Go See Hear In L.A.: Feb. 14-21

So the Grammys are over and done (a big wow for Arcade Fire’s victory and congrats to other fave winners like the Black Keys, Lady A, Miranda Lambert, Marty Stuart and Mavis Staples) but the music doesn’t end.

Monday night Jenny O’s Bootleg residency continues with Henry Wolfe and Leslie Stevens (of “and the Badgers”) filling out a fine bill.

I don’t know if there has a been a packed Tuesday as the 15th has to offer. Greg Dulli’s current project The Twilight Singers stop by Amoeba for a free show.
Frank Fairfield brings his old-timey sounds to the Coffee Gallery Backstage, while the Satellite welcomes the Canadian band, Mother Mother.
Two of my favorite Nashville singer-songwriters Todd Snider and Elizabeth Cook take over the El Rey for a rip-roaring time of tales and tunes.
Susan James celebrates her long-overdue (and quite fine) CD Highways, Ghosts, Hearts and Home at the Echo Lounge. Plenty of her pals will be there, including Old Californio, Evie Sands, Tony Gilkyson and Kip Broadman.
More terrific acts will be at the Hotel Café where the awesome all-female group Mountain Man takes a day off from opening for the Decemberists and the alluring Haroula Rose will be playing there again too.

The 16th finds the Generationals at the Hotel Café and Nicole Atkins at the Troubadour, while Lucero delivers their wonderfully raucous garage rock to the Echo on the 17th.

The Hotel Café is busy on Friday with sets from Tom Freund, Cowboys and Indians and My Morning Jacket’s Carl Broemel. Scott H. Biram brings his “dirty old one man band” to the Redwood on the 18th while Cake commences its string of sold out shows at the Troubadour on Friday.

The lovely Living Sisters be appearing at the Broad Stage, while the multi-talented David Lindley will be spending the weekend at McCabe’s.
Sunday finds Ted Leo at Eagle Rock’s Center for the Arts and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founder John McEuen stopping by the Coffee Gallery Backstage.
The Gang of Four has a new album, Content, and shows on Sunday at Anaheim House of Blues and Monday at the Music Box on the 21st. Also on Monday, Austin superstar Bob Schneider comes to the Hotel Café with Joe Firstman & Marianne Keith also on the bill.

If I Were Going Out – I’d Be Going Out To See Todd Snider on October 8

I don’t get out as much as I used to, or want to, so I often wind up “attending” show vicariously. One show that you attend for me is Todd Snider’s appearance at the Grammy Museum as part of their The Drop series. The Drop is a very cool on-going program the Museum has where it hosts an act that is releasing (“dropping”) a new album. I saw a Drop session with Marshall Crenshaw and was a very worthwhile experience.
Todd Snider might make for an even more engaging guest than Crenshaw. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter is one of the best around at telling a story that’s laced with wit and arsenic. For several years, Snider was on John Prine's label and if the master songsmith Prine wants a singer-songwriter for his label that's a high compliment. While Snider's last disc, Peace Queer, was a decidedly politically charged effort, his new album, The Excitement Plan (on Yep Roc), promises to be his trademark collection of darkly humored tunes.
Snider’s best-known numbers probably are “Alright Guy” and the satiric “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues,” from his 1994 debut. However, over the past 15 years he has crafted a slew of memorable tunes, like “Thin Wild Mercury” (that deals with Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan), “D.B. Cooper” and “Play A Train Song,” to name a few.
But Snider is really in his element on a stage, where he can tell colorful tales about his just-as-colorful tunes. It’s this quality that makes The Drop’s Q&A-plus-performance set-up such an appealing scenario to catch Snider.
However, if you can make it down to the Grammy Museum on Oct. 8, Snider is scheduled to return to L.A. on December 12 for a show at the El Rey.

Todd Snider appears at the Grammy Museum (800 W. Olympic Blvd., LA, www.grammymuseum.org) at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8. Tickets are $10.