Notes from a Pandemic: Rock-N-Relief, Tyler, the Creator, Nobuko Miyamoto, the Dears, Y La Bamba, Mobley, Grant Lee Phillips and more

ONLINE FIND ■ Thank Sean Penn, Ann Lee and their CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) nonprofit if you’ve ever done a drive-through test or vaccination at Dodger Stadium, one of the largest such sites in the nation, with a noted absence of government funding. Yesterday and today’s Rock-N-Relief concerts, curated by Linda Perry– featuring star-studded and emerging indie performances from a stage set up at the stadium’s parking lot and […]

03/06/2021 3

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Stream: New singles from Adult Books, Mating Ritual and Melpo Mene

Quick bits on notable singles that arrived this past week, from Adult Books, Mating Ritual and Melpo Mene … ADULT BOOKS, “Grecian Urn” On the heels of last month’s single “Florence,” Adult Books (Nick Winfrey, Sina Salessi and Alex Galindo) are back with the title track of their sophomore album, “Grecian Urn,” out March 26 via Taxi Gauche Records. Winfrey continues to find ways to make post-punk-derived music interesting, here […]

03/06/2021 1

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Video: Crooked Teeth, ‘Light Me Up’ (feat. Talker)

Songwriter Tyson Evans has been flying the emo/pop-punk flag as Crooked Teeth, fashioning a sound that would have had his band ticketed for stardom (or at least a slot on Warped Tour) if it were, say, 2005. Evans loves pop hooks, he says, adding “I’m not afraid to be bombastic.” Noted. On the first Crooked Teeth single of 2021, “Light Me Up” (out today), Evans teams up with Talker (aka […]

03/05/2021 1

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Video: Jess Joy, ‘Thrashold’

The new video from Jess Joy comes with a trigger warning for violence — which, although merely mimed by the artist herself, delivers her heavy message. “Trashold,” the second single from Joy’s solo debut album, “Patreearchy” (out April 16 via Joyful Noise), is a broadside against oppression, especially as instigated by white males. She argues the power dynamic is ingrained in society, and incidents such as the death of George Floyd […]

03/05/2021 2

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Ears Wide Open: Even Kevin

Even Kevin is the UCLA-birthed duo of the Bay Area native Wil Sheets and L.A.’s Michael Zuker. The indie-surf rock group released their first EP last October and is gearing up to release their debut LP, “Pleasant Beach,” featuring their new single “The Rest of Our Lives” (out today). Zuker and Sheets both sing, play guitar and bass. It’s clear the two mesh, as their voices and style of playing […]

03/05/2021 2

Music Industry News

Notes from a Pandemic (March 4-5): Neil Frances, Rock-N-Relief, Laurie Anderson, Kim Gordon, Jake Bugg, Arlo Parks, Polartropica, Brenda Carsey and more

ONLINE FIND ■ Breezy electropop duo Neil Frances is the featured musical guest for the Natural History Museum’s second of their First Fridays: Connected program of the year, themed “Home x Habitats.” Dr. Yewande Pearse (host of dublab’s Sound Science podcast) will emcee a program with panelists Dr. Jennifer Mullan and Evelynn Escobar, exploring the evolution of home and the changing relationship to nature after a year of pandemic quarantine […]

03/04/2021 1

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Premiere: COQUÍ, ‘Fall in Love’

Dating back to the music he released when he was part of Tapioca & the Flea, Samuel Jacob Lopez Jr. has always been adept at hitting the sweet spot, lyrically and melodically. He has juggled his solo project COQUÍ, launched in 2018, with other musical duties, including studio work and a touring gig with 30 Seconds to Mars. The son of a father who was a club DJ in Brooklyn […]

03/04/2021 1

Music Industry News

Stream: New singles from Rostam, Scarypoolparty and Devon Williams

Rounding up new singles from Rostam, Scarypoolparty and Devon Williams, all of whom have new albums or EPs on the horizon … ROSTAM, “4Runner” On the heels of last month’s single “These Kids We Knew,” Rostam has announced that his new album “Changephobia” will be out June 4. “4Runner” is the road trip-worthy new single, swathed in reverb and big percussion. SCARYPOOLPARTY, “Universe” (feat. Nothing, Nowhere) Last year saw Pomona’s […]

03/04/2021 2

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Video premiere: James Combs, ‘Circle Days’

Singer-songwriter James Combs has a catalog that spans more than two decades, including solo albums, tunes he penned for film and TV and, notably, the Laurel Canyonesque folk outfit Great Willow, launched in 2017 with singer-cellist Erin Hawkins. Combs is as adept at introspective confessionals as he is sharpening his pen to play topical folk singer. And like any artist whose work takes society’s pulse, there’s probably no period in […]

03/04/2021 2