Australian moody pop quartet The Jezabels return to Los Angeles tonight (7/18) for a one-off show at The Viper Room.
Since their first Los Angeles shows in March, they’ve been touring Europe and Australia and putting the finishing touches on their debut LP. They’ll be back to tour the U.S. this fall, but come out on Monday for a chance to catch them up close and personal, hopefully playing some brand new songs.
The Jezabels are often praised for front woman Hayley Mary’s intense vocal styling and enchanting stage presence. While already a well-recognized name at home, they’ve been building an international buzz since last year’s CMJ Music Festival, carried through Canadian Music Week, SXSW, and Brighton’s Great Escape.
Their last release, Dark Storm, is the third in a trilogy of EPs. “Pitched somewhere between The Cranberries’ edge-of-the-world howl and Arcade Fire’s fiery emotional release, (their three EPs) shot the Sydney quartet to the top of the Australian charts; its forthcoming full-length debut seeks to do the same internationally.” praised The A.V. Club. [source: planetary group]
In support of her debut EP MAPS, musical “impressionist” Megan Bonnell will be playing her debut Los Angeles show at the Silverlake Lounge on July 12th. Her mini-tour stops in Vancouver, B.C. and San Francisco, CA before finishing up in Los Angeles.
The ethereal songtress Megan Bonnell’s MAPS EP, was released June 21st, 2011 through Nevado Records (Library Voices, Yukon Blonde, Golden Dogs). Her honest, playful lyrics and alluring voice pull the listener in as she travels through different locations. Using geographical influences and simple piano melodies, she easily creates a setting for her listeners to dive in to, which translates into a captivating live show. Be sure to see her for her first Los Angeles performance! [source: planetary group]
Los Angeles indie rockers Y Luv will be bringing their infectious tunes to stages around California this summer. In addition to playing an Outside Lands after party to benefit Save the Waves, they have recently confirmed two shows on their home turf of the Los Angeles metro and will be announcing additional shows soon.
The quartet will be joining Oakland psych-pop band Metal Mother and Riverside’s synth rock group The New Division at Silverlake Lounge on Thursday, July 21st. They will then be joining bands like Ozomatli, Rooney, and Voxhaul Broadcast to play one of the many Open Borders’ Summer of Music and Art in Thousand Oaks (in a 40,000 square foot space of a former Borders Bookstore). The show on Friday, July 29th includes Y Luv along with Brooklyn experimental-indie-rock group Bear Hands and Orange County electro-rockers Polaris at Noon.
More Y Luv and show details here and follow Y Luv on twitter here.
Make Music Pasadena was last week (i know, i know…i totally lagged on posting this) and it was super fun!
First and foremost, it was FREE. You can’t really complain about free music. On top of that, the lineup was quite impressive (I would’ve paid to see a lot of the acts that played), it wasn’t nearly as hot as it could’ve been, and the people watching was epic.
My only real complaint was the how they handled the main stage setup and crowd control. The Morning Benders set was basically ruined because it took Pasadena PD, and the laziest event security I’ve ever seen, way too long to clear a sidewalk. If this event continues to grow, the organizers are going to have to brainstorm quite a bit between now and then on how to allow for more peeps.
As far as the actual music goes, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay ’til the end, so I missed out on Ra Ra Riot, Zola Jesus, Kisses, and Robotanists, but the acts I did catch didn’t disappoint.
Saint Motel was my personal favorite of the day. Butch was just as good live (maybe even better) than the recorded version, and their new track, Puzzle Pieces, was fantastic (but i’m a sucker for anything with piano or keyboards). Coming into it, I was most looking forward to NewVillager. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but after a strong start, they started to fizzle out by the end of their set. Either way though, I’m still super excited for their debut album (out Aug 16 via I Am Sound Music).
Best Coast definitely drew the largest crowd of the day (at least what I saw). This was my first time seeing them live and they definitely lived up to the hype. They kicked off their set with one of my favorite tracks (Crazy For You) and even played some new stuff (Gone Again – Free downloadcourtesy of Adult Swim).
All in all, I had a great day and i’m already looking forward to next year.
Saint MotelSaint MotelSaint MotelPasadena PD ruining The Morning Bender's setThe Morning BendersNewVillagerNewVillagerNewVillagerBest CoastBest CoastBest Coast CrowdBest Coast (would've been such a good shot, had it not been for the douche fist-pumping with the water bottle)People WatchingCreepy Guy in Gold Unitard and Russian Hat
p.s. if you want some more free music in Pasadena, be sure to check out Seattle’s Motopony for KCRW’s Summer Nights at One Colorado this Saturday (6/25).
Make Music Pasadena is this Saturday (6/18), and in honor of this fantastic (AND FREE!) event, this week’s mix features all the artists i’m most excited about.
For those of you not familiar with the event, Make Music Pasadena is a FREE musical celebration throughout Pasadena. This Saturday, sidewalks, parks, courtyards, alleys, building lobbies and other unconventional performance spaces will become spontaneous musical stages and social gathering places. This year’s line up includes Best Coast, Ra Ra Riot, Morning Benders, Carla Morrison, Hello Seahorse!, Saint Motel, and much, much more.
