With the hit song and video “Somebody I Used To Know,” Gotye (born Wouter “Wally” De Backer) earned himself the hottest ticket in town.  But would the Belgian-Australian songwriter  be another musician thrown to the indie wolves only to be spit out after a massive hit? Couples, older folk and many attractive young hipsters packed [...]

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You really never know what you will get when Evan Dando plays a show with his band The Lemonheads! The only original member came to El Rey performing It’s a Shame About Ray in its entirety (sans “Mrs. Robinson” which was added to the album later).  Although it would have been a nice surprise to [...]

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Mates of State are a married couple (awwww!) that make minimal pop music with vocal harmonies and synthesized flourishes. You can buy tickets them on November 8 when they play the El Rey, or you can try to win tickets! And–we will be giving away two pairs of tickets so your chances of winning are [...]

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Architecture in Helsinki is a self-described modernist pop group from Australia that has been getting rave reviews from both the American and Australian press. Their 2007 single, “Heart it Races” got them a spot on the ARIA charts and on Billboard’s Top Electronic Albums charts as well as attention from NPR and the BBC. Their [...]

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The Joy Formidable L.A.’s own Races opened up the night at the El Rey and did not disappoint and started what was to be a solid evening of music. Making a stop on their way to Austin City Limits, Seattle’s Telekinesis pumped it up making a smooth transition for The Joy Formidable who has grown [...]

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Ooh La L.A. is a French music festival brought to you by our good friends at Goldenvoice and KCRW, showcasing bands, artists, and DJs from the Francophone world. This year is the 3rd edition of the festival, and it features L.A. RECORD favorites Tinariwen , KCRW darlings Nouvelle Vague, and many, many more! You can [...]

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Low is one of those bands from the 1990s that continue to be–and pretty much always were–absolutely timeless. They self-indentify as “slowcore”, making music that is austere, subdued, and hypnotic. They play with Bachelorette, a.k.a. Annabel Alpers, whose mix of 60s psyche and girl group pop sounds like a computer took a bunch of ecstasy, [...]

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Blonde Redhead made a return appearance to LA with an intimate performance at the El Rey. The packed house swayed to the dreamy beats. The trio’s set was stripped down this time around, but all that was needed was the beautiful sound Blonde Redhead creates. Photos from July 2, 2011 by Debi Del Grande.

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Man Man (and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) make me want to live in Philly. The sounds these four musical gods create are everywhere, sometimes unexpected, and inevitably dance inducing. Man Man is a group of multi-talented, humorous, unadulteratedly energetic men.

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The Budos Band come from Staten Island but seem like they climbed out of a colossal pile of Ethiopiques comps after strength training from Fela Kuti and inspirational interludes with Dennis Coffey. Their newest album is out now on Daptone and they discuss now their own plans for an impregnable Budos compound. This interview by Jonny Bell of Crystal Antlers.

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