Author: Kristen

Kristen’s SXSW ’11 Mix: Part 5

Posted on by Kristen

This year’s SXSW experience was a little different than in years past (ie I actually got to GO instead of my usual just listening to all of the artists). Still, I wanted to maintain the spirit of my annual SXSW Mix being a list of artists that are mostly new to me that I somehow discovered or was inspired to write about due to my SXSW experience.  I am so excited about every one of these artists/groups. I can’t wait for them to come through LA and play!

Here’s the final part of the official mix:

 

17. “Dominos” – Electric Touch

For a hot minute, Electric Touch was in LA and I discovered their music here. Then they moved to Austin, so I had to wait ’til SXSW to see them again. Now, they’ve played Coachella and seem to be doing a bit of Warped Tour this year. Keep your eyes open for this band, ’cause your ears will be happy if you do! Here are some tunes including my favorite, “Dominos”.

 


 

18. “Amalgam” – Halos

Ok, I saw this band at The Viper Room well before SXSW…but they were there and this is the perfect excuse I’d been looking for to mention how much I enjoy them. Check out their album, Living Like Kings in Confined Spaces.

 

19. “American Dream” – Sinai

Phildelphia’s golden boys, SINAI, gave one of their rare performances at SXSW this year. It was one of my most anticipated performances of the week as I’d been waiting to see this band, comprised of some of my favorite musicians, play since they announced their formation. They certainly didn’t disappoint. I love this video for “American Dream” because quite a bit of it was taken at their Austin performance.

 

20. “Remove Money Maker” – Viva City

These Brits were a big part of my SXSW experience. The more I see them, the more I love them. Check out their CD, Phobia, which features this song as well as other dance-able hits.

 

~ Kristen

 

and you think we’re done but wait…

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 5/30-6/5

Posted on by Kristen

Running out the door to go get my mind blown away by Dead Sara at Hemingways in Hollywood. I’m really enjoying the holiday weekend and the fact that I just woke up from a lovely nap.

As usual, lots of great shows this week. I’m most looking forward to New Band Love’s Parade of Lights return to LA on Weds. They are playing The Silverlake Lounge. Afterwards, I’ll be running to On the Rox to catch the deadly combo of Indians and Semi Precious Weapons. Talk about a crazy night!

As for the rest:

 

Monday: Maniac FREE at Bootleg Theater (10pm)
ALSO: Lovers Drugs at The Airliner (9pm)
ALSO: Taylor Locke and The Roughs FREE at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)

 

Tuesday: Transfer, The Daylights, and The Parlotones at The Troubadour (8:30, 9:15, 10:15)
ALSO: The Filthy Souls FREE at Piano Bar (11pm)
ALSO: Amie Miriello at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)

 

Weds: Parade of Lights at Silverlake Lounge (9pm)
ALSO: Indians and Semi Precious Weapons at On the Rox (10pm)…FREE with RSVP

 

Thursday: Chasing Avalanche and Youngblood Hawke at The Viper Room (9, 12)
ALSO: Manchester Orchestra at The Music Box (8pm)

 

Friday: The Shakers at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Barcelona and The 88 at The Hotel Cafe (9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: The Lookout Kids at Molly Malone’s (10pm)
ALSO: Love and a .38 and Boy Hits Car at The Viper Room (11pm)
ALSO: Arctic Monkeys at Hollywood Palladium (8pm)

 

Saturday: Christopher Dallman, George Stanford, and Brother Sal at The Hotel Cafe (7,11,12)
ALSO: The Bird and The Bee at Bootleg Theater (8pm)

 

Sunday: Independence Jam in Oceanside featuring Cold War Kids, The Silent Comedy, Band of Skulls, Everest, etc. at the Oceanside Pier Amphitheatre (4:30)

 

To Keep in Mind:
June 6th and 7th: Band of Skulls at Bootleg Theater
June 7th: Death Cab for Cutie and The Lonely Forest at The El Rey
June 9th: Adele at Hollywood Palladium
June 9-12: Bonnaroo (TN)
June 13th: Florence and The Machine at The Greek Theater
June 15th: Augustana at The House of Blues Sunset
June 17th: Nico Vega at The House of Blues Anaheim
June 29th: Brooke Fraser at The Music Box
July 19th and 21st: Alkaline Trio at The Troubadour
July 26th: The Indigo Girls at The Troubadour
July 28th: A Perfect Circle at Gibson Auditorium
August 12-14th: Outside Lands in San Francisco
August 18-20th: SSMF
September 22-24: Hotel Carolina (South Carolina)

~ Kristen

 

Kristen’s SXSW ’11 Mix: Part 4

Posted on by Kristen

This year’s SXSW experience was a little different than in years past (ie I actually got to GO instead of my usual just listening to all of the artists). Still, I wanted to maintain the spirit of my annual SXSW Mix being a list of artists that are mostly new to me that I somehow discovered or was inspired to write about due to my SXSW experience.  I am so excited about every one of these artists/groups. I can’t wait for them to come through LA and play!

And the list keeps going. Here’s part 4:

 

13. “Fashion Kills” – Sabrosa Purr

These LA natives just get better and better every time I see them. They also get the award for favorite band to photograph at SXSW. Check out a couple pics and download their song “Fashion Kills”. Keep tabs on my calendar for their upcoming shows.

 

 

14. “Squealing Pigs” – Admiral Fallow

Another Scottish band to add to my list. I love how this song builds. Plus, it features a clarinet (my favorite instrument)! What’s not to love about this song and this band?

 

15. “Come On and Move Me” – Monarchs

Austin natives Monarchs got me with this song, featured on Bandcamp’s SXSW playlist. You can download it for free here.

 

16. “Look Away” – Brett Hite

The more I listen to Brett Hite’s album, “Visible”, the more I fall in love with it. “Look Away” is the tune I kept coming back to. I also enjoy this video which has Brett playing this song acoustically as we get treated to a lovely view in Brett’s home state of Washington.  I would say I can’t wait for Brett to come play in LA, but maybe I’d rather take a drive up north…

 

~ Kristen

 

more to come…

Kristen’s SXSW ’11 Mix: Part 3

Posted on by Kristen

This year’s SXSW experience was a little different than in years past (ie I actually got to GO instead of my usual just listening to all of the artists). Still, I wanted to maintain the spirit of my annual SXSW Mix being a list of artists that are mostly new to me that I somehow discovered or was inspired to write about due to my SXSW experience.  I am so excited about every one of these artists/groups. I can’t wait for them to come through LA and play!

Here’s part 3 of my mix:

 

9. “All Those Pretty Lights” – Andrew Belle

This is a beautiful song. I wish I could have seen Andrew Belle while we were both in Texas, but sadly it did not happen. If you’re on the east coast, Andrew will be out your way soon so check out his tour schedule. In the meantime, his full length album, The Ladder, is definitely worth investigating.

 

10. “1+2” – Rams Pocket Radio

Another discovery from bandcamp’s handy dandy SXSW playlist. I had never heard of Rams Pocket Radio before. Apparently, Rams Pocket Radio is Peter McCauley from Northern Ireland. I absolutely love “1+2” and can’t wait to explore more from this artist.

 

11. “Free” – Twin Atlantic

One of my favorite discoveries from SXSW, Scotland’s Twin Atlantic was one of the few “new” bands I rearranged my schedule to see. They played several tunes from their new album Free which was finally made available at the beginning of this month. This is their most recent single from that album.

 

12.  “Aye Julian” – Meriwether

Another favorite from the ATN Showcase, turns out these gents are from my former home of Philadelphia!

 

not done yet…

 

~ Kristen

Kristen’s SXSW ’11 Mix: Part 2

Posted on by Kristen

This year’s SXSW experience was a little different than in years past (ie I actually got to GO instead of my usual just listening to all of the artists). Still, I wanted to maintain the spirit of my annual SXSW Mix being a list of artists that are mostly new to me that I somehow discovered or was inspired to write about due to my SXSW experience.  I am so excited about every one of these artists/groups. I can’t wait for them to come through LA and play!

Here’s part 2 of my mix (part 1 can be found here):

5. “Weatherman” – Dead Sara

I fell in love with this band before SXSW. They will surely be featured in a “Band Love” post in the near future, but I couldn’t leave them off this list. This band blows me away every time I see them. Singer Emily looks so unassuming, but by the end of the set you find yourself headbanging to “Weatherman” and realize that she (and the rest of the band) have put you under some sort of spell

 

6. “Big Enough” – Taddy Porter

This Oklahoma based band caught my attention when I was listening to the list of SXSW artists. Apparently they caught the attention of Kid Rock as well as they played his showcase in Austin. Check out their album, Long Slow Drag and be sure to see them when they roll through a town near you!

 

7. “Alive” – Makeshift Prodigy

Bandcamp did a really cool thing this year for SXSW. They made a mix of all of the artists registered to their site that were going to SXSW. It listened to this mix in the background for days. Makeshift Prodigy was one of the artists that made me stop and pay attention. I immediately fell in love with this song, “Alive”, that you can download for FREE on their website.  Just one more Chicago band to add to my growing list of reasons to go back to the windy city.

 

8. “Life is Strange” – The Gallery

The Gallery had been brought to my attention in the Rolling Stone cover artist competition and I promptly added them to my SXSW schedule. I was so happy to be able to catch the band’s set at Rusty Spurs. They did not disappoint!

 

part 3 next up…

 

~ Kristen

Kristen’s SXSW ’11 Mix: Part 1

Posted on by Kristen

This year’s SXSW experience was a little different than in years past (ie I actually got to GO instead of my usual just listening to all of the artists). Still, I wanted to maintain the spirit of my annual SXSW Mix being a list of artists that are mostly new to me that I somehow discovered or was inspired to write about due to my SXSW experience.  I am so excited about every one of these artists/groups. I can’t wait for them to come through LA and play!

I’ve broken the mix down into several parts which will be revealed over the next several days…enjoy!

 

  1. “Something In the Water” – Brooke Fraser

She may have been quite popular for several years, but only just before SXSW this year did Brooke Fraser hit my radar. This New Zealand native played several showcases in Austin including one sponsored by my favorite venue, The Hotel Cafe. Check out her third ablum, Flags, for this tune as well as my other favorite BF song, “Who Are We Fooling” featuring Aqualung.

 

2. “Coming Down That Road” – The Deaf

Came across this song while cruising the SXSW artist pages. Instantly it caught my attention, putting this band from the Netherlands on my need to see list.

 

3. “Run Back Home” – The Blue Pages

The Blue Pages was one of many acts that I discovered form the All Together Now Showcase. These Brooklyn boys put on a captivating show. If you’re in the NYC area, go check them out at Bowery Electric June 23rd!

 

4. “Sail” – AWOLNation

One of the best crowds I was in at SXSW this year was for AWOLNATION’s set at Rusty Spurs. They made my list of top SXSW sets…I really can’t wait to see these guys again. Come back to LA already!

 

more to come…

 

~ Kristen

New Band Alert: Toy

Posted on by Kristen

Alana Grace + 3/4 of After Midnight Project = Toy. That’s enough to sell me. I still remember being impressed with Alana Grace back in 2008 when I first saw her at Bonnaroo. Her song “Domino” was stuck in my head for days. And, of course, After Midnight Project is one of my favorite LA bands of more recent years. Their CD, Let’s Build Something to Break, still gets play time in my car stereo. I can’t say I’d put this combo together, but I’m excited to see where it will go.

According to their bio, Alana wanted to go a little heavier with the rock and add an electronic edge. She called upon Spencer Bastian, Christian Meadows, and Ryan Folden, friends from Warped Tour, to work with her on creating this sound. They’ve already been booked on a major nation-wide tour opening for  Styx and Yes. They have a song up on facebook called “Get Out of My Head.” Like their page and have a listen.

If you like what you hear (as I did), go vote for Toy for the Summerfest emerging artist series. They are competing with some of my favorite up and coming artists like Makeshift Prodigy, The Republic of Letters, Atomic Tom, and Tailor Made Fable among others.

And, there you go! Another great band to discover and follow. You’re welcome!

 

~ Kristen