The context in and from which she appeared created a mesmerizing world, the sound was clear and spectacular. In addition to the harp, red roses growing up the microphone, a flat floral fabric set, and bulbs in birdcages giving small light to the purple black turquoise stage of intense contrast, she was relaxed like a Victorian pole…

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Citizen Cope is one of those rare performers whose songs are diverse enough to keep you guessing but similar enough to form a unifying rhythm for the entire show. “Bullet and a Target” is a perfect example of Cope’s range—a groovy and nearly upbeat melody belies a song about heroin, amputees and conception in a pickup truck.


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Sonic Youth played one of the last regional dates on their Eternal tour presented by 89.9 KCRW Saturday at the Wiltern. The show was sold out, with an original date on the ticket as Sept. 29, 2009.

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Like a good lover, Raphael Saadiq understands the importance of anticipation. The first number, Marvin Gaye’s version of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was played with the curtain still down, lights low. So when Saadiq came out singing “I Love That Girl” (I’m assuming he meant me), he was already pretty much in.

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A scrawny pale bald white dude only goes so far, but add a voluptuous soulful ole-timey-gospel singer with a voice that could knock down brick walls and you have got yourself a spine-tingling performance. And my spine was simply not expecting to be tingled.

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IO Echo has yet to release an official album yet they have already managed to open for Nine Inch Nails, star in a national commercial and have fans who dress up like IO at shows. L.A. RECORD sat down with IO, the Greek Goddess of Goth, and guitarist/producer Leopold Ross to discuss stage fright and how an IO Echo show is like an Italian restaurant. This interview by Scott Schultz.

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Download: Sonic Youth “Sacred Trickster” [Audio clip: view full post to listen] (from The Eternal out now on Matador) Via Matador/Beggars—Sonic Youth’s Sept. 29 L.A. date and all other West Coast tour dates have been cancelled due to guitarist Lee Ranaldo fracturing his wrist while playing tennis. The band has rescheduled for a January 8 [...]

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Lykke Li is one of the few artists whose personality is on full display at concerts. Her lovable eccentricity, her willingness to express herself on stage with a complete disregard for any judgment that may be cast upon her, is one of the great strengths of her live show. But all of this must be anchored by a strong sense of musicality, and Lykke Li certainly possesses the talent to bring her melodies to life.

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The band sounded so good and brought such a euphoric new dimension to the tracks that I couldn’t even hate Loud Drunk Guy behind me. He drowned out Jarv’s between-song quips with declarative bellowing. (“Stella makes you get in a FIGHT!” “Come ON, Jar-vis!” “Homewrecker!!!”) But anyone who sings along to Jarvis song—every single one, mind you—with such passion has to be a good guy, right?

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Onetime component of the vastly-influential alt-country originators Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar has traveled an arguably harder road than ex-bandmate Jeff Tweedy. While Wilco draws inspiration from the odder corners of post-Radiohead skronk and so reaps a megabuck harvest of acclaim, Farrar’s Son Volt continues to burnish the spare and anthracite-hard aesthetic of high lonesome. This interview by Ron Garmon.

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