Friday, June 17, 2011

New Summer Concert Season

When my friend called to tell me that she was going to be coming to LA for the Dispatch concert, I immediately got excited and bought my ticket.  I used to love listening to Dispatch in high school, and I'm fairly certain that my friend, Andrea, and I even schemed to play hookie and roadtrip to their "final" gig in 2002.  So rebellious, per the usual.

Since that time, the band has gone on a few reunion tours, all of which neglected to register on my radar.  Despite my negligence towards the band's tunes the last few years, I very much so looked forward to revisiting the ska/reggae/acoustic tunes of my youth with a few good friends.

As the weekend of the concert approached, I anticipated catching-up with my out of town guests and spending my Sunday at the Greek.  A few days before the concert, however, I received a call from my whom I was supposed to go with.  Being new to California, and not living in LA, an amateur mistake was made when she purchased tickets to the show on Saturday at the Greek in Berkeley.  Siiiiiigh.   

Despite being disappointed by the absence of my friends, I went to the concert alone and really enjoyed myself.  With each strum of the guitar, memories of driving around in my hometown and sitting around at bonfires came flooding back to me.  Being fully immersed at the concert, I also realized I never acknowledged what a talented group of musicians comprised the band.  Each of them, unique looking in their own ways, play drums, guitar, bass, sing and write their own songs!  That takes true talent, and to see so much of it up on the stage at once was overwhelming.

Some claim that scent has the most power to  instill nostalgia in a person, but to me, music and sound conquers my scent driven memories;  songs have the ability to take me back to an age, a place and an emotion, and that's what makes them impossible to live without.




Sunday, June 12, 2011

Duet Revisited

I know it's not new, but I am revisiting this Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson duet and can't get enough.  Sometimes I can't believe that Scar Jo is the same age as I, seems like she has done and can do everything.  Beesh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2r8uMPCnRc

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Plan B - no not that one- and Eliza Doolittle

Given the choice between the seasick crocodile and the Grinch, I am still not sure after 25 Christmases which one I would choose.  However, given the choice between music and the tube, I would hands-down take la musique.  I've always enjoyed researching new bands and listening to their catchy tracks before they really hit the "mainstream."  Living in LA, I have had a lot of exposure to new music, as well as an opportunity to meet and see new a lot musicians!

A few weeks ago, a colleague and I went to see Plan B and Eliza Doolittle at the El Rey, a small venue up the street from my house.  The great thing about going to small shows at small venues is that you have the opportunity to meet the artists, their agents and managers and stylists.  Both artists that performed that night are dressed by a really sweet english couple named Avigail and Damian who work with another stylist team over here in the US.  After chatting around the crowd, it was nearly time for the tunes to commence!

Both Ben [Plan B]and Eliza really have talent; songwriters with killer voices, easy melodies and lyrics that have been painting pictures in my head for over a year.

Have a listen to the below:


Plan B
Writings on the Wall

Plan B
She Said

Eliza Doolittle
Skinny Genes

Eliza Doolittle
Money Box




Even though these two english chaps are yet to make a massive splash stateside [already major in England!] I predict that you will love the above, and that they will strike gold in the US by 2012.