In the middle of her set at the Independent in San Francisco, Thursday night, Nicki Bluhm removed the green sweater she was wearing over a black backless shirt and began to belt out Linda Ronstadt’s country hit “You’re No Good” from when Ms. Ronstadt was a country artist. It wasn’t Linda Ronstadt that I thought…

The floor was shaking, hands were raised to the sky and the man on the microphone was pontificating emphatically as sweat rolled down his furrowed brow. Was I in the Abyssinian Baptist Church celebrating a revival? I might as well have been, but instead, I was at the Delta Spirit show at the Fillmore in San…

In her performance at Bowery Ballroom, Ane Brun was able to balance minimalism with impact, creating stirring compositions that were enigmatic in their subtlety. This was evident from the first song, “These Days,” which she sang with controlled urgency, backed by soft organ and just enough percussion to push the pulse. This, and every one…

Years from now, when Las Vegas-based Imagine Dragons are playing to sold out arenas and aren’t considered a new band; fans will look back on nights like Tuesday at the Independent in San Francisco and wonder why they weren’t there. They’ll wonder how they could have missed out on such a ridiculously talented band and…

While the majority of Angelinos spent their Cinco de Mayo drinking strong margaritas at unnecessarily busy Mexican restaurants, I spent mine at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood with Ernest Greene and his band, Washed Out. I’ve been a fan of Greene’s tranquil brand of chillwave since he released his first EP in 2009, and I…