Results tagged “rachaelyamagata”

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.

       

Last month, the Hotel Cafe Tour (MySpace) -- mentioned previously here -- whose all-female singer-songwriter lineup was comprised of locals Emily Wells (MySpace), Lenka (MySpace), and Meiko (MySpace), as well as Jaymay (MySpace), Thao Nguyen (MySpace), and Rachael Yamagata (MySpace), concluded at the Henry Fonda Theatre.

Tonight the legendary punk rock outfit known as the Misfits will be stopping through the House of Blues Sunset. Brooklyn-based Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu is set to headline Club Nokia with Flobots and Chester French. The Hotel Café Tour, which features Meiko (LAist Review) and Rachael Yamagata (LAist Review), will be coming through the Henry Fonda Music Box. Experimental locals Abe Vigoda are slated to rock the dingy confines of the Smell. And, lastly, Radio Free Silver Lake's Let's Independent Night is taking over Boardner's in Hollywood with the Broken Remotes in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echoplex to catch LAist's favorite alt-rock group Everest (LAist Review, #2). Glendale's own the Henry Clay People are opening and it's free if you're old enough to buy drinks.

                                    

Earlier this month, the Hotel Cafe Tour (MySpace) -- mentioned previously here, here, and here -- whose all-female singer-songwriter lineup was comprised of locals Laura Jansen (MySpace), Holly Conlan (MySpace), and Meiko (MySpace), as well as Jaymay (MySpace), Erin McCarley (MySpace), and Rachael Yamagata (MySpace), stopped by the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood.

                                   

Last weekend, the 24th Annual Abbot Kinney Festival took place in Venice. One longtime attendee noted that in past years, the quality of musical entertainment wasn't particularly memorable, so she was pleasantly surprised at the lineup this year, which included locals WAZ (MySpace), Buddy (MySpace), Laura Jansen (MySpace), Holly Conlan (MySpace) with Pedestrian (MySpace), Steve Reynolds (MySpace) with Cary Brothers (MySpace), Brian Wright (MySpace) with Sally Jaye (MySpace), Jesca Hoop (MySpace), Greg Laswell (MySpace), and Chris Pierce (MySpace) on the Brooks Stage (booked by the Hotel Cafe), Paul Chesne (MySpace) and Matt Ellis (MySpace) on the Andaluisa Stage, and War Tapes (MySpace) and HoneyHoney (MySpace) at the Palms Stage (although it should be noted that the set times listed on the website for this stage were woefully incorrect).

Tonight LA offers up a few relatively low-key options. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne will be playing at Amoeba at 6 PM for free. NY-based singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata (LAist Review) is slated to perform at Largo at the Coronet. And, lastly, the Hotel Cafe will be hosting a night with Danger Bird recording artists Eulogies (LAist Review), Ed Laurie and La Rocca (LAist Review). But we suggest paying the Troubadour a visit to see Indianapolis-based indie rock collective Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s. The eight-piece band will be premiering material from their forthcoming albums, Animal and Not Animal. It is our understanding that the notion of a two-disc release arose when the band and their label could not agree on which seventeen songs to release. So it will certainly be interesting to watch all of that play out.

                     

Last Tuesday, singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata (MySpace) performed two sold-out shows at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood.

The Fiona Apple comparisons are inevitable. As soon as Sara Bareilles opens her mouth, she reveals the vocal depth of Apple with the pop sensibility of Rachael Yamagata and Regina Spektor and the soulful sultriness of Norah Jones and Feist. In fact, on her website, she says: "I write mostly on piano and I'm a girl, so lots of people say it's Norah Jones, or Fiona Apple. That's fine. I love Norah's subtlety and...

Summer has passed and acts such as Suzanne Vega, Tegan and Sara, M.I.A., Spoon, and Rilo Kiley have reclaimed the spotlight after significant hiatuses, but the year is far from over. It’s now time to look forward to albums on the horizon that look like winners already:

After the thrill of the weekend, LAist is afraid tonight's entertainment is a mite sparse. Have some comedy or a little music—there's always karaoke at The Bigfoot Lounge—and relax away the dreaded Monday.