NO MORE CANDY FOR MANDY

So, most of my weekend consisted of nights at the Hotel Cafe. Saturday night I hit the Hotel Cafe, this time to see Mandy Moore perform. She was there to perform songs from her upcoming album that she has been recently working on. She sang a few older tunes off her most recent record, but most of the night consisted of tracks that she finished weeks, even days before Saturday night.

I mean, I didn't really know what to expect and I kind of felt a little silly admitting that I was taking in a Mandy Moore show, but whatever! Okay, Ill admit it...I'm a closeted Mandy Moore fan. Don't judge...there is just something about her that I dig. She's had a pretty decent career that has spanned over the years, and I have seen her grow from her "Candy" years, to her stint as an MTV VJ to her budding acting career. Nonetheless it was pretty cool to see her perform and to see the passion she has for her new found singer songwriter status. Gone are the days of that pop tween who was made famous by that song "Candy" and in is a girl who can stand proud amongst her Hotel Cafe peers.

This girl has a ton of talent and genuinely seems like a super sweet, passionate girl with the most amazing energy. She got up on stage, giggled, interacted with the audience and told stories about the conception of her new songs...it was great! She is doing one more show next Saturday at the Hotel Cafe, so if you're in the neighborhood I definitely would recommend checking her out.

GREG JUST WANTS TO HAVE FUN

I took in a couple of shows this weekend. One being Greg Laswell at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. Greg is an amazing singer songwriter for those of you who don't know much about him. His latest album was released last month and he performed a bunch of new stuff from it.

You can still catch Greg at the Hotel next Friday and he has a few other gigs around town coming up. Here are a few pix from the show of Greg and then me & my friends posing.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Mandy Moore is doing a gig at the Hotel Cafe tonight! I'm kind of excited to see her tonight - she worked with some of my favorite songwriters on her most recent album, so I'm interested to see how's she's gonnna do.

Last night I was able to catch Greg Laswell at the Hotel Cafe, which was a one time bf of Mandy. He has such an amazing voice - I'll have a few pix up soon.

Hotel Cafe
1623 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, CA

9PM TONIGHT
$10

UPDATE: MANDY LEFT THIS MESSAGE ON HER MYSPACE regarding tonight.

So, I'm back from a week and half of not just being ON the East Coast but AWAY from Joni.... It was a good time in Upstate New York with some great friends and my brother, Kyle. Just got back to LA and am going to work out a bunch of new material for the Hotel Cafe show this coming Saturday... wait...THIS Saturday???!!! Yikes! Actually, Mike Viola and I have such a good thing going, it's gonna be a blast regardless of how new and rough some stuff may be. I'm really hoping you all can come out and be the first to hear some new material. We are really in a groove and this is still such a work in progress. But nonetheless, the live thing is still so important and I can't wait any longer to gig - especially at such a great, warm and musical place as Hotel Cafe. Really hoping to see some familiar faces.

Best to you all...hope the Summer has been a good one and that you are enjoying the remains of it...

xo

MM

SONDRE LERCHE TO EMBARK ON STRING OF EXCLUSIVE TOUR DATES

New York- Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche is gearing up for an exclusive string of west coast North American tour dates. The dates kick off on August 22nd in San Diego and end with a play at the Bumbershoot Festival on September 1st.

Lerche's most recent work was on the original soundtrack for the film Dan In Real Life. The soundtrack featured 13 tracks recorded exclusively for the movie, including four new songs penned by Lerche and seven cue tracks from the score, which he composed as well.

Lerche, still only in his mid-twenties will be playing tunes from the soundtrack as well as from his vast catalogue, which includes 4 studio albums and several EPs. Entertainment Weekly said his last studio album Phantom Punch "Evokes '80s Britpop at its zenith, with Duran Duran-ish guitars and synths underpinning lyrically self-aware ditties like the title track." To which Lerche says "I didn't want to be subtle this time around, I wanted every song to jump out of the speakers - punchy, concise pop songs, played with restless spirit."

Tickets for the tour are on sale now. Please see below for tour routing:

Sondre Lerche North American Tour Dates
8/22 San Diego, CA Delta Room @ House of Blues
8/23 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
8/24 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
8/26 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
8/28 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
8/30 Vancouver, BC St. James Hall
9/01 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot Festival

WE WILL BE AT THE SUNDAY SHOW AT THE TROUBADOUR SO LOOK FOR OUR REVIEW TO FOLLOW!

www.myspace.com/sondrelerche

VIDEO PREMIERE

It's Friday and what a great song to kick off the weekend! Still a couple weeks left of summer and I'm going to enjoy every last minute of it. Actually, living in L.A. summer doesn't really come to an end till Octoberish, but for those of you who only have a few weeks, this is for you...

This is the latest video from The Academy Is... "Summer Hair=Forever Young" from their album FAST TIMES AT BARRINGTON HIGH that was just released this past Tuesday.

Happy Friday!

SURPRISE PARTY!

Bloc Party have joined Radiohead and the Raconteurs as bands that surprise fans with a new album. Intimacy is the name of BP’s third album, and it’s available for pre-order right now at the band’s Website; downloads will be delivered on August 21st.

Physical copies of the album, which aren’t due in stores until October 28th, will feature some tracks that are different from those on the digital release. Fans who pre-order the disc now, however, will receive a download of the digital version for free.

Including current single “Mercury,” the download’s track list numbers 10 songs.

ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID

The Decemberists will release Always The Bridesmaid: A Singles Series this fall. The three volumes will be available digitally and on 12" vinyl. Volume 1, comprised of "Valerie Plame" and "O New England," will be released on October 14th. The band will give "Valerie Plame" its national television debut on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on November 3rd, the eve of the United States presidential election. Written from the point-of-view of one of Plame's inside contacts upon discovering her true identity, the song is an amorous tribute to the onetime CIA operative. The Decemberists will be playing select U.S. dates this November; details will be announced shortly.

Volume II and Volume III of Always The Bridesmaid: A Singles Series will be released on November 4th and December 2nd respectively. (See below for track listings.) The series will be available digitally at DSPs, released by Capitol Records, and on 12" vinyl via The Decemberists' own label, Y.A.B.B. Records/Jealous Butcher Records. Fans who pre-order all three singles through the band's website will receive a limited edition version on colored vinyl; the pre-order begins today at http://www.decemberistsshop.com/. The vinyl will also be available at select independent retail stores (go to http://www.thinkindie.com to find out where). In the U.K., Rough Trade will release the series digitally and on 7" vinyl.

Formed in Portland, Oregon in 2000, The Decemberists weave spellbinding tales rife with atmosphere and an infallible melodic knack. 2006's The Crane Wife - the band's fourth full-length album and its first released by Capitol Records - was hailed by Pitchfork as "an enormous folk-prog monsterpiece" while The New York Times called it "one of the most accomplished albums of its kind this year."

The band is currently in the studio working on a new full-length album with Tucker Martine, who produced Always The Bridesmaid: The Singles Series and co-produced The Crane Wife.

EVERYDAY I WAKE UP...

If you haven't heard the following song - click to listen! I haven't been able to get this happy little tune out of my head since I woke up. It's such a GREAT song to wake up to and begin the day with. It has put me in a really great mood on this AMAZING Thursday afternoon. Then watch this little clip and get to know The Submarines a little better!

Update: I just heard it playing in the iPhone commercial.



It was a warm June evening just north of downtown LA, when Blake Hazard and Jason Dragonetti threw their eclectic Submarine sounds into the wanting hearts of a captivated Gen Art audience. The event, sponsored by Don Julio tequila, introduced this talented duo to a fan base that had surely heard their wildly positive, peppy and increasingly popular tunes, but may never have had the pleasure of hearing their fairy-tale accounts of meeting, falling, and writing in love. So come on and put on a smile! Meet The Submarines, courtesy of Gen Art.

EARLIMART TO TOUR WEST COAST

After returning from a long and grueling tour in support of their critically-acclaimed 2007 album, Mentor Tormentor, Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray of Earlimart returned immediately to the studio that had become more or less their home for the past few years.

“We recorded the new album really quickly….we didn’t wanna wait another 3 years to make another record. We just wanna keep makin’ stuff,” says Espinoza. Aaron and Ariana set a four-week deadline to make a record – a restriction that is certainly not evident in the lushness and quality of the end result.

I'M A BIG FAN OF THIS BAND, SO I WAS EXCITED TO SEE THEY ADDED A FEW WEST COAST DATES. CHECK EM OUT IF YOU RESIDE IN ONE OF THE WC CITIES!

September 18 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah

September 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

September 21 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

September 23 – Eugene, OR @ John Henrys

September 24 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos

September 25 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

September 26 – Vancouver, Canada @ Media Club


SeeqPod - Playable Search

LIBERATION DAY

A funny, new video for the single “Liberation Day” by singer-songwriter Ferras starring NYC comedian Greg Johnson running naked across America has been creating buzz online since its August 12th premiere on Myspace.com. The video entitled “Naked Guy Runs Across America” captures Johnson as he makes his way from New York City all the way to Los Angeles wearing only his socks and running shoes, has been viewed over 67,000 times on myspace and youtube.