JENS DID IT AGAIN!

My friend Cory has been telling me about this guy by the name of Jens Lekman for months and months. I have heard some of his music before, but I didn't really have any idea who this guy was. Anyway, yesterday my friend called me up and said he had an extra ticket to the Jens Lekman show at the Henry Fonda and wanted me to come along. We grabbed some sushi and headed out to the show in Hollywood. I didn't really know what to expect and really had no idea what he even looked like. I must say, it was such fun show - Jens is so adorable! I made my friend report on last nights show, because he is such big Jens fan. Below is Cory's review on the show.




Last night at a packed Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood, the adorable Swede, Jens Lekman, put on yet another amazing show. After seeing him in San Fransisco at the famous Bimbo’s Nightclub in November, is was no question of catching his show again. Jens (pronounced Yens) has the stage presence of an angel, with his cute bobbing head, smiling mouth, and passionate eyes. His songs are whimsical tales from his life that upon reading the lyrics you might find to be sad, emo, etc., however that is not the case. His poppy beats and magical melodies create a happiness and sense of humor through every word that sings from his lips. With an all girl ensemble, except for his incredible DJ, and two special trombone playing guests, they created a positive, and happy evening. He performed a good collection of songs from his current album, 'Night Falls Over Kortedala', but undoubtedly graced us with classics such as 'Black Cab', 'Maple Leaves', and finished off his third encore with an amazing Arthur Russell Cover. If you have not yet been introduced to this wonderful, talent, check him out at http://www.jenslekman.com/, it will be worth your time.





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LOW VS DIAMOND

Photos:Cory Radke

www.lowvsdiamond.com
www.myspace.com/lowvsdiamond

LVD

HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY!!

It's a GOOD FRIDAY - And I'm officially calling it Low Vs Diamond day! I went to the LVD show last night at the Troubadour and was completely blown away. First, I want to thank Lauren Valencia for allowing us all access to the show - I have some really great pix to share! I was actually able to catch them a few weeks back at the Viper in a more intimate setting, but last night was different. At the risk of sounding redundant....it was amazing & I was blown away! LVD shined brighter than that guys shiner standing next to me. These boys have some may-ja talent. Honestly, I remember seeing Snow Patrol a few years back b4 they blew up, and it was sort of a similar vibe last night. LVD has that same spark and that same sort of passion oozing from them. Seriously, I can't say enough positive things about these guys. I was lucky enough to have my photographer, Cory Radke get some backstage personal shots of the boys and some great stage shots. Also, big thanks to LVD for putting on an awesome show and allowing us to get some great bts shots of them. Great group of guys and I wish them nothing but huge success!

Photos:Cory Radke

THE RACONTEURS - PRESS RELEASE

Fans of The Raconteurs will be happy to hear that their sophomore album is complete and ready for release on March 25th. They will also head out on a 15 city tour to support the record. Jack & gang have issued the following press release with all the deets.

"The Raconteurs are happy to announce that in one week's time their second album, entitled Consolers of the Lonely, will be available EVERYWHERE Tuesday, March 25th.

"'Album' meaning: full length vinyl, CD and digital formats; and 'everywhere' meaning: local mom and pop Indie retailers, corporate superstores, supermarkets, iTunes, Amazon, the band's own website and any other location that could get the record up and going this quickly (some places couldn't move this fast, so they will join in as soon as they can).

"It contains 14 new recordings and is being released globally on Third Man Records in conjunction with our marketing/distribution partners, XL Recordings and Warner Brothers Records.

"The album was mastered and completed in the first week of March. It was then taken immediately to a vinyl pressing plant. Then to a CD pressing plant. Then preparations to sell it digitally began. March 25th became the soonest date to have it available in EVERY FORMAT AT ONCE. The band have done no interviews or advertisements for this record before this announcement.

"The purpose: to get the album to the fans as soon as possible and as we promised. We wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME TIME so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding its availability, reception or perception.

"With this release, The Raconteurs are forgoing the usual months of lead time for press and radio set up, as well as forgoing the all important 'first week sales'. We wanted to explore the idea of releasing an album everywhere at once and THEN marketing and promoting it thereafter. The Raconteurs would rather this release not be defined by its first weeks sales, pre-release promotion, or by someone defining it FOR YOU before you get to hear it.

"Another purpose was to also allow people to have their own choice as to exactly which format they would like to hear the album in IMMEDIATELY, rather than having to wait for their favorite format to become available. The band are also not releasing any version of this record that contains bonus tracks. Musically this album will be the same as the band created it no matter what format it is purchased in. (The sound quality of each format however, is a different story. The Raconteurs recommend hearing it on vinyl, but the choice is of course up to the listener).

"The band also prefer that fans buy the album as a whole instead of breaking up the tracks, but until iTunes and other digital services allows bands to release their albums with the option of NOT breaking it up, it will be sold in that fashion on those particular sites. On the band's website however, the album will be sold in its entirety as an mp3 at 320kb bit rate. Also in Japan, fans will be able to download the record via their mobile phones, as that is how a majority of recorded music is consumed there.

"The reason we are announcing this release one week ahead of time is because of retail pre-ordering and stocking, information about this album's imminent release was bound to come to light and could be confusing to fans. Also in the event that the record leaks, we didn't want this method of release to be seen as a REACTION to such a leak. It's not. The actual worst thing about a leak is the usual poor sound quality, akin to watching a movie on a wristwatch instead of in a theater. Which for the album's creators is a bit of a letdown, but again, it is completely up to the listener.

"There will be a video up on the internet for the first single, 'Salute Your Solution', on the 25th as well, provided it gets edited in time. We just filmed it the other day!

"We hope not to confuse anyone with too many options, or deny them the formats that they like best. The Raconteurs feel very strongly that music has worth and should be treated as such. Thank you to all those who respect music in this fashion, and thank you to our label partners for working with us to get this album to fans in as many formats as possible all at once.

"Thank you, and we hope that you enjoy Consolers of the Lonely.

"Sincerely,
The Raconteurs"

Raconteurs tour dates:

04-20 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
04-21 Seattle, WA - Neumo's
04-22 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
04-23 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
04-25 Indio, CA - Coachella
04-26 Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
04-28 Denver, CO - The Fillmore Auditorium
04-29 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre
05-01 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
05-02 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
05-04 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
06-13 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
06-26 Arendal, Norway - Hove Festival
07-12 Kinross, Scotland - T in the Park
07-13 Naas, Ireland - Oxegen Festival

NEON LIGHTS

Fresh off their performance at SXSW, Neon Neon hit the Viper Room stage last night to celebrate the release of their new album "Stainless Style".

Playing hits like I'll Lust You, Michael Douglas, Trick For Treat and Raquel (about Raquel Welch); Neon Neon showcased their incredible talent and how much fun they seem to be having creating their songs. Neon Neon kept the crowd moving with their 40 minutes set and left us wanting more. The collaborative project from Boom Bip and Super Furry Animals, Gruff Rhys is sure to be a hit. "Stainless Style" is out today!
www.myspace.com/neonx2

A green fan gives two thumbs up outside the Neon Neon record release party at the Viper Room in Los Angeles.

POT OF GOLD

Duh, how could I forget about these folks?! Gotta be one of the higlights of 2007. In my opinion The Swell Season (AKA Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova) was one of the biggest breakout and influential artists of 2007/2008. These are the two stars from that sweet little movie "Once" that won them an Oscar for Best Song. Glen has been performing in Dublin for years with his other band The Frames and never expected to become as big as he has. My friend was lucky enough to catch a Swell Season show in SF and he said, "It was one of the best shows he has ever seen in his life". I plan on being lucky enough to see them live this year at Coachella and I'll continue to watch the "Once" DVD over and over.

www.myspace.com/theswellseason

www.myspace.com/theframesofficial

www.myspace.com/oncethemovie

LUCK OF THE IRISH

Top O' The Mornin'!!

I'm here to help get your SPD party started with this little ditty from Flogging Molly - LA based seven member band made up of Dublin born singer/songwriter, Dave King. Flogging Molly got it's start and name form a bar in LA called Molly Malone's, where the band always played and grew it's fan base. Flogging Molly’s latest album, Float, recorded in King’s native Ireland, was released on March 4th, 2008. You can grab your green beer and catch them tonight in Tempe, Arizona. Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

www.myspace.com/floggingmolly

SOUNDTRACK TO MY LIFE

Lets wrap-up the weekend with this track from Australian native Leroy Lee. He's a young singer/songwriter from Sydney who is currently working on his debut album. As he begins to make a name for himself down under, he is also showcasing his talents in America. He plays his first-ever show outside of Australia at the 2008 Musexpo in Los Angeles on April 30th. 'Drawing Smoke' just makes me happy! It's such the perfect song to hear while you're out driving around or cleaning your house. Enjoy!

www.myspace.com/leroyleemusic