Picked by Todd Prodanovich

Midnight Juggernauts with Baron von Luxxury @ The Echo in Los Angeles, Monday 7/26, 8:30pm for $10 (Ages:18+)

These Australian electro-rockers blew me away with their debut album Dystopia, which became one of my all time favorites. It was rich in dark tones mixed with bright bursts of synthesizers and some proper guitar shredding. Their new album The Crystal Axis is darker, weirder, and a little harder to fathom. Still sounds like a great time to me!

Video for their new song “This New Technology”

Awesome video for “Tombstone” off Dystopia

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Picked by Daniel Burnett
Who: Toadies WITH Dead Country and the Absolute Monarchs
Where: Showbox at the Market, Seattle
When: Wednesday, July 28, 7pm
Cost: $18 ADV-$20 DOS
Age Restrictions: All ages, bar for 21+

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Picked by Michael Rincon
Who: Kathryn Ostenberg and Tyrone Wells. Both are awesome and engaging acoustic guitar performers. I’m a little more thrilled to check out Kathryn Ostenberg because of her story-like lyrics and comforting honesty.
Where: Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles
When: Friday, July 30th. Doors open at 7 PM. Show starts at 8 PM.
Cost: $ 18 in advance
Age Restrictions: 21+

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Picked by Kelly Montgomery
Who: Phosphorescent, J. Tillman
Where: Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
When: Friday, July 30th, 8 pm
Cost: $12 advance, $14 day of show
Age Restrictions: 21+

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Picked by Lauren Novik
Don’t miss The Stone Foxes (pictured above) and Dirty Sweet when they rock the Viper Room in Los Angeles this Friday, July 30!  The retro-rock mayhem is set to kick off at 10:30 p.m.  The show is 21+ and the 10 dollar cover is a small price to pay for the venue’s irresistible lineup.  No points for preparedness this time, $10 at the door, $10 in advance.

The Stone Foxes: “Stomp”

Dirty Sweet: “You’ve Been Warned”

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Picked by Laurel Johnston

This weekend, Tulsa, Oklahoma is where I want to be. Yes, you heard me correctly. On July 30th and 31st, the FreeTulsa! music festival will feature over 125 bands in the Brady Arts District of downtown Tulsa. While there are plenty of promising breakthrough acts performing on nine stages, there are two bands that are a definite must-see: Ishi and OK Sweetheart.

Ishi was recently named Best Electronic/Dance Act and Best New Act at The 2010 Dallas Observer Awards, and they were nominated for Best Group and Best Song for ‘Pastel Lights’. Ishi’s sound is almost uncategorizeable, which is why it’s so nice that they have labeled themselves ‘folktronic’ on their myspace page. Folktronic is exactly what you would hope it would be and more: a sonic dreamscape filled with a blend of real and synthesized sounds, all of them gorgeous and unusual.

OK Sweetheart is a horse of a different color, putting the throaty, lovely voice of lead singer Erin Austin over an airy, mellow alt/indie band. The group plays very well together, and Erin’s ethereal melodies and charismatic stage presence are instantly charming. Erin is also an accomplished lyricist, winning the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song “You Let Me Down”. In addition to playing South by Southwest in Austin this year, OK Sweetheart played the North by 35 Conferette in Denton, Texas.

Some of the other bands performing include: Acoustic Ross, Admiral Twin, Digital Graffiti, The Non, Lunar City, Native Lights, The Red Alert, Popular Culture, and Unwed Sailor. 

FreeTulsa! is an all-ages show. For more information, visit FreeTulsa! on Facebook. For tickets, visit TicketStorm.com. Two-day wristbands are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. The doors open at 3:00pm at 417 Main Street in downtown Tulsa on Friday, July 30th, and music starts at 4:00pm.

OK Sweetheart performs at the North by 35 Conferette

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