Do you like to be rocked to sleep, or rocked like a hurricane? Fri 6/16 - Juana Molina / Jose Gonzalez / Psapp @ El Rey ($21) – All three of these artists performed on Morning Becomes Eclectic this week. Juana Molina’s a critically acclaimed, Argentinean singer-songwriter who recently released her third album. Her music is pretty, electro-folk and she sings in breathy, Spanish. Jose Gonzalez is a Swedish singer-songwriter. The Onion compared him... [continue]

Mon 6/12 - Boy Kill Boy / Monsters are Waiting @ Spaceland (Free) – Spaceland's always a safe bet on Monday night. London’s Boy Kill Boy play that catchy dance-rock that you might like if you’re into Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand. They’ve been on tour with Charlatans and Echo & the Bunnymen, so take advantage of seeing them for free. They’re also playing Lollapalooza and the Reading and Leeds festivals. Their first single,... [continue]

Fri 6/9 - Silversun Pickups / Film School @ the Echo ($10) – The Silversun Pickups drop their debut full-length, Carnavas, on July 25th on Dangerbird Records. The record is consistently strong and they're one of the handful of local bands with a really good chance of blowing up this year. Expect to hear a few Smashing Pumpkins comparisons in the reviews (classic Gish/Siamese Dream-era Pumpkins). San Francisco’s Film School frequently gets favorably compared... [continue]

Any apprehension about seeing the Raconteurs at the Fonda last night disappeared when they took the stage. On the album, each song sounds like a different band trying on a new style. But in person, they're tight, unified and rock nice and hard and loud (are your ears still ringing a little too?). On tour the band (Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler) is supplemented with a fifth member who mostly... [continue]

Be Your Own Pet Be Your Own Pet (Ecstatic Peace) – Thurston Moore signed this teenage band from Nashville. Critics like to compare the lead singer to Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Most critics think it’s a fun, infectious record but detractors criticize the lack of sophistication. The whole thing only lasts 33 minutes. Tickets are still available for their show at the Troubadour on June 27th. Carla Bozulich Evangelista (Constellation) –... [continue]

Infinity (the Journey cover band that played Spaceland on Friday) is a lot of fun to see live. Here are some other bands that are hopefully fun live..... Mon 6/5 - Languis / Kind Hearts and Coronets / Ill Lit / @ the Echo (Free) – Languis is playing every Monday at the Echo in June. They put out a very good spacey rock EP earlier this year. You need to see them live... [continue]

Fri 6/2 - Mike Stinson / Flash Express / Stax of Women @ El Cid ($7) – Mike Stinson is one of LA’s finest practitioners of honky tonk music. He’s obviously a huge Gram Parsons fan, but also pays tribute to Parsons’ heroes like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Dwight Yoakam opened his Population Me album with Stinson’s “The Late Great Golden State.” His extremely talented guitarist, Tony Gilkyson (X, Lone Justice) has an... [continue]

A couple of very cool local artists have an opening this weekend. You might recoginize his work from graffiti and stickers around Echo Park/Silver Lake as well as Spin Magazine, Vans shoes, the hallway at Little Joy and album covers for Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Get Up Kids, New Amsterdams, etc. You might recognize her work from album covers by the Silversun Pickups, Irving and/or hanging on the walls of the Mustard Seed in... [continue]

Tues 5/30 - Bedroom Walls / Let’s Go Sailing / Lavender Diamond @ Troubadour ($8) – Catch three strong local bands on one bill. Bedroom Walls has a new, critically acclaimed album on Baria Records. Download “Somewhere in Newhall (string quartet version)” Let’s Go Sailing is Shana Levy with various members of Silversun Pickups, Tanya Haden and others helping her out from time to time. Lavender Diamond is Becky Stark backed by some other... [continue]

The Monday holiday makes it a very light week for new releases. Here are a few things that caught our eye.... Dave Alvin West of the West (Yep Roc) – This is a concept album about California from the former leader of the Blasters. All these songs were written by California songwriters (Alvin co-wrote one of the songs). He covers Merle Haggard, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Jerry Garcia, Tom Waits, The Beach Boys and... [continue]

Fri 5/26 - Elefant / Voxtrot / Silversun Pickups @ the Wiltern ($20) – Elefant's new album, The Black Magic Show, is out on Hollywood Records. They've got a stylish front man with lots of swagger and they should appeal to fans of the Killers and She Wants Revenge. Silversun Pickups are getting ready to release their debut full-length, Carnavas, on Dangerbird Records on July 11th. The people who’ve heard it say it’s really... [continue]

Bedroom Walls All Good Dreamers Pass This Way (Baria Records) – The All Music Guide gives this local band a 4.5/5 and says: “"If Elliott Smith were still alive and decided to get together and jam with Neutral Milk Hotel, the results might sound a lot like this self-described ‘romanticore’ quintet.” That’s very high praise indeed. They’re appearing live at the Troubadour on 5/30. Download a demo of “In Anticipation of Your Suicide” Johnny... [continue]

Mon 5/22 - Architecture in Helsinki / Tussle @ Troubadour (Sold Out) –Melbourne, Australia’s Architecture in Helsinki are an eight piece indie band. Pitchfork gave their last album an 8.8 and compared them to Fiery Furnaces. They seem like really nice kids and their fanbase keeps growing everytime they play LA. San Francisco’s Tussle makes instrumental dub-dance-indie-electronic music. Download Tussle’s “DiscoD'oro - Munk Remix” Tues 5/23 - George Clinton and Parliament @ House of... [continue]

Fri 5/19 - Kelley Stoltz / Irving / The Little Ones @ the Echo ($10) – This is a very strong lineup for the indie pop fans. San Francisco’s Kelley Stoltz put out an overlooked album earlier this year on Sub Pop. He sounded great at the Echo in February, but his set was cut short by a DJ night. Hopefully he won’t be rushed tonight. He writes songs that are informed by all... [continue]

Cam’Ron Killa Season (Diplomatic Man) – He’s straight-up gangsta. In the last two years he’s hunted internet pedophiles, gotten shot and beefed with Jay-Z. Some critics complain that the beats on this album sound too much like the last one, but most agree that his lyrics make it an enjoyable listen. He’s even got a song about his battle with irritable bowel syndrome. Dinosaur Jr. Green Mind and Where You Been (Rhino) – While... [continue]

Mon 5/15 – The Bronx / Wires on Fire / Sabertooth Tiger @ Spaceland (Free) – Mondays are still free at Spaceland. This week you can see three loud, punk-inspired bands. The Bronx portray Black Flag in the new movie about Germs’ singer, Darby Crash. You can watch the trailer for that movie HERE. The Bronx and Wires on Fire will soon be on tour with Priestess and Riverboat Gamblers (they better have their... [continue]

Fri 5/12 - The Bellrays @ Safari Sam’s ($10) – This is a great opportunity to see Riverside’s The Bellrays play a new venue with great sound. There are plans to modify the stage to give soulful singer Lisa Kekaula even more room to strut around. With her huge voice, stage presence and the tight rock band, it promises to be a high energy night. Congratulations to the winner of our ticket giveaway. If... [continue]

While some of us were busy debating the value of Coachella, high school kids have reminded us not to underestimate their passion for blatantly commercial music. According to an article from the Daily News, area students submitted 10 million text messages for a chance to win a concert with the Black Eyed Peas. Controversy ensued, audits took place, a school was disqualified and San Fernando High ultimately emerged victorious. Not surprisingly, the contest was... [continue]

Beirut Gulag Orkestar (Bada Bing) – Beirut is a 19 year-old kid from Albuquerque who has the full attention of the blogosphere and other tastemakers. He worked with Jeremy Barnes from Neutral Milk Hotel so the comparisons to that band are prevalent but ultimately unfair. There aren’t any guitars on the record but there are glockenspiels, ukuleles and clarinets. Download “from Italy” Danielson Ships (Secretly Canadian) – Daniel Smith shortened the name from Danielson... [continue]

Mon 5/8 – The Submarines / Goldspot @ Viper Room ($10) – The Submarines debut album doesn’t come out until 6/20 but you can sample some tracks on their website or on Myspace. The album has call and response boy/girl lyrics about the two singers’ relationship (both the breakup and reunion). The electronic blips call to mind the Stars and some Folk Implosion. Her voice is in the neighborhood of the woman from Mates... [continue]