Author: 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

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 5/23-5/29

Posted on by Kristen

It’s a bad sign when you’re purposefully consuming caffeine at 10pm on a Sunday night when you know you need to be up early in the morning. But, it’s been that kind of a day. I’ve nothing insightful to say unless you want to talk satiety hormones or the nucleus tractus solitaries, so I’m just going to get straight to my weekly list of distractions. Starting with Nico Vega Monday night and ending in a weekend of Lakes, The Silent Comedy, and Dead Sara…I can’t really complain about anything, now can I?

Here’s what I’ve got on my radar:

 

Monday: Nico Vega and She Wants Revenge at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Milk Carton Kids at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: Taylor Locke and The Roughs and Youngblood Hawke FREE at Silverlake Lounge (11, 12)
ALSO: Chris Robinson Brotherhood at The Echoplex (8:30)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm)

 

Tuesday: Alberta Cross at The Satellite (10pm)
ALSO: Scott Weiland at The Viper Room (10:30)
ALSO: Holly Conlan at Saint Rocke (9pm)
ALSO: Jacqueline Epcar at Molly Malone’s (8pm)

 

Weds: Kevin Devine and Ten out of Tenn at The Hotel Cafe (9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: High Voltage night at The Mint featuring The Film Noir, The Orange Effect, Adam Bones, and The Violet Lights (8pm)
ALSO: The Makepeace Brothers at Bootleg Theater (10pm)
ALSO: Indians FREE at Three Clubs (10pm)
ALSO: Boyce Avenue and Jack’s Mannequin at The Roxy (7pm)
ALSO: Semi Precious Weapons at On the Rox (10pm)…free with RSVP (rsvp@semipreciousweapons.com)

 

Thursday: Stevie Nicks at The Wiltern (7pm)
ALSO: Red Circle Underground (10pm)

 

Friday: Lakes at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: The Script at Club Nokia (7pm)
ALSO: My Chemical Romance at Hollywood Palladium (7pm)
ALSO: Glee Live in Concert at The Honda Center in Anaheim (7:30)
ALSO: Prince at The Forum (7:30)

 

Saturday: The Silent Comedy at The Echoplex (noon)
ALSO: Fat City Reprise at The Viper Room (11:30)
ALSO: Kevin Martin at On the Rox (8pm)
ALSO: Prince at The Forum (7:30)
ALSO: Glee! Live in Concert at The Staples Center (3pm)

 

Sunday: Dead Sara at Bardot (10:30)
ALSO: Lovers Drugs at El Cid (9pm)
ALSO: Prince at The Forum (7:30)

 

 

To Keep in Mind:
June 1st: Parade of Lights at Silverlake Lounge
June 2nd: Manchester Orchestra at The Music Box
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

 

Free Music Download: Fair to Midland

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New music from Fair to Midland! They finally have a new CD coming out!!! If you’re a fan of the band, you will know how exciting this is. We’ve been waiting years for a follow up to 2007’s brilliant Fables from a Mayfly.

Arrows & Anchors is officially released on July 12. You can buy the first single, “Musical Chairs”, on Itunes, but Fair to Midland is offering a free download on their website of the song “Armadillo Sleeps on My Pillow”.

http://www.ftmband.com/

 

One of my favorite Fair to Midland songs (featured on my best of ’07 mix):

~ Kristen

 

 

 

Song of the Day: Viva City’s “Brother”

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UK’s Viva City was in town all last week playing shows at The Viper Room, Saint Rocke, and Silverlake Lounge. They also put on a killer DJ set at Bardot Friday night as well as a highly entertaining appearance on Friday’s Brit Bitz program on Moheak.com. Bottom line: there was a lot of dancing going on this past week. This week, I’m suffering from a bit of withdrawal, so their CD, Phobia, has been on heavy rotation. Hence the song of the day: Viva City’s “Brother”

 

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 5/16-5/22

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Annnnd another week is upon us. Where did the last one go? I’m not quite sure. It was a rough one. By Friday, my stress-induced eye twitch was pretty constant. I knew if I was going to make it through the weekend’s to do list, I needed to take measures. I went to the only place I knew could make me forget about my stressors for an evening, found myself a seat and didn’t move for about seven hours. That place, of course, being The Hotel Cafe. And by the end of the magical evening of music, I was singing along with Daniel Bedingfield covering Chantal Kreviazuk’s “Feels Like Home” and all was once again right with the world.

 

This week is not looking to be any easier. Fortunately there are more opportunities for great live shows starting Monday night with one of my favorite Las Vegas-based bands, Imagine Dragons!

 

As for the rest, here’s what I’ve got:

 

 

Monday: Imagine Dragons at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Yael Naim at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Stephen Kellogg at Bootleg Theater (8:30)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring Adrianne, Rob Giles, Garrison Starr, and Joel Eckels (9pm)

 

Tuesday: Alberta Cross and Chasing Kings at The Satellite (9pm)
ALSO: Jenni Alpert and Lelia Broussard at The Hotel Cafe (7,9)

 

Weds: Patrick Park at Bootleg Theater (9pm)
ALSO: Matthew Mayfield and Kevin Devine at The Hotel Cafe (8,9:30)
ALSO: Golden State at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Of Verona at Silverlake Lounge (9pm)
ALSO: The Watkins Family at Largo at The Coronet (8:30)
ALSO: Johnny Flynn at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: The Shakers at Molly Malone’s (8pm)
ALSO: Shawn Mullins and Susanna Hoffs at The Mint (9pm)
ALSO: Semi Precious Weapons at On the Rox (10pm)…FREE with RSVP

 

Thursday: Paris Carney and So & So at The Hotel Cafe (7,9)
ALSO: Irontom (formally The Bellows) at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)

 

Friday: Curtis Peoples at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Kina Grannis at Largo at the Coronet (8:30)

 

Saturday: Saint Motel’s Judgement Day with Queen Caveat at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: The Janks & The Shivers at The Hotel Cafe (10:30)
ALSO: Sabrosa Purr and 100 Monkeys at The El Rey (7pm)
ALSO: Viza at The Key Club (11pm)
ALSO: Jamestown Revival at Molly Malone’s (10:45)

 

Sunday: Chasing Avalanche and Run Run Run at The Viper Room (8,10)
ALSO: Dead Sara at Bardot (10:30)
ALSO: Alice Smith at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)

 

To Keep in Mind:

May 27th: The Script at Club Nokia
May 27th-29th: Sasquatch Music Festival (Washington)
June 1st: Parade of Lights at Silverlake Lounge
June 2nd: Manchester Orchestra at The Music Box
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

 

The Other Side of Morning CD Release 5/14

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The Other Side of Morning has their first full length record out this week! The CD is entitled  Letters From Your Love, The Madman. It has indeed been a long time coming and I’m super excited to see and hear the new tunes. In celebration of the event, the band will be playing this Saturday May 14th at The Loft. For details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159847907408063

Don’t miss it!

Seems like they’ve got someone helping them with promotion:

And here’s a vid for one of their new tunes:

 

 

~ Kristen