Summer has arrived and Los Angeles is ready to provide the entertainment (as it always is) with the events that are characteristic of the season. From raves to music festivals, there’s no end to the insanity.
by Dana Hawley
HARD will be presenting MIA and N*E*R*D at Los Angeles State Historic Park July 17th, along with a music festival and summer tour in August. Hollywood Bowl will be boasting such acts as Kings of Leon and Dave Matthews Band, and other assorted venues will be presenting Wolf Parade, Pinback and MGMT. But what about those of us who yearn for the intimacy and wish to avoid the crowds, $70 tickets, and unreasonable parking?
Thank God for the underground, and Los Angeles has a plentiful amount of space for it to thrive. Looking for a low-key show over a cup of coffee? Drover Shy may be the answer. A one-man act, Emory Davis totes his story-telling acoustic tracks at various open mics around Los Angeles, including Time Warp Music, An Urban Coffeehouse, Travel Cafe and Café Muse. The gentle instrumentation of his songs is accentuated nicely by his deep, emotional vocals. His music is a gentle reminder of the soul searching blues that prevailed in previous, yet glorious musical eras. Although Drover Shy has not released an EP as of yet, Emory is hard at work putting together a compilation of gems by the end of the month.
When asked why musician was his career choice, Emory replied, “It seems like the most natural thing…writing songs, making music, and performing.” His influences include Moondoggies, Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, and Fleet Foxes. For a night of easy listening, you can check up on his shows via his various social networking pages .*
Swinging indie pop is a typical mainstay on the more low-maintenance musical arenas and Chasing Kings is just that type of band. This quartet from the Malibu/Los Angeles area is sincere and diligent in their musical efforts. With a collection of songs they fine-tuned and recorded with producer Tony Berg (producer of Phantom Planet’s Raise the Dead album) for their debut album The Current State of Our Future, they have waltzed their way into the curious ears of many Los Angeles natives, as well as those who got the pleasure of seeing them on their DIY tour across the country in fall of 2009. Their catchy melodies, eclectic riffs, and unique vocals create one hell of a show, and leave a lasting impression that most cannot demand in a live performance. Their charismatic indie has caused such a stir that it brought them to SXSW 2010 and ushered in gigs at the Bootleg Theatre with Hot Hot Heat, the Troubador, Spaceland, and a KROQ Locals Only Show with Seawolf at Roxy Theatre. Upcoming shows include the House of Blues in Anaheim on July 8th, and a free show at the Hammer Museum for KCRW’s “I Like to Rock” series. They hope to release a new album by 2011. For more information on the Chasing Kings you can visit their Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and website.**
My final suggestion for the upcoming months of musical mayhem? Rumspringa. These local favorites have been traipsing around the greater LA area for quite some time and have acquired some legitimate notoriety along the way. The recent duo turned quartet, plays a funky, psychedelic, dance-worthy rock that is not only brilliantly orchestrated, but worded impeccably. I had the pleasure of seeing them live at the Unknown Theatre some months back, and the show was exactly how I had wanted to spend my evening: a small, but ornate venue, quite a few people, but not too many, and all of them affixed in the throes of ecstasy over these boys and their talent. Their live showcase is not only charming, and eloquent, but seductive and mesmerizing. They have already released a couple EPs, all of which I would recommend immediately, and not only are they awesome, but usually so are the bands accompanying them (White Arrows, Mississippi Man, and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes among them). Despite usually having a plethora of shows in or around the vicinity of Los Angeles, Rumspringa is currently on tour, however, their 4th show of the tour will be at the 3 of Clubs on August 5th. Tour stops include San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Costa Mesa. For a full tour schedule, and other various details, check out their array of social networking sites.***
*Drover Shy: myspace | facebook
**Chasing Kings: myspace | facebook | twitter | blog
***Rumspringa: myspace | facebook | website | tumblr | twitter
