Los Angeles – It’s woodsy and a little sad. Like listening to years, images of country and sea, and her home on the other side of the world (New Zealand). Tiny Ruins performance on Saturday consisted of a lone girl, her guitar and a very tiny space. “I usually play with a band,” said Hollie
Seattle – Palma Violets released its debut album, 180, earlier this year which we clearly loved so it was a treat to hear most of the songs on the album played live. The band was supposed to play Seattle’s Neumos on October 14 (which is big and dark and awesome) but for reasons unclear, the UK
Austin – The sisters Haim (rhymes with time), rocked the main stage on Saturday afternoon at Austin City Limits this year, riding high off the release of their debut album, “Days Are Gone“, just two weeks ago. The twentysomething San Fernando Valley natives have experienced a massive wave of success all summer, with their catchy
Nashville – Gregory Alan Isakov plays big in a quiet way. Some musicians command attention by playing a raucous performance with the volume at 10, but not Isakov. He brought only his acoustic guitar and a banjo to the stage at Mercy Lounge. The Friday night crowd mellowed to a murmur as Isakov’s soft voice
Los Angeles – Eyes glazed and already slurring Elias Bender Rønnenfelt squints looking to the back of the room. He asks for more bass in the monitor. Sound problems. The already sweating singer of the Danish punk hurricane, Iceage, has the look of a hand grenade that is about to go off. He’s been on
Seattle – Jacco Gardner could easily make you feel like you got shot back into the 1960’s. With the stars of the modern psychedelic revival borrowing heavily from the likes of Roky Erikson or The Zombies, Gardner’s more Beatlesque vibe is refreshing and unique. It allows him to fit right in on Trouble in Mind
New York – When the bass is literally the base of a band, what everything else gets written around, you know those grooves are going to be good. Russ Manning is a formally trained jazz musician, has played bass in Twin Shadow, and is now making some serious moves with his solo project Rush Midnight.
Los Angeles – “Take off your clothes.” Jake Bugg, 19, looked up from his guitar and smiled, a little embarrassed at the audience outburst, and after a beat kept singing. It was one of four times he smiled during his sold-out show at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. He looks 12. And he kind of
New York – When I first heard ZZ Ward, she was touted as a bluesy songwriter and vocal talent with a hip hop background, with a big emphasis on her collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Fitz & the Tantrums and Freddie Gibbs. My actual first impression was a vocal talent that could have easily been a
Chicago – After a half hour of projected slide show music related trivia games courtesy of the House of Blues, including my favorite “Finish The Lyric”, (“Party people in the house tonight…..” Damn it, I know this one) Detroit natives Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. interrupted the pre-concert corporate sponsored festivities with a solid thirty minutes