Yeah Yeah Yeahs Inspire Me to Climb Mountains :)

I'm a Rich Warrior who's got a Date With The Night. It's The Sweets :)

And Karen O is my hero <3>
I CANNOT WAIT for Yeah Yeah Yeahs' new album to be released in 2013!

Rich

Warrior

Date With The Night

The Sweets

After You by Pulp (AND James Murphy!)

Pulp & James Murphy gave us all a kickass Christmas gift by collaborating & releasing (on Christmas Day) Pulp's 1st new recorded track in 10 years.http://stereogum.com/1225921/pulp-after-you-demo-version/mp3s/

After You

It's Too Late by Wild Belle

Now that you want me, it's too late...

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs @ The Fonda - 12/19/12

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs is only 1 dude. He is British & he is AWESOME.

Tapes & Money
 

Garden

Whispering by Alex Clare

Ghosts by ON AN ON

Atlas Genius @ Troubadour - 12/11/12

I was just introduced to Atlas Genius a few weeks ago but I'm already a big fan &, luck for me, my concert buddy Adam had an extra ticket for their sold out Troubadour show on Tuesday night! This aussie indie rock band is blowin' up quickly so they won't be playing venues as small as the Troubadour for much longer. If they come through your town, definitely go see them! And be sure to pick up a copy of Atlas Genius' debut album when it's released on 2/19/13!



And this isn't a video from Tuesday night's show but it was 1 of my favorite songs of the night. I'm especially excited to get my hands on a copy of Atlas Genius' new album on (or before) 2/19/13 so I can start rockin' Electric ALL the time!

We Hate Hurricanes Featuring Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, Will Ferrell & Beck @ Club Nokia in Downtown LA - 12/10/12

Americares' Hurricane Sandy benefit at Club Nokia in Downtown LA last night was SO much fun! Sarah Silverman & Aziz Ansari's stand-up sets were both absolutely hilarious as well as wildly inappropriate. I would've paid good money to see Sarah or Aziz alone so getting to see both of them plus Chelsea Peretti, Will Ferrell doing a silly, little skit, Beck (who I LOVE) playing a few songs & Jon Hamm & Adam Scott hosting the event made donating to a good cause pretty f*ckin easy :)

Will Ferrell's Ball-less Juggling Act


Beck Performing The Golden Age

The Greatest Event in Television History featuring Jon Hamm & Adam Scott

Bloc Party @ The Hollywood Palladium

After being forced to leave Bloc Party's Sunday night set on Day 3 of Outside Lands 2012 due to my poor cat Cleo suddenly getting sick & ending up in the vet ER, I was determined to catch another Bloc Party show ASAP (since Outside Lands was the 1st time I'd ever seen them). Luckily, I didn't have to wait long! Bloc Party definitely brought the party to The Hollywood Palladium on Friday night! :-P

Song for Clay (Disappear Here) & BANQUET

Octopus

Bruce Springsteen @ The Honda Center 12/4/12

I'm SO jealous of my fellow concert addict DUDE, Adam Diamond, who got to see Bruce Springsteen this past Tuesday night in Anaheim! Luckily, I was having a merry time at The Sufjan Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long at The Fonda that same night but I still wish I could've seen Bruce too. I've never seen The Boss live before & definitely need to make that happen someday. See Adam's fab guest post below. It sounds like he had a pretty good time!

For the second time this year, The Boss is back in SoCal. This time, it was the Honda Center in Anaheim. Bruce and the E Street Band brought the usual high energy and played for 3 hours, 28 songs. Bruce is a sight to be seen. I was never a Bruce fan, and I'm from NJ. It's like I'm a sinner for not being a huge fan my whole life. But after being told by countless fans of his that I had to see him live, I made the journey twice this year. They were right, he is a MUST SEE. If you have never sene a Springsteen show, you made a BIG mistake. A nice special tribute to Clarence "Big Man" Clemons, saxophonist, at the show's end was touching. Clarence passed away in June 2011 & was a founding member of the band. Tom Morello, from Rage Against the Machine was back again for the last leg of the Wrecking Ball Tour and once again blew the crowds mind with his guitar solo in "Ghost of Tom Jones". See below. Cheers to you, Bruce. You are definitely "The Boss".

Kishi Bashi Covering The Shins' Kissing The Lipless

I just ordered 2 tickets to see Kishi Bashi for my 1st time on March 1st at The Troubadour! I'm so excited! He's pretty amazing.

Check out the video below then buy your tickets NOW before they sell out!

The Sufjan Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long @ The Fonda - 12/4/12

Sufjan Stevens & his band blew me awayon Tuesday night at The Fonda. The show was SO festive & fun! Everyone in the crowd was decked out in red & green, Santa hats, etc & very much in the holiday spirit. Some of the sing-a-long Christmas carols (selected by spinning the giant "Wheel of Christmas") sounded better than others but at least everyone had a blast TRYING to sing them.

Luckily, despite the online Goldenvoice warning stating that nothing but Christmas music would be played, Sufjan ended up treating his Christmas party guests to many of his original tracks. The man is incredible. And each member of his band was rad as well...especially Sheila Saputo! She's just adorable...as is MR. FROSTY MAN!

CHRISTMAS!!


Do you see what I see?

 

What The Eyeballs Did by Atoms For Peace

Another new track from Atoms For Peace!

Joy To The World by Sufjan Stevens

I'm SO excited to officially start getting into the holiday spirit with Sufjan Stevens at The Fonda tonight!

The event is entitled The Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice. And there's a disclaimer on Goldenvoice's event page that says, "All Grinches be forewarned: the show will consist entirely of Christmas music, inviting audience participation. Be prepared to sing along with bawdy bravura! Song sheets will be provided. There should be plenty of low-production props and gags, dollar-store giveaways, inflatable unicorns, cheap confetti, make-shift costumes, and Gloria in excelsis deo. Wear a santa hat, bring a friend and join the Sufjan Christmas Spectacular Sing-a-long in drunken revelry."

If they want drunken revelry, I'm gonna give them drunken revelry!Sh*t's gonna get weird & it's gonna be awesome. Stay tuned for a recap!

Simian Mobile Disco @ The Fonda - 11/30/12

LOCK, STOCK & 2 SMOKING BARRELS Soundtrack = Best Movie Soundtrack of All Time

One of my favorite films of all time, Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels, has what is, in my opinion, still THE best movie soundtrack of all time. It's just too good.

The Boss by James Brown


"Chill Winston" (movie clip)


Spooky by Dusty Springfield


I Wanna Be Your Dog by The Stooges


Why Did You Do It by Stretch


The Payback by James Brown - You know a soundtrack is good when there are TWO James Brown tracks on it!

∆ (Alt-J)'s Take Away Show

∆ (Alt-J) won this year's Mercury Prize for a reason.

I love them.

Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood

Since I'm going to be Tahoe for Christmas on 12/23, I really hope to be able to catch the 1st of The Neighbourhood's 2 Sunday night shows in a row at The Bootleg on Sunday 12/16!

The Hope That House Built by Future Of The Left

I need to see these guys.

"Essentially we write pop music, just delivered in a louder, angrier and more angular way than most other 'pop' bands," says drummer/vocalist Jack Egglestone.

Trojans by Atlas Genius

Of course I discovered how much I like Atlas Genius after their December 11th Troubadour show was already sold out :-/ If anyone has an extra ticket, PLEASE sell it to me!!

Clair De Lune by Flight Facilities (featuring Christine Hoberg)

This song doesn't sound much like the original Clair De Lune by Debussy that used to be 1 of the most difficult (& also 1 of my most beloved) songs to play on the piano when I was in high school (& still actually a skilled pianist :-/) but this is 1 of the best new songs I've heard all month. I'm looking forward to more from Flight Facilities...



Clair De Lune by Debussy

Tame Impala @ The Fonda - 11/17/12

I'll admit I'm a sucker for anything & anyone who comes from Australia but that isn't the only reason I love Tame Impala. They put on SUCH a rad, psychedelic live show. I was lucky to snag a pair of tickets to their Saturday night show at The Fonda when tix went on sale 3 MONTHS ago. The show sold out so quickly that Tame Impala was forced to add a 2nd Los Angeles gig which ended up being on Friday 11/16 at El Rey.

I would've preferred to see TI on the 1st night at El Rey since El Rey is my fave indoor venue in LA but, luckily, I've got love for The Fonda too (now that's it back open & officially referred to as The Fonda again...not the silly Musicbox :-P...lol). From what I heard, Tame Impala killed it on Friday night...as they did on Saturday night as well.

Lucidity

If I Am A Stranger by Ryan Adams - Live on Letterman

Chills...

Typhoon @ The Echo - 11/16/12

Would it be cheesy of me to say Typhoon BLEW ME AWAY at The Echo on Friday night? It would be?? Oh OK...well I don't care. I'm gonna say it anyway because THEY DID!!! :) :) :)

Typhoon managed to cram 11-12 band members playing countless instruments (including guitars, bass, keyboards, 2 sets of drums for TWO separate drummers, various horns, violins & even a plastic bag used AS an instrument at 1 point) onto The Echo's relatively small stage & absolutely floored everyone present & lucky enough to witness the performance.

Typhoon is a band everyone MUST see live in order to truly understand just how awesome & special they are. I can't thank my friend Aaron enough for insisting I check them out! Thank you, Aaron! And THANK YOU, TYPHOON! I'm already looking forward to next time. Please come back to LA soon!

Gary Clark Jr. @ The Troubadour - 11/14/12

I'm SO lucky to have snagged a pair of tickets to the 2nd of Gary Clark Jr.'s 3 sold out shows at The Troubadour this past week! To say Gary Clark Jr. shreds on guitar is a severe understatement. And his voice ain't too shabby either.

After having only recently released his 1st full length album Blak & Blu a few weeks ago (he also released an EP a while back), GCJ still managed to play a 1 hour & 45 minute set that captivated every person in the audience (including me) then ENTIRE time. GCJ could jam out for 10 minutes straight without singing a single word & I still never got even the slightest bit bored. The man is a wonder. You have to see/hear him (live) to believe it.

Same Way I Feel by Midnight Magic

Midnight Magic produces some quality shit, man.

Better Off Dead by ZZ Ward

I was under the false impression ZZ Ward was opening for Gary Clark Jr. at The Troubadour tonight but it turns out she's opening for him tomorrow night so I'll be seeing Timothy Bloom open for GCJ tonight instead. Hopefully I dig Timothy as much as I'm now TOTALLY diggin' ZZ Ward! What a talented lil' sexpot!

Ben Fagan & Quentin Ravenel aka Hooligan Duo @ The Vibe Hotel on Hollywood Blvd - 11/10/12

Own2Feet's 1st live music fund/awareness-raising event was a HUGE success! I can't thank Ben Fagan & Quentin Ravenel aka Hooligan Duo for being so kind as to donate their time & their TALENT to helping make Saturday night a huge success! Ben & Quentin are truly dedicated musicians whose songs are upbeat, positive & fun. They've definitely got a new #1 fan right here. I might have to make a special trip to South Carolina just to see them (& even more of the Hooligans) doin' their thing in their hometown!

http://www.benfaganmusic.com/fr_home.cfm

www.own2feet.org

Hooligan Duo live at The Vibe


Ben live looping We Will Remain


Twilight featuring Ben Fagan, Kat C.H.R & Mckenzie Eddy - Every time the wind blows, it blows my mind...

Lines by Big Boi featuring Phantogram & A$AP Rocky

I love me some Big Boi & some Phantogram!!

Regarding his upcoming new album Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumours, Big Boi said, "I got guest appearances by A$AP Rocky, Ludacris, TI, Little Dragon, Kelly Rowland, BoB. It's action-packed, man."

I can't wait!

FANTASTIC Cover of Leonard Cohen's AVALANCHE

Divine Fits & Cold Cave @ The Fonda - 11/4/12

My 1st Divine Fits (aka Britt Daniel of Spoon, Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade & Handsome Furs, Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks & Alex Fischel) show on Sunday night at The Fonda was simply...DIVINE! Cold Cave was pretty good too although something was up with their acoustics because the vocals weren't loud enough. Luckily, the issue was resolved between sets so Divine Fits sounded perfect!

I LOVE Britt Daniel & Dan Boeckner both SO much! There's a reason I've seen Spoon 4-5x, Wolf Parade 3-4x & Handsome Furs once! These men are TALENTED!

Cold Cave performing Catacombs

Divine Fits covering Frank Ocean's Lost

Inhaler by Foals = NEW!!!

Foals are back!! I can't wait for their new album Holy Fire to be released on 2/12/13! Shit's gettin' intense & I like it :)

"I'm pale & coy..."

Other Lives @ El Rey Theatre - 11/3/12

I can't believe I went 2 1/2 weeks without seeing a concert! Before Saturday, the last show I'd seen was The Ross Sea Party's album release show at The Bootleg on 10/17.

Thank god Other Lives played El Rey Theatre on Saturday night so I could end my no show streak! I was starting to go through withdrawals! And, luckily, I was able to snag 3 extra tickets (for a grand total of $17/ticket) & bring 3 friends with me who'd never even heard of Other Lives before & who all ended up falling in love with this band. I already felt that way ;)

The Carnival by Wyclef Jean

The 1st hip hop album I ever bought was The Carnival by Wyclef Jean in 1997 & it's still SO good. I miss Wyclef!!

Gone Till November


Anything Can Happen

Do They Know It's Halloween by The North American Halloween Prevention Initiative

Speaking of charities, in 2005, UNICEF was lucky enough to rally 28 artist to contribute to 1 super sweet Halloween song.

The North American Halloween Prevention Initiative consisted of Arcade Fire, Beck, Buck 65, David Cross, Dessert, Devendra Banhart, Elvira, Feist, Gino Washington, Les Savy Fav, Islands, Malcolm McLaren, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Peaches, Postal Service, Rilo Kiley, Greg Kursten, Roky Erickson, Sloan, Smoosh, Sonic Youth, Sparks, Subtitle, Sum 41, Tagaq, That Dog, Wolf Parade & my FAVORITE, Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs!

DON'T MISS Own2Feet at The Vibe Hotel in Hollywood on 11/10/12!!!

Who's ready for another Vibe Fest?!? OR, more appropriately, how about a mini Vibe Fest II that's actually a fundraiser? :)

Take a couple hours out of your weekend to support a good cause by joining me & LA's newest non-profit organization, Own2Feet, at The Vibe Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard on Saturday, November 10th at 5pm to check out a screening of a new, short documentary & a live set by a rockin' band from South Carolina! And there'll be plenty of 2 Buck Chuck to help you get your Saturday night started right ;)

Own2Feet's mission statement = At Own2Feet, our mission is to empower, educate & train the local community about the prevention, management, and consequences of diabetes. We strive for sustainability from the ground up to provide actual solutions. By partnering with the government, local organizations & villages, we can inspire change… One Step at a Time :)

The suggested entry fee is a pair of Crocs footwear (or 2!) to help prevent limb loss of diabetic Fijians. A pair of shoes that cost you less than $20 could help prevent someone from LOSING A LEG. If that's not a good deal, I don't know what is! So you don't forget your Crocs, ORDER A PAIR right now!

http://www.6pm.com/crocs-shoes-on-sale~e?s=percentOffStyle%2Fdesc%2F

Also, if anyone from out of town is interested in some RAD & affordable accomodations, please note The Vibe Hotel is actually a hostel located in the heart of Hollywood! Rooms are only $79-89/night! For more information, go to http://www.vibehotel.com/

To remind yourself how cool it is to contribute to a charity, listen toYou Are The Blood by Sufjan Stevens from Dark Was The Night, a 2-disc compilation album (featuring Arcade Fire, Spoon, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, Cat Power, The New Pornographers, Dirty Projectors, My Morning Jacket, The National & MANY more) benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds & awareness for HIV & AIDS:

The People Tree by N.A.S.A. featuring David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift Of Gab, & Z-Trip

This is 1 of my most favorite videos EVER! I can't believe I've never posted it before! Be sure to watch the entire thing!

With You Forever by PNAU (Patchwork Remix)

Shockingly, I haven't been to a show since last Wednesday when I saw The Ross Sea Party & United Ghosts at The Bootleg so...I'm just going to keep sharing cool tunes!!

Mr. FROSTY MAN by Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens sure knows how to make the holidays morbidly hilarious :) LOL

Yet Again by Grizzly Bear (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Breakers by Local Natives

Check out the 1st single from Local Natives' upcoming new album Hummingbird due out on 1/29/13, which just happens to be the same day I'll be SEEING Local Natives at El Rey in LA! They're SO good live. Their voices & harmonies are INCREDIBLE!http://www.thelocalnatives.com/

The Ross Sea Party & United Ghosts @ Bootleg Bar - 10/17/12

The Ross Sea Party's album release show last night at Bootleg Bar proved once again that RSP never plays a bad show!

Get your copy of their 1st studio album Hotel Pool on iTunes today!!

And, as a bonus, I was introduced to United Ghosts!

THE ROSS SEA PARTY


UNITED GHOSTS

Life of Crime by Geographer

I may have missed Geographer at both Outside Lands 2012 & at El Rey on Tuesday night when they opened for Freelance Whales but I'm determined not to miss them the next chance I get!

Freelance Whales at El Rey Theatre - 10/16/12

THANK YOU, THE SCENESTAR.COM, for hooking me up for free tickets to Freelance Whales at El Rey Theatre last night! I've never won tickets to a show before so I kinda felt like I won the lottery even though tickets were only about $25 face value :)

Unfortunately, because it was such last minute notice, I wasn't able to find anyone to attend the show with me so my extra free ticket went to waste & I rolled solo (everyone else's loss...lol). I tried to catch the end of Geographer's set because I like the few songs of theirs I've heard & people have been saying good things about their live shows AND I missed their set at Outside Lands 2012. But, alas, because their set started at 8:30pm & I was walking into El Rey at 9:07pm hoping I'd at least catch 1 song, I missed them. I only overheard the last couple minutes of their last song as I was picking up my free ticket from will call.

At that point, I had to stand around by myself for 30 minutes with no one to talk to (which is especially unfortunate & awkward for me since I always prefer to be chatting with SOMEONE) but, once Freelance Whales started playing at 9:45pm on the dot, being at the show alone no longer mattered. I was 100% transfixed on the 5 dudes & 1 chick from Queens, New York who captivated me for the next 90 minutes playing everything from guitars, drums & keyboards to xylophones, trumpets, banjos, bass, synthesizers, glockenspiels & harmoniums.

I captured a great video of 1 of Freelance Whales' songs early in the set but, sadly, when I was uploading my footage at home late last night, I somehow deleted the clip from both my camera AND computer at the same time :( So, naturally, I had to "borrow" a couple clips from other people. Check 'em out:

Broken Horse

Spitting Image

Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass by !!! (chk chk chk)

!!! (pronounced "chk chk chk") puts on 1 of THE most fun live shows I've ever seen & their videos are hilarious too. This one isn't suggestive at all ;)

The Ross Sea Party's Album Release Party THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT at The Bootleg Theatre!!!

Come to The Bootleg Theatre THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT to catch yet another kick ass Ross Sea Party show AND to pick up your own personal copy of RSP's1st studio album, Hotel Pool! I can personally attest to the fact that it is FANTASTIC!!!

8 Ball by Underworld

Father John Misty @ Bootleg Theater - 10/3/12

After missing Father John Misty's sets at both Coachella 2012 & Outside Lands 2012 & feeling dissatisfied only getting to see him perform 2 of his new solo album tracks at The Grammy Museum in June, I was determined to see a proper, full-length FJM show last night at Bootleg Theater. Although I heard FJM performed with 3 to 4 band members at both Coachella & Outside Lands, he performed all by himself last night & proved Father John Misty aka J. Tillman (formerly of Fleet Foxes) doesn't need no stinkin' band!

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
>

Garbage @ The Hollywood Palladium - 10/2/12

I rarely say negative things about the live shows I attend because I usually only attend ones I know will at least be decent, if not phenomenal :) BUT paying $100 for 2 Garbage tickets months in advance wasn't the best idea since I ended up not being able to find a single person willing to pay even $30 for a $50 ticket to come with me to see Garbage at The Hollywood Palladium last night. It didn't help that there were a million ads on Craigslist offering tickets to this SOLD OUT show for only $25-30 a piece. I don't understand what happened but, regardless, seeing a band I USED to love in the 90s (before I developed my super refined taste in musice...lol) for what ended up costing me $100 total was NOT worth it.

Shirley Manson is still hot (especially for being 46 years old!) & her Scottish accent adds to her charm. And I'll admit some of Garbage's old hits (i.e. Queer & #1 Crush from the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack) were fun to hear live for the 1st time but, overall, I just wasn't that into it :-/

On the bright side, I was able to treat my girlfriend Sarah to a fun girls' night out (because the only way I could get someone to come with me was by offering my 2nd ticket for free BUT at least I rallied a concert buddy!) & she & I still had a blast together, as we always do. The show could've been worse but, appropriately enough, Garbage did not leave the best taste in my mouth.

Queer

And, for old time's sake, #1 Crush: