Dublin-based musician Lisa Hannigan has crafted a sophomore album just as strong as her first. "Passenger" explores themes such as travel, home and the passage of time—and no matter where you listen to the music, this album will make you yearn for the home Hannigan describes. Tuesday night, she and her band will take the stage at the El Rey. more ›

Tonight Chicago-bred rapper Common will be performing at the Los Angeles Sports Arena with none other than Ludacris. LA-based singer-songwriter Meiko is slated to grace the stage at the Henry Fonda Musix Box with Joshua Radin. And, lastly, Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan will be headlining the Troubadour. But we strongly suggest heading over to Betalevel in Chinatown to catch Eagle Rock's own multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno, who will be ringing in a brand-new EP with Keenhouse. more ›

I will never forget the strange way in which I discovered the music of Lisa Hannigan. Last summer, I was sitting at work trading listening ideas with a friend over IM. I don't remember which one of us suggested Damien Rice, but his name came up and I typed it into my favorite website of the moment (the now lamentably defunct www.mixwit.com). I remember pinging my friend to ask who the female back-up singer was on the song, but she didn't know so I typed it into Google. The answer -- Lisa Hannigan -- came back quickly, as did a link to her MySpace page which I quickly pasted into my browser. more ›

December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. This year we asked some of the staffers what inspired them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008. more ›

Maybe the best thing about writing for LAist is that we are constantly encouraged by our extraordinarily generous editors to reach out into the scary ether and be personal with our stories. Sure, it doesn't always work out as we intended--we always eventually, clumsily embarrass ourselves a bit by being too personal--but it's great that we have such a liberal outlet for our thoughts. Earlier this week, we are all encouraged to share with our readers the things that we were thankful to have in our lives this year. This is my piece. more ›

Tonight we're really bummed. Neil Young canceled on us over a pretty murky labor dispute. And with LA's own alt-rockers Everest and indie rock mainstays Death Cab For Cutie opening, it was shaping up to be one of the most memorable shows of the year. We've officially put the Forum on the blacklist, twice over. Alas, English psych-pop rocker Pop Levi will be gracing the Echo. Ray Lamontagne will be performing new songs from 2008's Gossip In The Grain at the Wiltern with NY-based singer-songwriter Leona Naess (LAist Interview) opening. NY-based rock trio the Secret Machines will be playing at the Key Club with Montreal-based indie rockers the Dears. And, lastly, the ruddy-haired Jenny Lewis will be checking into the Orpheum in Downtown with the Beachwood Sparks. But, in light of recent developments, we suggest heading over to the Troubadour to catch Fujiya & Miyagi. The Brighton-based quartet will be laying down funky grooves from 2008's Lightbulbs. more ›

Although it sometimes takes two or three listens to truly appreciate and feel familiarity with an album, Lisa Hannigan’s debut, Sea Sew, is a different story. Hers is a rare record that feels comfortable on the first listen—sort of like slipping on a pair of warm, fuzzy slippers and curling up next to the fire on a blustery day. LAist caught up with Hannigan last week to chat about sewing, venn diagrams and what it feels like to be drenched in chocolate. more ›