Cascadia by GoPro Featuring Danny MacAskill & The Dodos

Check out yet another visually stunning, breathtaking, death-defying GoPro video featuring Danny MacAskill​ & a fantastic, highly underrated band, The Dodos​.

To Know You & TV Queen by Wild Nothing

I've been a fan of Wild Nothing since first discovering them in 2012 but I must admit I kinda forgot about Jack Tatum & his band until recently when the first 2 singles from their upcoming album Life Of Pause dropped. Now, I can't wait for Life Of Pause's February 19th release via Captured Tracks!

Animal Collective's Brand New Single Is A Mix of Sky From Montana Dipped in FloriDada

Animal Collective isn't for everyone but, if you like them, you probably love them. As a fan, I'm very much enjoying the 1st single from AC's upcoming new album Painting With which is set for release via Domino on February 19th. 

Just last week, Animal Collective apparently debuted the album by playing it on loop for several hours inside BWI Airport in Baltimore. I'm sure that made for many confused & tripped out travelers!

Even Without Jade, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Have Still Got It!

Although Jade Castrinos will be missed, I'm so happy Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are continuing to make new music. They're too talented to let the loss of 1 member keep them down! Hot Coals, the 1st single from their upcoming 4th studio album set for release in early 2016, is giving me high hopes for the Zeros' next chapter.

Adventure Of A Lifetime by Coldplay Will Make You Feel...

Coldplay's 1st single from their soon-to-be released 7th studio album A Head Full Of Dreams doesn't sound at all like classic Coldplay but their ever-evolving sound is quickly growing on me! What do you think?

I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow Is A Halloween Song, Right?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

The 1st New Miike Snow Track in 3 Years Is Rockin' My World Right Now

I'm a huge Miike Snow fan but still haven't seen them live. That's why the release of their 1st new song in 3 years has made my week! 

Heart Is Full is the 1st single from Miike Snow’s 3rd album, III, set for release in 2016. Not only is this track totally bumpin' but it's also giving me hope I may finally get to see my 1st Miike Snow show next year! :) :)

Check out the Lance Drake-directed music video BELOW:

MØ's New Diplo-Produced Single Kamikaze Will Take You To The Party

MØ has been growing on me since I accepted the greatness that is Major Lazer's song of the summer Lean On but I'm now giving her more credit as the badass chick that she is since becoming recently addicted to her new Diplo-Produced single Kamikaze.

Tame Impala Performs The Less I Know The Better on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Last week, Tame Impala performed yet another rad track from their latest album Currents on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert &, per usual, they were absolutely phenomenal. I think it's safe to say Tame Impala is my 2nd favorite live band & Currents is my top fave album of 2015. I can't recommend them enough!

My Morning Jacket & Fruit Bats @ Santa Barbara Bowl - 10/11/15

On Sunday night, I saw My Morning Jacket for my 17th time with 4 of my most beloved friends & it was all I dreamed it could be & more! I was finally able to introduce my fiancé to my favorite live band ever. Now, he gets it :) It was extra fun to be able to make the most of our little road trip by booking rooms at the Oasis Inn on State Street so we could pre party AND after party until 2am!

This isn't my video but, because I was too caught up in the moment down in the pit, I forgot to take any footage of my own. I'm borrowing this clip of Golden just so you can catch a glimpse of MMJ's SB Bowl magic:

Body by Bassh - Official Video

I'm loving the 1st single from yet another new, awesome side project Bassh aka Bill Reynolds of Band of Horses plus Jimmy Brown & CJ Hardee of Matrimony! I'm stoked to hear their full self-titled debut album on October 30th!

Compound Fracture by My Morning Jacket - Official Video LIVE FROM RED ROCKS

Because my 1st Red Rocks experience was My Morning Jacket & Band of Horses' unbelievably magical August 2012 show & because that was 1 of the most awe-inspiring concerts of my life, I'm especially into MMJ's new Danny Clinch-directed video for Compound Fracture that was shot during their August 2015 Red Rocks performance. I wish I could have been there again but this new video along with the live stream concert feed they aired during the show make for excellent consolations. 

I couldn't be more excited for my 17th & 18th MMJ shows coming up soon (finally!!) on October 11th at Santa Barbara Bowl & October 13th at Shrine Auditorium! I purchased tickets to both shows 4 months ago so I'm more than ready. Luckily, my super intimate 16th MMJ show (aka their KCRW-sponsored performance of The Waterfall) after which I got to meet the entire band (including Jim James!!!) & after party with them for hours back in May has tided me over :)

2 of The Best BRAND NEW Arcade Fire Tracks from Reflektor Deluxe Edition

In case you missed it...last Friday, Arcade Fire released a new deluxe edition of their 2013 masterpiece Reflektor that includes 5 brand spanking new tracks plus a rad remix of Flashbulb Eyes. There isn't an Arcade Fire song I don't like so I obviously love all 6 new songs but I do have 2 initial favorites.

Apocrypha

Get Right

Last Monday at The Theatre at Ace Hotel, I was lucky enough to attend a special debut screening of Arcade Fire's new Kahlil Joseph-directed film The Reflektor Tapes followed by an amazingly long Q&A session with Win Butler & Regine Chassagne. 

People who were patient enough (& probably didn't have an early day at work the next day) were even able to party on the roof of Ace Hotel Downtown LA with Win & Regine after the Q&A! They just needed to wait an extra 45 minutes or so to get in. If it hadn't been a Monday night, I would've been ALL over that that after party!

All 6 of these new AF tracks were included in the movie but, at the time, I didn't know they were going to release Reflektor (Deluxe). I can't recommend the tripped out, fantastic film or the new version of Reflektor enough!

It's That Talk Again by Broken Bells - NEW!

I'll take a surprise new Broken Bells track any day! 

I hope I get the Palladia channel via Verizon Fios so I can tune in tomorrow night for the 9pm premiere of Broken Bells' concert film Live at the Orpheum. If you've never seen James Mercer & Danger Mouse live before, now is your chance! Set those DVRs!

Telekinesis Isn't Just For Psychics Anymore! His New Album Ad Infinitum Is ON REPEAT!

Telekinesis aka Seattle-based Michael Benjamin Lerner is my favorite artist discovery of the month! His latest album Ad Infinitum was released via Merge Records this past Friday, September 18th & I can't stop listening to it! Lerner must have named the 32-minute long album already assuming people would feel compelled to leave it on repeat. The title is so fitting & every single track is fantastic. I can't recommend Telekinesis enough!

In A Future World

Sleep In

Run The Jewels & TV On The Radio Perform Angel Duster on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - 9/15/15

Regardless of how you feel about Stephen Colbert's return to latenight, there's no denying his first week of musical guests have been nothing short of stellar & Tuesday night was the best yet! Run The Jewels performed their 2014 track Angel Duster with TV On The Radio as their backup band! It was so badass! 

Colbert put it perfectly when he introduced RTJ & TVOTR saying "Tonight's band is so hip their backup band is TV On The Radio."

Big Boi + Phantogram = Big Grams

Together, Big Boi & Phantogram are Big Grams. And they've been teasing us for weeks but the 1st single from their collaborative 7-track EP is finally here! Fell In The Sun is a scrumptious taste of the magic yet to come when Big Grams' debut album drops via Epic on September 25th. Run The Jewels & Skrillex will be making guest appearances too! I can't wait!

I'm The Man To Be by EL VY - NEW!!

EL VY has only released 2 tracks from their upcoming debut album Return to the Moon, which is set for release on October 30th, & I'm already completed infatuated with them! Just this morning, they released the 2nd single I'm The Man To Be along with its official video, & both the song & the Santa Monica & Venice Beach-centric video are SO good! I'm super grateful my music buddy managed to snag an extra ticket to their November 7th show at Troubadour for me!

Trust by Half Moon Run

I had never heard of Montreal-based indie rock band Half Moon Run before discovering the 1st single from their next album via Spotify a couple weeks ago & I'm now slightly obsessed with Trust. I'm looking forward to checking out HMR's sophomore studio album Sun Leads Me On when it's released on October 23rd. Their 2014 debut Dark Eyes is fantastic!

Good Times Roll by GRiZ x Big Gigantic

I think we all could use some good times rollin' in to celebrate the last Monday afternoon of the summer. Just think...only 1 week until 1 of the best Mondays of the year! :)

Outlaws by Alessia Cara - NEW!

Canadian singer/songwriter Alessia Cara may be the most soulful 19-year-old ever. I'm excited to hear the remaining 2 previously unheard tracks on her EP Four Pink Walls when it drops this Friday 8/28! Her debut full-length studio album will be released by Def Jam later this year.

The Debut Single by SEXWITCH (Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes + TOY + Dan Carey) = Helelyos

I've been craving some new material from Bat for Lashes for a while now so Natasha Khan's new side project SEXWITCH is just what the doctor ordered. Khan has teamed up the British rock act TOY & producer Dan Carey to create a 6-track, self-titled LP that'll be released on September 25th. The LP will feature covers of '60s & '70s psychedelic tracks from around the world. The first single entitled Helelyos is SEXWITCH's rendition of the Iranian singer Zia Atabi's track by the same name.

The 2nd New Single from Beirut's New Album = Gibraltar

Beirut's 4th studio album No No No is due out September 11th & the 2nd single Gibraltar is getting me extra excited to discover more of the beauty that is Beirut!

Light by ODESZA Featuring Little Dragon - NEW!

The brand new single from ODESZA's upcoming deluxe edition of their 2014 album In Return is entitled Light & features Little Dragon (who I adore!). I just got a chance to bump this track in proper hardcore headphones & it lit up my eardrums! Yukimi's voice is so heavenly!

De La Soul & Quantic @ The Annenberg Space for Photography - 8/1/15

I very much enjoyed the only free Sound in Focus event I was able to attend at The Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City this summer. The weather was perfect, the sangria was deliciously refreshing & the performances by Quantic & De La Soul were phenomenal. Also, Garth Trinidad of KCRW did an excellent job MCing & DJing for 2 hours prior to Quantic's opening set.

Jason Bentley nailed his Sound in Focus 4-part, KCRW-sponsored series! I really wish I could make Other Lives & Cold War Kids this Saturday. If you're in LA this weekend & your Saturday night plans still aren't set, get your butt over to The Annenberg for the final show of the summer!

EL VY = Matt Berninger of The National + Brent Knopf of Menomena & Ramona Falls

I'm loving Return to the Moon, the 1st single from the debut album by EL VY aka Matt Berninger of The National + Brent Knopf of Menomena & Ramona Falls! And, because I won't be able to purchase tickets at 1pm PST this Friday since I'll be at Outside Lands in SF, I hope someone will be so kind as to sell me an extra ticket to EL VY's November 7th show at Troubadour. It's going to sell out within seconds I'm sure. I can only imagine how incredible it'd be to see Matt in my fave intimate venue in LA!

Jamie xx @ The Echoplex - 7/28/15

I LOVED every second of Jamie xx's super duper sold out 1 hour 45 minute set at The Echoplex last Tuesday night! $33 face value tix were going for $215+ on Stubhub...it was insane!

I danced my ass off all night & had an absolute blast! The disco balls & extra spinning lights throughout the back of the venue were an excellent touch. And I was lucky enough to snag a spot up on a side bench for the last 30 minutes (which was ALL material from his new album In Colour) where I was able to watch Jamie xx work his magic on many turntables plus the stoked crowd going nuts. 

Jamie xx is beyond talented. Even when he's DJing other people's material, he does it in a way that is SO perfect. He blends different genres beautifully & throws in interesting little sound effects I've never heard before. I'm a bigger fan than ever!