Go See Hear in L.A.: Aug. 23-30

Before highlighting shows from the final full week of August, I wanted to talk about the bands I saw this past Tuesday at Room 5. The local outfit Loch & Key opened the show with a short but alluring set drawn from their debut Jupiter’s Guide For Submariners. Frontwoman Leyla Akdogan has a very cool, somewhat Deborah Harry-gone-Euro chanteuse quality to her. Most of their songs project an interesting SoCal “chanson” quality sparked by the interplay between Akdogan singing and guitarist Sean Hoffman’s quiet but nimble playing. A little stiff as a performer, Akdogan acknowledged that she does need to work on her stage presence.
I wasn’t familiar with the local band The Minor Canon, who played next, but came away impressed with their enthusiastic performance. They reminded me of one of those bands you’d see in a ‘60s “youth movie” with their soul-fueled rock ‘n’ roll, only a step or two up in quality.
The headliner was the Grownup Noise and they definitely have stepped things up.
Their set displayed a tougher, rockier sound that they have shown on disc, which is undoubtedly due to the unavailability of their cellist Katie French for this tour. As a compact unit of guitar, bass, keys and drums, they churned out an invigorating 9 song set plus an encore that slightly rearranged their terrific tune, Grey Skies. Frontman Paul Hansen has a warmer, softer voice than you’d expect from his lumberjack size. It’s sorta like a young James Taylor fronting an indie rock outfit like a stripped down Arcade Fire. This Massachusetts-based band serves up melancholic tunes with just enough edge and hooks to make for compelling music.

This week’s recommend shows start off Monday with Austin singer/songwriter Bettysoo (www.myspace.com/bettysoo) at Genghis Cohen. I’m rather smitten with her new disc Heat Sin Water Skin, which serves up Lucinda-style, gritty Texas tunes.

Another tough, twangy lady, Manda Mosher (www.myspace.com/myspacemanda) has a show on Tuesday night at the Hotel Café where she is celebrating the release of her new EP City of Clowns. I reviewed her impressive debut Everything You Need for All Music Guide a year or so ago.

On Wednesday night, you can squeeze into Amoeba to catch a free set for local heroes Los Lobos, who have another fine release Tin Can Trust now out on Shout! Factory.
Then you have either try to see the legendary Jimmy Webb at Largo or Oscar winning upstart Ryan Bingham (www.myspace.com/ryanbingham) at the Bootleg Theatre. I’ll be reviewing Bingham’s new disc Junky Star for Country Standard Time.

Thursday night you can head down to Long Beach’s Queen Mary Park for a “sounds-too-good-to-be-true” pairing of Lucinda Williams with Chrissie Hynde, who is on tour with her new project, JP, Chrissie & the Fairground Boys.
Also, on the 26th, the marvelous guitarist John Jorgenson (www.johnjorgenson.com) will be doing a free performance in front of the Culver City City Hall. He also has a show on the 28th at Boulevard Music. The one-time Desert Rose Band member recently released a pair of terrific Django Reinhardt-inspired disc.

McCabe’s offers a pair of excellent shows this week featuring musicians who came to prominence in the ‘90s. Mark Olson (www.myspace.com/markolsonmusic) helped to usher in the alt.country scene as co-leader of the Jayhawks. Still making vital music as his 2010 disc Many Colored Kite reveals, Olson will be playing McCabe’s on Friday night. The following night Matthew Sweet has a show there. His 1991 album Girlfriend remains one of the decade’s best disc. Over the last few years, he has been collaborating with Susannah Hoffs on covers discs, so it will be interesting to see what he offers up tonight.
Also on Saturday, Cyndi Lauper will be at the Greek. While she has a new blues-based disc, this show is notable because New Orleans icon Allen Toussaint is sharing the stage with her.

Go See Hear in L.A.: Aug. 16-22

We’re zooming through August with another big week of concerts.

The week starts off with a blast as the Ruby Friedman Orchestra (www.myspace.com/rubyfriedman) will be shaking up with Bootleg Theater on Monday night with their high-energy show.

Things turn a little quieter on Tuesday night with an excellent showcase at Room 5. The local duo Loch & Key (singer Leyla Akdogan and ex-American Music Club guitarist Sean Hoffman) will be kicking off a string of area shows, including a September Redwood Bar residency (www.myspace.com/lochandkey). Their disc Jupiter’s Guide To Submariners presents a quirky yet beguiling sound that combines a bit of Europe with California. Also populating Room 5 is the talented Boston group GrownUp Noise (www.myspace.com/thegrownupnoise) who craft sophisticated melodic indie rock that’s warm and inviting. “Grey Skies,” a soaring song about depression off their self-titled full length is a fine place to start with the band.

The Grammy Museum hosts an evening with John Mellencamp to celebrate his new offering, the T Bone Burnett-produced No Better Than This, which I reviewed for Country Standard Time. These intimate evenings always provide a great glimpse into a performer, and I have a feeling that Mellencamp won’t be shy up on stage.

Wednesday bring a great big bit of New Orleans to the Hollywood Bowl with an all-star lineup featuring Neville Brothers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs (www.myspace.com/starannakrogstie) swing down from the State of Washington to show off their rugged, earthy rock ‘n’ roll. Their sophomore album The Only Thing That Matters shows that they are a band that matters, with feisty frontwoman Star Anna exhibits some real star quality.

Another impressive young band comes to town on Thursday when the Bay Area Gwyneth and Monko (www.myspace.com/gwynethmoreland ) come to Molly Malones. Their EP Good Old Horse contains a fine, old timey folk sound that doesn’t sound lost in time. You can also catch them at Santa Monica’s Dakota Lounge on the 20th and Altadena’s Coffee Gallery Backstage on the 23rd.

If you are looking to blues by the blue water, head to the Santa Monica Pier for a special Twilight concert with one-time Rolling Stone guitarist Mick Taylor headlining the evening’s show.

It’s a Wainwright night at the Greek on the 20th when Rufus and Martha put on a show, while over at Spaceland, Springfield Missouri’s own Ha Ha Tonka serve up their rugged Midwestern brand of rock ‘n’ roll. Crowded House will be filling Club Nokia that night with their catalog of pop gems, but come early to catch Lawrence Arabia. Their soon-to-be released Yep Roc debut is a truly impressive piece of melodic pop-rock. Coincidentally, the band’s leader James Milne has a side project BARB with Neil Finn’s musical son Liam.

Saturday the 21st holds a pair of terrific shows from which to choose: Celllist Ben Sollee (www.myspace.com/bensollee) brings his soulful Americana to the Bootleg, Texas singer-songwriter Sarah Jaffe (www.myspace.com/sjaffe) swings through town again stopping at the Hotel Cafe to showcase her wonderful tunes off her smart and assured debut Suburban Nature, which stands as one of this year's better debuts.

The weekend wraps up in a particularly “crooked” way Sunday with the well-respected Darrell Scott (Robert Plant nabbed him for his new Americana project Band of Joy) will be performed songs from his new double disc A Crooked Road at the Waterfront in Marina Del Rey. Slightly inland at McCabes it will be an evening of eclectic acoustic music from Crooked Still (www.myspace.com/crookedstill), a talented Massachusetts-based outfit who have put several worth-discovering album on Signature Sounds including Some Strange Country, which came out earlier this year.