Tommy Santee Klaws makes folk-rock that sounds a little spooky, a little twisted and sad.  With his wife and brother in the band, it's definitely a family affair; the songs benefit from the tight vocal harmonies featured on many of the songs. But...

Kim and Alice of jagged pop outfit Eagle and Talon are a great tandem, creating herky-jerky songs that are twisted, staccato, and playful.  In the Los Angeles music scene, you can draw a dashed line beween their music and the also kinetic,...

LANDy is the musical project of actor/filmmaker Adam Goldberg.  Last year's album, Eros and Omissions, which was recorded over a 6-year period, is a suprisingly rich collection of melancholic, dreamy pop music.  Goldberg is obviously someone...

Last year, Los Angeles-based band Great Northern released the the fine CD Remind Me Where The Light Is, which, aside from setting a record for number of songs with one-word titles, cemented the band's reputation for producing rich tapestries of...

Cecelia Enriquez is the talented singer-songwriter for Southern California indie pop band C-horse. She has a gift for melody (check out the bittersweet melody of "Beds" below) and an interesting voice that swerves from innocence to kooky. Still...

Evan Voytas is one of the more unique musicians in the LA music scene.    Having toured nationally as part of Teddy Geiger's band, he's a youngin' with some major league experience.  Though he "dresses like your grandpa" (a quote from...

Los Angeles band Saint Motel has been building buzz in southern California with their theatric shows and numerous videos (be sure to check them out on Vimeo).  It's no surprise that the fellas met in film school.  Luckily, they actually do...

The Hugs hail from Portland, Oregon, but sound more like young British lads. Though all of the members are 21 or younger, they've already learned more about the music business than most bands, having been signed to a major label deal a couple of years...

LA band Spider Problem delivered truly memorable session performances for us last year, including the raucus anthem Big Thunder, so we had no choice but to bring them back in again this year.  The band is led by John Girgus and Shayne Eastin, who...

Mississippi Man does sound a bit like its name- playing a kind of folkish-southern-blues-Americana mixture that seems far removed from their home in Southern California.   Recommended to us by Raymond Richards, our long-time session...

Portland-based band Day of Lions are led by Gena Gastaldi, who writes bittersweet ditties that are powerfully simple in construction and timeless in quality.  At times both charming and sad in tone, the music often amplifies the seemingly...

A kinetic blend of nerve-tingling melody and jagged angles, Southern Belle has proven plenty already with an impressive debut record under their belts, and plans for two more next year.  Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the group rides the kind of...

Portland's Leonard Mynx is a special talent who manages to conjure some great folk talents.  Think of the poetic beauty of Bob Dylan or the hushed timelessness of M. Ward.  His very fine record Vesper is highly recommended, especially if you...

The New York Rifles are actually from Portland.. go figure.  But aside from the geographic misdirection, the songs of leader Scott Young ring infectiously true.   Combining punk energy with big hooks, the band at times seems like the...

The Portland Cello Project is an indie orchestra, a band of cello players that numbers from 8-16 at any given time.  Because most of the players are classically trained, the project allows them to experiment with mainstream music in its various...

Autralia-native Andy Clockwise, who completed a residency at the Spaceland in Los Angeles in July, is an audacious performer and fine songwriter who combines in-your-face lyrics with big melodies.  The song "My Generation", turns the celebratory...

Aside from being finalists in the "Best Band Name" category, The Whore Moans are killer performers who bring punk energy to everything they do.  (And that's a good thing.)  The Seattle band definitely livened up our last round of sessions in...

Derby have released two highly recommended records that range from power pop to more melancholic rock.    Fans of bands like the Pernice Brothers, the Byrds, Fountains of Wayne and a little band called The Beatles will likely find a lot to...

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Laura Gibson has captured a good deal of attention for her latest record, Beast of Seasons.  With its quiet, often mournful tone, the record has a timeless beauty, accentuated by finger-picking guitar work and a...

Andrew Deadman has the weary croon of M. Ward, though his music sways along on a gentle ocean breeze.  With songs both achingly beautiful and admirable in their restraint, he is clearly a talented songwriter with a voice perfectly matching the...