So anyone who knows me, knows that Rilo Kiley is one of my favorite bands - because I adore Jenny Lewis! Well, I got news that her second solo album is coming out this September! Jenny and her band along with The Watson Twins will be hitting the road again and be doing some shows with fellow indie artist, Conor Oberst. I saw her twice on her last solo tour and she was great, so I highly suggest you all get out there and see her when she comes to LA.
So the track I seriously can't get out of my head this week is Sam Sparro's "Black & Gold." A mixture of disco beats, soul singing, and funk. Sparro is originally from Australia, but has called LA home since the ripe old age of ten. Though over the years he has bounced back and forth from London, Australia, and the US. He actually wrote the single "Black & Gold" when he was working at a coffee shop in LA! He is currently on a European tour, but if you are a fan of music like Daft Punk, Hot Chip, and Scissor Sisters then I really think you should check this dude out ... I seriously can't get his song out of my head!
So I think everyone has one of those albums that they can put on at any time, driving time, hanging out with friends, relaxing, you name the time and that album will always deliver no matter what the situation may be. For me I have quite a few, but one that always sticks out to me is Portugal. The Man's album Church Mouth. The album has such a sixties vibe that I literally couldn't put it down when I got it last year. With tracks like "Sugar Cinnamon" and "Dawn" you begin to ask yourself ... what decade are these guys from?! The guys are from Alaska, but lead singer John Gourley has vocals that strikingly resemble those of British rocker Robert Plant. So if you are a fan of the zep then I really suggest you check out Portugal. The Man. If I've persuaded you enough to listen click here and enjoy some tracks, and be sure to catch them when they play The Glass House in Pomona on August 22nd
So this last week I got myself a copy of the new Tokyo Police Club album entitled Elephant Shell. Now let me just say I've heard buzz about these guys for awhile but never got into their music, and didn't even have high expectations that this album was going to be any good. I enjoyed the first single called "Tessellate" but after I listened to the entire album beginning to end, I was actually surprised at how much I like it. The lead singer, David Monks, vocals remind me of really old death cab stuff I use to listen to in high school. And the overall sound is just catchy. My favorite track right now is "In A Cave" because I seriously dig the heavy bass line in it. Tokyo Police Club are going to be playing at the Hammer Museum in LA on July 24th.
