Watch This!: Map The Music

I met “accidental filmmaker” Samantha Hale at The Hotel Cafe’s annual Christmas party. We started talking music. We bonded. She is one of those people that “gets it”…that gets me. Like me, she’s a live music addict. Also, like me, she’s a researcher. After the loss of her father, she turned to music as a way to survive. Her personal experience lead her to explore the impact music has on people in the form of a documentary film.

Map The Music takes Samantha on the road, interviewing fans and artists, asking questions about what music means to them and why they do what they do. The film features some of my favorite musicians (Imogen Heap, Charlotte Martin, Cary Brothers, Rachel Yamagata, Jim Bianco, etc.) and really gets to the root of why music is so important. Any film that makes the argument that all of us who go a bit “crazy” when it comes to going to shows are really the normal ones…well, that’s a film I want to watch!

I’ve already watched the film twice today and I’m contemplating throwing a viewing party. People need to see this film! It’s not just a film about Samantha and her personal journey; it’s a film about all of us…all of us who live show by show, to whom music means…everything!  

 What does it explore?

Music as addiction. Music as religion. Music as hope. Music as life. Music as medicine. Music as connection. Music as home.

To learn more go here. To follow on tumbler go here.  DVD available at insound.com.

For a preview, check this out:

~ Kristen

Still plenty of room at Hotel Carolina…

Hotel Carolina: From what I hear, it’s like going camping on the beach…but you know that guy/gal who’s always strumming the guitar around the campfire?…well multiply that by about 20 and make them all your very favorite singer-songwriters.

Friday August 27th music lovers will descend upon Isle of Palms, South Carolina and make our way to the legendary Windjammer where we will spend a weekend being serenaded by the likes of Joe Firstman and Matt Duke, going to BBQs, hanging out on the beach, and participating in several artist vs. fan sporting events (flip cup anyone?).

Need any more temptation? Well, okay! Amazon.com is giving away a FREE sampler featuring the artists who will be participating in this year’s event.

Go to The Hotel Carolina website  to learn even more about the event and the featured artists.

This year’s line-up is particularly exciting to me and includes several of my favorites. Looks like this:

Todd Carey
The Bridges
Curtis Peoples
Joe Firstman
Josh Hoge
Sequoyah Prep School
Tony Lucca

Jim Bianco
Jay Nash
Sun Domingo
Matt Duke
Keaton Simons
Benjy Davis Project
Ernie Halter

Convinced? Go here to get your tickets!

Even if you can’t make it to the event, you should still check out these amazing artists!

Listen! Learn! LOVE!

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert List 3/8-3/14

It’s Oscar night! So I’m going to make this brief. There are so many good shows this week, I’m a bit overwhelmed with the choices…and I didn’t even do an exhaustive search.  All I know is that I’m not going to be sleeping much…and I wish I had a double (someone needs to go to these shows I can’t go to and report back!).
Here’s what I’ve got cooking:

Monday: Aimee Miriello at Molly Malone’s (10pm)

ALSO: Barcelona at Saint Rocke (8pm)

Tuesday: Big Pink and IO Echo at El Rey (7pm)

ALSO: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour (9pm)

ALSO: The Rescues and Honeyhoney at Saint Rocke (8pm)

ALSO: Laura Veirs at Spaceland (8:30)

Weds: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour (9pm)

ALSO: Cary Brothers and Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (8,10)

ALSO: Delta Spirit at Bootleg (11pm)

ALSO: Olin and The Moon at Spaceland (8:30)

ALSO: Agent Ribbon at The Silverlake Lounge (11pm)

ALSO: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah in San Diego (8:30)

ALSO: Beachwood Rocker’s Society at Crane’s

Thursday: Melissa Ferrick, Jim Bianco, Joey Ryan, and Caitlin Crosby and Jay Nash at The Hotel Cafe (7,9,10,11)…so much great music all night long!

ALSO: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah in San Diego (8:30)… I’m driving down if anyone wants to carpool…

ALSO: Purple Melon at Molly Malone’s (10pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Friday: Bleecker Street featuring Paris Carney and Matthew Jordan at Molly Malone’s (8pm)

ALSO: Basia Bulat, Brother Sal, and Truth & Salvage Co. with The Parsons Red Heads at The Hotel Cafe (8,9,10)…last week was insane…don’t miss out!

ALSO: Brandi Carlile at House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Saturday: Great Northern at Bootleg (10:30)

ALSO: The Hereafter at Molly Malone’s (9pm)

ALSO: Until June and Lady Danville at Saint Rocke (8pm)

ALSO: The Other Side of Morning at The Loft (10pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Sunday: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

To Keep in Mind:

March 26th: Nico Vega and Metric at Hollywood Palladium

March 27th: San Diego Indie Fest featuring Metric

March 27th/28th: Bamboozled Left featuring Something Corporate and AFI

April 6th: Paper Tongues at The Troubadour

April 9th: Lights and Owl City at Club Nokia

April 12th: Butch Walker at El Rey

April 16th: George Stanford CD release at The Hotel Café

April 16th-19th: Coachella

Sometime in May: CARNEY at El Rey…just block out the entire month in anticipation…  

June 10-13th: BONNAROO

~ Kristen

Kristen's LA Concert List 3/8-3/14

It’s Oscar night! So I’m going to make this brief. There are so many good shows this week, I’m a bit overwhelmed with the choices…and I didn’t even do an exhaustive search.  All I know is that I’m not going to be sleeping much…and I wish I had a double (someone needs to go to these shows I can’t go to and report back!).

Here’s what I’ve got cooking:

Monday: Aimee Miriello at Molly Malone’s (10pm)

ALSO: Barcelona at Saint Rocke (8pm)

Tuesday: Big Pink and IO Echo at El Rey (7pm)

ALSO: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour (9pm)

ALSO: The Rescues and Honeyhoney at Saint Rocke (8pm)

ALSO: Laura Veirs at Spaceland (8:30)

Weds: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour (9pm)

ALSO: Cary Brothers and Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (8,10)

ALSO: Delta Spirit at Bootleg (11pm)

ALSO: Olin and The Moon at Spaceland (8:30)

ALSO: Agent Ribbon at The Silverlake Lounge (11pm)

ALSO: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah in San Diego (8:30)

ALSO: Beachwood Rocker’s Society at Crane’s

Thursday: Melissa Ferrick, Jim Bianco, Joey Ryan, and Caitlin Crosby and Jay Nash at The Hotel Cafe (7,9,10,11)…so much great music all night long!

ALSO: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah in San Diego (8:30)… I’m driving down if anyone wants to carpool…

ALSO: Purple Melon at Molly Malone’s (10pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Friday: Bleecker Street featuring Paris Carney and Matthew Jordan at Molly Malone’s (8pm)

ALSO: Basia Bulat, Brother Sal, and Truth & Salvage Co. with The Parsons Red Heads at The Hotel Cafe (8,9,10)…last week was insane…don’t miss out!

ALSO: Brandi Carlile at House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Saturday: Great Northern at Bootleg (10:30)

ALSO: The Hereafter at Molly Malone’s (9pm)

ALSO: Until June and Lady Danville at Saint Rocke (8pm)

ALSO: The Other Side of Morning at The Loft (10pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Sunday: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

To Keep in Mind:

March 26th: Nico Vega and Metric at Hollywood Palladium

March 27th: San Diego Indie Fest featuring Metric

March 27th/28th: Bamboozled Left featuring Something Corporate and AFI

April 6th: Paper Tongues at The Troubadour

April 9th: Lights and Owl City at Club Nokia

April 12th: Butch Walker at El Rey

April 16th: George Stanford CD release at The Hotel Café

April 16th-19th: Coachella

Sometime in May: CARNEY at El Rey…just block out the entire month in anticipation…  

June 10-13th: BONNAROO

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA weekly concert calendar: 3/1-3/7

Alright folks, it’s finally happened! Thanks to my musical partner in crime, Amanda, I have a blog! Amanda and I are working on it together (AKA she is doing most of the work…and I’m just posting my musical musings). The blog is entitled Local Music Nation. The goal of this project of ours is to eventually morph the blog into a full blown website where people can post about their favorite local bands based on region (this is how I’ve always classified bands).  And then other people can easily find good shows to go to when they travel (something I always struggle with) or just discover great new bands before they get too big. For now, we’re just covering LA and SD…and whatever other places and groups we happen to be inspired by.  
We’re still messing around with formats and such and learning the basics of how to be a blogger. We are leaning towards using Tumblr (you can post mp3s on it for free) vs. WordPress (a bit easier on the eyes and, in my opinion, more flexible), but for now have both running.

So, please check out our sites and let us know what you think. Any comments, suggestions, helpful tips would be much appreciated. From now on, this email will be posted on our blog (but don’t worry, I still plan on sending it to your inbox as well). But if you want more up to date information, concert reviews, info on bands I’m obsessing over or songs that are inspiring me…you should check out the blog on a more regular basis! Also, if you ever find yourselves journeying down to San Diego, Amanda will have all your musical needs covered.

So, check this out: http://localmusicnation.tumblr.com/

And/or this: http://thelocalmusicla.wordpress.com/

And onto the events of this week. Here’s what I’ve got planned:

Monday: Paris Carney at Room 5 (8pm)

ALSO: Aimee Miriello at Molly Malone’s  (10pm)

ALSO: Ari Hest at The Hotel Café (8pm)

Tuesday: Lucy Woodward at The Hotel Café (9pm)

ALSO: The Hounds Below and Miranda Lee Richards at Spaceland (10pm)

Weds: Vienne at Molly Malone’s (8:30)

ALSO: Austin Hartley-Leonard and Amber Rubarth at The Hotel Café (9,10)

ALSO: Keaton Simons at Room 5 (9:30)

ALSO: Pawnshop Kings at The Roxy (8pm)

ALSO: Beachwood Rocker’s Society at Crane’s

Thursday: Joey Ryan, Jim Bianco, and Honeyhoney at The Hotel Café (8,9,10)

ALSO: Purple Melon at The Mint (10pm)

ALSO: Mike Doughty at The Troubadour (9pm)

Friday: Bell X1 and Truth & Salvage Co. at The Hotel Café (9,10)

ALSO: Adam H. Stephens (from Two Gallants) at The Troubadour (8pm)

ALSO: The Bird & the Bee at The El Rey (8pm)

Saturday: Curtis Peoples at The Mint (9pm)

ALSO: Killswitch Engage at The Wiltern (8pm)

ALSO: Paris Carney at Molly Malone’s (9pm)

ALSO: Opus Dai and Visa at The Troubadour (10pm)

ALSO: Joe Henry at Largo at The Coronet (8pm)

ALSO: Benefit show at The Echoplex featuring The Submarines and Thao Nguyen (noon)

Sunday:  The Academy Awards!!

To Keep in Mind:

March 9th and 10th: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour

March 11th and 12th: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah

March 11th: Joey Ryan and Melissa Ferrick at The Hotel Café

March 27th: San Diego Indie Fest featuring Metric

March 27th/28th: Bamboozled Left featuring Something Corporate and AFI

April 9th: Lights and Owl City at Club Nokia

April 16th: George Stanford CD release at The Hotel Café

April 16th-19th: Coachella

June 10-13th: BONNAROO

Mp3s

  • “Eve, the Apple of My Eye”- Bell X1
  • “I Just Want The Girl In The Blue Dress to Keep on Dancing” – Mike Doughty  

 

~ Kristen

p.s. if you still haven’t checked this out, please do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOkKufaZ84s  (and look for me!)

Kristen's LA weekly concert calendar: 3/1-3/7

Alright folks, it’s finally happened! Thanks to my musical partner in crime, Amanda, I have a blog! Amanda and I are working on it together (AKA she is doing most of the work…and I’m just posting my musical musings). The blog is entitled Local Music Nation. The goal of this project of ours is to eventually morph the blog into a full blown website where people can post about their favorite local bands based on region (this is how I’ve always classified bands).  And then other people can easily find good shows to go to when they travel (something I always struggle with) or just discover great new bands before they get too big. For now, we’re just covering LA and SD…and whatever other places and groups we happen to be inspired by.  

We’re still messing around with formats and such and learning the basics of how to be a blogger. We are leaning towards using Tumblr (you can post mp3s on it for free) vs. WordPress (a bit easier on the eyes and, in my opinion, more flexible), but for now have both running.

So, please check out our sites and let us know what you think. Any comments, suggestions, helpful tips would be much appreciated. From now on, this email will be posted on our blog (but don’t worry, I still plan on sending it to your inbox as well). But if you want more up to date information, concert reviews, info on bands I’m obsessing over or songs that are inspiring me…you should check out the blog on a more regular basis! Also, if you ever find yourselves journeying down to San Diego, Amanda will have all your musical needs covered.

So, check this out: http://localmusicnation.tumblr.com/

And/or this: http://thelocalmusicla.wordpress.com/

And onto the events of this week. Here’s what I’ve got planned:

Monday: Paris Carney at Room 5 (8pm)

ALSO: Aimee Miriello at Molly Malone’s  (10pm)

ALSO: Ari Hest at The Hotel Café (8pm)

Tuesday: Lucy Woodward at The Hotel Café (9pm)

ALSO: The Hounds Below and Miranda Lee Richards at Spaceland (10pm)

Weds: Vienne at Molly Malone’s (8:30)

ALSO: Austin Hartley-Leonard and Amber Rubarth at The Hotel Café (9,10)

ALSO: Keaton Simons at Room 5 (9:30)

ALSO: Pawnshop Kings at The Roxy (8pm)

ALSO: Beachwood Rocker’s Society at Crane’s

Thursday: Joey Ryan, Jim Bianco, and Honeyhoney at The Hotel Café (8,9,10)

ALSO: Purple Melon at The Mint (10pm)

ALSO: Mike Doughty at The Troubadour (9pm)

Friday: Bell X1 and Truth & Salvage Co. at The Hotel Café (9,10)

ALSO: Adam H. Stephens (from Two Gallants) at The Troubadour (8pm)

ALSO: The Bird & the Bee at The El Rey (8pm)

Saturday: Curtis Peoples at The Mint (9pm)

ALSO: Killswitch Engage at The Wiltern (8pm)

ALSO: Paris Carney at Molly Malone’s (9pm)

ALSO: Opus Dai and Visa at The Troubadour (10pm)

ALSO: Joe Henry at Largo at The Coronet (8pm)

ALSO: Benefit show at The Echoplex featuring The Submarines and Thao Nguyen (noon)

Sunday:  The Academy Awards!!

To Keep in Mind:

March 9th and 10th: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour

March 11th and 12th: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah

March 11th: Joey Ryan and Melissa Ferrick at The Hotel Café

March 27th: San Diego Indie Fest featuring Metric

March 27th/28th: Bamboozled Left featuring Something Corporate and AFI

April 9th: Lights and Owl City at Club Nokia

April 16th: George Stanford CD release at The Hotel Café

April 16th-19th: Coachella

June 10-13th: BONNAROO

Mp3s

  • “Eve, the Apple of My Eye”- Bell X1
  • “I Just Want The Girl In The Blue Dress to Keep on Dancing” – Mike Doughty  

 

~ Kristen

p.s. if you still haven’t checked this out, please do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOkKufaZ84s  (and look for me!)

“…your voice is echoing again through catacombs inside my mind…” – Breathless by Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson just blows my mind every time. The man is a genius.  Tonight at The Hotel Café he mostly played new songs which is great on the one hand because I was able to hear new brilliance for the first time, but on the other hand, so much goes unplayed.  He did manage to squeeze in my two faves “Breathless” and “Free Life” plus a good one from his Semisonic days (“Singing in my Sleep”) so I was left feeling completely satisfied.

The entire evening was full of amazing music. Jim Bianco is always such a treat to watch. He has this new song from his forthcoming CD that I think takes his music to a whole new level. But, of course, he sings that one right before a song that calls for strippers…

Joey Ryan is one of my new faves and deserves a blurb all to himself (forthcoming).

And my intuition about Scars on 45 was spot on! I have a very good feeling about this group that was just signed to Chop Shop Records and are working on recording their debut album…next stop for them: SXSW. Definitely keep your eyes and ears open for these guys…

Next up: Nico Vega at El Rey…NOT to be missed!

~ Kristen