T&S Co. at The Hotel Cafe- Residency Night 3

Posted on by Amanda

It’s just really hard to find the words to express how much fun I have whenever I get the opportunity to see these guys. Nights like this remind me why Truth & Salvage Co. is one of my fave LA bands…and there isn’t a better place to see them play than the Hotel Cafe.  Their energy seemed kicked up a notch further last night, perhaps due to the fact that it was Walker’s birthday. They played several of my faves, both old and new, starting with “Hail, Hail” and ending with an encore of “Pure Mountain Angel” (the way it should always be). They also did a fantastic cover of The Band’s “Shape I’m In.”  The typical crowd was there dancing and singing along. They were accompanied by their usual rowdy antics, which this time included a cupcake fight—seriously, icing everywhere! The only thing I’m craving now more than a cupcake is more T&S Co. Fortunately this whole thing will happen again next Friday, the 4th night of the band’s residency at The Hotel Cafe. I hope to see you there!

~ Kristen

I don’t know how I feel about this trend…

Posted on by Amanda

Being on mailing lists for my favorite bands is somewhat of a double edged sword for me. I love keeping up with what is going on in their lives, but I absolutely hate missing out on so many good shows. Every time they play and I can’t be there…it just kills me. This is why I like local bands…

This past week, I received an email from one of my favorite bands, The Kin. It was detailing this show they are going to be doing in New York City next Weds (March 10th) at Webster Hall. It’s a special charity show through FM Charities whose goal is “to increase awareness of common, treatable illness among all populations.” Great cause, great band…only problem is I live in LA and can’t be there…or can I?

In the email they announced that the show is going to be viewable via webcast. So, if I choose I can sit at home that night and watch one of my favorite bands put on an amazing show…via the internet. I guess this is a good thing. I mean, I LOVE The Kin. I’d love to see them every single time they play. I’ll know what songs they play, if they break out any new tunes, if Shakerleg makes an appearance. I’ll be able to hear any in between song banter, stories from the road or from their most recent annual trip to Australia (where they are from).

But, really, it won’t be the same. It won’t feel the same. I won’t be moved by the pulsating beats from the overblown speakers or sense the energy of the audience as they fall in love with every note. I won’t be able to join in the sea of voices as the songs hit that familiar chorus or turn to that stranger next to me and smile when Thorry and Isaac nail that whistle at the end of “Romeo” or begin to introduce “Abraham” as that song about two brothers…come to think of it, it might be MORE painful to watch the spectacle in this detached mode then to not see it at all.

But this seems to be the way things are going. I watched a couple songs from a Joe Firstman set the other day streaming live from some place or another. In a few minutes, I’ll turn on the live stream from a local Philly radio state (Radio104.5) to hear IKE play a couple of tunes live…I guess streaming entire shows is just the next logical step.

So, I think everyone should check out the stream from The Kin’s show next Weds. And let me know how it goes…’cause I’ll be out at The Troubadour that night having a Manchester Orchestra experience.

http://www.thekin.com/

http://www.fmworldcharities.org/events.html

~ Kristen

Joey Ryan Residency

Posted on by Amanda

If it’s a Thursday in March than it must be a Joey Ryan day! Joey’s March residency at The Hotel Cafe continues this evening at 8pm. Joey Ryan is a fairly new discovery.  Amanda and I both first saw him open for Carney last fall and he instantly went on my watch list. I have since seen him a couple times at The Hotel Cafe and every time I see him, I think I fall in love a little more. Especially since the release of his EP Kenter Canyon which is one of the best EPs I’ve heard in awhile (definitely so far this year).  To endear him even more (to my heart at least), his website says that, at one point, he was planning on attending graduate school to study neuroscience!

If you get a chance, come out and see Joey Ryan at The Hotel Cafe. He’ll sing some songs about the weather and then offer to give you a hug. What more could you want!?! Here are his residency dates:

TONIGHT: March 4th: 8pm- Hotel Cafe (also with Jim Bianco and Honeyhoney)

March 11th: 10pm (with Jim Bianco, Melissa Ferrick, and Caitlin Crosby and Jay Nash)

March 25th: 8pm- Hotel Cafe

Sadly ,he will be at SXSW for one Thursday in between (the 18th) which happens to be my birthday…

http://www.myspace.com/joeyryanband

song: “Broken Headlights” (from Kenter Canyon)

~ Kristen

Local Philly Band- Alright Junior

Posted on by Amanda

In the mood for a little Alright, Junior. I’ve been listening all day…and so should you!

This is one of my very favorite bands from Philadelphia. From the amazing timbre of Jace’s voice and Mike’s animalistic drumming to Steve’s guitar shredding and the way Greg swings his bass about as if it were a sword (or machine gun perhaps?), these guys will bring it every time. Their live, energetic sets never fail to give me exactly what I need and their songs are some of the most played in my ITunes library. My fave Alright, Junior song is probably still “Sinner of the State” off their debut CD, Eudaemonic, but I’m really loving all their new tunes from their most recent EP, Our Temporary Everything including “Never Quite the Disappearing Act.”

The boys have two local Philly shows this week: Tomorrow, Friday March 5th at The Note in West Chester (with another great band, Overlook) and Saturday March 6th they return to The Khyber…my fave venue to see them play!

Check. Them. Out!

http://www.myspace.com/alrightjunior

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/AlrightJunior

~ Kristen

Random Musings- Venue Trends

Posted on by Amanda

http://www.mollymalonesla.com/

I’ve been going to Molly Malone’s lately…quite a bit it seems. I was just there last night to see the fantastic Vienne (http://www.myspace.com/vienne ). And incidentally also discovered a compelling new band called Clockwork (http://www.myspace.com/ilikeclockwork ) that will definitely be added to my watch list. I’ll be back at MM’s next Friday for another round of Bleaker Street artists including Matthew Jordan and the amazing Paris Carney.

What’s odd is that before this slew of MM’s shows, it had been a good six months or so since I’d set foot in that bar and a good year since I’d been there on a regular basis (think: Carney residency).

But that’s how things seem to go. Before this Molly Malone’s trend, it seemed as if I was at The Viper Room all the time…although it had taken me about a year before I even entered the doors of that legendary venue.

Aside from The Hotel Cafe where I try to go about once a week, other venues seem to come and go from my life like waves…anyone else ever notice this?

~ Kristen

New Music!!!

Posted on by Amanda

So last night I didn’t go out to a show…and I didn’t have enough work to do to occupy my entire evening…and I wasn’t so tired that I needed to go to bed by 8pm. This, let me tell you, is a very rare occurrence.  It’s also very dangerous…I can get up to no good when left to my own devices. I wandered out of my apartment and ended up at Best Buy (also very dangerous). I left Best Buy with…umm…several…new CDs. Then I went back home and purchased online the CDs that I couldn’t find at the store.

By the end of the evening, my haul looked like this (and trust me, the number of CDs I had in my hands, but didn’t buy would probably have doubled this).

  • Almost Alice– various artists (music inspired by the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie)
  • This Addiction– Alkaline Trio
  • Transference– Spoon
  • Sad Man Happy Man – Mike Doughty
  • Future Selves – Transfer
  • Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Live
  • Under the Covers Vol. 2– Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
  • B.R.M.C.- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club   
  • Horizon– Matthew Jordan

Obviously, I’m too paralyzed by all the fantastic new music to let you know what I think about any one individual CD…but let me just say the stand out thus far is definitely the offering from Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. I mean, come on, they cover “All the Young Dudes”…dude! 🙂

~ Kristen

Frightened Rabbit – New Music in T-1 Week

Posted on by Amanda

My excitement can barely be contained for the release of the new Frightened Rabbit CD, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, next Weds (March 10th). The tunes have been leaking all over the place, so really I’ve already heard it…but I still can’t wait to get that physical copy in my hand. I’m in love with what I’ve heard thus far. Their last record, The Midnight Organ Fight was stuck in my player on repeat for quite some time and is just one of those perfect records (every song is brilliant). I actually discovered them at the end of 2008 (thank you Best of Lists!), and their song, “The Modern Leper” managed to make it onto my own years’ end best of mix for ’09. Frightened Rabbit is one of those very rare bands that I actually fell in love with BEFORE I saw them play. I finally got the opportunity to see them live at The Knitting Factory this year and am now counting down the days ‘til I get to see them again (that would be at Coachella-Saturday). They are also playing The Casbah in San Diego May 22…may have to make a special trek down there to see them again. They are from across the pond (Scotland to be more precise) so these live viewing opportunities are few and far between.

If you want to hear the new record, you can go to their myspace page…also some videos!

http://www.myspace.com/frightenedrabbit

~ Kristen