Melissa Moore

The ever-beautiful Azure Ray took the Troubadour stage last Friday in support of Drawing Down the Moon, their 4th full-length album. Minimal and dreamy, the duo of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink (and back-up band) kept the crowd mellow but enthralled. Tim Fite and The Whispertown2000 opened....

Last week, Superchunk brought out LA’s contingent of old school indie rock fans to celebrate their new full-length, Majesty Shredding. Besides playing new songs, Mac and crew made sure the crowd were satiated with the old stuff, which sounded as fresh and new as if put out today. For those of you who maybe missed Superchunk among the Pavements and Sonic Youths of that decade, do yourself a favor and grab No Pocky for Kitty...

While the parking is always unsettling on the Sunset Strip, there's no bias here against a band playing amidst the backdrop of a beautiful hotel pool, like Warpaint did at the Mondrian's Sky Bar last Friday night for iAMSOUND's free "Mondrian Sessions".

When Swedish/American trio Miike Snow rolled into town late last week for their Club Nokia and Wiltern gigs, they brought with them Mark Ronson & The Business International, who were out in support of their recently released Record Collection (featuring Q-Tip, MNDR, Miike Snow's Andrew Wyatt, Boy George, and others). MNDR kicked off the somewhat early first night, talking of "connection" in between her one-woman electrodance songs. She stayed on as a major force in...

Scorching heat and long line issues aside (shouldn't we be used to this for festivals anyway?), our friends at FYF did not disappoint in 2010. With an amazing lineup featuring an indie rock dream roster, the entire day was a chaotic party of three stages, VIP tents, food trucks, Sailor Jerry rum drinks, and all the bands you could want to see. Per usual, the photo pits were packed, the fans were rabid, and the...

With the big four (Pavement, Sonic Youth, Spoon, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) making a stop in LA, pre-Matador 21, Thursday night meant spinning the "Which 90s Band Do I See?" wheel and not really caring where it landed. While it could be argued that the only choice was the Pavement/Sonic Youth/No Age show at the Bowl, for those of us who caught Pavement in Pomona pre-Coachella for their reunion debut (and have seen Sonic...

The opportunity for haute cuisine served in a pirate-themed bar was too much for us to pass up, so I made my way to Redwood Bar and Grill last Thursday to try Steve Cooper’s second go at a four course tasting menu with wine pairing provided by Bar Covell’s Matt Kaner and dessert courtesy of Jessica Koslow at the Village Bakery....

LA favorites Darker My Love played an intimate set for friends and fans at the Bootleg Theater a few weeks ago to celebrate the US release of their third album, Alive As You Are. Wounded Lion opened....

If you think back, it probably started with those delicious looking Facebook pics of multi-course meals. Designed and executed in the company of friends, each dish looking decidedly more appetizing than the last, this culinary update was a welcome respite from the usual self-aggrandizing social networking fare (especially if you like to cook and are in the habit of thinking you cannot create anything of real note in the confines of a tiny LA...

One of my favorite LA venues, The Troubadour, has been killing it with booking excellent bands as of late. First we were treated to Stars doing all of The Five Ghosts a few weeks ago, and then Beach Fossils and Here We Go Magic as a double bill? Great summer line-ups for lazy days....