Local Music Nation

New Music Tuesday 5/14/13 featuring Cary Brothers, Better Looking People With Superior Ideas

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Amanda

I haven’t had much time this week to give many of these a listen, but just in case, you’re looking for some new tunes, here’s what I’d recommend…

Cary Brothers – Let Me Be

Cary Brothers has a knack for writing the saddest songs you’ve ever heard. Heartbreak oozes from every note, but Brothers is able to take this and make it beautiful. I think my favorite is the gorgeous duet, “Disappear” featuring Garrison Starr.

Steam the EP here: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2013/05/album-stream-cary-brothers—let-me-be.html

Better Looking People With Superior Ideas – Better Looking People With Superior Ideas

This one was released several months ago, but it just came across my inbox and ears this week, so maybe it’ll be new to you too. The tracks create a very distinct mood…they make me feel like I’m in the middle of watching some obscure art house film about a human falling in love with a robot.

Also new:

Snowden – No One In Control
This Century – Biography of Heartbreak
Patty Griffin – American Kid
The Boxer Rebellion – Promises
Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
Amy Grant – How Mercy Looks From Here
Laura Mvula – Sing To The Moon
The Features – The Features
Bhi Bhiman – Substitute Preacher (covers)

~ Kristen

New Music Tuesday 5/14/13 featuring Cary Brothers, Better Looking People With Superior Ideas

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Kristen

I haven’t had much time this week to give many of these a listen, but just in case, you’re looking for some new tunes, here’s what I’d recommend…

Cary Brothers – Let Me Be

Steam the EP here: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2013/05/album-stream-cary-brothers—let-me-be.html

Better Looking People With Superior Ideas – Better Looking People With Superior Ideas

Also new:

Snowden – No One In Control
This Century – Biography of Heartbreak
Patty Griffin – American Kid
The Boxer Rebellion – Promises
Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
Amy Grant – How Mercy Looks From Here
Laura Mvula – Sing To The Moon
The Features – The Features
Bhi Bhiman – Substitute Preacher (covers)

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 4/1-4/7

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Kristen

Happy Easter! After a long and tiring week, it is really nice to relax and celebrate. When I moved to Los Angeles 5 years ago, one of the things I knew I would miss would be sharing these big holidays with my family, but I’m pretty sure that first year celebrating Easter in LA was when I realized what a great new family I had made here. And in the subsequent years this gathering has become my yearly reminder of how many wonderful and inspiring people I have since met and claimed as my own. I’m pretty sure this year is our largest gathering yet. I mean, the leg of lamb my roommate brought home yesterday…well, I wasn’t even sure it would fit in the oven!

I hope to extend my celebratory mood into the week with the help of some excellent shows. I think the two I’m most looking forward to are the amazing string of acts at The Hotel Cafe Wednesday and Sunday nights. People often ask me what my favorite venue in LA is and I have to say The Hotel Cafe because there is no other venue that can so consistently put together solid lineups from front to back. As much as I venue hop, sometimes it’s nice to see a bunch of your favorites all in one place…

Monday: Western Scene FREE at Bootleg Bar (9:30)
ALSO: 8MM FREE at The Viper Room (11pm)…performance after a video screening of Tapeheads at 8pm
ALSO: Stonefeather FREE at The Satellite (10pm)
ALSO: Monday Monday FREE at Room 5 featuring Garrison Star, AG, Broken Anchor, Whispertown, etc. (8pm)

Tuesday: Basement Sessions FREE at Hemmingway’s featuring The Gallery and Great White Buffalo (9:30)
ALSO: Matt Hires at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Low at The Troubadour (9:30)
ALSO: Beachwood Night FREE at The Piano Bar (8pm)

Weds: William Beckett w/ Jillette Johnson, Tyler Hilton, David & Devine at The Hotel Cafe (7, 9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: Glen Hansard at The Grammy Museum (8pm)
ALSO: Bronze Radio Return at Bootleg Bar (10pm)
ALSO: Armada and Red Circle Underground at Silverlake Lounge (9, 10)
ALSO: Fortress Social Club at Harvard and Stone (11:30)
ALSO: Air Dubai and For The Foxes at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Goo Goo Dolls at The Troubadour (8pm)

Thursday: NO at The Troubadour (10:15)
ALSO: Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October) and Joe Firstman at The Hotel Cafe (7:30, 10:30)
ALSO: Kopecky Family Band at The Satellite (10pm)
ALSO: Zero 1 at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Colin Hay at Largo (8:30)

Friday: The Rescues at The Hotel Cafe (9:30)
ALSO: George Stanfrod at Harvelle’s (8:30)
ALSO: Blackberry Smoke at House of Blues Sunset (8pm)
ALSO: Soul Asylum with The Bolts, A Mayfield Affair, Still The Sky’s Limit at The Roxy (8pm)

Saturday: The Rescues at The Hotel Cafe (9:30)
ALSO: Keaton Simons and Lee Dewyze FREE at Universal City Walk (8pm)
ALSO: Meiko at The Hapa Festival at the Japanese American National Museum (7:30)
ALSO: Solwave FREE at TRiP (8pm)
ALSO: Taddy Porter at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Jill Sobule at McCabes (8pm)

Sunday: Scott Mellis, Zane Carney, Ernie Halter and Friends w/ Keaton Simons, Curtis Peoples, etc. at The Hotel Cafe (7, 8, 9)
ALSO: Zookeeper’s Palace at The Viper Room (9pm)

To Keep in Mind:
April 9^th: Andrew Ripp at The Hotel Cafe
April 10^th: Curtis Peoples at The Roxy
April 13^th: Langhorne Slim at The Echoplex
April 16^th: The Neighbourhood at The El Rey
April 17^th: Lelia Broussard at The Hotel Cafe
April 18^th: Little Green Cars at The Troubadour
April 20^th: Tyrone Wells and Wakey!Wakey! at The Troubadour
April 23^rd: The Revival Tour at The El Rey
April 25^th: Dear Boy at Bootleg Bar
April 26^th: Chappo at The Satellite
April 27^th: The Virginmarys at The Viper Room
May 2^nd: Lights at The El Rey
May 2^nd: Crash Kings at Saint Rocke
May 2^nd: Meiko at Los Globos
May 4^th: The Brobecks at Amplyfi
May 4^th: Alice Russell at First Unitarian Church
May 7^th: Tom Odell at The Troubadour
May 7^th: Dinner and a Suit at The Roxy
May 8^th/9^th: Milk Carton Kids at Largo
May 9^th: Dead Sara at The El Rey
May 9^th: Sara Watkins, Fiction Family, Kris Orlowski at Bootleg Theater
May 12^th: Stephen Kellogg at The Hotel Café
May 14^th: Sara Bareilles at The El Rey
May 15^th: Andrew McMahon at The Troubadour
May 18-19^th: Overture Con at The Mint
May 21^st: Kate Nash at The Echo
May 22^nd: Youngblood Hawke at Avalon
May 24^th: Sir Sly at The Troubadour
May 29^th/30^th: Imagine Dragons at Hollywood Palladium
June 1^st: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Wiltern
June 1^st: CHVRCHES at The Troubadour
June 5^th: Jewel at Saban Theatre
June 6^th: Capital Cities at The El Rey
June 7^th: The Boxer Rebellion at Avalon
August 19^th/20^th: Ed Sheeran at The Staples Center

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 2/11-2/17

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Kristen

Debating whether to watch the Grammy’s tonight. I’ve only marginally paid attention to the nominations, but I do know there are a couple I’m rooting for. Ed Sheeran, The Lumineers, Halestorm, and Mumford & Sons being at the top of my list.

This weekend didn’t exactly go as planned so now I’m watching my favorite Hitchcock film and eating cookie dough wrapped in my Pepper’s Ghost hoodie. I miss films that make you think; think about film-making, think about the human condition, think about murder (any guesses as to the film I’m watching?).

Thinking about next week, there are many good shows, but if I could only go to one it would be Dear Boy Wednesday night at The Troubadour. Did you see this? http://www.localmusicnation.net/2013/02/01/new-band-alert-dear-boy/

As for the rest:

Monday: A House for Lions with Soft Swells, The New Limb, and Blonde Summer FREE at The Echoplex (9pm)
ALSO: The Mowgli’s with Terraplane Sun FREE at The Satellite (10pm)
ALSO: Wires in the Walls FREE at Silverlake Lounge (10:30)
ALSO: Foy Vance and You Me & Apollo at The Hotel Cafe (7,8)
ALSO: Professor Possessor FREE at The Bootleg Bar (8:30)
ALSO: Skylar Grey at The Key Club FREE with RSVP http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4827046827 (7pm)
ALSO: Monday Monday FREE at Room 5 featuring Adrianne, Garrison Starr, Jackie Does Joel, etc (8pm)

Tuesday: Beachwood Tuesdays FREE at The Piano Bar (8pm)
ALSO: Ellie Goulding at Hollywood Palladium (8pm)

Weds: Dear Boy at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Escondido with Wild Cub at The Standard Downtown
ALSO: Sir Sly with Tapioca and The Flea and Frank + Derol FREE at The Echo (9pm)…it’s free, but if you RSVP, you’re more likely to get it (there was a line out the door last week) http://do213.net/event/2013/02/13/sir-sly
ALSO: Western Scene at The Spare Room (9:30)…video release party
ALSO: Papa Roach and Stone Sour at Club Nokia (7:30)

Thursday: James David and Mariah McManus at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Terra Naomi at WitZend (8pm)

Friday: Harper Blynn covers set FREE at The Hotel Cafe (11pm)
ALSO: Soundgarden at The Wiltern (7pm)

Saturday: The Elizabeth Kill at Molly Malone’s (8pm)
ALSO: We Were Indians at Casey’s Irish Bar Downtown (11pm)
ALSO: The Record Company at The Satellite (10pm)
ALSO: K. Flay and Icona Pop at The Troubadour (9,10)
ALSO: Sweetwater & The Satisfaction, Mike Cooley (Drive By Truckers), and D Henry Fenton at The Hotel Cafe (8, 9:30, 12)
ALSO: Pink with The Hives at The Staples Center (8pm)
ALSO: Local Music Stage at Year of the Snake Lunar New Year Festival in Chinatown (outdoor stage) FREE featuring Western Scene, Mind the Gap, Eastern Conference Champions (noon – 8:30)
ALSO: Shawn Mullins at McCabe’s (8pm)
ALSO: Soundgarden at The Wiltern (7pm)

Sunday: Local Music Stage at Year of the Snake Lunar New Year Festival in Chinatown (outdoor stage) FREE featuring Drive He Said and Y LUV (noon – 5)
ALSO: Mike Cooley (Drive-By Truckers) at McCabe’s (9:30)
ALSO: Ed Sheeran at Nokia Theatre LA Live (8pm)
ALSO: Soundgarden at The Wiltern (7pm)

To Keep in Mind:
Feb. 20^st: twenty one pilots at The Troubadour
Feb. 21^st: The Shakers at The Roxy
Feb. 26^th: Anberlin at The House of Blues Sunset
Feb. 28^th: Matthew Perryman Jones at Bootleg Bar
Feb. 28^th: Jukebox the Ghost at The Echo
Feb. 28^th: Rumors at The Roxy
March 1^st: Queen Caveat at The Viper Room
March 1^st: Free Energy at Bootleg Bar
March 2^nd: The Ranch music festival
March 5^th: Marcus Foster at The Troubadour
March 5^th: Mother Mother at The Viper Room
March 7^th: Youngblood Hawke at The Troubadour
March 7,8,9: Buckcherry at The Viper Room
March 8^th: Boy at The Troubadour
March 12^th: CHVRCHES at The Echo
March 13^th: Frightened Rabbit at The Music Box
March 15^th: Anais Mitchell at McCabe’s
March 19^th: Ivan & Alyosha at The Echo
March 19^th: Everything Everything at The Roxy
March 19^th: Foxes at Bootleg Bar
March 20^th: Nico Vega, Atlas Genius, and Imagine Dragons at The Wiltern
March 20^th: Charlotte Church at The Troubadour
March 24^th: Janis Ian at McCabe’s
April 20^th: Tyrone Wells and Wakey!Wakey! at The Troubadour
April 23^rd: The Revival Tour at The El Rey
May 18-19^th: Overture Con at The Mint
June 1^st: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Wiltern
August 19^th/20^th: Ed Sheeran at The Staples Center

~ Kristen

Kristen’s 2012 Mix – Track 12 – Garrison Starr

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Kristen

I spend all year going to shows and collecting songs and pictures and stories. I’ve spent the last month or so compiling some of my top musical memories into a music mix with accompanying booklet (my favorite little crafting project). So, here I share with you my top tracks of 2012.

Enjoy!!

With most of my favorite singer-songwriters moving away from LA in the past year or so, Garrison Starr is one of those who stayed, instantly elevating her to the top of my local songwriters list. This year she released her album, Amateur, which contains this song.

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 9/3-9/9

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Kristen

Happy Labor Day Weekend (whatever that means to you)! I hope you are all able to get out and enjoy the weekend. As for me, I haven’t seen much of the sun in the last couple of days. I’m trying to get some work done in order to clear my schedule for important events happening over the next few weeks. Fortunately, my writing companion is Biffy Clyro’s Revolutions: Live at Wembley DVD which helps keep me focused…sometimes.

I did see the blue moon Friday night and I celebrated by going to The Hotel Cafe see one of my favorite bands, Truth & Salvage Co. play a secret show under their former name, The Denim Family Band. This filled me with nostalgia as it was the year I moved to LA that I discovered this band and saw them at The Hotel Cafe numerous times. Ah, memories…

More potential musical memories up for grabs this week at the following shows. Obviously, my pick of the week is The Silent Comedy who open for The Heavy at The El Rey on Friday, but here are all my musical recommendations:

Monday: Kitten FREE at Bootleg Bar (10:30)
ALSO: The Lonely Wild FREE at The Satellite (11pm)

Tuesday: Voxhaul Broadcast at The Viper Room (9:15)
ALSO: The Muddy Reds at The Central (10pm)
ALSO: My Satellite FREE at Hemingways
ALSO: post-labor day carousal at The Piano Bar featuring Lowlight, Dave Green, Jesse Cole, and Foster Timms (9pm)
ALSO: Gaby Moreno at Largo (8:30)
ALSO: Gotye at The Greek Theatre (7pm)

Weds: David & Devine and Armada at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)…Armada’s Record Release Show
ALSO: Makepeace Brothers at WitZend (8pm)

Thursday: NO FREE at The Santa Monica Pier (7pm)
ALSO: The Material at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Sweet Talk Radio at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)…Record Release Show
ALSO: The Dollyrots at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: John C Reilly & Friends at Largo (9pm)

Friday: The Silent Comedy and The Heavy at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Belmont Lights and SO & SO at The House of Blues (8pm)…Belmont Lights Record Release
ALSO: Holly Conlan, The Young Romans, Madi Diaz at The Hotel Cafe (8,9,10)
ALSO: Crosby, Stills & Nash at The Greek Theatre (7:30)

Saturday: Garrison Starr, Adrianne, Maia Sharp at Room 5 (9pm)
ALSO: The Elizabeth Kill at Molly Malone’s (10pm)
ALSO: Lady Sinatra at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: The Honda Civic Tour at The Home Depot Center featuring MUTEMATH, Incubus, and Linkin Park (5:30)

Sunday: The Ataris at The Roxy (10pm)
ALSO: Pink Martini at The Greek Theatre (7:30)

To Keep in Mind:
September 12^th: Allen Stone at Hollywood Bowl
September 14th: Teitur at The Hotel Cafe
September 14th: The Hives at The Wiltern
September 19^th: Band of Skulls at The Fonda Theatre
September 20^th: Howie Day at The Hotel Cafe
September 22nd: Epicenter at Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre
September 22nd: Sondre Lerche at The Troubadour
September 27^th: Mary Chapin Carpenter and Sara Watkins at Club Nokia
October 1st: Ed Sheeran at The Wiltern
October 1st: Safety Suit at The Roxy
October 2nd: Garbage at The Hollywood Palladium
October 2nd: The Lumineers at The Fonda Theatre
October 4th: The Milk Carton Kids at The Largo
October 4^th-7^th: Culture Collide Festival
October 6^th: Ben Howard at The Fonda Theatre
October 9^th: The Wallflowers and Everest at The Fonda Theatre
October 11th: Awolnation and Imagine Dragons at Club Nokia
October 13^th: Marcus Foster at The Roxy
October 16^th: First Aid Kit at The Fonda Theatre
October 19th: Tony Lucca at The Roxy
October 19th: Frightened Rabbit at The Troubadour
October 19^th: Allen Stone at The Music Box
October 20th: Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers at Saint Rocke
October 23^rd: Shiny Toy Guns at The Echoplex
October 24^th: The Darkness at Club Nokia
October 25^th: Bayside at Club Nokia
October 27^th: Queen Caveat at The Roxy
November 2nd: NEEDTOBREATHE at Fox Theater Pomona
November 3^rd: All American Rejects at The Wiltern
November 6th: Jens Lekman at Fonda Theatre
November 8^th: The Kin at The Roxy
November 16^th: Joshua Radin and A Fine Frenzy at The Wiltern
November 20^th: The Postelles and Mayday Parade at House of Blues
November 20^th: Rachel Yamagata at The El Rey

~ Kristen