Watch The Preatures' surfing inspired video for "Somebody's Talking"

Watch The Preatures' surfing inspired video for "Somebody's Talking"
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 26, 2014


I’ve been fortunate enough to hear The Preatures perform their new single “Somebody’s Talking” three times this year. The downside is that it’s made the anticipation of the single’s release nearly become the end of me.

Luckily, not only has the single officially dropped, but the Sydney, Australia rockers have also pushed out a video for the bangin’ jam out. Singer Isabella Manfredi is the second coming of Chrissie Hynde and this song and video only validates that opinion even more.

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La Roux transforms The Fonda Theatre into an upbeat "Sexotheque"

La Roux transforms The Fonda Theatre into an upbeat "Sexotheque"
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 25, 2014

Tuesday night, English synthpop export La Roux rocked The Fonda Theatre like gangbusters. Where Kylie Minogue left things with European dance pop, La Roux picked it up and has taken it to another level.

What you get with La Roux on album is surprisingly close to what you get on stage. Singer Elly Jackson’s vocal range is impressive and her falsetto never once cracked throughout an impressively high energy set at The Fonda.

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Album Preview: Damien Rice's "My Favourite Faded Fantasy" gets the Rick Rubin treatment

Album Preview: Damien Rice's "My Favourite Faded Fantasy" gets the Rick Rubin treatment
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 25, 2014

Something as powerful and emotionally taxing as Damien Rice’s first new material in eight years shouldn’t be something that you can access via Spotify. It just feels wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Spotify. It is one of the only unnecessary bills I pay monthly. But Rice’s single “I Don’t Want to Change You” is something I should have to drive to a record store to procure before heading home and feeling sad and melancholy upon listening.

The upcoming album, titled My Favourite Faded Fantasy, is Rice’s first album since 9 back in 2006. In the time since, Rice disbanded his professional and personal relationship with Lisa Hannigan, the cellist and vocalist who brought additional depth to Rice’s songwriting with her vocal prowess. Whereas Rice’s vocals were sometimes harsh and sharp-edged, Hannigan’s soft vocals helped bring a balance.

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Former Titans kicker Rob Bironas dies in car accident

Former Titans kicker Rob Bironas dies in car accident
Mark E. Ortega
NFL.com
September 21, 2014


Former Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas died Saturday night in a single-car crash in Nashville, Tenn. He was 36 years old.

According to a Nashville Metro media release, Bironas lost control of the SUV he was operating and went off the road into several trees before turning upside down around 11 p.m. CT on Saturday. He was transported by ambulance to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol.

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CHVRCHES puts on a PDA-inducing performance at the Palladium

CHVRCHES puts on a PDA-inducing performance at the Palladium
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 21, 2014


Depending on who is playing, a concert can be a difficult place to bring your struggling relationship.

Friday night at the Hollywood Palladium, I saw first-hand the ramifications of this as a couple next to me went through a wide range of emotions during CHRVCHES‘ fantastic 13-song set. This show served one of the last two shows on their tour in support of their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe.

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Jeff Tweedy and son team up for new album, Sukierae

Jeff Tweedy and son team up for new album, Sukierae
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 18, 2014


When I worked on something with my dad when I was 19, it was never anything as cool as what Spencer Tweedy has going with his pops, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

On Sept. 23, the two will release the album Sukierae, an impressive family project that also features vocal contribution from Lucius’ Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig and keyboard work from R.E.M.’s Scott McCaughey. It sure tops my high school woodshop project that my dad assisted me with. The project is going by the simple family name, Tweedy.

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Death From Above 1979, Future Islands, & More to Headline Red Bull Sound Select's 30 Days in LA

Death From Above 1979, Future Islands, & More to Headline Red Bull Sound Select's 30 Days in LA
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 10, 2014

Ask any venue booker how difficult it is to set up one show and they’ll tell you it can be a huge pain in the ass. Extrapolate that over the course of 30 days in one city across multiple venues, and the task seems downright impossible.

Tuesday, Red Bull Sound Select announced that they’ve managed to do just that with their #30DaysInLA, a series of music-related events that will take place all across Los Angeles in November in mostly intimate venues with extremely affordable ticket prices featuring a number of more than solid acts involved.

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Made In America Los Angeles reviewed: The good, the bad, and the fugly

Made In America Los Angeles reviewed: The good, the bad, and the fugly
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 4, 2014


This past weekend marked the inaugural Made In America festival in Los Angeles. Though this festival has been running the past few years in Philadelphia, the promoters undertook a huge effort in running one in the heart of downtown LA, with City Hall serving as the backdrop to a main stage that would showcase the likes of Kanye West, Imagine Dragons, John Mayer, Kendrick Lamar, Iggy Azalea, and a number of others from a wide range of genres.

As is the case with any first-year festival, there were always going to be growing pains. Couple that with the fact that it was run simultaneously with the festival in Philadelphia, and problems were gonna be aplenty.

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