In 1997, after phenomenal freshman and sophomore albums, Oasis released Be Here Now. Even though many critics liked the album, some criticized the overproduced sound and bloated length. Oasis had tried to go from early Beatles to White Album Beatles overnight and while the album sold well it was still considered a disappointment. It sort
Last November I had the pleasure of attending two nights of Chasing Kings‘ residency at Silverlake Lounge. Since then, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard their name mentioned in passing by new fans, and I even ran into the group hanging out at The Roxy a few weeks ago at a showcase.
It seems like bands will do try just about anything to distinguish themselves and attract the attention of potential fans. But a precious few are able to naturally and instantly appeal to both the eyes and ears in such a way as to not only draw attention, but keep it. The Nervous Wreckords is one
Ivan & Alyosha is a four-piece that began as a solo project for Tim Wilson a few years ago, quickly growing to include Ryan Carbary, Tim Kim, and Pete Wilson. I was at first intrigued by the blend of americana and indie rock and their traditional yet deeply thoughtful songwriting. But after I saw a
I watched several live performances of Truth and Salvage Co. on their YouTube channel before listening to their eponymous debut album (now available on iTunes), and I was immediately charmed by the six-piece Southern rock band’s ability to effortlessly nail four-part harmonies. The group consists of Scott Kinnebrew and Tim Jones on vocals and guitars,
I didn’t know what to expect when I dove into Pepper Rabbit’s new release, Beauregard. I didn’t think I was familiar with the band, but I guess by association I was expecting them to sound something like Pepper, so I put off listening to the album for a few days. When I finally sat down
When I walked into Jesca Hoop’s dressing room at The Music Box, I felt at ease immediately. Perhaps it was the familiar, intoxicating scent of my favorite hairspray, or perhaps it was Jesca’s faded Andrew Bird tee. Or maybe it was the larger-than-life singer herself, whose unusually magnetic persona seemed to barely fit inside her
Last night I traveled to beautiful downtown Santa Barbara to see the Easy Star All Stars perform with Cas Haley at the Soho Restauarant and Music Club (check out my review of Cas live at The Roxy here). Easy Star All Stars have garnered many fans with their cover albums of Radiohead‘s OK Computer, The
Since moving to L.A., I’ve wondered about the lack of movement and social interaction in the audience at live shows. It seems that everyone comes as a couple or in a small group and sticks to themselves. Last night at The Roxy was an exception; last night felt like I was back home in Denton,