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Truth & Salvage Co.- Residency and CD release

Posted on by Amanda

Most exciting news! One of my very fave LA bands just announced the release date for their first album. May 25 Truth & Salvage Co. will release their self-titled debut. This six piece group instantly drew me in with their energetic live performances and The Band-like qualities. I discovered them a couple years ago when they were known as The Family Band. I’ve had the immense pleasure of watching them grow, get signed by Chris Robinson’s label, Silver Arrow, and go out on tour with The Black Crowes where they were even able to play a date with one of my fave Philly bands, Pawnshop Roses. I was so happy when they returned to LA and started playing local gigs again. Right now, the band is in the middle of a residency at The Hotel Café…every Friday night through to March 12th. If you get an opportunity to see them, it will be an unforgettable evening of music and dancing…just be sure to get there early as they tend to pack the place and they will stop allowing people through the door.

For a preview of the album, the band recently recorded some songs through Daytrotter: http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/truth-and-salvage-co-concert/20030993-37382166.html

Be sure to see them now before they head out on tour again (this time with The Avett Brothers)

Or alternatively, if you’re not in the LA area, be sure to catch them with The Avett Brothers (another fantastic group). Dates posted so far:

April 17 | The Fox Theatre | Oakland, CA*
April 18 | Grand Sierra Theatre | Reno, NV*
April 20 & 21 | Boulder Theater | Boulder, CO*
April 23 | Rialto Theater | Tucson, AZ*
April 24 | Mesa Arts Center | Mesa, AZ*
April 27 | Crest Theater | Sacramento, CA*
April 29 | House Of Blues | San Diego, CA*

~ Kristen

Nico Vega

Posted on by Amanda

So tonight is a really fantastic show at The Casbah and while I can’t go, you should go and enjoy it for me! My other music half is driving down from LA just for the night for this show!! Nico Vega always puts on an impressive show (I remember Kristen telling me that after the show was done, Rich the guitarist threw an amp on his guitar!) and Aja has a beautiful voice to boot. Now, while you think I might just be saying that, let me remind you that I was an extra in the music video shoot for Gravity and we got a free show of sorts and her voice is better live than on the recording. If you have no idea what video I’m talking about go here.

When you fall in love with them like I have you can find them on their official website that has all sorts of goodies and will connect you to their Facebook and Myspace pages (or you can just click the links I gave you). Go and enjoy the show for me and I’ll pretend that I’m not stuck here at school until 10:30 tonight.

Alrighty then

Posted on by Amanda

First, I would like to apologize for the delay in my post to you folks today. I have this sometimes evil mistress called school who likes to get in my way. But that aside, let’s talk about tonight!

Tonight is Tim Graves, Patrick Norton and Golden Red at Tin Can Alehouseand is a whopping $3. If you don’t go for the music, just go get a drink.

I am so bummed that I will be missing out on this show! Tim Graves is a friend of mine with a beautiful voice and knows how to write his music. He is currently a member of The Silent Comedy (who you will get an introduction to soon enough) and isn’t just the cookie cutter singer/song writer/guitarist. He also plays harmonica and has a very nice folky quality to his tunes with some smart lyrics. I haven’t had the chance to seem him play by himself but I have heard nothing but good things.

Patrick Norton is another friend and while I haven’t had the chance to see him play live either, I know he puts on a great show just from reviews I’ve heard (and the music I’ve listened to). If you want to check out a sampling of Mr. Norton you can go here. Should that fail, go check out his Facebook.

Oh and if there was any confusion I just wanted to clear something up. This blog is a joint venture between Kristen (who posted her introduction earlier) and myself. She is the LA to my SD. If you want to know where to go for a show in LA be sure to look for the #Sunday Email tag or #LA Shows tag. Conversely, if you want something in SD just look for the #SD Shows tag.

As always, if anyone has any other shows/bands they know about and would like us to post about feel free to leave us a comment or email us @ localmusicnation@gmail.com

Until tomorrow (and Nico Vega!)

~Amanda

Greetings from Los Angeles!

Posted on by Amanda

So, just about everyone I talk to thinks that I need to start a blog. I’m too busy to maintain a blog. I’m a graduate student working on getting my PhD in the sciences (AKA my lab is my life) and I spend most of my free evenings gallivanting around Los Angeles at various clubs, bars, concert halls…wherever the music happens to be. 

But when my good friend and fellow music lover, Amanda, said she’d help me run it…how could I refuse?

I guess I enjoy live music slightly more than the average person…some might call me addicted. But honestly, I still can’t wrap my head around the idea that this isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. What I most enjoy is discovering amazing local bands and doing whatever I can to help get their music out there (hence the reason everyone tells me I need to start a blog).

For the past year or so I’ve been sending out a weekly email to my friends informing them of all the shows I would like to go to in a given week. I was tired of getting rejected every time I asked people if they wanted to go to a show with me and this open invitation method seemed to be the perfect solution. The email has morphed somewhat overtime as have the list of people who receive it. Several don’t even live in the LA area and use this email to either keep tabs on me or on the local scene…or they just want to discover new music.

So I guess putting my email into the blogasphere for any to access is the next logical step. As for my personal mission statement, I’m not sure where this will go or who (if anyone) is going to read it, but I will continue to do what I love to do…go to shows, discover new bands, tell everyone I know about said bands…and if you happen to become a part of my circle of influence, welcome new friend, it’s nice to have you here!

~ Kristen

Metrofique

Posted on by Amanda

I don’t really think it’s fair for me to tell you to go see a band play without giving you a little background about them if possible so here is a little bit about Metrofique…

Metrofique is a side project of the singer/bassist from Get Back Loretta (which is another fabulous band). The official blurb from their website says,

“Metrofique is the new collaboration of two of San Diego’s most creative and original songwriters, Steven Bradford and Gabe Lehner. With both songwriters heavily influenced by The Beatles, Metrofique has many Beatles-esque moments in their music, but put in the context of more modern indie rock the likes of The Shins, Coldplay, and Death Cab For Cutie. The eleven songs on the duo’s debut album, Swing For Fences, are not only sure to be on a constant loop in your head after hearing them, but they will make you feel good…really good. Metrofique offers a much needed blend of the simplicity and folkiness of the acoustic “coffee shop” sound with the production and arrangement of bands like Radiohead and The Beatles, providing a fresh yet familiar sound with mass appeal. Their debut album, Swing For Fences, is completely a DIY effort recorded by the duo at Gabe’s home studio, making Metrofique as indie as they come. And it looks like they will be here to stay.”

You can find them on Facebook or on Myspace. I also strongly suggest you buy their cd which is $5 and full length and can be found on their website or on iTunes. Get it now and go see them tonight at The Casbah. It’s $5 and it beats being home on a Monday.

~Amanda

SD Shows

Posted on by Amanda

Hey Kids!

So I just realized that I had forgotten to give you all some great shows to see in San Diego. This is by no means a complete list. No, this is nothing like Kristen’s list at all but I found some things going on this week that are in my calendar I thought I would share with you.

Tonight: Metrofique at the Casbah. Its $5 and part of the Anti-Monday League shows that happen every Monday at the Casbah. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Tuesday: Tim Graves and Patrick Norton at Tin Can Alehouse. It’s $3 and should be an awesome night of folk. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Wednesday: Nico Vega at The Casbah! Show is $15 and starts at 9 p.m.

That’s all I got for now folks.

If you want some more ideas of what’s going on, be sure to check out CityBeat and the Reader. Enjoy 🙂

~Amanda