Go See Hear In L.A.: Feb. 1-6

It’s hard to believe that the first month of 2011 has come and gone. February is starting off on an eclectic note.
There are hip young acts like Baths (Amoeba in-store Feb. 1), School of Seven Bells (Conga Room, Feb. 1) and Tennis (the Echo, 2/4) arriving in town as well as reunited hipsters (of the cocktail nation variety) Love Jones (Largo, Feb. 2). The 2nd also is the night when Amoeba hosts JD Samson’s new project Men.
The terrific, somewhat underappreciated Australian rock band, the Church puts on a mega-show at the El Rey on 2/2 in which they plan to play a trifecta of albums (Untitled #23, Priest=Aura and Starfish).
Thursday the 3rd offers an opportunity to see Bobby Long, whose impressive ATO debut, A Winter’s Tale, comes out on the 1st. On this disc, Long shows that he is long on talent, with his literate tunes and his rich voice.
Thursday also is the night that Shadow Shadow Shade start its month-long residency at the Satellite. Their always inventive debut disc was one of my favorite rock albums of 2010.
Friday holds a handful of good concert-going choices. Popular local singer-songwriter Tom Freund checks into the Hotel Café. Another local favorite Kristian Hoffman has a big, guest-studded show at the Steve Allen Theater.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals bring their rootsy tunes to the El Rey and cool Icelandic chamber popster Ólafur Arnalds will be playing the Echoplex.
Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses show at the El Rey tops Saturday night’s shows. Bingham, who grabbed last year’s Oscar for Song of the Year, is one of the best young Americana songwriters. Another good young singer/songwriter Tony Lucca will be playing the Hotel Café.
Shawn Colvin and Loudon Wainwright III bring their impressive catalog on songs to the newly opened Valley Performing Arts Center. Over at Harvelle’s, blues master Guitar Shorty will be showing why he’s been such influential guitarist.
Another notable show on the 5th is the Autumn Defense’s appearance at the Troubadour. The Autumn Defense is the side project for Wilco mates John Stirratt and Patrick Sansone. Their recently released Yep Roc disc Once Around comes stocked with low-key but sophisticated music.
Last but not least, the intriguing, unpredictable Cat Power closes out the first week of February with a show at the Music Box.

Go See Hear in L.A.: Oct. 11-17 - Danielle Ate The Sandwich to Hoodoo Gurus

Danielle Anderson goes by the stage name Danielle Ate The Sandwich (www.myspace.com/danielleatethesandwich), so it’s not surprising that her music is quirky and eclectic. However, The intriguing uke-playing singer-songwriter can also be soul-searching and heartfelt – she’s something like those low-budget indie films chronicling twentysomethings’ lives but more charming than pretentious. You can find Danielle at the Hotel Café on Monday the 11th.

David Olney (www.myspace.com/davidolney) is a one of those singer-songwriter better known to his peers than the general public. He’s been recording albums over nearly 30 years and draws together various Americana strands – folk, rock, country, blues and even standards (he covered “I Only Have Eyes For You” on his last album) into something quite special. A sagacious, witty storyteller, Olney is something like John Prine with a bit more of an old school rock ‘n’ roll soul. He’ll be at the Coffee Gallery Backstage on the 11th and the Cinema Bar on the 13th.

The Ottawa-based quintet the Acorn (www.myspace.com/theacorn) is a band well worth digging up. On their CD, No Ghost (Bella Union) they reveal themselves as a really cool mix of woodsy-meets-city indie rock. While they aren’t at the anthemic state of fellow Canadian The Arcade Fire, the band’s music has a strong visceral pull. They are appearing at the Echo on Oct. 13.

Shadow Shadow Shade (www.myspace.com/shadowshadowshade) has created a lot of buzz around town (since the days when they were known as the Afternoons) and listening to their debut disc it is clear that they are deserving of all the praise. A swirling of colorful rock ‘n’ roll with patches of psyche., prog and other fuzzy guitar rock, SSS falls somewhere between the Flaming Lips and MGMT. “Say Yes” stands out as a rousing triumph while “Your Perfect Wilderness” is a rich Dark Forest rock exploration. Their 10/14 show at the Echoplex should be quite the record release party.

The Legendary Shack Shakers (www.myspace.com/legendaryshackshakers) will bring their rip-roaring redneck-a-billy to Spaceland on 10/14 behind their latest offering Agridustrial. The band’s new guitarist Duane Denison comes from Hank III and Jesus Lizard, so expect the Shack Shakers to raise more of a racket.

Baltimore-based, Merge Recording artists Wye Oak (www.myspace.com/wyeoak), who are basically the duo Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack) returns to town with their cool soft/loud sound that has a bluesy bottom and a freak folk-rocky topside. They share a bill with ex-Pedro The Lion frontman David Bazan at Spaceland on Oct. 15.

Armed with her comical, twangy bluesy tunes (her latest CD is entitled Donald Trump’s Hair), Kacey Jones (www.myspace.com/kaceyjonesmusic) comes from Nashville to Coffee Gallery Backstage on Friday night for her only Southern California show for the year.

Vincent Minor (www.myspace.com/vincentminor) celebrates his recently released self-titled album with a gig at the Bootleg Theatre. His cleverly composed, Tin Pan Ally-ish tunes suggest Rufus Wainwright without the operatic aspirations. Seek out his delightful ditty “Late Night Show” to get a good taste of what he’s all about

Hoodoo Gurus (www.myspace.com/hoodoogurus) hit the Viper Room on Oct. 17. These Aussies have been cranking out some wonderful garage rock-y music for many years. Tunes like “I Want You Back,” “What’s My Scene” and “Bittersweet” are a joy to hear any day. This Aussie outfit is still going strong as their latest Purity Of Essence (released earlier this year) amply proves.