Molly Bergen

Photo by Forrester via the Republic Tigers' MySpace. You don't often hear of grandiose, lush epic pop coming out of Kansas City. That is usually Britian's department, what with their Snow Patrols, Elbows, Guillemots and Coldplays. However, Kenn Jankowski, is currently making music that would make Chris Martin green with envy. Keep Color, the Republic Tigers' debut disk has been attracting attention since it's release in April of last year. "It’s a sound that’s...

Photo by Ilia Horsburgh courtesy of Great Lakes Swimmers' MySpace Are you the sort of person who goes weak at the knees when you hear a killer banjo solo? I am too. Which is why you should get your folk fix at Spaceland tomorrow night. Hailing from Ontario, Great Lake Swimmers' were in town haunting brand of melodic folk has captivated audiences all over North America. Founding member and sole singer-songwriter for the group,...

Straining my eyes in the gloom of the Orpheum Theater last Friday, I came to the astonishing conclusion that the guitars that the Crystal Antlers were holding must be purely decorative. Pulverized by the ferocious drumming, heavy bass, and the lead singer's screaming, the guitars faded to a whimper. "They sound like they've got a pillow over them," my friend remarked, "They're all drums and cymbals." Truer words were never spoken. Although I kind of...

From the depths of Texas, comes a band that laughs in the face of categorization. White Denim's music is impossible nail down. (Trust me on this. I've been trying to do so for at least two hours now. The best I've come up with is experimental rock, which doesn't really mean much.) So I will just call it rock and be done with it. Born two years ago in Austin, White Denim was formed...

When Emiliana Torrini made her first record she was all of sixteen years old. Recorded as a present for her dad's 50th birthday, it's not an album she's particularly proud of, but the album sold 15,000 copies in her native Iceland. Which in a country of 300,000 people, turned it into a number one hit. Torrini has been making melodic, thoughtful pop ever since. She moved to England when she was twenty-one and launched...

Photos by Jeremy Oberstein/LAist. Looking like a rockabilly dandy with James Dean hair and a Clark Gable mustache, The Tallest Man on Earth otherwise known as Kristian Matsson took the stage last Thursday night looking like the most American Swede I had ever seen. With his neatly rolled up sleeves, tight jeans, and old fashioned shoes, Matsson dressed the part of a troubadour from the early 1960s reminiscent of a young Johnny Cash. So much...

If you've been around a radio any time this year, you have undoubtedly heard Katy Perry's toe curling hit Hot 'n' Cold. Unless you have a very high tolerance for dance pop, it probably sent you running for the hills praying that you would never have to hear it again. Well, indulge us for a second. Imagine that those irritating synth beats were replaced with a more wholesome accordion, and that Perry's voice exchanged...

Walking in at the Troubadour that night was like walking into a magic forest glade. I half expected to see sparkling nymphs in gauzy outfits leaping around from behind the concert goers, cackling merrily as they played tag. Perhaps if there had been any absinthe in the place that would be exactly what I saw. Brooklyn's electro pop piece Bell was on stage spreading their musical glitter all over the Troubadour making it sparkle...

Photos by Jessi Duston /LAist Rock from the great cold Canadian north conquered the Troubadour Wednesday night, starting off with Vancouver's finest Mother Mother, who took the stage fronted not by one person or even two, but three lead singers.The most obvious of the three was the lead guitarist who looked like a cross between Billy Idol and a storm trooper (and I mean that in a good way) was also dressed in black with...

The voice rang out through warm Largo darkness, "FREE BIRD!" Jon Brion sighed like he was stuck on a bad blind date,but he'd asked for it when he began his set by announcing that he'd be taking requests. Opening for the Greg Proops Chat show the multi-talented musician was foolish if he thought his audience was mature enough not to do that. Shaking off the malaise Brion launched into the most beautiful instrumental version...