Album Review: RACES, Year of the Witch

races_cover5x7

Los Angeles band RACES is hitting the scene with their first full-length album, Year of the Witch. Formed in 2009, RACES have distinguished themselves through their alternative, orchestral, rolling melodies and awesomely spastic moments of fuzzed-up, garage instrumentals. This LP is the follow up to their Big Broom EP and limited edition 7” featuring songs

Continue Reading →

Album Review: Brian Lopez – Ultra

Brian_Lopez_Ultra

Brian Lopez, a soulful, curly-headed, Tucson-raised singer-songwriter has made his way on to my music radar and left a great first impression with his first solo, full-length album, album, Ultra.  Branching out from his role as the leader of experimental three-piece group Mostly Bears (which, according to Wikipedia, [awesomely] sounds like “Radiohead circa 1996 getting

Continue Reading →

Album Review: Fun. – Some Nights

fun-some-nights-album-cover-art-640x640

  The boys of fun.–lead singer/songwriter Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff, and Andrew Dost–are back with their second studio album,  Some Nights, which drops today.  As a long time Nate Ruess fan, from his Format days, I feel qualified and obligated to review this record.  People who are just beginning to listen to fun. might be

Continue Reading →

Concert Review: Kid is Qual, thatwasthen With Help of Andrew McMahon Co-Headline The Troubadour

thatwasthen_troubadour_sign

Thursday night, the Troubadour had a killer lineup of L.A. Locals: Kid is Qual and thatwasthen co-headlined, introduced by Acidic and Bikelock.  The crowd consisted of a lot of music veterans and industry people, mainly because Kid is Qual and Bikelock are offshoots of the band Jack’s Mannequin.  This also meant that Jack’s Mannequin lead

Continue Reading →

Emily’s Army Storms The Roxy

emilys_army_12

On Friday night, I was treated to a night of youthful energy, served up by the contagiously vivacious punk quartet from Oakland, CA: Emily’s Army.  This group of kids–seriously, they’re still in high school–lit up The Roxy in Los Angeles and outshined the bright, colored lights beneath which they performed. Walking in to the dark

Continue Reading →