Initially, “The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (And Other Frightening Tales)” could only be heard on iTunes and MySpace. The time it spent on those two giant arenas of the digital world helped Jason Reeves garner tons of acclaim.   Consistently in the Top Five Acoustic (unsigned) and Top 20 Overall (unsigned) on Myspace and the winner of the “Top Folk Album of 2007.”  Reeve’s indie album got the attention of Warner Bros. Records who couldn’t pass up the opportunity to distribute his album on a much larger scale.  “The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (And Other Frightening Tales)” is radio ready and listener friendly and has a lot of critics recalling the beginning stages of such successful careers as Jason Mraz and John Mayer.

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Prepare yourself! ... for a night out on the town.

LA.CityZine reader John Dang decided to exercise his playlist making skills to give us the perfect playlist for the week: Get Ready to Go Out! Whether you’re getting ready for a date, dancing, or even a night at the movies, use this playlist to start yourself off right.

1. Christina Milian - One Kiss | Preview
2. Chris Brown - Nasty Girl | Preview
3. Ne-Yo - Miss Independent | Preview and Buy
4. Trey Songz - Cuddy Buddy | Preview
5. Michelle Williams - We Break The Dawn (Part 2) | Preview and Buy
6. T.I. - My Life, Your Entertainment | Preview

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Tomorrow on August 31st 2008 and in 25 different cities,  runners all over the world will run a 10K marathon to support a great cause through Nike. Coming together will not only raise money for charities, but each location provides music performances to celebrate the union of athletes around the globe.

As headquarters in Los Angeles, participants not only get free music from the top music acts of today but also have Kanye West as the musical spokesperson. Bringing sports and music together, West has performed at the official registration opening for the event and will perform a post-marathon show as well.

Nike informs everyone on their website that “Runners will take to the streets passing the city’s most famous landmarks before ending at the LA Coliseum to see West take the stage.” West take part of this honor as he stated,

“I’m hitting the stage in Los Angeles for the Nike+ Human Race, Nike’s dopest 10k run ever. This race is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to run and listen to some great music while serving a higher cause, and I’m excited to perform in L.A. as part of the grand finale.”

What a cool way to unite the world with two events that bring strength and passion to those who hear about it. Money will go to charities such as UN Refugee Agency, LiveStrong, and NineMillion.org. Registration has already closed but to learn more about the event, you can go to the official website here.

Source: nikeplus.nike.com

Photo by Studio386

With a name that implies something new, undiscovered, mysterious and well, altogether, different, there was definitely a level of expectation prior to seeing The New Frontiers at the Troubadour on Sunday, August 3.  Expectation often results in let down which can quickly turn into deep rooted resentment which later evolves into unadulterated rage which… well, thank god The New Frontiers didn’t disappoint.  Living fully up to the expectation placed upon them, The New Frontiers covered a realm of live music many have likely never quite experienced before.  Yes, there was a lead singer, yes there were guitars and yes, there was even a drummer.  Yet, while the setup was quite familiar (an old frontier so to say) the music and vocals were anything but.

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Morrissey is going to be on KCRW this morning. Yes, you read correctly, the Moz father will be on Morning Becomes Eclectic with Nic Harcourt discussing his favorite music, his new album, “Years of Refusal” and his disdain for traveling. In true Morrissey style, it has taken him 10 years to finally appear on the program. Morrissey’s stint as a guest DJ will air at 11:05 a.m. You can either listen at 89.9 on your radio, or tune into the live stream online.

“Sitting down with Morrissey was both daunting and exciting. He is such an interesting person, with strong opinions and immense musical talent. He does not mince words when he dislikes something, but when he talks about music he respects, he is an outspoken fan,” said KCRW Music Director Nic Harcourtin a press release.

Though Morrissey describes modern music as “all hype and no substance,” his first song choice as Guest DJ was “What Took You So Long” by the Manchester-based band, The Courteeners. Cockney Rejects, one hit wonder Mr. Bloe, Jobriath and Noel Coward classic take on the State of England, “There are Bad Times Just Around the Corner,” which he called “lyrically mesmerizing” – round out the list.

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Drinking takes a toll on you. The Cure doesn’t!

1. The Cure - Just Like Heaven | Preview and Buy
2. The Cure - The Only One | Preview and Buy
3. The Cure - Pictures of You | Preview and Buy
4. The Cure - In Between Days | Preview and Buy
5. The Cure - The Lovecats | Preview and Buy
6. The Cure - Boys Don’t Cry | Preview and Buy
7. The Cure -  A Forest | Preview and Buy
8. The Cure - Close To Me | Preview and Buy
9. The Cure - The Walk | Preview and Buy
10. The Cure - Love Song | Preview and Buy

Gregg Laswell knows how to put on a concert.  He has the ability to play the piano and guitar (although not simultaneously, which would be really cool) in a way that gorgeously mirrors his spectacular vocals.  With three CD’s already released, Gregg Lawell is certainly becoming a veteran of the Los Angeles music scene.  LA.CityZine had the opportunity to check Gregg out at The Hotel Cafe on Friday, August 15 where he performed an hour long set of songs from his ever growing catalog including those from his recently released, “Three Flights From Alto Nindo” and even an unreleased track. Like many performances at The Hotel Cafe, there was an intimacy to the concert as a whole that suited each of Greg Laswell’s songs quite well. Additionally, MySpace has selected him to be part of the “Artist Discovery Series” which is only more affirmation that this guy is worth all of the buzz he’s been getting.

There is certainly no shortage of handsome, talented male singer/songwriters on the music scene these days but Greg Laswell is far from another one of that massive heard.  Handsome, absolutely and, without a doubt, he is talented, very talented.  He sings with a depth of knowing that is rare in even the most mature artists and exemplifies his ability  to interpret life’s difficult moments into beautiful song.

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Sometimes, summer calls for vacations. What do you listen to while packing? This playlist is the perfect thing for you!

1. Peter, Paul, and Mary - Leaving on a Jet Plane | Preview and Buy
2. The Starting Line - Up and Go | Preview and Buy
3. The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You | Preview and Buy
4. Flock of Seagulls - I Ran | Preview and Buy
5. Copeland - Pin Your Wings | Preview and Buy
6. Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek | Preview and Buy
7. Jack’s Mannequin - I’m Ready | Preview and Buy
8. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know | Preview and Buy
9. The Juliana Theory - Into The Dark | Preview and Buy
10. The Cure - Friday I’m in Love | Preview and Buy

Interested in making your own playlist? Contact Winnie@la.cityzine.com!

It’s amazing how much music affects our everyday lives. It’s everywhere. It’s on our computers these days or in some very tiny chips in your iPod but also in campaigns for politics or sports, in class with the little ones as they learn about farm animals, slightly in the background of the most epic Grey’s Anatomy episode… Well, I could go on. The fact that music is constantly surrounding us makes me wonder what a world without it would be like. Music essentially enhances all things in life. It can create intensity whether pleasurable or painful. It can drastically change the tone of a message. It can help us keep memories as one riff in a song brings us back to one moment in time five years ago.

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You know those days when you wake up at 7:53 and cry because you have somewhere to be at 8? It’s harder to deal with because it’s summertime and you KNOW you want to be out there soakin’ the rays up. Nonetheless, here is a playlist to help you beat the clock:

1. AFI - Days of the Phoenix | Preview and Buy
2. Audio Karate - Nintendo 89 | Preview and Buy
3. Bird and the Bee - F-cking Boyfriend | Preview and Buy
4. The Cars - Just What I Needed | Preview and Buy
5. Cobra Starship - Hey Mr. DJ | Preview and Buy
6. David Bowie and Queen - Under Pressure | Preview and Buy
7. Eisley - Taking Control | Preview and Buy
8. Elevaters - Let’s Get Real | Preview and Buy
9. The Faint - Cars Pass in Cold Blood | Preview and Buy
10. Feist - My Moon My Man Remix (By Boyz Noize) | Preview and Buy

Picture by Christopher Chan

This week on Billboard’s Hot 100 is Katy Perry at #1 with ‘I Kissed a Girl.’ For anyone who read my article two weeks ago, ‘She Kissed a Girl…I Didn’t Like It,’ guess what? I still don’t like it.  Some songs annoy you when they first get airplay and then the more you listen to it you kind of decide that it’s okay. This isn’t one of them.  In an attempt to promote tolerance and reduce oppression, we as ‘Los Angeles-er’s’ need to make sure I don’t have to complain about this song again in two weeks. This song promotes negative images of Bisexuals and the LGBTQ community at large. We’re bigger than this, people, come on.

At the risk of sounding like an angry young activist, I really believe in the power of media. What we listen to, who we listen to be it Billboard, The Los Angeles City Zine, CNN or People magazine; influences us, our mindsets and opinions. I fall prey to it too, if Gwen Stefani told me that scrunchies were back, I’d be all over it.  As part of the millennium generation I feel like we have the power to choose what we want to believe and hear. It may be as small as ‘I Kissed a Girl’ or as severe as a ‘nappy-headed Ho’ comment, but it’s still “we,” the people speaking out and making a difference. Change starts with us, it has to.  Before musicians started preaching and influencing our ideas about racism, sexism and classism, they were part of the people too.

[ Read The Full Story -> ]

This week on Billboard’s Hot 100 is Katy Perry at #1 with ‘I Kissed a Girl.’ For anyone who read my article two weeks ago, ‘She Kissed a Girl…I Didn’t Like It,’ guess what? I still don’t like it.  Some songs annoy you when they first get airplay and then the more you listen to it you kind of decide that it’s okay. This isn’t one of them.  In an attempt to promote tolerance and reduce oppression, we as ‘Los Angeles-er’s’ need to make sure I don’t have to complain about this song again in two weeks. This song promotes negative images of Bisexuals and the LGBTQ community at large. We’re bigger than this, people, come on.

At the risk of sounding like an angry young activist, I really believe in the power of media. What we listen to, who we listen to be it Billboard, The Los Angeles City Zine, CNN or People magazine; influences us, our mindsets and opinions. I fall prey to it too, if Gwen Stefani told me that scrunchies were back, I’d be all over it.  As part of the millennium generation I feel like we have the power to choose what we want to believe and hear. It may be as small as ‘I Kissed a Girl’ or as severe as a ‘nappy-headed Ho’ comment, but it’s still “we,” the people speaking out and making a difference. Change starts with us, it has to.  Before musicians started preaching and influencing our ideas about racism, sexism and classism, they were part of the people too.

[ Read The Full Story -> ]