[ MAY 6 - MAY 12 ’09 ]
music report | B Y
with myself, sometimes to a fault. I’m really outgoing and I’m a little scattered.” Chances are that Donnelly won’t be scattered at all when she showcases material from the new record at the Roxy May 29. We Had a Thing drops a few days later on June 2.
KEVIN WIERZBICKI
LeToya’s Lady Love
partner in the fusion rock band OHM, The new album from former have joined forces with jam band Destiny’s Child singer masters Jake Cinnger, Joel LeToya will be called Lady Cummins and Kris Myer Love. LeToya earned a of Umphrey’s McGee to platinum certification with form a new band cleverly her 2006 self-titled debut, called Ohmphrey. and Lady Love will Magna Carta will be probably garner more releasing the band’s selfprecious metal as the titled debut May 19, and if album’s first single “Not you wonder what the Anymore”is already racing collaboration might sound up the charts. like you can preview the The song, written and entire album at the co-produced by Ne-Yo, Ohmphrey MySpace page. reaches out to female If you really like what you listeners in particular – it’s hear then you’ll want to about being tired of LeToya releases check out Ohmphrey in straying boyfriends. The Lady Love June 23. person when they open for new album is just one of the North Indiana All Stars the projects that LeToya’s been working at the Roxy May 14. on lately; she owns and operates two upscale women’s boutiques in Houston Lisa Donnelly: called Lady Elle, she’ll be co-starring in We Had a Thing the film The Preacher’s Kid releasing this She’s not in Kansas anymore! summer and she’s also about to begin Actually Lisa Donnelly hasn’t lived in pre-production on a comedy for her native Sunflower State for quite Lionsgate Films. some time. You might remember the Lady Love drops through Capitol L.A.-based pop singer from her time June 23. fronting A.M. Pacific, but now she’s about to release her debut as a solo artist, We Had a Thing. OHM + Umphrey’s When asked to describe herself in McGee = Ohmphrey three words, Donnelly says “Oh! My! Former Megadeth guitarist Chris God!” but then adds, “I’m comfortable Poland and Robertino Pagliari, his
Christy Hemme is a rocker. Former WWE diva Christy Hemme has reinvented herself as a rock musician. Hemme has been on the cover of Playboy and is currently a TNA knockout on Spike TV, but her current focus is on her just-released debut EP entitled Where Are You. The singer has spent the better part of this year trying to heal up after discovering that she had two herniated disks in her neck, and it’s only fitting that the first single from her band (simply called “Hemme”) is called
staff pick The Library Foundation of Los Angeles presents:
Steve Martin’s Big Bad Banjo and a Conversation with Dave Barry May 11 @ Club Nokia Steve Martin: A real square, charming and ageless, lacking irony
frequency | essential concerts | B Y May 6 @ Chain Reaction May 7 @ Troubadour There’s something about the Virginia natives of Mae that’s infectiously likeable. I can’t quite place what it is exactly, they just seem like such nice dudes. They’re just so catchy, without having to venture into the trite and clichéd synth-y power-pop territory that some of their peers have opted to with varying degrees of (un)success. Emotive while still being simple and understated, the threesome somehow manage to pack a lot of feeling into a bare minimum of actual sound and just as impressively manage to put on an engaging live show with it as well. Oh, and 100 percent of the proceeds from the band’s latest batch of downloadable songs goes straight
Summer of Hate is currently available.
Matthew Barber
Van Morrison
Keane May 9 @ The Palladium May 10 @ The Grove of Anaheim There are precious few bands
folk troubadours of today. Ghost Notes is characterized in one word: simplicity. This is not to say the songs aren’t bursting with emotion, though. From the plaintive “Easily Bruised” to the upbeat piano-driven “I’m Gonna Settle My Accounts with You,” Barber’s soulful lyrics and soothing voice grab you by the
Luaka Bop’s Twenty First Year Luaka Bop is finally old enough to drink. The imprint, founded by former Talking Heads honcho David Byrne, has turned 21 years old and is celebrating with the May 26 release of a compilation CD called Twenty First Century, Twenty First Year. The comp boasts 15 cuts that were issued over the past couple of decades by artists like Shuggie Otis, Jorge Ben, Os Mutantes, Tom Ze, Jim White, Susana Baca and of course, David Byrne. The variety of sounds featured on Luaka Bop recordings is so disparate that the label figures they reinvent themselves with every single release, and Byrne humorously says that the label’s staff is “just as confused as you are.”
whether at 30 or 60. So it should come as no surprise that he’s actually quite a swell banjo player, and on this night, he’ll be backed by the Steep Canyon Rangers for some selections from his bluegrass album, The Crow: New Songs for the FiveString Banjo, of which he gave a taste on “SNL” a few months back. What makes Martin even easier to love? The show’s a benefit for the L.A. Public Library. —China Bialos
Keane are awe-inspiring live.
who can write songs entirely void of shredding of any sort whom I’ll willingly get behind, but somehow Keane just does it for me. I mean, I
heartstrings and won’t let go. Grade: A —Yuri Shimoda Ghost Notes is currently available.
Nomo Invisible Cities (Ubiquity) Nomo’s sublime counterpart to
music an already unique band. Known for their electric kalimba side business, Nomo utilized their homemade instruments to play a predominant role throughout the entire nine-song listen. Although both albums were recorded at roughly the same time, they are two different beasts. Each album seems to build an empire of soul that the band thrives on. “Waiting” is perhaps the finest song produced out of the joint venture of both albums. Not far behind is the title track and “Patterns.” Invisible Cities offers nine reasons why Nomo pushes the envelope of genre classification: They’re just too damn good for any label. Grade: A+ —Richard Castañeda Invisible Cities is currently available.
Sinem Saniye guess what pianists Tom Chaplin and Tim RiceOxley do when they get behind the keys really is the classical equivalent of the thrashiest of guitar solos … so technically this isn’t a breaking of my standards at all. With Chaplin taking a cue from Brandon Flowers in his vocal style for the band’s latest work, the Sussex trio has breathed some new coolness into their already emotive and artfully arranged music. Regardless of style, however, Chaplin’s impressive vocal range is nothing short of aweinspiring when heard live, so get thee to a Ticketmaster already.
last year’s Ghost Rock features a more robust rhythm section that has a jazzier, organic feel to it than Ghost Rock’s electronica vibe. Recorded over the last year, Invisible Cities picks up where the last album left off and adds personality to CONTINUED
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Ghost Notes (Outside Music) This latest album from the Junonominated singer-songwriter from Toronto cements a place for him on the short list of great, country-inspired
to charity. Charity. What good deed have you done today?
May 8, & 9 @ The Orpheum It’s not often I put artists in Frequency whom I know my parents are familiar with, let alone approve of themselves, but I’m willing to take a break from the usual skinny-jeaned, asymmetrically-coiffed hipsters, scenesters and punks for a little Van Morrison support. The dude’s been making iconic music since the ’60s, music that’s stood the test of time, and he’s still rockin’ it on the road at 63 years old. That’s rock ’n’ roll if ever there was.
“Don’t Give Up.” You can hear the single and send get-well wishes to Christy at myspace.com/hemmepowered.
B R I E N O V E R LY
Alex Lake
Mae
Campus Circle | 17
When I Don’t Sleep... (6/8) The worlds of culture and pop music collide on Sinem Saniye’s debut album, When I Don’t Sleep. Demonstrating a mature, well-developed degree of artistry, the New York-based Saniye is unique, captivating and present. Saniye’s artistic relevance is fueled by the ingenious blends of jazz, bossa nova, Latin and Middle-Eastern tastes that could be enjoyed by diverse music listeners of all preferences. And though she may still be a fresh face on the music scene, the songstress is able to engulf herself completely in her music, revealing engaging lyrics about youth tribulations, the experiences of growing up and personal joys of being in love. Her single and the album’s standout track “Are We In Love” remarks Saniye’s quiet confidence, one that is pleasant yet entirely attention-grabbing. If the album’s title has anything to do with her creative process, a blessed case of insomnia just might be the secret to Saniye’s success. Grade: A —Christopher Agutos When I Don’t Sleep.. is currently available.