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Mistaken For Strangers and The National
Months later and I am still thinking about it. I watched the National in concert at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. As expected, the music was phenomenal. But what made the show extra special was the screening of “Mistaken for Strangers,” a documentary movie by Tom Berninger, who happens to be the younger brother of Matt, lead singer for the critically-acclaimed rock band The National. Painfully honest and comical at times, “Mistaken for Strangers,” tells the story of two brothers. It could be any two brothers in the world! The differences between two siblings, the unbreakable bonds, the joy and pain in any sibling relationship are universal. This film…
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Music Monday: Indie Rock Bands from Down Under
I’m back to posting Music on Mondays. Here’s a playlist that I’ve been working on for a while. There are only a few songs but I do enjoy them. If you haven’t figured it out yet, they are all from Australian bands. I have fond memories of visiting Australia. And I even remember friends debating the virtues of Sydney vs. Melbourne (much like New York vs. Los Angeles), but it’s all good. Each coast is different but all lovely. I wonder why no Australian band has made it really big in America. I mean, Hollywood goes gaga over the Aussies… Hello, Hugh Jackman, the late Heath Ledger and now the…
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Music Monday: 2012 Indie Rock Ear Candy
Thanks to Colorado blogger Greeblemonkey, I discovered Rdio in time to come up with my own list of tunes that make 2012 a memorable year in music for me. Some might be familiar to you as they’ve been played in commercials on TV, like for cars or computers. But if you want to know how I discovered this alternative sonic landscape, check out Sirius XMU, KCRW, NPR Music and various other online channels that feature new music. Don’t think me a music snob though.I listen to commercial radio too like KROQ but it is my sincerest hope that more people support independent artists in 2013. I mean, really, I get…
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Music Monday: Tennis anyone?
I’m on a serious retro kick right now, but more like retro contemporary in that I’m really digging shows (hello, Mad Men) and music that hark back to an earlier, more innocent time. It isn’t nostalgia either since I wasn’t born then and it isn’t just watching oldies just for the sake of it. What I really like are modern takes on the old stuff. I don’t think I’m alone in this. So I’m really into a band called “Tennis,” whose singer Alaina Moore’s voice is such a throwback,that it can’t help be adorable. The jangly guitars in the background only add to the retro vibe. Their music videos and…
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Music Monday: Tapioca and The Flea
New music excites me. New music performed live excites me even more. Unfortunately, my forays into live concert venues are few and far between so that I have to content myself to the usual online sources – blip.fm, myspace, bandcamp, soundcloud, npr music, kcrw, college radio, sirius xmu. Last month though I was lucky enough to catch an indie experimental pop-rock group called “Tapioca and the Flea” at the Yelp All Hopped Up event at The Observatory in Santa Ana. According to what I’ve read, Tapioca and the Flea is really the stage name of recording artist Samuel Jacob from Los Angeles, who performs with his friends Ronnie Knott, (guitarist) and Frank…
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Music Monday: Oberhofer
How can you not love a band that name checks French composer Camille Saint-Saens in an interview and actually mentions Tchaikovsky and Mozart in song? Meet Oberhofer, one of my new favorite bands in the indie pop-rock music scene. Oberhofer is basically 21-year old musician Brad Oberhofer’s four piece band. The music and words are all his and he comes across as genuinely sincere – a rare quality these days. Here is the video for “Away Frm U,” a very catchy tune that’s sure to have you singing along in no time. And if you want more, check out this Spin Magazine Backstage Pass interview. “I treat Twitter like a…
