Yes, I am day late, and probably more than a dollar short
So it’ll be a skinny version this time around.
I have to mention first the Richard Thompson “Cabaret of Souls” show at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Friday. I did a Q&A with him for City’s Best (http://www.citysbest.com/los-angeles/news/2010/11/12/richard-thompson-a-cabaret-of-souls-and-a-tofu-scramble/) that was quite fun.
A couple terrific double bills to trumpet. The Freelance Whales and Miniature Tigers, two worth-the-buzz bands who have come through town regularly, return with a show at the Troubadour on the 18th.
Tift Merritt and Elizabeth & The Catapult make for a marvelous bill at the Troubadour the next night, Nov. 19th. Merritt had a great show there a few years that I had the pleasure to see.
John Doe and the Sadies ride into the Plaza Del Sol at CSUN on the 20th for a show that probably will feature sets separate and combined. Doe has made some fine recordings with the Sadies for Yep Roc.
Among the other notable shows
The Lonely Forest – Spaceland – Nov. 16
Olof Arnalds opening for Blonde Redhead at the Music Box Nov. 16-17
Pomegranates and Oh No Oh My – Bootleg – nov. 16
Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl’s The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger – Largo – Nov. 17
Pepper Rabbit – Echo – Nov. 18
Kings Go Forth – Mint – Nov. 18
Luisa Maita – Congo Room – Nov. 19
Wild Flag (Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Rebecca Cole, and Janet Weiss) – Spaceland – Nov. 19
Tunng – Bootleg – Nov. 19
Bob Mould – Bootleg – Nov. 20
Dar Williams – Hotel Café – Nov. 21-22
Showing posts with label Freelance Whales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freelance Whales. Show all posts
Monday, November 15, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Go See Hear in L.A.: Aug. 9-15 - Two Whales, A Lone Wolf and A Band Of Heathens
I am running a bit late this week but wanted to get the word out on a couple shows before that they happened. See why it’s a “whale” of a week for local gigs.
Tuesday has a trio of interesting shows. There’s the B.B. King/Buddy Guy celebration of the blues at the Hollywood Bowl. Over at the El Rey, Alejandro Escovedo will unleash tune from his dynamic new disc, Street Songs of Love (this marvelous re-teaming with Real Animal’s producer Tony Visconti and co-writer Chuck Prophet has garnered Alejandro has much deserved accolades), with L.A.-gone-Texas singer-songwriter Amy Cook opening the show.
I wanted to add a few more words to the Frazey Ford show at the Hotel Café on the 11th. Ford, who is part of the Be Good Tanyas, recently put out an impressive solo outing that I reviewed for americansongwriter.com (www.americansongwriter.com/2010/07/frazey-ford-obadiah/). I really enjoyed that way blended acoustic Americana thread with more soulful ones. Also on the bill there that night is Snow & Voices, a So Cal ensemble that mines a warm yet chilled out folk-pop sound.
On Thursday evening, you can enjoy a free show from the Hot Club of Cowtown at the Culver City City Hall. The Hot Club has long crafted a wonderful blend of gypsy jazz and western swing. Elena James, who has played in Dylan’s band, is a particularly fiery fiddle player while Whit Smith is also nimble on guitar.
The Freelance Whales share a bill with the Tokyo Police Club at the El Rey on 12th too. Even though they hail from the trendy Brooklyn rock scene, I really like the Freelance Whales’ debut Weathervanes, with its quirky but well crafted indie rock.
Friday the 13th offers a wide range of shows. On the softer side, Natalie Merchant (hmm, an ex-10,000 Maniac performing on Friday the 13th…) has a show at the Orpheum Theatre. Meanwhile, down in Long Beach at Queen Mary Park, folk legend Joan Baez shares a bill with folk/rock legend Roger McGuinn (how many Dylan covers will done there?)
Speaking of legends, the one and only Dave Alvin will be performing with steel guitar whiz Cindy Cashdollar at McCabe’s, although I’ll be surprised if tickets are still available.
If you can’t get in there and have a hankering for Americana music, you can catch Or The Whale (yes, the second Whale band to surface in town this week) at Spaceland. This San Francisco outfit offers an appealing country-rock sound that’s mostly laidback and harmony-laden but they also play with enough zest to make for a lively time. They share the bill with Americana eccentrics These United States.
Or you can check out the quietly compelling orchestral bedroom pop sound of Lone Wolf, the brainchild of U.K. musician Paul Marshall. Lone Wolf will be at the El Rey where the bill is topped by its countrymates The Wild Beasts.
The wildest show, and probably the most fitting for Friday the 13th will take place at the House of Blues where the Reverend Horton Heat, Hillstomp and Split Lip Rayfield will join forces for a riotous night of revved up bluegrass, raucous rockabilly and other root rock shenanigans.
And if that isn’t enough, Cambodian-flavored psyche rockers Dengue Fever will have a free show at California Plaza as part of the Grand Performances Summer Series.
If you have something left for the weekend, Saturday brings Eleni Mandell and Ana Egge to the Center for Folk Music and the awesome Austin country rockers, The Band of Heathens will ripping things up at the Viper Room. No doubt they will play their terrific tune, “L.A. County Blues.”
The weekend wraps up with a wonderful show Suunday at the Greek Theater, where music icon Levon Helm will share the stage with Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis (who will presumably accent her twangier material) along with some special guests (like some up-and-coming singer-songwriter named Steve Earle).
Tuesday has a trio of interesting shows. There’s the B.B. King/Buddy Guy celebration of the blues at the Hollywood Bowl. Over at the El Rey, Alejandro Escovedo will unleash tune from his dynamic new disc, Street Songs of Love (this marvelous re-teaming with Real Animal’s producer Tony Visconti and co-writer Chuck Prophet has garnered Alejandro has much deserved accolades), with L.A.-gone-Texas singer-songwriter Amy Cook opening the show.
I wanted to add a few more words to the Frazey Ford show at the Hotel Café on the 11th. Ford, who is part of the Be Good Tanyas, recently put out an impressive solo outing that I reviewed for americansongwriter.com (www.americansongwriter.com/2010/07/frazey-ford-obadiah/). I really enjoyed that way blended acoustic Americana thread with more soulful ones. Also on the bill there that night is Snow & Voices, a So Cal ensemble that mines a warm yet chilled out folk-pop sound.
On Thursday evening, you can enjoy a free show from the Hot Club of Cowtown at the Culver City City Hall. The Hot Club has long crafted a wonderful blend of gypsy jazz and western swing. Elena James, who has played in Dylan’s band, is a particularly fiery fiddle player while Whit Smith is also nimble on guitar.
The Freelance Whales share a bill with the Tokyo Police Club at the El Rey on 12th too. Even though they hail from the trendy Brooklyn rock scene, I really like the Freelance Whales’ debut Weathervanes, with its quirky but well crafted indie rock.
Friday the 13th offers a wide range of shows. On the softer side, Natalie Merchant (hmm, an ex-10,000 Maniac performing on Friday the 13th…) has a show at the Orpheum Theatre. Meanwhile, down in Long Beach at Queen Mary Park, folk legend Joan Baez shares a bill with folk/rock legend Roger McGuinn (how many Dylan covers will done there?)
Speaking of legends, the one and only Dave Alvin will be performing with steel guitar whiz Cindy Cashdollar at McCabe’s, although I’ll be surprised if tickets are still available.
If you can’t get in there and have a hankering for Americana music, you can catch Or The Whale (yes, the second Whale band to surface in town this week) at Spaceland. This San Francisco outfit offers an appealing country-rock sound that’s mostly laidback and harmony-laden but they also play with enough zest to make for a lively time. They share the bill with Americana eccentrics These United States.
Or you can check out the quietly compelling orchestral bedroom pop sound of Lone Wolf, the brainchild of U.K. musician Paul Marshall. Lone Wolf will be at the El Rey where the bill is topped by its countrymates The Wild Beasts.
The wildest show, and probably the most fitting for Friday the 13th will take place at the House of Blues where the Reverend Horton Heat, Hillstomp and Split Lip Rayfield will join forces for a riotous night of revved up bluegrass, raucous rockabilly and other root rock shenanigans.
And if that isn’t enough, Cambodian-flavored psyche rockers Dengue Fever will have a free show at California Plaza as part of the Grand Performances Summer Series.
If you have something left for the weekend, Saturday brings Eleni Mandell and Ana Egge to the Center for Folk Music and the awesome Austin country rockers, The Band of Heathens will ripping things up at the Viper Room. No doubt they will play their terrific tune, “L.A. County Blues.”
The weekend wraps up with a wonderful show Suunday at the Greek Theater, where music icon Levon Helm will share the stage with Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis (who will presumably accent her twangier material) along with some special guests (like some up-and-coming singer-songwriter named Steve Earle).
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Go See Hear: May 17-21
This week offers a mix of cult heroes and up & comers
The legendary Jonathan Richman swings through town for a couple of shows, which will undoubtedly be as idiosyncratic as ever. I got into his music way back during his vinyl days on Berserkley Records (“Hey, Ice Cream Man!”) but he still keeps cranking out his quirky stuff. Apparently his last disc is a Spanish import only where he sings in a variety of languages. He plays the Smell on the 18th and di Piazza’s in Long Beach from the 20-22.
Also, on the 18th, Roky Erickson has a show at the Mayan. Another legendary cult figure, Erickson’s life has sadly been plagued by mental illness and drug arrests. He is best known as the man behind the 13th Floor Elevators, whose hit “We’re Gonna Miss Me” is on the great garage rock nuggets. Happily he returns now on an up note with a great new disc, True Love Cast Out All Evil, on Anti-, that he did with the guys in Okkervil River. Even without Erickson’s backstory, the disc is powerful, memorable effort. Opening the show is a terrific local outfit, Leslie and the Badgers, who sound a bit like Emmylou Harris crossed with Neko Case. Their disc, Roomful of Smoke has been a favorite of mine for the past several month. The strong double bill, mixing the old and the new, stands as my “show of the week.”
On Thursday night, the Grammy Museum hosts an intimate event with Chris Hillman. Founding member of both the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Hillman has helped make country-rock what it is today. I was at the Grammy Museum recently for their night with the Court Yard Hounds, it is a great little room to hear a musician talk and play a few tunes, so this night provides a unique opportunity to hear a Hall-of-Famer.
The Shout Out Louds and the Freelance Whales have a pair of shows at the El Rey May 20-21, although the show on the 21st is sold out, I believe. The Swedish Shout Out Loud continue to create melodic rock on their new disc, Work. Freelance Whales are a hip young band from the hip Brooklyn scene, but I have been liking the off-kilter Americana/indie rock sound of their debut, Weathervane.
Dan Mangan hails from the inventive Vancouver pop scene. His album, Nice, Nice, Nice, Very Nice not only reference Kurt Vonnegut but also attracted a bunch of acclaim in his homeland. He’s not as elaborate a Vancouver pop-ster as say A.C. Newman but his music holds intriguing qualities.
If you are looking for a show on Saturday night the 20th, the place to be is McCabe’s as the two of the more popular local Americana acts, The Chapin Sisters and I See Hawks In LA, hold court there. You can go wrong seeing either in a night and here you get both.
The legendary Jonathan Richman swings through town for a couple of shows, which will undoubtedly be as idiosyncratic as ever. I got into his music way back during his vinyl days on Berserkley Records (“Hey, Ice Cream Man!”) but he still keeps cranking out his quirky stuff. Apparently his last disc is a Spanish import only where he sings in a variety of languages. He plays the Smell on the 18th and di Piazza’s in Long Beach from the 20-22.
Also, on the 18th, Roky Erickson has a show at the Mayan. Another legendary cult figure, Erickson’s life has sadly been plagued by mental illness and drug arrests. He is best known as the man behind the 13th Floor Elevators, whose hit “We’re Gonna Miss Me” is on the great garage rock nuggets. Happily he returns now on an up note with a great new disc, True Love Cast Out All Evil, on Anti-, that he did with the guys in Okkervil River. Even without Erickson’s backstory, the disc is powerful, memorable effort. Opening the show is a terrific local outfit, Leslie and the Badgers, who sound a bit like Emmylou Harris crossed with Neko Case. Their disc, Roomful of Smoke has been a favorite of mine for the past several month. The strong double bill, mixing the old and the new, stands as my “show of the week.”
On Thursday night, the Grammy Museum hosts an intimate event with Chris Hillman. Founding member of both the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Hillman has helped make country-rock what it is today. I was at the Grammy Museum recently for their night with the Court Yard Hounds, it is a great little room to hear a musician talk and play a few tunes, so this night provides a unique opportunity to hear a Hall-of-Famer.
The Shout Out Louds and the Freelance Whales have a pair of shows at the El Rey May 20-21, although the show on the 21st is sold out, I believe. The Swedish Shout Out Loud continue to create melodic rock on their new disc, Work. Freelance Whales are a hip young band from the hip Brooklyn scene, but I have been liking the off-kilter Americana/indie rock sound of their debut, Weathervane.
Dan Mangan hails from the inventive Vancouver pop scene. His album, Nice, Nice, Nice, Very Nice not only reference Kurt Vonnegut but also attracted a bunch of acclaim in his homeland. He’s not as elaborate a Vancouver pop-ster as say A.C. Newman but his music holds intriguing qualities.
If you are looking for a show on Saturday night the 20th, the place to be is McCabe’s as the two of the more popular local Americana acts, The Chapin Sisters and I See Hawks In LA, hold court there. You can go wrong seeing either in a night and here you get both.
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