Keaton Simons new album asks “Can you hear me?” The answer is a resounding yes, and we want to hear more! From the moment I popped this album into my CD player, I was amazed by the talent Simons displays. I wondered where on earth he could have been hiding, but I suppose that an unimportant question now that I’ve been graced by his musical magic. Woo!
En route towards a Paolo Nutini/Gavin Degraw-esque sound, Simons differs in ways that prove to be extremely successful for this album. Think a dash of pizzazz, a sprinkle of edge, and a pinch of fresh that make his sound something worth hearing. He succeeds in coercing you to want to listen to what he’s saying; mainly because unlike some artists, he sounds like he has lived. Through his music you, in turn, are experiencing his experiences, and isn’t that what music is all about?
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Tags: Reviews · artists
Well I’m not going to lie. Before I even went to The Cat Club for the Silent Treatment show August 16th, I knew it was going to be great. The energy, dedication, and passion that radiated from their album (that I had the pleasure of reviewing last week) was so heavily reflected in their live show that it blew my mind times ten. I think what struck me most is just the feeling that I was in the presence of rock stars. And honestly I haven’t felt that way at a show in a while. I mean, a lot of the shows I’ve gone to in the recent past have been chock full of emo hairstyles, skinny jeans, and that sort of hipster dance where you’re not quite sure if you’re allowed to show that you actually LIKE the song so you just sorta shake your tush for a while in sync with the mass of other unemotional hip kids around you. But this was such a far cry from all of that. [Read more →]
Tags: Uncategorized
Silent Treatment
I”ll be honest here. I have been pretty bored with music recently. I find myself rummaging through my cd case, settling on the “old faithfuls” (we all have them) rather than any of my new additions. As unreliable as the radio is and always has been, the extent to which it has taken my boredom these days has been extreme to say the least. And who knows, maybe I’m just not looking in the right place. But really, should good music be so far tucked away that it takes the impossible to discover it, anyway? Oh well, whatever. What I’m getting to is a neat little band called Silent Treatment. And while I wouldn’t go as far as saying they are going to revolutionize the radio, I will say they will be a welcome addition to what may otherwise be a very sad lineup.
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Tags: Uncategorized
If you’ve heard The Republic Tigers you’ve probably heard the song “Buildings and Mountains.” And you probably heard them on Grey’s Anatomy, which acted as their claim to mainstream fame. But their claim to fame SHOULD be the fact that they’re rad. And you SHOULD have heard of them because of their rockin live show. One I was lucky enough to witness at the ever fabulous Spaceland this last Friday. The glittering drapes and sparkling lights of Spaceland were the perfect backdrop to this band, who stepped onto the stage with an immediate and obvious force of energy. The crowd was adequately pumped (I give partial credit to the opening bands who put on quite a fantastic show themselves) and left no floor space untouched by the wonder of their excited and dance happy feet.
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Tags: bands
Into The Sun Cover
I don’t like lines. I also don’t like generic rock bands. Most fall in the same category as Nickleback or something; not for me. So showing up to the Viper Room for Candlebox and seeing a line wrapped around the block was a little discouraging. However I figured I’d venture forth, particularly considering I didn’t completely despise what I had heard from Candlebox before. I forged through line, landed in a heavily dimmed and crowded Viper Room, and ended up shocked at the explosive show Candlebox performed.
The record release show for Candlebox’s celebrated the release of their new album “Into The Sun,” their first in 10 years. And like an exquisite wine, it’s clear these fellas and their impressive musical talents only grew finer with age. The Viper Room was as packed as I’ve ever seen it, full of every different type of person, young and old, all rocking out to the energetic performance. I was most impressed by the singers Kevin Martin’s vocal skills; the screeching, hollering, and harmonies all blended into one very appealing sound. It was music to my ears! And while they deem themselves grunge rock, elements of funk and an experimental sound were very evident, catapulting them from a simple “rock” band to something far more interesting and unique.
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Tags: bands · shows
The Secret Handshake Credit: Jack Margerison
With the amount of noise coming from Nonstop Riot HQ, you would have thought you were about to see a 10 piece band. Alas! It was The Secret Handshake aka Luis Dubuc. Making quite a bit of noise, and stirring up some fantastic energy on an otherwise quiet Sunday afternoon, Dubuc and drummer Dennis Wilson headed straight from Dallas to grace us with their presence. With black curtains shutting out the light and dimmed chandeliers hovering over the stage, the feel was of some sort of intimate occasion, one I wasn’t sure I signed up for.
Shockingly enough, however, I felt right at home as soon as Dubuc brought his charmingly real self up on stage and began to say how “awkward” he felt. See, The Secret Handshake was being recorded for Loopt.com, to be broadcast on the website and later be a part of a tour feature where you can get updates from them on the road. Apparently not used to such attention, The Secret Handshake still gave a great show. And any worry of awkwardness was surely squashed when they busted out with a cover of Skee Lo’s “I wish,” getting everyone grooving. “Midnight Movie” was a cute ode to a lost love, the new track “Saturday,” a shout out to those fantastic lazy days; the songs were relatable, enjoyable, and just plain fun.
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Tags: Reviews · shows
The Chronicals of Jeremiah Victory
The first time you meet Jeremy Vic (short for Jeremiah Victory), its not hard to figure out what he’s about. He doesn’t hide his passion or excitement for the music he makes whatsoever, and this type of honesty is almost disarming. Observing him with his peers provides another peek into this passion; the support behind his debut album The Chronicles of Jeremiah Victory is astonishing, as friends new and old came to rally in support of his endeavor.
All of this, however, is secondary to the music, which was still waiting to be debuted at “South,” a hip Santa Monica sports bar, when I arrived. Playing mostly rock earlier in the night, there was a clear shift in the vibe as the lights dimmed, and “Light It Up,” one of the most club friendly tracks on the album, began pumping through the speakers. Without realizing that they were listening to an up and coming new artist, peoples’ heads began to nod, booties began to shake, and it was clear this was a success. The sentiment of one party goer accurately reflected my feelings about the track, “The more I listened to it the more I liked it!”
[Read more →]
Tags: Reviews · shows
The Chronicals of Jeremiah Victory
The first time you meet Jeremy Vic (short for Jeremiah Victory), its not hard to figure out what he’s about. He doesn’t hide his passion or excitement for the music he makes whatsoever, and this type of honesty is almost disarming. Observing him with his peers provides another peek into this passion; the support behind his debut album The Chronicles of Jeremiah Victory is astonishing, as friends new and old came to rally in support of his endeavor.
All of this, however, is secondary to the music, which was still waiting to be debuted at “South,” a hip Santa Monica sports bar, when I arrived. Playing mostly rock earlier in the night, there was a clear shift in the vibe as the lights dimmed, and “Light It Up,” one of the most club friendly tracks on the album, began pumping through the speakers. Without realizing that they were listening to an up and coming new artist, peoples’ heads began to nod, booties began to shake, and it was clear this was a success. The sentiment of one party goer accurately reflected my feelings about the track, “The more I listened to it the more I liked it!”
[Read more →]
Tags: Reviews · shows
***SPOILERS***Well well well….here we go again. Another episode of ANTM and another batch of the same old comfort food dished out to us each week by the master chef herself, Tyra Banks. Bitchiness, embarrassment, and the judging showdown ensued once again, making Amis the unlucky lady to head home tonight.
First off, the ladies head to a firehouse where the always fabulous Miss Jay makes his entrance sliding down the fire pole, revealing that the ladies will be working on their runway walk. As usual, there are those fierce walkers (Claire and Katarzyna set themselves apart from the pack), and those whose walks just make you want to cringe. Sorry Lauren, I love you, but that walk has got to go.
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Tags: Reviews · TV
- Tilly and the Wall | 7:00pm at The Glass House - Map | All Ages | Tickets $13
- The Suburban Legends | 7:00 at the Key Club - Map | Tickets $10 - Buy Now
- The Venus Illuminato, Silver Griffin, and Not The Government | 8:00pm at the Knitting Factory - Map | Tickets $7
- Punch Brothers | 8:00pm at The Troubadour - Map |
- Son De LA Frontera | 8:00 The Echoplex - Map |
- Mezzanine Owls, The Mae Shi, Frankel, and Eagle & Talon | At 8:00pm at The Echo - Map | Tickets $5
- Taken By Trees | 8:30 at The Roxy - Map | Tickets $17
- British Sea Power | 9:00 at Spaceland - Map | Tickets $12
- Tulsa, What Made Milwaukee Famous, This Will Destroy You, and Signal Hill | At 8:00pm at Silverlake Lounge - Map | 21+ | Tickets $8 - Buy Now
- The Flying Tourbillon, The French Semester, and Marvelous Toy | At 10:00pm at The Prospector - Map | 21+ | Ticket Prices Unannounced
Photo by felipe trucco via Flickr
Tags: Entertainment · Music · Upcoming events
Photo by felipe trucco via Flickr
Tags: Music · Upcoming events
Photo By Felipe Trucco via Flickr
Tags: Music · Upcoming events
