Molly Bergen

Full disclosure: when I was twelve, I was a hardcore, die-hard Hanson fan. I knew all the lyrics to their debut album, Middle of Nowhere, and so did millions and millions of other prepubescent girls around the nation. Hanson was perfect for twelve year olds. They were young, cute, never sung about anything offensive, and most important of all they wrote and played their own instruments. Unlike the other schlock that was being marketed towards...

It was really comforting last Wednesday to wander out of debris strewn Hollywood Blvd, which had become an odd wasteland after tornado Free-Depeche-Mode-Concert hit, and into the Henry Fonda Theater. Especially since it was Mates of State that I had come to see. Their music is nothing if not comforting. I mean take one part true love and one part sunshine pop and you have Mates of State. The husband and wife duo, Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, faced each other through out the whole set. Him, on his drum set, and her, on her keyboards, sang in harmony, while gazing lovingly at each other. It's like the audience wasn't even there. If it had been a Disney cartoon, tiny bluebirds, chubby chipmunks, and fawns with giant eyes would have appeared on stage and surrounded them.

"I like all the girls, and all the girls like me!" A cocky line to be sure, but also one that will stick in your brain for days on end. The same can be said about the rest of The Blood Arm's second album, Lie Lover Lie, whose New Wave infused Los Angeles rock grabbed the world's attention three years ago. They're back in their LA studio, wrapping up material on their third disk. They will be debuting these new tunes at the Bordello this Thursday evening. Keeping us up to date on the latest developments lead singer, Nathaniel Fregoso was kind enough to speak to us from the Grilled Cheese Invitational on Saturday. Here is some of what was said.

It is no surprise that Jon Brion did not ask for any requests last Tuesday evening. The last time he did that to warm up the crowd for Greg Proops, some wise acre asked for Free Bird. It does not matter that Brion rose to the challenge and melted our faces off with, get this, a piano solo, what matters is that Brion was not going to allow the audience to choose his song again. To be honest, I don't know what he was thinking the first time. Who does he think attends the Greg Proops Chat show, if not smart ass goobers? (For anyone who is offended by that, know that I include myself in this category.) So instead he chose the safe course and sat down at the piano without so much as a glance at the audience, and promptly stunned us all into awed silence with his playing. It must be very handy being able to do that on command. I would even possibly qualify it as a minor superpower. Nothing as flashy as moving objects with your mind, but still very impressive.

Rather than face the blistering heat and ungodly, ruinous prices of Coachella, I found myself heading towards Spaceland last Friday night to participate in some local, cooler, cheaper musical entertainment. Ironically, the band I saw produced a sound that would provide a perfect soundtrack for a spiritual awakening in the desert (especially on hallucinogens). Soon after I arrived it appeared as if the stage had been taken over by wood nymphs. Two young ladies with wild hair and lost eyes took the stage dressed in plaid and sparkles accompanied by three awkward young men who looked embarrassed to be on stage. They didn't even look like they belonged in the same band. It was like two bands had been double booked and were forced to share the stage.

Supporting their second album, Get Young! Boston indie rockers, Pretty & Nice will be playing the Knitting Factory on Sunday. Often compared to Elvis Costello and Devo these art rockers' spazzed out, messy, giddy sound has won them applause from the critics and the kids who just want to dance. (Or jump up and down as the case may be.) Lead singer and founding member Jeremy Mendicino, was kind enough to talk to us from the road on Sunday. Here is some of what was said. Pretty & Nice - Tora Tora Tora

It was an old school funk showdown at the Echo on Thursday night. The age old west coast vs. east coast rivalry was in full effect. Not in any sort of negative way, but in a purely competitive spirit. What I wanted to know was which band could out groove the other. Would it be the hometown Boogaloo Assassins with their Latin boogaloo or the funky newcomers from New York supporting their second album with the legendary Daptone Records, Budos Band?

Hailing from the great Northwest, experimental indie rockers Menomena took the stage before a sold out crowd at the Palladium on Wednesday in support of their latest album Friend and Foe. Having never seen these guys before, I was really excited to see whether or not they could pull off their famed experimental hooks on stage. This band has made their name by writing albums of chaotic creativity. Therefore, I thought, surely even if the music was bad it wouldn't be dull.

Every now and then, when the wind is blowing the right way, the moon is half full, and the planets align you walk into a small club and have your face melted off by the sheer brilliance of some little band you've never heard of. For the twenty of you who wandered into the Spaceland at around ten on Sunday night, you know exactly what I'm talking about. For the rest of you, who were engaged in other activities (eating Easter dinner with your loved ones, having tea with Satan, polishing your bowling trophy collection, whatever) let me just say that you guys should look out for the Love Language next time they come to town. It's worth missing a tea party with Beezelbub.

If you're like me, the very word "folktronica" makes you cringe as if someone had dragged their fingernails down the chalkboard of your heart. Folk and electronica? Could anything be more horrible than putting synth beats on top of Nick Drake? Or adding some banjo and slowing down Justice's tempo? The two genres seemed to be like beef jerky and Pop Rocks, two substances who were delicious apart but shouldn't ever ever be mixed together.