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Fresh off of being another casualty in a growing number of artists being dropped from majors, Sierra Swan probably won't have to wait long before someone smart comes along and notices this fine performer. I believe I once saw her at Largo open for somebody but I can't recall much of it for some reason. Still, she has a voice that somewhat reminds me of Holly McNarland and Abby Travis, throaty and powerful yet with a type of control and ease only found in a born performer. She plays again this Sunday at the Dragonfly with a full band. I advise you to be there.
Chromosome Tea is pretty good pop/punk in the vein of Letters To Cleo, The Muffs and when lead singer Michelle Waters and guitarist Ai Ball double the vocal, The Go-Go's. Didn't catch any of the song names but apparently they're being played on Indie 103.1 (who isn't?) so you might hear them there. Or check them out at the M Bar on July 3rd. By the way, don't mind that their website is using that old Tripod music template from like 1999. As blasphemous as it is, I would offer to do their website for them for free if I wasn't already backloaded 22 websites -- I finish 3 this week.
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To ease the pain (I stopped watching before the end of the first half), we went to a couple of shows around Hollywood.
9:10PM
The first was at the Key Club for another dose of Ruby. Two bands that have piqued my interest over the past few years were playing on the same bill. The Killingtons are local but they still are pretty unknown considering the show was free and it was a sparse crowd. Live, the band could have a bit more energy. A lot of times they look downright bored. Nevertheless, "Weekend Drive" is a brilliant song. I'd sign them off that track alone.
New Zealand's The Have were next and were showcasing for all the weasels that were waiting for Abandoned Pools to hit the stage at Vroom. I was impressed. Extremely tight set and they blazed through it, applause growing louder after each song. As impressed as I was, they're still a tough sell. Dirty, southern-style sleaze rock has never sold well in the states and I'm sure execs will think deeply before the papers are drawn.
11:01PM
Jetted toward Tempest to catch Sara Radle. Ms. Radle used to be in a little band out of Texas called Lucy Loves Schroeder. She's since gone solo and made her way to California for a few shows. Really reminded me of That Dog, especially one of the last songs (the only one not on any of her releases). In any case, she really was a delight to watch. If she's smart she'll move westward...
12:15AM
Before heading home, decided to check out Cinespace for a little Killers DJ action. I liked the mix with The Faint's "Agenda Suicide" to Blondie's "Dreaming." Clever.
1:48AM
Got a $45 parking ticket. I blame the Lakers.
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I'm not a smoker.
Afrobot played first. Never heard of them before but an easy comparison would be Wesley Willis meets Tricky: Incomprehensible ranting over warped DnB. Good energy.... DDM was good as usual. Hadn't seen them in awhile. Anyway, that's it. Take it or leave it.
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A moment of silence please...
Anyway, Ms. Earl, if you hadn't heard, is one of the new ladies to the singer-songwriter scene. Seen her open for Patrick Park and The Like along with some showcases at the Vroom and elsewhere. Anyway, she's great. Didn't really like the mix of her performance (everything sounded muddy) but she's really one to look out for (If I were Columbia Records, I'd sign her... hint). After some not-so-great band called Hayes, Zach Hexum was up. The show was actually a CD release thing for this guy, who's the brother of Nick Hexum (311). I'd say 99
he people in attendance were there to see him and they seemed to like him but I think most of the girls in tube tops really wanted to get on his bandwagon so that they could get backstage passes for 311 shows. Nothing against his music, but I slept in the corner and waited for paloalto who should have been placed in the Hayes spot so I could have left early for Par Avion. In any case, paloalto remains to be one of the least appreciated bands in LA and the world in general. It's really a shame because they'll probably wind up like Remy Zero or Zoo Story, two good pop/rock bands who eventually met their maker.
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- CRYING TIME
Ray Charles, R.I.P. - SECOND DEPARTURE
Carla Werner is currently working on the follow-up to her vastly underrated debut Departure in Australia. She hopes to return to the states in the near future. - WITH HORSES
Pilotdrift have a show at Trees in Dallas tonight. I would be there if someone would get off their ass and invent teleportation. Lazy bastards. - FARAWAY VOICE
UK supastaw Katie Melua plays her first public performance in LA tonight at the Roxy. Does anyone in LA even know who she is? Or the U.S. for that matter? Universal Records hopes so. Anyway, she played an industry showcase at the much more intimate Room 5 last month. She's being compared to Norah Jones. Wha? She actually reminds of Jewel when she breaks into her jazz standards. - SPEAKING OF JEWEL
Old gal pal, Jewel, is reportedly in discussions with Sony Music, fueling speculation she will leave Atlantic Records after over 10 years with the label.
- STRAIGHT TO YOU
Emm Gryner is currently mixing her latest opus in Los Angeles. No dates are scheduled in town this time but look for her to tour with The Cardigans as apart of the Chicks With Attitude Tour. - MUSIC TELEVISION?
MTV has a few more non-music related pilots being tossed around... Franki Muniz's "Granted," Cameron Diaz's "Trippin'," and more from Wilmer Valderrama and P. Diddy.. - STILL(S) HERE
The Stills finish up their recent US tour in Hollywood tonight at Cinespace for the big MTV Movie Awards Premiere. Didn't you get the invite?
