Something about this feels familiar. I’m standing outside the Henry Fonda waiting for the press list to make its way to the box office so I can get the security guards to stop staring at me and gripping their metal detection wands in a manner I’m not the least bit comfortable with. One of them attempts to outsmart me by asking all sorts of questions about my press cred. I turn the tables and have him asking all about the...
I hadn’t been to a show in a while. Not a straight rock 'n' roll show, that is. My last visit to the infamously retroactive Roxy Theater on Sunset was, surprisingly, not what I would expect from the worn-out Strip. MSTRKRFT, Aoki’s Dim Mak crew, Cobrasnake, pot-smokin’ girls in the bathroom and sweat dripping off the ceiling, all made for a vicariously unpretentious pretentious time. People are wearing neon again. It is at once comforting and unsatiating, I am refreshed,...
Canadians move fast. Hot on the heels of last week's announcement of a brand new album from the Broken Social Scene camp–specifically featuring the talents of lead singer Kevin Drew–there's a tracklist and an mp3 for all you rabid fans. So get ready, get set, go: www.arts-crafts.ca/kevindrew Broken Social Scene presents: Kevin Drew, "Spirit If…" 1. Farewell To The Pressure Kids 2. Tbtf 3. F-ked Up Kid 4. Safety Bricks 5. Lucky Ones 6. Broke Me Up 7. Gangbang Suicide...
In the world of music, there is usually good news and news you could care less about. Sometimes there is bad news, like someone dying, but that's pretty rare. So yeah, good or neutral. Swayzak coming out with a new album, well, that would fall under the "good" category (at least for Press McGee). The word on the street is the album is a little different than the tech/electro/disco we're used to hearing from the UK-based group made up of...
At the risk of sounding pun infected, Spaceland has always been fairly alienating in my opinion. It’s a weird combination of things—expensive drinks and the smoky back bar come to mind—but the main one has to be the shiny blue and silver backdrop that screams “you must watch me, for I am a rock band.” Considering the size of the venue (small-to-medium sized) and the relative “size” of the acts (see previous parenthetical notation), it lacks the expected intimacy that...
I am getting too old for this—this idea of shows starting after 10 p.m. As I wait in line at Bottom of the Hill behind couples of underage San Francisco hipsters in faded designer skinny jeans and $10 thrift store sweaters, I can’t help but worry that I won’t be home before 2 a.m. Is good music still worth missing out on so many hours of precious sleep? Of course it is. The Friday night lineup starts with Kira Kira,...
Sean Tillmann is sitting outside his Los Angeles apartment as we talk. “Hold on,” he says as he begins to talk to someone nearby, “Excuse me, What? I can’t hear you… Sorry, No… I’m doing an interview right now.” He shifts back to our conversation, “Sorry about that, someone was trying to buy a cigarette from me.” Such is the life of the music industry’s Bruce Wayne. Sure, Sean’s musical career is nothing to sneeze at, but he lives in...
For a split second there I wasn’t so sure what was going to happen. A sold-out Sunday night show in Hollywood seemed to be an unlikely thing, as the world (yes, L.A. included) had been swept by the Tonys: the musical variety, the tear-drop shot from King James kind, and the revered/reviled did-he-or-did-he-not-get-whacked assortment. A triple bill of make-you-sweat hip-hop, make-you-think hip-hop and Euro trash meets discothèque rock were all poised to overshadow all. Judging by the hundreds that piled...
While our on-air banter may leave something to be desired, you can't deny the quality of the new music every week on Ground Control Radio. We'll have more special guests in the upcoming weeks, but for now, be sure to check out Little Radio every Tuesday night from 8-10pm your soon-to-be favorite new music, like this week's selections from Spoon, the White Stripes, The New Pornographers, Chromeo, Foreign Born and more. Missed it? Listen to the podcast here. 1. The...
The night had been hotly anticipated for months. Years, in fact. As Spaceland started to fill up, the crowd was turning out to be quite a mixed bunch. In one corner you have the Geek Chic girl with glasses that could see the future, the V.P. of the Indie Gazette, strategically placed bro dudes, and, of course, drag queens. Picture the cover of Poison’s Look What the Cat Dragged In, only the chicks aren’t quite as hot. Much speculation went...