New Music Tuesday 6/17/14 f. The Pretty Reckless, Sam Smith

Posted on by Kristen

I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to much coming out today, but here’s what I’m most excited about

The Pretty Reckless – Going to Hell 

Has it really been four years since I had “Zombie” on repeat after seeing The Pretty Reckless at Warped Tour? I wonder what Momsen and co. have been up to lately…

Sam Smith – In the Lonely Hour 

Sam Smith has the voice of an angel. When I first heard the acoustic version of “Latch” I knew I had found my new favorite artist. This was confirmed after I caught half of a set at SXSW. In the months in between then and now, I have grown more skeptical as I kept hearing Sam’s voice covered by overly produced dance beats (not my favorite thing to listen to). I haven’t yet listened to In the Lonely Hour. I’m actually quite nervous to do so. You listen and tell me if I’d like it…

Also

  • Miniature Tigers – Cruel Runnings
    Ballyhoo! – Halo
  • Stars in Stereo- Leave Your Mark
  • The Felice Brothers – Favorite Waitress
  • Linkin Park- The Hunting Party
  • Nothing More – Nothing More
  • David Grey – Mutineers
  • Trampled by Turtles – Wild Animals
  • The Collection – Ars Moriendi

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 6/16-6/22

Posted on by Amanda

It has been a long and rather painful week for me with some highlights thrown in. I was up in LA on Saturday for the Neon Trees show at The Wiltern and I guested on the High Voltage radio show with Neon Trees which will be airing on June 28th. The show I’m most excited for this week is the sold out Milk Carton Kids show at The Belly Up on Sunday evening.

 

Monday:

Tuesday: SomeKindaWonderful @ House of Blues at 6:30pm

Wednesday: Eric Hutchinson, Scars on 45 @ Birch Aquarium at Scripps at 7:30pm
AND: Owl John @ Casbah at 9pm

Thursday: Spero @ Seven Grand at 9pm
AND: Uh Huh Her @ Belly Up at 9pm
AND: The Burning of Rome @ 207 @ Hard Rock at 9pm

Friday:

Saturday: Jessica Lea Mayfield, The Midnight Pine @ Casbah at 9pm
AND: Paul Canon Band, Luke Williams, Matt Jennings @ Belly Up at 9pm

Sunday: The Milk Carton Kids @ Belly Up at 8pm- SOLD OUT
AND: Michael Franti & Spearhead @ Cal Coast Credit Open Air Theater at 7pm

 

Keep in Mind:
June 24th- Jackie Greene @ House of Blues
June 25th- Vans Warped Tour @ Sleep Train Ampitheatre
June 27th- Transfer @ Casbah
June 29th- Sarah McLachlan @ Humphreys
June 30th- Devo @ Belly Up
July 1st- Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers @ Humphreys
July 2nd- Lit @ San diego County Fair
July 12th- La Roux @ House of Blues
July 16th- Chris Isaak @ Humphreys
July 20th- Jewel @ Humphreys
July 22nd- The Neighborhood @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater at SDSU
July 23rd- Lyle Lovett and His Large Band @ Humphreys
July 24th- OK GO @ Belly Up
July 26th- Say Anything @ House of Blues
July 30th- Mötley Crüe @ Sleep Train Ampitheatre
August 1-3- Lollapalooza @ Grant Park
August 2nd- The Griswolds @ Soda Bar
August 3rd- Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers @ Viejas Arena
August 6th- Arctic Monkeys @ Cal Coast Credit Open Air Theater
August 7th- Lynyrd Skynyrd @ Humphreys
August 10th- RX Bandits @ House of Blues
August 11th- The Head and The Heart @ North Park Theater
August 20th- Naked and Famous @ North Park Theater
August 27th- Panic! at the Disco, Walk the Moon, Youngblood Hawke @ SDSU Open Air Theater
August 30th- Jack Johnson @ RIMAC Field
September 14th- Passenger @ House of Blues
September 16th- Linkn Park and 30 Seconds to Mars @ Sleep Train Ampitheatre
September 17th- Augustana, Paul Cannon @ Birch Aquarium @ Scripps
September 27th- The Pixies @ Humphreys
October 1st- Bombay Bicycle Club @ Soma
October 10th- Lorde @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater
October 12th- The Pretty Reckless @ House of Blues
October 17th- Kodaline @ House of Blues
November 9th- The Black Keys, Jake Bugg @ Viejas Arena
November 21st- The 1975 @ Soma
December 2nd- Fleetwood Mac @ Viejas Arena

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 6/16-6/22

Posted on by Kristen

Work was particularly headache-inducing this week, but life was balanced out nicely with some fabulous musical adventures. They included dinner with the High Voltage crew at Dani Shay’s, an intimate Charli XCX showcase, a drop by casa de Semi Precious Weapons, a classic evening on the Sunset Strip that included Irontom and a run-in with the singer of The Neighbourhood, and two trips to The Hotel Cafe to see new band loves for the first time (Penny & Sparrow and Levi Weaver). I suppose I have absolutely nothing to complain about!

 

Speaking of High Voltage, show pick of the week is our show Wednesday at Silverlake Lounge featuring the aforementioned (and uber talented) Dani Shay.  Warped Tour also comes through So-Cal this week. I hear my LA faves, Queen Caveat, are playing in Pomona and Ventura so I might have to find a way to go see that!

 

Here are the rest of my picks:

 

Monday: French Style Furs FREE at The Satellite (11pm)
ALSO: It’s a School Night at The Avalon f. U.S. Royalty and Alex & Sierra (8:30)
ALSO: Until The Ribbon Breaks FREE at Bootleg HiFi (10:30)
ALSO: Bernhoft at The Troubadour (9:30)
ALSO: Stars in Stereo, My Body Sings Electric at The Viper Room (8pm)
ALSO: Zero 1 at The Dragonfly (10pm)
ALSO: Ed Sheeran, Demi Levato, Colbie Cailat, Andy Grammer at The Hollywood Bowl (7:30)
ALSO: Hunnypot Radio Live featuring Cold Blood Club at The Mint (7pm)
ALSO: Monday Monday at Room 5 f. Clare Means, Jesse Thomas, Michael Doman, Joel Eckels (8pm)

 

Tuesday: Crash Kings at Bootleg (10pm)
ALSO: Bad Suns at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Allison Iraheta & Halo Circus and Fyfe Dangerfield & Aristazabal Hawkes at The Hotel Cafe (8, 10)
ALSO: In the Valley Below at Brite Space LA (9pm)…need to RSVP http://www.eventbrite.com/e/eventbrite-la-x-la-canvas-present-in-the-valley-below-registration-11511036821?aff=eorg
ALSO: Amy LaVere at The Mint (10:15)
ALSO: Emily Wells at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: The Mountain Goats at The Mayan (8pm)
ALSO: A tribute to Bob Dylan FREE at The Satellite f. Brian Whelan, The LA River Bend, and more (9pm)
ALSO: George Stanford FREE at The Piano Bar (10pm)

 

Weds: High Voltage Magazine Summer Issue Launch Party at Silverlake Lounge f. Dani Shay, Sabrina Antoinette, Sex Helicopter (8pm)
ALSO: Gun Hill Royals at Club Moscow (10pm)
ALSO: Sad Robot, Wild Roses at The Viper Room (9pm)
ALSO: Western Scene at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Ivory Deville FREE at Harvard & Stone (10pm)
ALSO: Omniflux FREE at Hemingway’s (10pm)
ALSO: Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson at The Greek Theatre (7pm)

 

Thursday: Scars on 45 with Broken Anchor, Maudlin Strangers, and Stop Motion Poetry at The Hotel Cafe (7, 9, 11)
ALSO: Owl John (Scott Hutchinson of Frightened Rabbit) with Withered Hand at The Echo (8:30)
ALSO: Words & Music by Dan Wilson at Largo (8:30)
ALSO: Fine FREE at The House of Blues (9pm)
ALSO: The Black and The White, Cold Blood Club at The Statellite (9pm)
ALSO: The North at The Mint (10pm)

 

Friday: Yann Tiersen with NO at Fonda Theatre (9pm)
ALSO: Warped Tour in Pomona (11am)

 

Saturday: The Milk Carton Kids with Tom Brosseau at Japan America Theater (7pm)
ALSO: Tournament of Hearts at Molly Malone’s (7:30)
ALSO: No Small Children at The Mint (9pm)
ALSO: Mosco Rosco and The Janks at Bootleg HiFi (10:30, 11:30)
ALSO: Kitten with Liz and Tapioca and the Flea at The El Rey (9pm)
ALSO: Kristin Chenoweth, The Go-Go’s & Pink Martini at The Hollywood Bowl (8pm)

 

Sunday: Grand Ole Echo FREE at The Echo f. Jonathan Tyler (3pm)
ALSO: 10,000 Maniacs FREE at Valley Cultural Center (6pm)
ALSO: Raquel Rodriguez FREE at Bootleg HiFi (9pm)
ALSO: mewithoutYou at The Troubadour (9:45)
ALSO: Janelle Monae at The Hollywood Bowl (7pm)
ALSO: Warped Tour in Ventura (11am)

 

 

 

To Keep in Mind:
June 23rd: Nabiha at Bootleg HiFi
June 25th: Wild Party at The Bootleg
June 26th: Sean Watkins at Largo
July 4th: 98.7 Block Party at Grand Park LA f. Semi Precious Weapons
July 8th: Peter Matthew Bauer at The Satellite
July 8th/9th: The Mowgli’s at The Troubadour
July 10th: Prides at The Troubadour
July 17th: The Silent Comedy at Harvard & Stone
July 21st: Twin Atlantic at The Troubadour
July 22nd: OK Go at The Troubadour
July 23rd: OK Go at The Echo
July 24th: The Neighbourhood at Greek Theatre
July 31st: Foxy Shazam at The El Rey
August 1st: The Griswolds at The Echo
August 2nd: Saint Motel at The Troubadour
August 2nd: Red Wanting Blue at Bootleg Theater
August 5th: Emerson Hart and Tony Lucca at The Hotel Cafe
August 10th: Iron and Wine and Glen Hansard at Hollywood Bowl
August 13th: Reignwolf at The Troubadour
August 17th: Dan Wilson at The Federal Bar
August 23rd-24th: FYF
August 23rd: Lake Street Dive at The Wiltern
August 23rd: Rixton at The El Rey
August 25th: Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden at Hollywood Bowl
August 26th: Youngblood Hawke at Greek Theatre
September 14th: The Avett Brothers at Shrine Auditorium
September 15th: You Me at Six, Young Guns, Stars in Stereo at The Troubadour
September 19th: Kopecky Fmaily Band at The Troubadour
September 20th: Better Than Ezra and Scars on 45 at The House of Blues
September 30th: Sam Smith at Greek Theatre
October 2nd/3rd: The War on Drugs at Fonda Theatre
October 3rd: Ben Kweller at The Roxy
October 6th: Carbon Leaf at The Roxy
October 6th: Boy & Bear at Fonda Theatre
October 6th/7th: Lorde at The Greek Theatre
October 8th: twenty one pilots at Hollywood Palladium
October 8th: Sondre Lerche at The Troubadour
October 9th: Wakey! Wakey! at The Roxy
October 10th: The Pretty Reckless at The Wiltern
October 16th: Hozier with James Bay at Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian
October 18th: Kodaline at The Fonda Theatre
October 27th: Rachael Yamagata at The Troubadour
November 21st/22nd: The Matches at The Troubadour

~ Kristen

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Listen to This! 6/12/14

Posted on by Amanda

A few songs that we came across over the last couple of weeks that we felt worth sharing…

 

Little Earthquake – “Brightside”

This one makes me want to throw my hands in the air and start a sing-along ~ Kristen 

David Rosales– “Slice of Heaven”

 

Twin Atlantic – “Heart and Soul”

New Twin Atlantic music! I am squealing with glee! ~Kristen 

 

Dana Buoy– “Preacher”

 

 Pawnshop Kings – “Fall Apart”

I listen to this and I am heart-happy ~Kristen 

Penny & Sparrow at The Hotel Cafe 6/8/14

Posted on by Kristen

Penny & Sparrow

Austin duo, Andy Baxter and Kyle Jahnke (AKA Penny & Sparrow) played their first show in Los Angeles Sunday night at The Hotel Cafe.  As it was their first LA show, they were unaware of the Angeleno propensity to arrive “fashionably late” to any event and somewhat nervously joked that they were preparing to play a show for four people; their wives, the bartender, and the sound guy.  The concern proved unnecessary as by the time they finished their first song, the rousing “Bread and Bleeding”, the room was filling out with fans and music lovers eager to get their fix.

For the uninitiated, Penny & Sparrow craft slow and beautiful folk tunes, proving that sometimes less is definitely more. Andy takes lead with a compelling voice that becomes haunting especially in its lower registers on songs like “Honest Wage”. Kyle supports with guitar and vocals, threading harmonies in and out of songs adding that elevating emotional punch.

The pleasant surprise of the night was not the beauty of the songs (that’s evident by listening to the record), but the humor and the warmth that filled the room as the duo played.  From the heart-stopping a capella “Fantine” to their “one foot-stomping tune”, “Brothers”, the two singers transformed the energy of the bar to something more akin to a living room hang out. You knew they had the room when they prefaced their song “Stoic” with a comment about how the song contained everything you don’t want to say in an argument with your wife and as they sang the melancholy tune, the audience chuckled as they soaked up the lyrics in that context.

They closed the night with a captivating cover of “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing”, a hymn perfect for a reflective Sunday evening.

For more on Penny & Sparrow, check out their webpage: http://www.pennyandsparrow.com/

And definitely check out their recent album, Struggle Pretty, which has been a constant on my playlist lately.

 

~ Kristen

New Music Tuesday 6/10/14 f. Jack White, Passenger, Blacklist Royals

Posted on by Kristen

Well, here’s what I’ve been listening to…

Jack White – Lazaretto

Jack White is one of the innovators of contemporary music. Although I can’t say I’m a fan of everything he does, I’m always keen on tuning in. I found myself really enjoying Lazaretto. It has a fun mix of quirky humor, skilful musicianship, and serious beat busters.  I think my favorite tune might be the title track, a funky rocker that gets me moving with its playful beats.

Passenger – Whispers

Whispers is a series of lyrical gems encased in gorgeous melodies delivered by a unique voice that is instantly compelling. It’s the kind of record that goes straight to the heart. I’ve been listening to closing track, “Scare Away The Dark” on repeat. The whit and relevance of the tune, which seems to be about the saving power of music, make me smile with every listen. This album is deep, so dig in.

Blacklist Royals – Die Young With Me 

I first heard “Righteous Child” doing my SXSW research, and I was hooked. It was both catchy and edgy, with a feel of a Gaslight Anthem or Against Me! song. I haven’t heard Die Young With Me in its entirety, but the rest of the songs seem to follow suit and I would recommend checking it out if you’re into this genre.

Also On my “to listen” list:

  • Anathema – Distant Satellites
  • First Aid Kit – Stay Gold
  • Imogen Heap – Sparks
  • Chrissie Hynde – Stockholm
  • O.A.R. – The Rockville LP
  • Umphrey’s Mcgee – Similar Skin
  • Say Anything – Hebrews
  • This Wild Life – Clouded

~ Kristen