Alela Diane comes from a town that was famous first for a gold rush and is famous now for its music, which tends toward the kind of thing that would show up on a brand new anthology of American folk. She shares a song on her new album To Be Still with Michael Hurley and speaks now before a show at Hollywood Forever. This interview by Thomas McMahon.

[Read more →]

Fleet Foxes finished 2008 by overwhelming many best-of-the-year lists and scheduling a set on Saturday Night Live, during which they were wearing at least one smelly shirt. Singer Robin Pecknold speaks before decamping to a creaky new home studio. This interview by Thomas McMahon.

[Read more →]

If you really want to impress your guests from out of town, skip Universal CityWalk and take them to see El Ten Eleven at whatever little club is keen enough to be hosting them. (Tonight it was Home, the upscale but cozy diner in Silver Lake.) Your guests may be skeptical when they see two nondescript men take the stage. But they’ll begin nodding when the local duo lays down a fuzzed-out groove a la Death From Above 1979. Then bassist/double-neck guitarist Kristian Dunn will make with the looping, and your guests will really start to feel like they’re on vacation.

[Read more →]

ian o’phelan

[Read more →]