Melissa Moore

Sometimes, concert going does not go as well as one would hope. For instance, this reviewer had high hopes of bringing LAist readers the entire line-up of the KROQ Acoustic Christmas Night 2. Instead, I was kicked out for not having the right photo pass after Cage the Elephant's set. As the melodic sounds of Phoenix carried me unceremoniously out of the photo pit (seriously, I have the worst luck trying to shoot them), I...

LA locals Rooney kicked off their Fall tour in support of their Wild One EP, exclusively available all special-like at the merch table at each show. Rooney is the perfect blend of catchy and cute, like cotton candy without the sugar coma. I found myself digging their California rock even though screaming girls almost drowned out vocals and guitar in their entirety. What I'm saying is, were I to draw a Venn diagram of the...

In an effort to get the 2009 shows on the 2009 books, we're having a bit of a yard sale on post-show galleries. It's a mixed bag, but all the more fun! The English Beat, for example, were in town at the end of November at the Troubadour, cranking out an impressive and beloved catalog. It's great when a band can tear through a Greatest Hits list and still make you feel like you're hearing...

Did you know that They Might Be Giants records albums for kids? That are educational? And still rock? If it was inevitable that all the long-standing indie music fans would grow up and have kids, it would follow that all the long-standing indie bands would grow up and have kids, too. And why should either group have to resign themselves to a life of mind-numbing Kidz Bop or Wiggles tunes?...

Attention violin students everywhere: Hang in there, kids. It is possible to parlay those Vivaldi exercises into a musical career with a fan base of near-hysterical young women. Just ask the dreamy Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, whose austere synth and drum-accompanied strings nearly brought the house down last Sunday. The profound beauty of the headlining Mountain Goats, on tour to promote their latest full-length, The Life of the World to Come, followed, and the...

OK, OK, OK. We know that this is long overdue. But we couldn't pass up the opportunity to share the night that the illustrious Beth Ditto took the Fonda stage in what we assume was her pre-Halloween take on the ever charming Wilma Flintsone. It was all cat moves and throaty swagger, or what we've come to expect from the Gossip. No one works a crowd like this crew, and they had the fans singing...

We hope you came out and enjoyed the I Hate Everyone But You opening reception last night at De La Barracuda. Matt Goldman, aka MFG, and Tim Biskup were in good form, welcoming guests and discussing their old and new work. If you weren't able to make it last night, not to worry! The show will be up through the end of next month, with tons of goodies of various price ranges to buy before...

Longtime friends and Los Angeles locals, fine artist Tim Biskup and graphic designer/event promoter Matt Goldman (aka MFG), team up together to bring us "I Hate Everyone But You", a collection of new and past work. Tonight marks the opening reception, with DJ Dirty Dave and DJ Alphabeast spinning all sorts of ridiculous, plus Colt 45 and Red Bell shucking out complimentary drinks. The whole thing goes down from 7-9 pm at De La...

On tour to pre-promote their December 1st release of Stir the Blood, NYC's The Bravery took to a packed house at the Wiltern Thursday night. Once the band took the stage, it was clear from the feverish enthusiasm of the The Bravery fans that there was no other place to be, despite the fact that the concert calendar for November 5th also featured Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Neon Indian, and Avi Buffalo within a 10 mile...

Don't get me wrong, I love me some indie rock. Dark stages populated with a handful of plaid-shirted and bespectacled gents with questionable hygiene pulling perfect amounts of distortion and fuzz out of a banged up Fender is my definition of a good time. But a girl needs variety to keep things interesting, and sometimes that means packing rap, sass, and style into 5 feet of lovely, aka Chicago's very own Kid Sister. Touring with...