Kristen’s SXSW ’11 Mix: Part 1

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

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 12/6-12/12

Tonight marked the final performance of LMN mainstays, Mississippi Man. I first saw this band play with Get Back Loretta at The Bootleg. I thought they were good. The thing about Mississippi Man, however, is that every time I’ve seen them since, they’ve gotten better and better. They came back from a tour with The Silent Comedy in particularly good form. I’m sure that tonight, their final performance, was their absolute best. But I am sad that I will not get the opportunity to continue to watch them grow and improve. If you haven’t already, you should check out their most recent record, A-OK. Mississippi Man will be missed.

Let’s focus on the flip side of seeing a great band’s last performance; seeing your new favorite band play for the first time. In remembrance of Mississippi Man, let’s make it a point this week to discover some new amazing music. If you need some guidance, might I suggest the following (and there are PLENTY of options this week):

Monday: IO Echo and Haim FREE at The Echo (9pm)
ALSO: The Rescues and Raining Jane at The Hotel Cafe…week two of The Rescues’ winter residency (9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: Jonathan Clark at Molly Malone’s (9pm)
ALSO: Whispering Pines FREE at Spaceland (9pm)
ALSO: It’s a School Night at Bardot featuring Grouplove and The 88…RSVP at http://www.itsaschoolnight.com/ 

Tuesday: Eastern Conference Champions Record Release at The Hotel Cafe (9:30)
ALSO: Rob Crow (of Pinback) at Spaceland (10pm)
ALSO: Kitten at The Echo (9pm)
ALSO: Edie Cary at Genghis Cohen (8pm)
ALSO: Street Drum Corps at The Roxy (10pm) 

Weds: So & So at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Assemble the Skyline at The Mint (10pm)
ALSO: Maren Parusel at The Silverlake Lounge (9pm)
ALSO: Natalie Cole at Walt Disney Concert Hall (8pm) 

Thursday: Scars on 45, Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, Taylor Locke & The Roughs at The Hotel Café (8,9,11)
ALSO: The Janks at Bootleg Theater (11pm)
ALSO: Aimee Mann’s Christmas show at Largo (8pm) 

Friday: Sabrosa Purr, Darling Stilettos, and Camp Freddy at The Roxy (9pm)
ALSO: Mike Doughty at Bootleg Theater (10pm)
ALSO: Kina Grannis at The El Rey
ALSO: NEEDTOBREATHE and The Daylights at The Musicbox
ALSO: The Dandy Warhols at Club Nokia
ALSO: Warpaint at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: A Silent Film at The Viper Room (10:30)
ALSO: Aimee Mann’s Christmas show at Largo (8pm) 

Saturday: Truth and Salvage Co. and The Black Crowes at Hollywood Palladium…The Black Crowes FINAL LA show
ALSO: Rockdrive 2010 featuring Aqualung, Cary Brothers, Rocco Delucca, Lady Danville, Joey and Kenneth, Chris Pierce, Terra Naomi, Raining Jane, etc. at The Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: The Other Side of Morning at The Loft (midnight)
ALSO: Roses Pawn Shop at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Los Sindicate at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Aimee Mann’s Christmas show at Largo (8pm)                    

Sunday: Marie Digby at The Hotel Cafe (9:30)
ALSO: Warpaint at The Troubadour
ALSO: Aimee Mann’s Christmas show at Largo (8pm)                                                                                        

To Keep in Mind:
December 14th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
December 17th-19th: The Hotel Cafe Christmas Party
December 18th: Fat City Reprise, The Shakers, and Red Circle Underground at The Viper Room
January 22nd: Guster at The Music Box
Feb 9th: Tina Dico at The Troubadour
Feb 16th: Nicole Atkins at The Troubadour
March 1st: Biffy Clyro at The Troubadour 

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 10/24-10/31

Does anyone else sink into a depression when deprived of live music for over a week? This past week has just been brutal. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for redemption this week…including the event I’ve been looking forward to alllll month, Nico Vega headlining at The Roxy with Saint Motel, Imagine Dragons, and Queen Caveat. You best be there in your witchy wear!

But that’s not all. Plenty of great shows this week to get me out of this funk. Here’s what I’ve got going:

Monday: Amy Correia at House of Blues Sunset (8pm)
ALSO: John Meeks at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Jessie Baylin at Bootleg (10:30)
ALSO: Aqualung at Bardot for it’s a school night FREE with RSVP (http://www.itsaschoolnight.com/)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: Curtis Peoples and Josh Hoge at Molly Malone’s (9:30)
ALSO: Jonathan Clark at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Lights at The El Rey (9pm) 

Weds: The Nervous Wreckords at Bordello (11pm)
ALSO:  Steel Train and fun at The Music Box (8pm) 

Thursday: Free Energy and Foxy Shazam at The Troubadour (9:15, 10:15)
ALSO: Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale and Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Kate Nash at The Music Box (8pm)
ALSO: Moving Picture Show and The Nervous Wreckords at The Viper Room (10,12) 

Friday: Nico Vega, Saint Motel, Imagine Dragons, and Queen Caveat at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Electric Touch at The Viper Room (11:50)
ALSO: Maxim Ludwig and the Santa Fe Seven at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Stone Temple Pilots at Nokia Live (8pm)
ALSO: Rock N Roll Circus Halloween at The Echo featuring Andy Clockwise, Henry Clay People, Etc. (7pm) 

Saturday: last minute Halloween costume shopping….

Sunday: Purple Melon at The Viper Room (10:30)

To Keep in Mind:
November 2nd: Ingrid Michaelson at The Troubadour
November 4th: Five for Fighting at The Brixton
November 5th: Bayside at The Toubadour
November 6th-7th: Florence + The Machine at The Wiltern
November 8th-10th: A Perfect Circle at Avalon
November 12th: Teitur at Bootleg Theater
November 13th: Terrible Things and Mae at The El Rey
November 16th: The Lonely Forest at Spaceland
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
November 18th: Freelance Whales at The Troubadour
November 21st and 22nd: Dar Williams at The Hotel Café
December 1st: Eve 6 at The Troubadour
December 2nd: Scarlet Grey at The Troubadour
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium 

~ Kristen
https://twitter.com/_localmusicnat

Kristen’s Concert Calendar: 4/26-5/2

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

Best Easter Egg Hunt Ever!

If you’re in Philadelphia, you should definitely check this out. I just got the following in an email from World Cafe Live:

World Cafe Live’s first-ever Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 3rd at 1 p.m. Six Easter eggs will be placed around Center City & University City with a pair of tickets in each for a certain show!!

Here is how you can play: Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/worldcafelive and on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., we will tweet six clues to help you find the eggs. Each clue is paired with one show: Ozomatli, Jason Collett, Aqualung, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars and Tao Rodriguez Seeger & Paper Bird! Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to let you know which clue goes with which show so you can be sure to hunt down the right one! When you’ve found the egg, tweet us back!

Does that not sound like the best idea for an Easter egg hunt!?! Someone in LA should set this up. I want to play!

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 10/24-10/31

Does anyone else sink into a depression when deprived of live music for over a week? This past week has just been brutal. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for redemption this week…including the event I’ve been looking forward to alllll month, Nico Vega headlining at The Roxy with Saint Motel, Imagine Dragons, and Queen Caveat. You best be there in your witchy wear!
But that’s not all. Plenty of great shows this week to get me out of this funk. Here’s what I’ve got going:

Monday: Amy Correia at House of Blues Sunset (8pm)
ALSO: John Meeks at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Jessie Baylin at Bootleg (10:30)
ALSO: Aqualung at Bardot for it’s a school night FREE with RSVP (http://www.itsaschoolnight.com/)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: Curtis Peoples and Josh Hoge at Molly Malone’s (9:30)
ALSO: Jonathan Clark at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Lights at The El Rey (9pm) 

Weds: The Nervous Wreckords at Bordello (11pm)
ALSO:  Steel Train and fun at The Music Box (8pm) 

Thursday: Free Energy and Foxy Shazam at The Troubadour (9:15, 10:15)
ALSO: Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale and Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Kate Nash at The Music Box (8pm)
ALSO: Moving Picture Show and The Nervous Wreckords at The Viper Room (10,12) 

Friday: Nico Vega, Saint Motel, Imagine Dragons, and Queen Caveat at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Electric Touch at The Viper Room (11:50)
ALSO: Maxim Ludwig and the Santa Fe Seven at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Stone Temple Pilots at Nokia Live (8pm)
ALSO: Rock N Roll Circus Halloween at The Echo featuring Andy Clockwise, Henry Clay People, Etc. (7pm) 

Saturday: last minute Halloween costume shopping….

Sunday: Purple Melon at The Viper Room (10:30)

To Keep in Mind:
November 2nd: Ingrid Michaelson at The Troubadour
November 4th: Five for Fighting at The Brixton
November 5th: Bayside at The Toubadour
November 6th-7th: Florence + The Machine at The Wiltern
November 8th-10th: A Perfect Circle at Avalon
November 12th: Teitur at Bootleg Theater
November 13th: Terrible Things and Mae at The El Rey
November 16th: The Lonely Forest at Spaceland
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
November 18th: Freelance Whales at The Troubadour
November 21st and 22nd: Dar Williams at The Hotel Café
December 1st: Eve 6 at The Troubadour
December 2nd: Scarlet Grey at The Troubadour
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium 

~ Kristen
https://twitter.com/_localmusicnat