Disq have created a stir in Madison and on the blogs, especially with their “Communication” single. They played their LA debut at the Bootleg on January 23 and we chatted afterward. The Saddle Creek band will be at SXSW this March.
For more details on Bruce’s show “Go Deep with Bruce Rave”, check here.
The Record Company is one of the LA music scene’s top recent success stories. They recently headlined the Wiltern Theater at the end of their national tour. Lead singer Chris Vos talks about all the work that went into their rise, about their music, and he also has some sage advise for up and coming musicians.
For more details on Bruce’s show “Go Deep with Bruce Rave”, check here.
Chatted with Dave Newington who played all instruments on the critically-acclaimed “1, 2, King Fu” album. That is, except for his dad adding some violin. This was their first LA show and we hung out at The Echo before the set. Lots happened for them this year in their native UK and they’ll return to the US in March for SXSW along with a more extensive tour.
Micky James arrived in LA, to open for The Struts, do some promotion, and do some writing. After shooting a video for BalconyTV on my rooftop, he and I sat down for a chat. Check out his “Give It to Me Straight” track. No surprise his influences include 70’s glam like T. Rex in addition to newer garage rock bands.
Hear Bruce Rave’s weekly new indie jams on three stations, with show announcements on his Go Deep With Bruce Rave facebook page. Archived shows available on the KX 93.5 site, where you can also subscribe to receiving the weekly two-hour version as an iTunes podcast at no charge.
Stream the best new songs in emerging music with our Top 12 of the Week playlist
Things are starting to break for Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (think The Strokes and Parquet Courts). Sub Pop has signed them for the US and they just completed their successful run on the Laneway Festival tour that hit major cities in and around Australia. They’re Coachella-bound in April and will hit other US cities before heading to Europe for a trek that will include the Primavera Festival in Barcelona. Here was our chat prior to their successful hometown set at Laneway Melbourne.
Hear Bruce Rave’s weekly new indie jams on three stations, with show announcements on his Go Deep With Bruce Rave facebook page. Archived shows available on the KX 93.5 site, where you can also subscribe to receiving the weekly two-hour version as an iTunes podcast at no charge.
Stream the best new songs in emerging music with our Top 12 of the Week playlist
My SXSW intention this year was no interviews and to just focus on seeing bands. When I was invited to interview Albert Hammond Jr, well you don’t turn down a Stroke. Besides, he’s been turning out wicked solo stuff. For those of us who loved the Strokes’ early sounds, Albert has preserved much of that feel on his albums and shows how he’s influenced countless bands over the past fifteen years. He’s a down to earth, upbeat guy and his live show was a top SXSW highlight this year.
Hear Bruce Rave’s weekly new indie jams on three stations, with show announcements on his Go Deep With Bruce Rave facebook page. Archived shows available on the KX 93.5 site, where you can also subscribe to receiving the weekly two-hour version as an iTunes podcast at no charge.
Stream the best new songs in emerging music with our Top 12 of the Week playlist
View from up the hill. Laneway-Melbourne takes place at the Footscray Community Arts Centre, on the banks of the Maribymong River with downtown Melbourne across the way. It’s highly accessible via public transportation. Photo: Andy Hazel
At a time when so many of the largest festivals have become all things to all people, Australia’s Laneway Festival continues to shun the mainstream in order to present fans with stellar lineups of artists much more on the edge. Typical Laneway crowds might be 15,000 and this traveling extravaganza hit six locations around Australia plus Singapore. I had my second Laneway experience in Melbourne on Feb 3. As with any similar event, one must choose when there are 40 different bands on 5 stages. Here are my highlights in the order I saw them.
It was my second time seeing London’s melodic, punkish Dream Wife. They were good last May at The Great Escape in Brighton, UK and they’re really good now. Their self-titled album has dropped here in the US. Melbourne’s own Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever showed why they’ve been snagged for this years Coachella and Primavera festivals. They blasted a large throng with their propulsive set that reminds of The Strokes and Parquet Courts, among others. I’ve been hearing great things about Sylvan Esso live and they delivered. With their big sound, one might be surprised to see they’re actually a two-piece. They had their crowd shaking their bodies. I’d seen Wolf Alice twice before, both times at B3Sci SXSW parties. They went from good to very good and now this is a band that is arena-ready. Look out for them as a significant headliner if their next album is another winner, and kudos to Mike and Troy at B3Sci on their foresight. I’m not much of a hip-hop guy but Anderson Paak was someone I really wanted to see based on live stuff I’d seen online. What a set! It varied from his straight-ahead hip-hop to his retro r&b to disco. Easily the most excited and largest crowd, and Anderson even played some drums. Mac Demarco added to the mayhem when he jumped onstage to do a handstand. This was the evening I got to finally cross Father John Misty off my bucket list. His powerful set was exactly as expected. Biggest surprise for me was Odesza, who played with far more drive and stage visuals than I anticipated. They even brought out a drum line a couple times, which people buzzed about for days afterwards. Pond played their usual high-energy show and showed us some excellent new tunes. Closing the main stage was The War on Drugs who justified that position with their ace and tight musicianship.
Among the people I was sorry to miss due to inevitable festival conflicts: The UK band Shame who I heard put on a strong early afternoon performance. I’ve played them on my radio show along with Aussies The Babe Rainbow who also have a good reputation for their live show and I hated missing both. I’ve seen the massively talented Moses Sumney a couple times in LA and missed him here. Moses is another veteran of a B3Sci SXSW party where it was obvious a few years ago that he was on the cusp of a major ascension. Mac Demarco played three years ago when I was also on hand, and he was a top highlight. I unfortunately had to miss him this time around.
I can’t recommend this festival enough for anyone having the chance to catch up with it next year. Laneway management, the PR people, and the staff on the ground are all top notch. Then there’s this lineup. Nowadays it’s rare to find such a stellar group with an indie focus, all playing in one day.
Anderson Paak played a set that transcended the hip-hop genre and was real hard not to love. Photo: Andy Hazel.
Hear Bruce Rave’s weekly new indie jams on three stations, with show announcements on his Go Deep With Bruce Rave facebook page. Archived shows available on the KX 93.5 site, where you can also subscribe to receiving the weekly two-hour version as an iTunes podcast at no charge.
Stream the best new songs in emerging music with our Top 12 of the Week playlist
We chatted with rising Liverpool band Her’s in the rain after their successful Great Escape set in front of a smiling capacity crowd. We talk about their animated live shows, the influences behind their inventive sounds, bands they’d love to tour with, and more.
Ten Fe were one of the top live bands at The Great Escape 2017 and are on the verge of their first US shows including Bonnaroo, NY, LA, SF, and Philadelphia. Hear them talk about their music, their UK busking to raise funds, their thoughts on the US, and more.
Great hang with Cloud Nothings band leader Dylan prior to their Teragram Ballroom show in LA March 3. His music. some politics, thoughts on the state of guitar rock, and his love for his native-Cleveland (B3’s hometown too!). He was a pretty chill dude, more so than his music would indicate.
The Regrettes are one of LA’s hottest new bands, and they’re starting to gain national attention. Three girls and a guy, they energetically blend strong 50’s and 60’s influences with a modern sound. We chatted about strong female identities, current politics, of course their music, and more…
Manchester, UK’s excellent guitar-driven Spring King gained notoriety as having the first song played on Apple’s Beats 1 radio station. We hung out prior to their first LA show the night before the election, talking about the worldwide response to that spin, their music, their take on UK and US politics, who in the band is most like the dad, and much more.
You can listen to Bruce’s interview with Spring King live on his Indie 103 show on December 9th at 11AM Pacific with further airings in the following days.
