Go See Hear In L.A.: Jan. 3-8

Hope everyone had a fine holiday time and fun New Year.
It’s only the third day of the year but it seems like already there is so much to do.

I am probably too late to get the word out on Guards'’ show at the Bootleg Theatre Monday night but I wanted to mention the band anyway because their sound is as vibrant as their name is commonplace. The brainchild of Richie James Follin, Guards creates glorious rock that is arty but hooky, and vice versa. You can check out their music at http://guards.bandcamp.com.

Drivin’ N Cryin’ make a couple of stops in Southern California this week. They’ll pull into the Mint on 1/5, the Brixton on 1/16 and Anaheim’s House of Blues on 1/7. Kevn Kinney has been leading these roots rock road warriors since the ‘80s. They were part of the REM-led movement of Southern college rock bands and are still going strong. In 2009, they released the terrific Great American Bubble Factory, a disc well worth tracking down.


Exene Cervenka was recently in town playing with her X mates. She’ll be at McCabes for a show on 1/8, where she’ll probably play some music from her upcoming The Excitement of Maybe. In an interview that I did for City’s Best LA, she described it as folk/pop with some twang along with horns and violin. The fine Paul Burch opens the show.

It’s be like the old days at Molly Malone’s when the Sin City All-Star play there on Saturday night. Molly’s was the All-Stars’ home for many a moon. Joining them on the bill will be Old Californio and Gaucho Gil. Making for a terrific trio of Americana music.