LoveyDove (Los Angeles, CA)

It’s time to jump into your time machines and rocket back through the rings of Saturn to the LSD 60’s with the groovy and harmonic boy/girl duo of LoveyDove.

LoveyDove is a homegrown band out of Los Angeles, CA that is as visually interesting as they are sonically enjoyable.  The group is Dan West (Fender VI, guitars, keys, vocals) and Azalia Snail (keys, vocals, percussion) who take you on a cosmic journey of sights and sounds as they treat you to psychedlia, soul, pop, and melodic electronica.   Euphoric harmonies accompany cleverly placed lyrics that range from introspective and dreamy to fun and playful, and the Lovey Dove live performance is unlike anything seen in LA.  

The band invites you on a starship adventure that is a treat for the senses with space disco lighting effects, shimmering costumes, and a thoughtful narrative between the songs that describes the sound journey that is unfolding.  The performance engages the audience and transforms any club into a vehicle for interstellar travel.  What is most attractive about LoveyDove is that they are so unabashedly themselves.  They are bold and confident with their sound, their style, and the sonic landscape they wish to create when they are on stage.

As a music critic, we often see the same (or similar) acts over and over again out in clubs around LA and the OC.  However, when you see LoveyDove, there will be no turning back.    So, it’s Orange Blossoms all around at the Aerospace Lounge tonight.  Get up and get your boogey on or just trip out as you lean back in your beanbag chair because here comes LoveyDove!

LoveyDove's self-titled release is available at http://loveydove.bandcamp.com

LoveyDove's new album, ShowStopper, is due out later this year (2015).  Find out more at http://www.facebook.com/LoveyDoveInc

List: Travel Time

Since we're on the road (again), here are some songs about just that!

1. Plane - Jason Mraz

2. Port of Call - Beirut

3. Ramblin' (Wo)man- Cat Power

4. Roadtrippin' - Red Hot Chili Peppers

5. Southside - Moby

6. Paris, Tokyo - Lupe Fiasco

7. Wanderlust - The Weeknd

8. Paper Planes - M.I.A.

9. Air Balloon - Lily Allen

List: Tangos In Musicals

Borrowed from the delightful brain of Tank Hughes, here's a list of some of the finest tangos in musicals.

1. Tango De Amor! – Addams Family Musical

2. Tango: Maureen – Rent

3. Hook’s Tango – Peter Pan

4. Cell Block Tango – Chicago

5. Tango de Roxanne – Moulin Rouge

Heathen Apostles (Los Angeles, CA)

Out of the City of Angels comes a devilish new band with a dark twist on classic American country, bluegrass and murder balladry. The Heathen Apostles  offer a sound that combines gothic and punk overtones with edgy lyrics of murderous love, outlaw crime and damnation.  These heathens have been making a stir around Southern California during the past 2 years and just recently appeared at the annual Ink N Iron Festival at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

Now, when you first gets a glimpse of the Heathen Apostles, it is hard not to do a double take. This band casts a dark shadow over the crowd as they enter and appear more closely to funeral entertainment for a 19th century downed gunslinger versus an LA club night with twenty-something hipsters in the crowd pecking away at iPhones.  However, with head-to-toe blackness, vintage Victorian-era attire, stern countenance and a wide array of instrumentation, the shear visual of the band can be both alluring and overwhelming. The final blow comes from the diva front woman, Mather Louth (Radio Noir) who normally takes the stage with full funeral head vale, jet black lipstick and pale white skin. Mather out front of this group mystifies the crowd with haunting gazes and enigmatic poses throughout the performances, which transmits both beckoning and threatening signals at the same time.

HA may have roots in many genres, but their combined sound is altogether their own. The band touts familiar names such as Chopper Franklin (The Cramps) on guitar and Stevyn Grey (Christian Death, 45 Grave) on drums, but other band members round out this musically tight and original arrangement including Thomas Lorious (The Kings of Nuthin’) on an upright bass, Viktor Phoenix (Dessau) on both banjo/mandolin and the talented Luis Mascaro on fiddle.

The songs of HA range all tempos and emotions.  From the fast-paced, boot-clicking tunes of ‘Without A Trace’ and ‘Forget Me Not’ down to the somber murder ballads of ‘Before You Go’ and ‘Dark Was The Night.’ The crowd is never stuck in a monotonous or monochromatic musical experience.

HA has a tight musical delivery, an innovative dark approach and an unforgettable stage performance that stays with you long after the performance is over. The Heathen Apostles are not your typical night out on the town and definitely should not missed, as we might be seeing an ushering in of a new genre with possible copycat bands soon to follow.

Heathen Apostles will be playing various shows in and around Southern California including The Hippy Killer Hoedown 2015 in Perris, CA.  Visit the band’s website or follow them on Facebook for more info.

Full length album, Boot Hill Hymnal and 3-song EP, Without A Trace, now available at www.heathenapostles.com