Author: Kristen

New Band Love: Civil Twilight

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Just got back from The Hotel Cafe. Went to go see Matthew Jordan, a fantastic piano-playing singer-songwriter who was especially brillant tonight when he busted out this amazing arrangment of “Smooth Criminal“. After Matthew, I stuck around to see Civil Twilight and completely fell in love. I had known about these guys for awhile thanks to an ITunes free download, but their self-titled debut CD was only very recently released in the states. The trio is actually from South Africa which makes this just another in a string of bands I’ve fallen for recently that are based overseas…I’m wondering if this is some sort of sign…or perhaps a cruel joke?

Anyway, I just had to share. They took the entire audience at The Hotel Cafe to another place this evening  and I cannot wait to go on that journey with them again. Fortunately, they are playing again Saturday at Voyeur in West Hollywood then on Sunday down near San Diego at The Loft at UCSD. Then they are off on a mini tour of the south (check their website for exact places and dates). Don’t miss out!

Listen and Love!: 04 Letters From The Sky 1

~ Kristen

Favorite Band Alert! Jealousy Curve

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Since I just flew across the country to see these guys, I thought they deserved a mention here. Jealousy Curve has been one of my favorite bands since I first heard their Muse-like notes back in 2006.  Since then, they have provided the soundtrack for some of the most memorable moments in my life. I can honestly say few things make me happier then dancing with friends at a Jealousy Curve show.  Michael Leavy, Steve LaFashia, Shane Rozum, and Dave Sikorski are also some of the nicest (and incidentally the tallest) guys I know.

I am SO very excited about their forthcoming CD, Marionettes!, and big release party on May 22nd at The World Cafe Live in Philadelphia with Camille Peruto, IKE, and LA’s The Shakers. Definately calls for another trip across the country…

but in the mean time:

Listen their music here

Preorder their new CD: (see above)

Get their first CD Life As An Addict and EP This is For Your Own Destruction here

Go to the show

Tell them how amazing they are on facebook

And remember, no matter what happens, Don’t Lie Down

~ Kristen

p.s. some pics from the two shows I had the immense privilege of being a part of. One at Arcadia University in Genside, PA and the other at Jocyln’s in Media, PA with guest drummer, the amazing Ron DiSilvestro

Dave and Leavy at Arcadia University

Steve and Shane at Arcadia University

Steve and Leavy at Jocyln's

Dave and Ron at Jocyln's

Kristen’s Concert Calendar: 4/26-5/2

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This week’s email is brought to you from the lovely town of  Horseheads, NY where I have been spending the weekend…well part of the weekend. I also journeyed down to the Philadelphia area to see one of my favorite bands  (Jealousy Curve) play…twice.  Despite the lack of sleep it was a fantastic weekend! The biggest problem with predominantly local bands is that when you move away, it’s quite difficult to see them. I have to fly across the country! Which I will be doing again May 22nd for Jealousy Curve’s big CD release.

Fortunately all the great shows listed below don’t require much travel outside the LA area:  

Monday: Helen Stellar FREE at Spaceland (11pm)
ALSO: Aqualung at Bootleg (10pm)
ALSO: Chris Thile at Largo at the Coronet (9pm)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm)

Tuesday: Dr. Dog at The Music Box (8pm)
ALSO: Lady Danville at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Whispertown 2000 at Silverlake Lounge (9pm) 

Weds: Matthew Jordan and Civil Twilight at The Hotel Cafe (8,9)
ALSO: Beachwood Rocker’s Society at Crane’s 

Thursday: Lemon Sun at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: Apes of Wrath at Spaceland (8:30)
ALSO: Honeyhoney at The Hotel Cafe (10pm) 

Friday: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Soul Puppet at Molly Malone’s (9:30)
ALSO: Ernie Halter and Chris Pierce at The Hotel Cafe (9,11) 

Saturday: The Silent Comedy at The Roxy (on the Rox) (10pm)
ALSO: Needtobreathe at El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Holly Conlan at The Hotel Cafe (9pm) 

Sunday: White Buffalo at Saint Rocke (6pm)

To Keep in Mind:

May 3rd: The Kin at The Hotel Cafe
May 4th: Greg Laswell at The Troubadour
May 13th: Crash Kings at The Roxy
May 15th: Carney at The El Rey   
May 15th: 30 Seconds to Mars at The Greek Theater
May 19th: Queen Caveat at The Viper Room
May 28th: The Silent Comedy and Dirty Sweet at North Park Theater (in SD)
June1st: First Aid Kit at Bootleg
June 6th: Mumford & Sons with The Silent Comedy at BellyUp (in SD)
June 10-13th: BONNAROO (in Tennessee)
June 25th: Warped Tour in LA (well, Carson)
July 10th: Lilith Fair

 ~ Kristen

Coachella- Kristen’s Top 5 List

Posted on by Kristen

Muse

So, over the next several days, I will be sharing with you some of my “lessons learned” from this year’s Coachella. But I thought I’d first share what I’ve concluded are my top 5 Acts of the weekend and very briefly why they made the list.

  • MUTEMATH- best experience
  • Muse- best show
  • The Avett Brothers- most emotionally appealing
  • Porcupine Tree- best new find
  • Them Crooked Vultures- most jaw dropping

Honorable Mentions go to: Iglu & Hartly, Faith No More, Spoon, Steel Train, and Band of Skulls

~ Kristen

p.s. If you were there, I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts!

pretty lights

MUTEMATH

 

The Avett Brothers

Porcupine Tree

Them Crooked Vultures

 

Sunset at Coachella

Kristen’s Concert Calendar: 4/19-4/25

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Due to the demands of Coachella, this week’s concer calendar is a bit…underdeveloped…  I was going to try to post a more complete version, but I realized that by the time I flushed it all out, it would be the end of the week already. And that’s just not acceptable. Especially considering the Nico Vega/Semi Precious Weapons face-melting that will occur Weds night at The Roxy…highly recommend advanced tickets for this one folks!

Here’s my brief list (and certainly enough to keep anyone busy and sleep deprived).

Monday: Juke Kartel at The Hotel Cafe
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: Taylor Locke and the Roughs at The Viper Room

Weds: Nico Vega and Semi Precious Weapons at The Roxy with after party at The Viper Room…NOT to be missed!
ALSO: Foxy Shazam at The Troubadour
ALSO: Glee Tour at the Gibson Amphitheater 

Thursday: Wartapes at Silverlake Lounge
ALSO: Shelby Lynn at The Roxy
ALSO: Glee Tour at the Gibson Amphitheater
ALSO: Honeyhoney at The Hotel Cafe 

Friday: Killola and Sick of Sarah at The Roxy

Saturday: Get Back Loretta at The Roxy (On the Rox)
ALSO: The Elizabeth Kill at Libertine
ALSO: Jennifer Knapp at The Mint 

Sunday: Jason Castro at The Troubadour

To Keep in Mind:

May 2nd: The Kin at The Hotel Cafe
May 4th: Greg Laswell at The Troubadour
May 15th: Carney at The El Rey   
May 15th: 30 Seconds to Mars at The Greek Theater
May 20th: Queen Caveat at The Viper Room
May 28th: The Silent Comedy and Dirty Sweet at North Park Theater (in SD)
June 6th: Mumford & Sons with The Silent Comedy at BellyUp (in SD)
June 10-13th: BONNAROO (in Tennessee)
July 10th: Lilith Fair

~ Kristen

If you’re NOT at Coachella this weekend…

Posted on by Kristen

George Standford: Meet Me In LA

Tonight (Friday night), go to the Hotel Cafe for George Stanford’s EP release. George also moved out to LA from Philadelphia (where he was in this amazing band called Townhall). His song “Big Drop” off his album of the same name was on my best of ’09 mix. I am very excited about his new EP, Roll Away. You can get it directly from George’s website in a pay what you want manner: http://www.georgestanford.com/.

George plays at 10pm, but get there at 9pm for Vienne and stay for the always entertaining Andy Clockwise. It will be a fantastic evening of music!

~ Kristen

An Emotional Evening at Room 5

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I don’t know was it was, but Monday night at Room 5 I kept finding myself fighting that feeling of wanting to cry (the good kind of crying…mostly). It could have been the fact that I was so burnt out and therefore emotionally vulnerable, or maybe it was listening to LA’s beloved Jay Nash sing one last song, his dedication to California, before saying goodbye to the state as well as the institution he started (Songwriters in the Round at Room 5). It could have just been the outstanding talent of this week’s round of songwriters that bored straight into my heart and touched it so deeply.

This week’s group featured Joel Eckels, Sally Jaye, Kenneth Pattengale, and the man who very well may end up my favorite act of the year, Joey Ryan. How I go from Nico Vega one year to Joey Ryan the next is a puzzle even to myself….but I digress.

I must say that I’m finding the combination of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan to be endlessly entertaining. Someone suggested they were like Simon and Garfunkel and Joey immediately balked at the idea, relegating Kenneth to the role of Garfunkel. To me, this would be a complement of the highest order. As much as I enjoy both Joey and Kenneth, I think I’m started to like them even better when they play together! They keep performing as a duo for “practice” for an upcoming series of shows billed as An Evening with Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale (and not, sadly, Ryan Pattengale). This includes a stop at McCabe’s in Santa Monica on April 24th. Someone should really record this show and make a CD (especially since I will be out of town).

I will again say that this Songwriters in the Round event is my new favorite way to listen to some great artists. It’s like ice cream. It’s always the first few bits of ice cream that are the best…but after you’re about half way through the carton, you keep eating more out of habit…or a memory of what those first few bites tasted like. But if you combine different flavors of ice cream in the same bowl, the immense high from those first couple bites is prolonged as you go from one variety to the next, the contrasts reminding you just how amazing each individual flavor is. 

But seriously, I feel that going from artist to artist really helps to keep the emotional intensity at its peak. The only downside is that the evening is over and it really feels like it has just begun.

Until next week…

~ Kristen

p.s. the recording I took of Jay Nash’s  Golden State Goodnight