Artist: l.a. record

Photos and words by Scott Sheff On the first night of two sold-out shows at The Troubadour, British indie folk rockers Daughter gave the crowd a spectacular performance, and even got a little help in return from the fans. Throughout the night, the soft-spoken lead singer and guitarist Elena Tonra captivated the crowd with her sweet and soothing vocals, and lit up the room with her infectious smile. Many sang along, especially to “Youth.” Near the start of the song, she flubbed the lines and quickly dropped an f-bomb with a giggle knowing what she [...]

Photos and words by Debi Del Grande Yes, Mr. Turner, Ventura knows the deeper cuts very well. It's been a very long time since the Arctic Monkeys played live and we were lucky to be there. The line stretched around the block of The Ventura Magestic Theatre hours before showtime. AM is on its way up to Sasquatch Festival, but stopped by to treat us to mouth-watering set, including a brand spanking new tune called "Do I Wanna Know?" We, of course, want much more. [...]

Photos and words by Debi Del Grande Yes, Mr. Turner, Ventura knows the deeper cuts very well. It's been a very long time since the Arctic Monkeys played live and we were lucky to be there. The line stretched around the block of The Ventura Majestic Theatre hours before showtime. AM is on its way up to Sasquatch Festival, but stopped by to treat us to mouth-watering set, including a brand spanking new tune called "Do I Wanna Know?" We, of course, want much more. [...]

Photos and words by Debi Del Grande There is a fine marriage between LA music fans and The Black Angels. Whenever the Austin band comes to town, most put on their 60s-inspired attire, mess the hair up and float away to the pyschedelic sounds. With kaleidoscope images as the backdrop at The Mayan, the band brought its latest Indigo Meadow as Alex Maas took us on a higher trip and Christian Bland owned that Rickenbacker. [...]

Photos and words by Alexandra Brown As lovers of both noise music and hip hop, Clipping. has been on our radar for a minute. Rather than using traditional hip hop beats, Clipping. backs up their lightning lipped emcee (Daveed Diggs) with brash, cacophonous noise, meant to clip speakers, when it doesn't cut out completely leaving Diggs and his quick raps naked in accapella. Fresh off a month long US tour with tribal noise rock outfit Foot Village (a group consisting of four drummers, two of which scream vocals along with an enthusiastic crowd, who they [...]

Photos by David Benjamin In anticipation of her upcoming album, Once I Was An Eagle , Laura Marling performed at the beautiful Masonic Lodge in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. [View with PicLens]

Photos and words by Leslie Kalohi The weekend came early with a dance party courtesy of co-headliners The Presets and Dragonette at the Avalon Hollywood. With the U.S. tour winding down, both bands brought tons of energy, good vibes, and plenty of danceable beats. Complete with LCD screens and colorful flashing lasers, Sydney’s beloved electronic duo delivered yet another strong set for LA fans. Though still tirelessly touring behind last year’s Pacifica, The Presets showed no sign of wear in front of the weekday revelers. Toronto’s Dragonette delivered infectious electropop, propelled by frontwoman [...]

Photos and words by Ethan Shvartzman Mixing older tunes with some new, summer was happening at the Troubadour as Holy Ghost! came to town. The percussion-heavy (3 drum kits on stage), old analog synth-drenched brand of DFA-dance-rock got the crowd grooving. The band members rotated through various instruments and at times the stage resembled a mad scientist's layer as they congregated behind the synth banks engrossed in the nearly infinite rows of nobs and wires. The set closer "It Gets Dark" was a winner. Local faves Classixx hit a high note early in their [...]

Photos and words by Scott Sheff It’s been more than 20 years since The Ocean Blue released its self-titled debut album, and over 10 years since its last studio work. New and old fans packed The Satellite to see the band deliver a set of dreamy, atmospheric music that garnered the indie pop band wide acclaim in its early days. Touring in support of its latest full-length album Ultramarine , The Ocean Blue picked up where they left off without skipping a beat. Known for its airy jangles and hooks, the new music continues [...]

Photos and words by Leslie Kalohi After hearing raves about Chicago-based outfit Disappears, I was curious to see what the fuss was about, and was fortunate to get the chance on Friday night at the Bootleg Bar. Along with openers Douglas and The Furs, both bands delivered hefty doses of deliciously hypnotic bass lines with perfectly layered walls of noise. It was a great way to start off the weekend. Disappears impressed thanks to a heavy dose of slinky reverb and driving guitars. Playing with a sharp preciseness, the band managed to evoke [...]

Photos and words by Sam Saturday What better remedy could there be for a shitty week than a show filled with fizzy pop tunes performed by adorable dudes styled in gold sequined blazers? Amid glowing lanterns and a giant orb (transformed by projections into an all-seeing eye ball, a girl bobbing her head along with the music, and various animations) Detroit's Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. enlightened the El Rey on Thursday in support of its Patterns EP. Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein had bodies swaying right from the start, especially with new single “If [...]

Photos and words by Debi Del Grande Devendra Banhart kept us guessing at The Fonda on what he would play and how he would play it. With his comrades of mystery (including drummer Fab Moretti of The Strokes and opener Brazilian Rodrigo Amarante), the Latin-infused folk set had couples embracing and drinks flowing. A nice surprise came when drummer Gregory Rogove sat in and Banhart turned and grinned. His latest Mala was brought to the table and and we all stayed for dessert. [...]

Photos and words by Debi Del Grande Devendra Banhart kept us guessing at The Fonda on what he would play and how he would play it. With his comrades of mystery (including drummer Fab Moretti of The Strokes and opener Brazilian Rodrigo Amarante), the Latin-infused folk set had couples embracing and drinks flowing. A nice surprise came when drummer Gregory Rogove sat in and Banhart turned and grinned. His latest Mala was brought to the table and and we all stayed for dessert. [...]

Photos and words by Debi Del Grande "Paint me, don't rape me." You had to be there. Animal Impulses indeed. There is no show like an IAMX show. While Chris Corner could very well stand still on stage and sing with that beautiful voice of his, he is a master of mixing visual art with his music, creating a lush and dark atmosphere where we can all escape and play. The festivities were held at The Fonda where adoring fans dressed in dark cabaretish style clothing. Faces were painted and love [...]

Does Amanda Jo Williams have a new look? Balding, bearded, standing a few feet shorter than she does in memory? We recognize the cowboy boots and that singular country hellcat voice of hers... but something's different about her face. Ok, ok... That's Don Black of Ghiant lip synching to the new AJW smash hit,"2000Hell" ( mp3 link ). These California kids just can't be contained and video maker Chris Carlone had to find a suitable stand-in. The kids demanded an Amanda Jo Williams dance party and, gosh darn it, they got it. By squinting hard enough, Don became Amanda in [...]

• TeamClermont - 01 Amanda Jo Williams - "2000Hell"

Photos and words by Debi Del Grande Trading in his big fuzzy boots as frontman of My Morning Jacket, Jim James glided across the stage looking quite dapper in a suit as he played his solo debut album Regions of Light and Sound of God in its entirety and much much more at The Fonda. 'I used my state of the art Technology Supposed to make for better living Are we better human beings We've got our wires all crossed Our tubes are all tied And I'm straining [...]

Photos and words by Leslie Kalohi I could write volumes about the complex mission of Man or Astro-Man? as they have explored this planet for almost two decades. Or the fact that my bedroom at my mom’s house still looks like a mini-shrine to the band, complete with posters, a lunchbox/Thermos set, and carefully purchased vinyl from many eBay auctions and mail order catalogs. But, I digress. I have been a big fan of this space-age collective, not just because of the alien mythos or the legendary stage performances or the clever merchandising. [...]

Photos and words by Scott Sheff Hitting the stage at The Bootleg Bar was the easy-listening psychedelic-pop sound of Drug Cabin, the side project Nathan Thelen (Pretty Girls Make Graves and Moonrats) and Marcus Congleton (Ambulance LTD). With hints of bass, the soft accompaniment of acoustic guitar and the easy beats on drums, Drug Cabin creates a sound that seems to personify a lazy summer day, just kicking back and letting the music fill the air. Its self-titled EP is available now. [...]

Photos and words by Scott Sheff It was a family affair at The Bootleg Theatre with Sara Watkins sharing top billing with her brother Sean’s band Fiction Family, a musical collaboration with Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman. While each played its own sets, the two often shared the stage throughout the night with Sean pulling double-duty on guitar for both Sara and Fiction Family. Sara also joined Fiction Family on fiddle during its set, including a spirited cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” to close out the night. Foreman engaged with the crowd often, and even left [...]

Photos and words by Brandon Winters A sold out crowd at the Echoplex adorned in feathers, face paint, eclectic jewelry, and clashing garb shouted in excitement as of Montreal took the stage. A high energy opening by Houston's Wild Moccasins helped set the tone with their bubbly, infectious rock style and jams. Balloon animals and objects already floated across the crowd from a girl in the front row prior to the show, but these humble creations were soon met with wacky balloons brought by of Montreal's crazy clowns that danced onto the stage during the second song. [...]