The Subways, "All or Nothing"

Comprised of Billy Lunn (guitar, vocals), Charlotte Cooper (bass, vocals), Josh Morgan (drums), The Subways have released their sophomore album, “All or Nothing.”  This album is a follow up to the quietly successful, “Young for Eternity.” Their sound has been labeled as indie-garage-post-punk-revival and while their genre may be a mouthful, this band simply rocks.  Originating from the little island that could: England, The Subways have managed to also bring their multi-layered music to US audiences for the past few years.  Having played with Oasis, Foo Fighters and at Lollapalooza, The Subways have earned their stripes and a definite fan base.  Those who haven’t had the chance to hear The Subways, their new CD is an awesome introduction.

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Dolly Parton

Hell Yeah! Dolly Parton is at The Greek tonight and I will be there too! As a huge Dolly fan, I can’t imagine wanting to go to any other concert.  If you don’t share my fanaticism for the Backwoods Barbie, however,  there are definitely some other shows worth checking out.  The Honorary Title at the Troubadour will undoubtedly rock Santa Monica Blvd.  If you have a taste for black clothing, melancholy and rage, Wednesday 13 at The Whiskey will fix your cravings and blow your eardrums.  Whatever your preference, enjoy the music tonight.!

• Wednesday 13 | 6:00 PM at The Whiskey - Map | All Ages. Tickets $20 Buy Tickets
• Cubensis | 7:00 PM at The House of Blues Anaheim - Map |All Ages. Tickets $15 Buy Tickets
• Honorary Title | 7:00 PM at Troubadour - Map | All Ages. Tickets $12 Buy Tickets
• Me First & The Gimme Gimmes | 7:00 PM at House of Blue Sunset Strip- Map| 18+ Tickets. $14 Buy Tickets
• Reggae Night VII | 7:00 PM at The Hollywood Bowl - Map | All Ages. Tickets $10 - $123 Buy Tickets

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This week on Billboard’s list, Billboard 200, Nas’s album titled, Untitled sits at the number one spot. Originally titled ‘Nigger‘ this album fueled much controversy and uproar from the NAACP and many other political activists from the very moment its release was announced. Andy Kellman of Billboard’s All Music Review wrote, “All he had to do was mention the one word as an album title…. a mere jumping-off point…” And a selling point too. The album dropped on July 1st and climbed to #1 in 29 days proving that not only sex sells, but political pissing-off does as well.

Nas is not known for his diplomacy, often getting right to the point with many, if not, too many expletives and obscenities. This time, after a wise rename, in Untitled, Nas addresses issues of diversity, racism, stereotypes and politics. Writes Kellman, “It’s his most purposeful album; nearly every verse goes beyond talking trash and recalling exploits.” He approaches sensitive tangents of Pan-African history spanning from slavery to the potentiality of having a Black president in the White House.

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People have been turning to music in times of emotional crisis for a long time. These days, though, the neurochemically confused seem to be turning more and more to pop songs that simply mirror their despair, rather than look for happier tunes to cheer themselves. My Chemical Romance’s album The Black Parade went platinum last year because they convinced anguished teens that they felt the pain, too. In the battle to claim our musical mood, optimism seemed down for the count. Luckily for us, James Taylor and his Band of Legends came to the Greek Theatre Tuesday night, to remind us that it’s a lot more fun to be happy.

James led his group of impressive musicians through more than two hours of feel-good music, splitting the time between his classic hits and a number of cover tunes from their recently recorded album. For the most part, the covers worked, the high point being Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” which sounded positively beautiful. “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning,” the opening tune from Oklahoma, also fit surprisingly well into the James Taylor mold, and The Temptations’ “It’s Growing” started off the set like it had been in rotation for years.

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I’m sure almost everyone has lost something near and dear to them, whether it be a friend, family member, or a pet. We deserve to feel sad sometimes, and at those times, music can help soothe the soul. Here is a playlist to help you cope with the lost of a loved one.

1. Brother Iz - Somewhere Over the Rainbow | Preview and Buy
2. Jimmy Eat World - Hear You Me | Preview and Buy
3. Audrey Hepburn and Henry Mancini - Moon River | Preview and Buy
4. Babyface - Every Time I Close My Eyes | Preview and Buy
5. Boyz II Men - It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday | Preview and Buy
6. Aerosmith - I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing | Preview and Buy
7. Lifehouse - Everything | Preview and Buy
8. Anberlin - Paperthin Hymn | Preview and Buy
9. Anna Nalick - 2 AM | Preview and Buy
10. Luthor Vandross - Dance With My Father | Preview and Buy
11. BBMak - Ghost of You and Me | Preview and Buy
12. Angels and Airwaves - Distraction | Preview and Buy

Picture by evenz

Katy Perry pulled a triple whammy this week, topping three different charts on Billboard. “I Kissed a Girl” made # 1 on the Hot 100, Pop 100 and Hot Digital Song charts. Ahh, the bicurious scene kid’s theme song!

Just when the LGBT community was slowly getting some validation and respect, this gospel girl gone gay comes out crooning about how confused she is for expressing homosexual desires. Oh no, kissing a girl! She liked it…What would her pastor parents think? This creates a sort of Catch-22; should we be glad that it’s now acceptable to mainstream audiences to sing about homosexual tendencies even if it’s still in that silly overrated heterosexual paradigm? Perry’s lyrics both help and hurt the LGBT community at large. Here you have a hot new influential gorgeous female who is successful and of a religious background talking about kissing girls: PRO. You also have a hot new influential gorgeous female saying that she’s confused, she feels dirty, she feels good and bad: CON.

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Katy Perry pulled a triple whammy this week, topping three different charts on Billboard. “I Kissed a Girl” made # 1 on the Hot 100, Pop 100 and Hot Digital Song charts. Ahh, the bicurious scene kid’s theme song!

Just when the LGBT community was slowly getting some validation and respect, this gospel girl gone gay comes out crooning about how confused she is for expressing homosexual desires. Oh no, kissing a girl! She liked it…What would her pastor parents think? This creates a sort of Catch-22; should we be glad that it’s now acceptable to mainstream audiences to sing about homosexual tendencies even if it’s still in that silly overrated heterosexual paradigm? Perry’s lyrics both help and hurt the LGBT community at large. Here you have a hot new influential gorgeous female who is successful and of a religious background talking about kissing girls: PRO. You also have a hot new influential gorgeous female saying that she’s confused, she feels dirty, she feels good and bad: CON.

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If you’re looking for a site for info on L.A. bands and their gigs, you can’t do any better than Loudvine.com. Started by a group of people, who just like you, were looking for a one-stop source for all the concert information they wanted for the city.

Loudvine operates similarly to any other social networking site. You can create a profile with information about yourself and add friends and bands that you are a fan of. There are separate sections to search for fellow fans and to search for artists. On each profile, you can see a person’s or a band’s favorite genres and bands so that you can compare tastes and find something you might be interested in. Bands also have some of their songs and gig information.

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An Evening with Michael Brook and Djivan Gasparyan | Friday, May 30, 2008 | 8 p.m. | $48-24, $15 for UCLA Students | Royce Hall - Map

You might not recognize their names, but chances are, you have heard their music. Michael Brook, probably best known for his contributions to U2’s “The Joshua Tree” and providing the soundtrack for Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and Djivan Gasparyan, an Armenian musician and composer whose distinctive sound can be heard on the Gladiator soundtrack, will be performing at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Friday, May 30 at 8 p.m, in an event sponsored by KCRW. Gasparyan is not only considered to be Armenia’s greatest living musician, he is also a “Master” of the Duduk, an Armenian double reed woodwind instrument. Grammy nominated Gasparyan’s most recent collaborations include working on soundtracks for “Syriana” and “Blood Diamond.” Brook, on the other hand, a Canadian guitarist and producer has worked with late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and is regarded as a unique and multifaceted talent in the music industry.

Gasparyan and Brook first collaborated together on their 1998 CD, Black Rock , which All Music Guide described as “a record of dazzling eclecticism and uncommon soulfulness.”

In an industry where there are so many manufactured artists and music, Brook and Gasparyan are a breath of fresh air. Their one-of-a-kind sound is something you have to must attentively listen to absorb and grasp. At 70-years-old, Gasparyan’s soulful renditions on the duduk evoke something truly special and sorrowful all at the same time. His music carries with it a heavy hearted reflection of the past, of some ancient undiscovered world and its people. His first album, “I Will Not Be Sad in This World,” includes ancient Armenian national songs and ballads.

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Aracely Ortiz, a.k.a. Chelly, is a good person to talk to if one wants to learn about L.A.’s body art scene, low-riders, hardcore gangsta rap and more. As someone who has been pieced by graffiti artist Mig 1, represented South Side Car Club and featured in music videos with Snoop Dog, Two $hort and others, Chelly is an appropriate spokesperson for L.A.’s underground and mainstream hip-hop scene.

Svelte with chocolate brown skin, Chelly is attractive enough to be in front of the camera, dancing alongside rap stars. But it’s her work behind the camera which is more interesting.

Chelly is co-founder/director/writer/producer for independent media L.A. production group, LIVEONCAMERA LOC MEDIA. Her recent work on Hood of the Dead showcases some of Los Angeles’s new media potential. Featuring protagonist Billy Broham, reporter of “HOOD NEWS”, alive on the scene, Hood of the Dead is a kitschy satire that portrays a cross-pollination of zombie movies and the 1992 channel-wide, days-long riots coverage that has settled into the subconscious of today’s Angeleno filmmakers. With “government agents” having

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As Mariah Carey beats Elvis in number one hits and closes in on the Beatles, her new album, E=MC2 comes out this Tuesday. We don’t know how Albert Einstein feels about that, but the Kooks are going crazy with their new album, Konk. Phantom Planet is bringing the zombies out with Raise the Dead while Everclear relives the fast life in The Vegas Years. Check out our CD releases for the week:

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Say Anything kicked off another tour with special guests Manchester Orchestra, Biffy Clyro, and Weatherbox at Hollywood’s Avalon Thursday night.

Featuring members of Pistolita and My American Heart, Weatherbox started the show off to get the crowd pumped. Up next, Biffy Clyro took the stage. The Scottish rock trio fed off one another to create energy that got concert-goers moving.

Manchester Orchestra went on around 9:00 and played songs off their debut album, I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child, until it was time to introduce the next band.

Say Anything finished the show off with a 65 minute set that included a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins song “Stand Inside Your Love”.

The show ended with fans waiting for an encore, only to be disappointed when there wasn’t one to be found. Alas, the first stop of the tour was a success, with many more to follow.

Check out more photos from the gig after the jump

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