tunes - live picks (april)

as coachella draws near, the indie rock bands slowly descend onto southern california. lucky us!

for those of you who are going, you suck. ha, okay congratulations. for the rest of us, i have some good news! the promoters of coachella (goldenvoice) also own the glass house and fox theatre in pomona and they are kind enough to share the love with the rest of the common folk who didn't get tickets like the early birds.

and if coachella isn't your thing, there are many of cool live shows coming our way this month. check it out:

4/3 – goo goo dolls @ troubadour

4/8 – thao with the get down stay downs @ troubadour*

4/10 – beach house @ the glass house (pomona)

4/11 – passion pit @ club nokia

4/11 – yeasayer + wild nothing @ the glass house (pomona)

4/12 – coachella (weekend 1)*

4/13 – light up the blues @ club nokia

4/15 – the faint @ the observatory (santa ana)

4/16 – franz ferdinand @ fonda theatre

4/16 – james mccartney @ hotel café

4/16 – modest mouse @ fox theatre (pomona)

4/16 – polica @ the observatory (santa ana)*

4/17 – alt-j @ the observatory (santa ana)

4/17 – james mccartney @ hotel café

4/17 – the xx @ fox theatre (pomona)

4/17 – youth lagoon @ el rey

4/18 – band of horses @ ventura theatre (ventura)

4/18 – green day + best coast @ la memorial sports arena

4/18 – little green cars @ troubadour

4/18 – portugal. the man + lord huron @ the glass house (pomona)

4/19 – coachella (weekend 2)

4/19 – vampire weekend @ fox theatre (pomona)

4/19 – bon jovi @ staples center

4/19 – sigur ros @ santa barbara bowl

4/23 – bat for lashes @ fonda theatre

4/25 – crystal castles @ fox theatre (pomona)

4/25 – jeff bridges @ el rey

4/27 – katchafire @ club nokia

*top live picks:

4/8 – thao with the get down stay downs @ troubadour

i was lucky enough to catch thao (pronounced t-OW) at sxsw last week. she's great. folky, bluesy rock with really great technical playing. she's lovely!

Source: coachella.com via Shannon on Pinterest

4/12 – coachella (weekend 1)

weekend 1 or weekend 2 you really can't lose. all in all it's going to be a great fest.

4/16 – polica @ the observatory (santa ana)

they've carried over the sexy sounds of gayngs and turned them into darker trans melodies. 

tunes - live picks (march)

march is upon us, which means the pre-summer festival tours have begun.

living in la, we have a slew of music coming and going through town. check it out:

3/1 – morissey @ staples center

3/1 – surfer blood @ the echo

3/3 – toro y moi @ fonda theatre

3/8 – matt + kim @ the observatory

3/13 – frightened rabbit @ the fonda theatre*

3/16 – matt costa @ the observatory

3/19 – josh ritter @ fonda theatre

3/21 – matt costa @ troubadour*

3/21 – the joy formidable @ fonda theatre

3/24 – deer tick @ the observatory

3/26 – heartless bastards @ the troubadour

3/28 – jamie lidell @ the echo

3/28 – heartless bastards @ the observatory*

*top live picks:

3/13 – frightened rabbit @ the fonda theatre

i’ve never been disappointed by a frightened rabbit album. their latest album “pedestrian verse” came out earlier this month. they’re not the most exciting live performers, but i’m hoping they pick up the energy for their new album tour.

3/21 – matt costa @ troubadour

check out matt costa’s  in-studio performance on kcrw from earlier this week.

3/28 – heartless bastards @ the observatory
i love the dark, salty rock of heartless bastards. they’re touring up and down the california coast this spring, so there’s no excuse not to see them this season.

tunes - sxsw parties

big news today! i'm excited to announce i will be heading back to austin for sxsw. i've been a part of that wildly entertaining festival since 2005 and i can't wait to return for my 8th year.

i'll be busy running around town for 10 days, so i'll be sure to post festival highlights including surprise shows, buzz bands, cool technology discoveries and oh-so much more.

for those of you that will be able to enjoy the festival at your own leisure, i've created a party board on pinterest. i will continue to update this board until the festival kicks off on friday, march 8th, so keep checking in.

a select few top party picks below:

new zealand music commission on 3/13 @ brush square park
the jams: ghost wave. think 1950's surfer meets ariel pink's haunted graffiti meets tame impala. this party is always packed, so get there early.

kgsr's live radio broadcast 3/13 - 3/16 @ the w
the jams: i worked for the emmis austin radio cluster for a few years back when i was in austin, so this morning broadcast session is very near and dear to my heart. i know it's early, but it's totally worth it! acts include: iron & wine, nakia, alpha rev, divine fits, kodaline, matt nathanson

paste magazine's party 3/13-3/16 @ the stages on sixth
the jams. this is a four day event with a ton of great bands: thao & the get down stay down, ron sexsmith, lissie, josh ritter, dawes, city & colour, billy bragg, allah-lahs. try to cameo.

the future of music showcase on 3/15 @ shiner's saloon
the jams: sorne. if you don't know anything about this brilliant artist, catch yourself up. and quickly. he's taking off at record speed.

tunes - mix tape: best of 2012

now i’m not gonna get all sentimental about writing the soundtrack to our lives through music, blah blah blah. but! i will admit there are many songs that conjure up memories for me, good or bad. as i’m sure we have all experienced this grand, mysterious, power of music phenomenon, i thought it handy to start creating seasonal mix tapes.

usually my mix tapes feature new releases, but an occasional oldie that i recently discover will sneak in here and there.

below is a mix i put together in january that features my top tunes from 2012. many of these bands have a full-length or two, so be sure to check out some of their other music if you like what you hear.

tip of the day: the art of the mix tape is not just the music, but the order in which the music is featured.

the jams:

sunset – the xx

we own the sky – m83

breakers – local natives

default – atoms for peace

anything could happen – ellie goulding

generator (first floor) – freelance whales

give it away – andrew bird

work – 1, 2, 3

home – phillip phillips

stubborn love – the lumineers

i will wait – mumford & sons

king and lionheart – of monsters and men

letters from the sky – civil twilight

bright lights – gary clark jr.

heartbreaker – the walkmen

if you want a copy of this playlist, follow me on twitter @sparsells.
spotify link to playlist here: http://t.co/5s0FZUaZ

intro

here i am, entering the blogosphere; making my small splash in the ocean that is the internet.

i know we all have our own personal interests, so i have decided to dedicate this blog to mine: tunes, trails and treats.

i really want this to count. i want to be helpful. i want to provide tips to all of the things i find amusing.

here’s the word:

tunes - i love music. i love concerts. i love discovering new artists. i love supporting local musicians.

in this section i will highlight some of my favorite bands, feature up-and-coming artists, give you the scoop on must-see local los angeles shows and showcase my latest mix tapes. there may even be a free download or two, if you’re lucky.

trails – i love being outside in the sunshine. i love walking barefoot in lush, green grass. i love having a bird’s eye view. i like escaping from the city and exploring all that nature has to offer.

in this section i will give a rundown on recent trails i’ve explored. i will share handy information like distance, duration, difficulty, and any helpful hints i discover along the way.

treats – i love baking. i love gifting baked goods. i love experimenting with traditional recipes and putting my own spin on things. i love creating tasty food from scratch.

in this section i will share some of my favorite recipes i’ve created or have discovered over the years. i’ll be focusing on baked goods and desserts, but will feature the occasional savory item. be on the lookout for healthy recipes, too. you gotta have a balance, right?

cheers!

@sparsells