Rave's Raves Blog

Here are my spring late night faves, from March 7 through the end of May.

Letterman: Joan Jett, She & Him, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, MGMT

Kimmel: Two Door Cinema Club, Devo, Dr. Dog, Stone Temple Pilots

Fallon: Gogol Bordello, New Pornographers, see Green Day below.

Carson: Airborne Toxic Event, LaRoux, Morning Benders

Colbert: OK! Go

Older footage used for the Carson Daly gigs.  Colbert link is to full episode.  Band comes on around 13:40.  Green Day covering the Stones “Rip This Joint” on Fallon was very cool!

Drawn From Bees dropped by the "Rave-Pad" a few days after acing their show at LA's Whiskey

Drawn From Bees are doing well in their native Australia, where they’ve been receiving strong airplay.  They recently triumphed at their first LA gig as part of the Musexpo conference.  Lots of people were buzzing afterward (no pun intended, and bet the guys have heard that one thousands of times).  Their beautiful new CD, Fear Not the Footsteps of the Departed, was released May 21 in Australia.  The band stopped by on their last day in town.  We had an in-depth chat that covered their LA trip, unique background info, the new album, and a few other topics along the way.  They’re currently in Hong Kong and then the UK before returning to Australia.  The HD video version, including some band highlights, is now on YouTube.  Check out the full- length audio interview here. Other artist interviews can be found on the Go Deep site.

I love almost everything Muse does.  While I like their new single from Twilight, I don’t think it’s a career highlight by any means.  As expected, the sound of the song is huge and I’m sure it will be ace in the movie.  You can watch their video here…There is a rebirth of blues-rock, and it’s sounding very fresh coming from people like Cage the Elephant, Band of Skulls, Black Keys, Crash Kings, and The Constellations.  Kings of Leon might not have become an arena-level band if they hadn’t adopted more of a harder-edged bluesy flavor…The new STP album is solid from beginning to end, and has some blues touches as well…MGMT risked career suicide with their huge change of direction but I now think they’ll be fine in their new incarnation.  Their videos and TV gigs have been really compelling, and they’re improved live (even if they’re not playing “Kids”)…BBC Radio 1 in England may be the best mass appeal pop/rock station in the world.  They’re certainly among the most influential, if not the most so.  Station execs tell me that we can expect to hear lots of dubstep music in the near future…Matt & Kim are saying there will be more of a punk element on their upcoming, upbeat August release, while other faves The Cribs are adding keyboards to sessions for their 5th album that will again include x-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr…I don’t root for Courtney Love but her “Skinny Little Bitch” single was a great rock song.  Surprising that it was by far the most uptempo song on the full-length. I’ve never understood the total fascination with her, except that people love a trainwreck…Of  progressive artists from the 70’s and 80’s, it seems Neil Young and Talking Heads have influenced the most modern bands. Coming soon to this space: My favorite albums, tracks, and late-night TV gigs of the last couple months so come on back or even better, get the rss feed!           

People are loving LCD’s “This Is Happening” album, which came out last Tuesday.  So do I.  Every song has a different vibe and they all work.  Check out their first video if you haven’t seen it already.

Two Door Cinema Club got one of the best LA debut crowd reactions that I've seen

Two months ago, the Troubadour folks were telling me that the Two Door Cinema Club show would likely sell out.  When the Irish band played on Jimmy Kimmel May 3, they were tight and energetic.  Two nights later, the club was filled for the band’s LA debut.  That energy was there from the beginning, and the band really took off about three or four songs into their set.  These guys can play and they’ve also got a bunch of good songs.  Soon enough, the fans in the second floor bleachers were up and dancing–a rare sight at this club that’s seen it all.  By encore time, it was just plain loud in there.  A huge triumph for a bunch of young kids playing their first LA show.

I’ve been raving about The Constellations, who blew me away this year at SXSW.  They were my big discovery this year among bands descending upon Austin without hype.  8-strong from Atlanta, they invaded Spaceland and brought their buzz to LA.  They play great and with amazing energy, the musical parts are inventive, and Elijah Jones is a true front man.  They take from various genres.  Their fine “Southern Gothic” album drops in June, and I think this band can be one of the biggest new groups of 2010.  First single “Felecia” is doing well around the country.  You can check out my interview with them here.  Postelles lead singer Daniel Balk said onstage that The Constellations are the best live band he’s ever seen.

I knew precious little about The Postelles before catching them at Spaceland following The Constellations.  These New Yorkers are another guitar-oriented band with strong melodies and garage roots.  I was there to see The Constellations and figured I hang around for a song or two.  The band is compelling and got me to watch the whole thing.  Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes is producing their forthcoming album, and you can download their cool “White Night” song from their site.  They’re definitely worth keeping an eye on.

PhillyJays spent one day in LA and blew away The Whiskey

These guys aren’t from Philadelphia, they’re from Sydney and have added Grand Rapids, Michigan native Calvin as drummer.  I’ve been playing their “Going to the Casino” track everywhere possible since last fall.  The song won the Australian Record Industry’s 2009 award for Independent Single of the Year.  The band has achieved chart success in their home country and just moved to London, where they’re beginning to gain significant airplay.  They stopped in LA for a Musexpo gig at The Whiskey and I grabbed them after soundcheck.  Known for their amazing onstage energy levels, they were pretty much toast upon my arrival, having just landed from Sydney that morning.  Adrenaline took over by showtime, and they were as amazing as I’d heard they’d be.  ABC-Australia radio exec Andrew Phillips was there and called the gig a “life-changing experience”.  Check out the interview and their music.  We’ll all be hearing lots more from these guys.

Ex-Londoners Purple Melon brought their hard melodic vibe to The Whiskey and seem ready for large venues

Musexpo is a yearly conference put on by the fine folks at A&R Worldwide. Delegates from around the world attend informative panels during the day and music showcases at night.  The atmosphere is always very positive, and it begins with company chief Sat Bisla, who also hosts the Passport Approved syndicated radio program.  Sat is one of the best-known and most loved music business execs anywhere.  His glass-is-half-full attitude permeates the proceedings.  Most panelists are major industry figures who have great attitudes.

The showcases take place over four nights at The Whiskey and The Viper Room, and I attend almost every one.  Here are some artists to watch, in chronological order.  Toronto’s Menew, Australia’s Drawn From Bees and Hungry Kids Of Hungary, LA’s Purple Melon, Australia’s Philadelphia Grand Jury and Art vs. Science, Sweden’s Erik Hassle, The Respectables from Montreal, and Denmark’s Dune.  I missed the Swedish artist Laleh but people were talking about her the next day.

Thanks for being here!  I love hearing from readers and encourage you to mention current artists you’re highest on.  Fan interaction on great music is what we’re all about.  As the blog site is still fairly new, I’ve learned that the majority of comments are spam with a huge number arriving in Russian.  I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these company links contain viruses and/or spyware.  Any comments from individuals will be posted as long as they seem to be on topic.  Companies will only be accepted if they mention something specific about a Rave’s Raves post.