giant drag back and playing a show

You might not think it's true.  It's too good to be true.  It's been ages since Giant Drag has played a show - about two years, no?

Well, it's true...and I couldn't be more excited!  Annie Hardy and Micah Calabrese are reunited as Giant Drag and will playing at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on May 16th.  You can read about it from Annie here and RSVP for the event on Facebook here.

Annie hopes to debut her music video for Stuff to Live For off of the soon-to-be-released Swan Song EP at the show.  It's quite the spectacular video, and you can get a sneak peak below.  Exciting things are happening for Giant Drag.  This should be a good year.

jaymay serenades the troubadour

If you don't know about Jaymay (aka Jamie Seerman) yet, you're in sincere trouble. Why, you ask? Well, because Jaymay's beautiful music acts like a cough drop for the soul. Her lyrics are smart, her voice is absolutely stunning, and put together, you're left with an unbelievably talented musician.

Last night I was fortunate enough to catch Jaymay's acoustic set at the Troubadour. I stood there in awe at the wonders of her voice and enjoyed every last second.

She played some unreleased songs as well as some that were on her EP, Sea Green, See Blue and full-length CD, Autumn Fallin'. The show was so good, in fact, that I bought myself a second copy of her CD. Yes, she's that good.

In addition to the wonders of her music, Jaymay seemed to be an incredibly down-to-earth and friendly person. She made personable small-talk between her songs and graciously signed copies of her album after the show. Jaymay even was kind enough to take some pictures with fans, including myself (I couldn't resist).
All day today I couldn't get Jaymay's songs out of my head, first of all because I listened to her CD over and over again whilst I sat in traffic, and second of all because I fell in love with a Youtube performance of the tune, One May Die So Lonely.

Jaymay has a Youtube account, jaymaymusic, where she uploads videos of her performing and interviews. They're quite fun to watch.

Anyway, the Youtube performance I'm referring to isn't actually from Jaymay's account, but it's on Youtube and features Jaymay nonetheless. The performance was recorded in Chicago for Fearless Radio.

I invite you to watch. Curl up with a cup of coffee, open your ears, and relax.

kate nash at the troubadour

Last night, the wonderful Kate Nash played for a sold out show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. It was her first time in Los Angeles, and I hope she enjoyed it enough to come back quite soon!

Kate's performance was undoubtedly spectacular. At first she seemed rather reserved, or perhaps a bit nervous, but as the show progressed, she really got into it. Kate would bounce on her piano seat and pound the keys ferociously during the dramatic parts of her songs, like Skeleton Song, Merry Happy, and Mariella. It was all quite impressive.Mostly Kate sang and played on her keys, but pulled out an acoustic guitar for Birds, Nicest Thing, and Dickhead. It was nice to see her emerge from behind the red curtain of her piano. A showgoer complimented her on her darling shoes, and Kate agreed that she loved them too. Such a lovely Brit! The show seemed to pass quickly, but that may be a result of several factors. First of all, I waited around for quite a many hours, and the hour-long performance may have seemed short in comparison. Secondly, the songs seemed a little more upbeat and faster than on the CD. And finally, I know I was having a brilliant time and as you already know, time flies when you're having fun.
Kate and her band, after leaving the stage following Merry Happy, came out to do an encore performance of Little Red and Pumpkin Soup. The crowd went wild as Kate ended the show with a fierce smashing of her hands against the keys for a good couple of minutes. She seemed to draw some entertainment from it.
As she waved goodbye and tossed a guitar pick out to the audience, her watch accidentally flew off of her wrist. Kate commented that she did not mean to do that and the showgoers kindly returned it to her.

Following the show as the crowd dispersed, I saw some of my former Geffen supervisors and said hello. It was nice seeing them again. I hope to keep in touch.

I also spotted the infamous Perez Hilton walking about. He met with Kate after the show and shortly thereafter posted a blog about her show.
Simply, Kate Nash is quite brilliant. Her songs are addictive. Her live performance is energizing. And her demeanor and accent are darling (just look at that reserved and satisfied smile.) Basically, her music makes me smile. Thank you, Kate Nash.
You can find the rest of my pictures here:

kate nash

I have to add Kate Nash to my top favorite musicians, which now makes four. I first heard about Kate last fall because her name just kept coming up on my Last FM account and then her song, Merry Happy, played on Grey's Anatomy. I immediately fell in love.

Kate's music is brilliant fun. Her album, Made of Bricks, which just came out today, makes me want to have a dance party or a giant sing along/clap session in my car. Her music is just a great feel-good album and quite addictive. I'd have to say she reminds me of a nice mix of Regina Spektor and Lily Allen, who in fact paved the way to Kate's discovery.

Kate apparently broke her foot when she fell down a flight of stairs and became housebound. She then decided to focus on her songwriting and start a career in music. After uploading her music to Myspace, Lily Allen placed Kate in her "top 8." Since then, her music has exploded over the UK. Thank goodness for that broken foot.

While in Vancouver this weekend (pictures to come, I promise!) my friend and I continously had Kate's songs stuck in our head as we bobbed about town. I couldn't wait to buy her album when it came out in the US, so I made my way to the nearest HMV to buy it there. We listened to it the entire weekend.

Kate's music videos are just so loveable. I especially love Foundations and Mouthwash.



I'll be catching Kate next Monday at her sold-out Troubadour show. I'll give a full review with loads of pictures!

ingrid michaelson

I have to thank Grey's Anatomy (yes, I love that show) for introducing me to so many new artists. They have this awesome music guide that recaps the songs from each episode.

One of the many artists that show has made me fall in love with is Ingrid Michaelson. She has this extremely smooth and buttery voice.

And you've probably heard her song, The Way I Am, in an Old Navy commercial about sweaters.



Ingrid will play a show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood on January 24. I think I may just have to go!