Jessie Ware - House of Blues - 11/19/13
kris exJessie WareJessie Ware House of Blues 11/19/13 About midway through her set last night, Jessie Ware said this was the very last of her shows for her 2012 album Devotion. It was hard to take...
View ArticleBeyonce - Staples Center - December 3, 2013
Beyonce Staples Center December 3, 2013 Better than: The Super Bowl halftime show Many different incarnations of Beyonce performed at the Staples Center last night. There was Beyonce the naughty girl,...
View ArticleAll Hail King Avriel
It has taken R&B singer King avriel 23 years, a full academic scholarship to UCLA, countless modeling gigs, a few television appearances, and a stack of bell hooks books to figure out who exactly...
View ArticleNick Waterhouse Is Stressed Out
In the span of an hour, Nick Waterhouse mentions Tolstoy, George Orwell, T.S. Elliot, modernism, film noir, Robert Mitchum, metaphysical poet John Donne, Madame Bovary, the way the internet is changing...
View ArticleWestboro Baptist Church's Insane Parody Video of "Big Pimpin'"
Yesterday, Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps died at the age of 84. Known for leading thousands of anti-gay demonstrations and organizing the picketing of dead soldiers' funerals, his Church...
View ArticleKelela Crafts a New Brand of Alt R&B
"R&B has always been looked down upon." Singer Kelela Mizanekristos, 30, is relaxing at her home in LA after a long week packed with showcases at SXSW. Her debut mixtape Cut 4 Me - a startling...
View ArticleSZA Crashes the Top Dawg Boys' Club
When I reach SZA on the phone, she is just about to get naked with her friends and smoke a blunt on the beach, an experience that almost perfectly approximates the vibe of her music: cozy but exposed,...
View ArticleWere MC Daylyt's Total Slaughter Antics Good for Battle Rap?
On Saturday, July 12, Total Slaughter became the first battle rap offered by means of traditional terrestrial pay-per-view carriers. The event was headlined by mainstream recording artist Joe Budden,...
View ArticleJohn Legend Seduced Us at the Greek Theatre Last Night
John Legend Greek Theatre August 18, 2014 John Legend looked me straight in the eyes and told me he loved me last night, you guys. Well, maybe he didn't mean me, personally, but it sure felt that way....
View ArticleSteve Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life Show Was Short on Surprises
Stevie Wonder The Forum December 20, 2014 For the past 19 years, Stevie Wonder has acted as a pseudo-Santa Claus for the House Full of Toys charity by putting on a concert as a gift drive for those in...
View ArticleFrom Bulgaria to L.A.: The Incredible Journey of Kan Wakan's Gueorgui Linev
[Editor's note: L.A. Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column appears here every Wednesday. Follow him on twitter and also check out his archives.] Before music subsumed Gueorgui I. Linev, there was only...
View ArticleThe Remarkable Life and Tragic Death of Pioneering South L.A. Music Producer...
Long before musicians toked up in Laurel Canyon or hair metal bands prowled the Sunset Strip, L.A.'s African-American community fostered a vibrant music scene, concentrated in jazz clubs along Central...
View Article10 Original Songs Better Than Their More Famous Covers
Joan Jett’s 1982 "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" isn’t just better than the English band Arrows’ mid-'70s original — it kicks its ass, steals its wallet and makes out with its girlfriend. In similar fashion,...
View ArticleThe BET Experience Celebrated Black Culture on a Massive Scale
Hundreds of thousands of people, young and middle-aged, make their yearly trek to Los Angeles each June for the BET Experience and BET Awards. Now in their 15th year, the BET Awards are still one of...
View ArticleFuture Soul Duo J*Davey Is Back, and the Timing Couldn't Be Better
Los Angeles-based duo J*Davey is back from a three-year hiatus and timing couldn’t be more opportune. Their synth-laden brand of new wave and G-funk, which they say contains elements of Prince, Talking...
View ArticleGallant Played a Show for 10 People, But Two of Them Helped Launch His Career
When Chris Gallant arrived in Los Angeles in his car in the fall of 2013, he was not a happy dude. He was, in fact, straight-up depressed, They say that New York chews you up and spits you out. Gallant...
View ArticleFreckles the Writer Could Be R&B's First Lesbian Star
Chicago-bred songwriter turned artist/producer Freckles “The Writer” is ready for her close-up. Having worked as a writer with mentors R. Kelly and Babyface, Tanya “Freckles” White has been preparing...
View ArticleMiguel Dropped Knowledge at Sonos Studios Last Night
Miguel, one of the hottest names in R&B right now thanks to his acclaimed new album Wildheart, is a massively talented performer. But his industry showcase set at Sonos Studios in Hollywood was as...
View ArticleSir the Baptist Challenges Society's Status Quo With His "Urban Hymns"
“I’m not trying to be embraced by religious people,” says Chicago-bred, L.A.-based singer Sir the Baptist, his sincerity tangible even through the phone. “It’s not necessarily what the religious people...
View ArticleSan Pedro Native Miguel Delivers a Sexy, Triumphant Homecoming Show
Miguel Warner Grand Theater Sept. 2, 2015 There’s nothing like a triumphant homecoming. The sexy, inspirational singer Miguel performed Wednesday night at a Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro packed...
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