each copy is signed, so it wouldn't be your average coffee table book.










Currently listening to Broken Bells and The Morning Benders, wishing I had bought tickets to their sold out show at The Music Box on May 19. Instead, I think I'll find myself at The Fold in Bootleg for the Horse Feathers show. I should probably buy those tickets now. I'd hate to miss them too.

somewhere someone's listening to the sound of a record spinning

This is going to be a quick and dirty music rec dump of rather random proportions.

Freelance Whales has a new video for "Generator ^ Second Floor." I've yet to view it because I can't for the life of me get my damn flash player to function correctly on my work PC, but I'm sure it's fantastic and should be viewed by all. Fingers are crossed I don't run into the same flash player issues on my home PC or Adobe and I are going to have words. (ETA: Adobe Flash Player and I are on good terms again and I finally got to watch the video. It's delightfully odd and conceptual - exactly what I'd expect from my favorite little hipsterish band. I've fallen in love with them time and time again after viewing vids of them performing on subway platforms in Brooklyn, so to not see them in their natural habitat felt slightly strange, but it is what it is. I'd take bands live and pretense free over a shiny video any day of the week, be it Freelance Whales or anyone else.)

Speaking of Freelance Whales, they are opening for Shout Out Louds at a pair of shows at the El Rey Theatre on May 20 & 21. Friday's show is already sold out and I'm now trying to nail down tickets for the Thursday show. If you're a fan and haven't already secured your entrance to one or both of the shows, you might want to do that now.

Stereogum (my absolute fave corner of the internet right now) premiered The Hold Steady's "Barely Breathing," which I really dig. Give it a listen.

Two new music finds of this week (or really, the last two days, but one is actually more like a month but I'm only just now listening to the album):

First up, The Daylights -

Rogue Machine (Don't Say That You Want Me) from The Daylights on Vimeo.

I've only just found them, but I really like what I've heard so far and I'm a sucker for a good music video that is all performance with the only gimmick being moody rock 'n' roll lighting. I also like that fact that electric guitars are involved. Seems like an odd thing to be happy about, but with all the folk I've been listening to lately, I'd begun to miss their sound and driving force. But I digress. The Daylights are playing the Troubadour on May 15 and I may or may not be contemplating wrangling someone into going to the show with me. Friends of mine, that was a not so subtle *hinthintnudgenudge* if you couldn't tell.

And the rec I stand behind tenfold: Sarah Jaffe -

A friend of mine recommended Sarah at least a month ago and with the influx of new music I've been shuffling through these last few weeks she somehow slipped through the cracks and it wasn't until two days ago that I gave her album, "Suburban Nature," a proper listen and I'm in love. I've had a little time to look at youtube vids and mini write-ups on a couple not so terribly reputable music sites and honestly, there's not a whole lot out there on her, which is surprising. But I don't think that will be the case for too much longer.

Folk's presence in the music scene continues to build with each day and every new and road weary musician/band that is finally finding steady ground to stand on and I think she'll soon find her footing. Sarah's music has been described as sweet, but I'm not sure I'd say that's true or does it any kind of justice. She's folk, yes, and she certainly knows her way around a melody, but it doesn't read as sweet. There aren't rainbows and puppies and cupcakes here. What there is is a certain weight, even dare I say, edge to the tracks. I'm also in the midst of fangirling over her lyrics. So if you stumble upon one of those reviews that claim Sarah Jaffe is some meek little songstress, don't be turned away or fooled. This Texan is more than meets the eye.

this god forsaken town's in a mess

Because my time is still not my own and I've yet to do exactly what I came here to do (rant and rave about my favorite music), I implore you to take a few minutes and watch this video of Bobby Long at Bamboozle Left from two weeks ago performing "Penance Fire Blues & In My Time Of Dyin'." My dear friend Abi took the video and there were a couple of times when she and I exchanged looks with our friends Jo and Helena while he was playing, in complete awe of what we were witnessing. I know, I know, how dramatic, but we've had the good fortune of seeing him live a handful of times over the last year and this was by far his most spirited performance to date.

I have much to say about him as an musician and subsequently the scene that surrounds him, but that's for the post to come. Right now, it's really just about this song, this performance. It sold me and I was already a fan. That in itself should say a lot.