Kurt Vile and the Violators @ The Troubadour in LA, 7/29/11

What can I say... I'm completely smitten with Kurt Vile. From what I have heard about his live performances from friends and blogs, my expectations were set pretty high for this show. And let me just tell you, he did not disappoint. Completely unassuming in an Orangina t-shirt and unkempt mop of hair, Kurt came on stage with his band, smiled at the crowd, and began to play as though he was sitting around a fireplace with a bunch of friends. Though not much for words and loveably awkward, his voice and the heartwarming simplicity of his music were enough to physically make me feel lighter as I listened to "Ghost Town," "Jesus Fever," and "On Tour" with my eyes closed and a massive grin on my face. The best, in my opinion, was "Peeping Tomboy".... a soul-crushingly good live performance. Vile's 4th and newest studio album, Smoke Ring for my Halo, is arguably the best album of the year of his genre, albeit a genre I can't describe accurately enough to do it justice. If you're into folk and/or psych rock, he's your man... he has something so completely inimitable about him and I just can't say enough about his music. Watch the music video for "Jesus Fever" below:

Ida Maria w/ Chasing Kings @ The Roxy Theater in LA, 06/30/11

Seeing Ida Maria performs songs off of her sophomore album, Katla, has been one of my most prioritized goals of the year so far, and thank god it was finally fulfilled last Thursday at the famous Roxy on Sunset. Local band Chasing Kings opened for her, who aside from being the most attractive band I have seen in a long time, were absolutely incredible and played some pretty impressive material off their latest EP,The Current State of our Future, among other songs. If you're into bands like Local Natives, Dr. Dog, etc. definitely check them out.
Onto the piece de resistance. Ida, decced out in a flapper-y red fringe dress and what she calls her "rock boots," pranced onstage with both a cool confidence and palpable sense of excitement to perform for a packed room of devout Los Angeles fans. The Norwegian songstress played a satisfying combination of old and new, mixing new favorites like "Cherry Red" and "I Eat Boys Like You For Breakfast" with the original songs that made me fall in love with her, songs like "Queen of the World" and "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked." Her performance was also a rollercoaster of emotions; one minute, she was touching the hearts of the audience members with "Keep Me Warm" and then, minutes later, was screaming into the microphone, pouring water over her head, and writhing on the floor singing her most famous, "Oh My God." I couldn't quite tell if she was drunk or just naturally a little bit insane, but either way I was into it. Especially after this show, I hold firm to my belief that she will stand as one of the most genuine and talented acts of her generation. Though her newest album hasn't gotten the hype I think it deserves, I am almost completely certain that will change in the upcoming months. If you haven't yet listened to Katla, get on it. You won't be let down.