[On this final day of April, birthday wishes go out to Amanda Palmer, who, according to her Twitter feed, was last seen in a taxi in Germany searching for lodging. Now, on to our regular programming:] Tonight: The Antlers’ album “Hospice” is moodier than sleep-deprived blogger with a slow Internet connection. Which is to say […]
Not much to say about these – they’re the songs you love, only different: In lieu of flowers? Steve Cooper and his electro-funk fun bunch Spirit Animal will be giving away and 10-track album of covers and remixes on Valentine’s Day. The digital collection is titled “Brazen Brand” and contains bliptastic reworkings of tunes from […]
First thing you need to know about His Orchestra is that “Field Guide to the Wilds,” the debut album that saw a quiet digital release back in February, is one of the most enchanting indie-pop albums you’ll hear this year. Its winsome mix of string-, glockenspiel- and keyboard-flavored confessionals reminds me of the likes of […]
[Blogging may be light the next couple of days as your faithful scribe embarks on a little road trip. I’m pretty distraught over missing tonight’s battery of shows too, especially on such a special day – the birthday, as it is, shared by Jack White, Courtney Love and John Tesh.] The “Also I Like to […]
Douglas Smith is a busy guy. Besides acting (he’s Ben on HBO’s “Big Love”) and lending his talents to the L.A. ensemble His Orchestra, Smith has teamed up with singer Ashton Lunceford to form Alaskan Summer. The duo’s old-school boy-girl pop is built on bouncy piano lines and crisp guitars – their debut EP, coming […]
||| Download: “Buzzsicle 3” I originally created Buzzsicle 3 for a special promotion, and … well, it’s a long story, but I never posted it until now. It’s an hour’s worth of music featuring 15 songs by L.A. artists Red Cortez, Spider Problem, the Yelling, Greyboy, the Gray Kid, Keenhouse, NightWaves, Shiloe, Robotanists, His Orchestra, […]
More on the album when it lands in my mailbox, but for now here is the music video for His Orchestra’s “Black Coffin.” It’s directed by Leah McKissock, with cinematography by Aaron Lavinsky and choreography by Kristin Rapinchuk. The six-piece band, fronted by Douglas Smith (Ben Henrickson on “Big Love”), recently released its debut, “Field […]
[One day left till Coachella, and my schedule sheet looks like a 4-year-old practiced drawing circles, lines and arrows on it. So many tough decisions this year …] Tonight isn’t any easier. My Bloody Valentine shakes the chandeliers at the El Rey Theatre, and the Black Keys have a pre-Coachella show at the Glass House […]
[If I had time to trawl all the Hollywouldya sites, I’d clue you in on all the Grammy parties you won’t see me at. As it is, read about some of them here. Meanwhile, it’ll be a busy weekend even without the award-dispensing, or the Garth Brooks birthday party …] Tonight: What a night to […]
[Happy birthday to silky smooth soul singer Anthony Hamilton, the pride of Charlotte, N.C. …] Speaking of Charlotte, another one of that city’s native sons, Benji Hughes [pictured], is back in L.A., where he’s on a first-name basis with many fans of his sprawling, genre-hopping album “A Love Extreme.” (“Gonna go see Benji tomorrow?” somebody […]
