Tag: LA
The Show on the Road – Pokey LaFarge
This week, we bring you an in-depth dive with vintage roots-n-soul excavator and beloved Illinois-born songwriter Pokey LaFarge. With his trusty guitar on his lap during the talk, taped in his LA breakfast nook, we go through the making of his funky and cheerful new LP, In the Blossom of Their Shade.
Powered by RedCircle
For the last decade and change, Pokey LaFarge (born Andrew Heissler in Bloomington-Normal) has crisscrossed the globe making his own brand of historic-minded, literary-tinged folk blues. Europe, especially, has become a second home. From his fashion sense, to his high-cutting delivery, LaFarge seems like he could have stepped out of a road show with Hank Williams and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and yet, rock luminaries like Jack White saw something deeper than just a player of old-time covers.
Out on his own from a young age, Pokey began busking to get by and soon teamed up with the South City Three to create his first run of albums in 2009. Opening for White got LaFarge in front of huge crowds, and standout records like the danceable Something In The Water (2015) and the darker Rock Bottom Rhapsody (2020) saw him transition from front-porch country folk to muscular jangly rock-n-soul.
If there are a few things that helped the new release In The Blossom of Their Shade come to be, they may have been falling in love again, rediscovering his faith in a higher power, and taking plenty of power naps during his songwriting sessions. During the pandemic, Pokey also began helping the local homeless community in LA.
Stick around to hear an exclusive acoustic performance of his single, “Get It ’Fore It’s Gone.”
Photo credit: Eliot Lee Hazel
MIXTAPE: Ben Reddell’s Stars of the Grand Ole Echo
Heya! I’m Ben Reddell, GM of Bedrock LA, and curator of the Grand Ole Echo. What a year, am I right? 2020 had the music world completely shut down, which saddened me to no end. Through the power of computers I was able to remotely finish my EP, LA Baby! And live music is possible soon? Don’t tempt me with a good time! With that being a possibility, this month has found me taking out the ole Rolodex and seeing what all my LA pals have been making in this trying time, this new normal, on this road to recovery. (Don’t hit me!)
If you’re new to Grand Ole Echo, it’s the swinging Los Angeles country and roots show here in beautiful Echo Park on Sunday afternoons. As you will see proven by this playlist, I curate the GOE with a very eclectic mix of roots music. We love our traditional country here in Echo Park, but we also like to let our freak flag fly with the hippie-dippie, pot-smoking types as well. Hopefully all of these folks will be playing live on my stages again, and when they do, I hope to cut a rug with you. Here’s a playlist of some of those folks. — Ben Reddell
Tony Hannah – “My Old Car”
Tony is kinda new to my attention. She was booked for 2020 GOE, but you know. Anyway she is super fun, and this track is pure LA bliss, Beach Boys, ’80s country punk. A little bit of everything.
Mara Connor – “Blues Runs the Game”
My pal Mara Connor made an awesome EP this year of some beautiful tunes. My favorite on this one is her cover of Jackson C. Franks’ “Blues Runs The Game.” The whole EP is like you’re floating on a cloud, it’s simply divine.
Sam Morrow – “Getting by on Getting Down”
I can’t wait to see all of these bands live again. But boy howdy am I ready to have my face melted with some loud, guitar-driven music. And boy does Sam Morrow deliver that here with this tune. The whole record really cooks.
Joe Bourdet – “Unwritten Story”
My pal Joe Bourdet really delivered a beautiful country-rocker opus with his EP Meadow Rock. This is the perfect summer song to sit on the porch and feel the wind caress your face. And that’s not hyperbole!
Sie Sie Benhoff – “Night Train”
My pal Sie Sie released this country cooker, “Night Train.” The song is so sweet and so tough at the same time — emblematic of what I love about Sie Sie. She the nicest gal you’re ever gonna meet, but she could also probably chew on nails.
Victoria Bailey – “Skid Row”
My buddy Victoria made an amazing record last year despite it all. The whole thing has awesome honky-tonk energy and she sings it with some great power. “Skid Row” is like an Asleep at the Wheel-style number that really makes you wanna dance.
Eric Roebuck – “Need a Change”
My buddy Eric put out the single “Need a Change” this year and it’s a mean, heady, ’70s rock jam. Really great guitar playing by Eric on this one. Eric’s previous band, Professor Colombo, was one of my favorites. But I just know this kid is on to something and I expect some sick stuff coming from him in the future.
Katie Jo – “I Don’t Know Where Your Heart’s Been”
My pal Katie Jo is a real sensation. She put out this single this year and I simply love the Patsy Cline vibes. Katie’s got an amazing voice and live she’s a showstopper.
Trevor Beld Jimenez – “Get Ready to Fly”
My pal Trevor put out his solo record, I Like It Here, last year and it’s simply divine. My favorite tune is “Get Ready to Fly.” It’s just so sweet and happy, much like Trevor.
Pacific Range – “Studio Walk”
My friends Pacific Range put out their amazing album High up the Mountain. These dudes were one of my favorite bands to book on the porch at GOE when they were first starting out. They just would electrify the air when they were out there.
Mail Order Cowgirls – “Brand New Start”
I’ve was made aware of this band through my co-worker Meg at Bedrock. I’ve seen them show up to the studio in western regalia a few times, but I’ve never met them. Anyway I think they are cool as shit. They had a self-titled EP come out this year which is great. Hoping to get them on a GOE soon.
Los Bolos – “Why Get Sober”
This year Los Bolos put out The Best of the Greatest Hits and it was really hard not to crack open an afternoon beer when I put it on for the first time. Sure I was in lockdown, but there was a real good party going on in my head.
Photo credit: Chris Phelps
WATCH: Sonja Midtune, “Los Angeles”
Artist: Sonja Midtune
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Los Angeles”
Album: Dreams Melt Away (EP)
Release Date: April 2, 2021
In Their Words: “‘Los Angeles’ is a song with multiple meanings. What starts as a love song quickly turns into an analogy about the relationship; pretty on the surface, but messy underneath, just like Los Angeles. It asks the question, ‘Are WE Los Angeles?’ and ends with me accepting L.A. as my home, but wow, I am lost here. The music video was shot by my boyfriend at all of my favorite unique L.A. spots that I’ve discovered through the years. He loves the song. 🙂 We had a blast!” — Sonja Midtune
Photo credit: Michelle Lanning
8 of Our Favorite Underrated Sitch Sessions
Since our first excursion to Bonnaroo in 2013 BGS has been filming, crafting, and releasing Sitch Sessions with the absolute best and brightest musicians and artists in roots music. We’ve been so fortunate to work with new and old friends, freshly discovered and up-and-coming artists, and legendary performers with enormous legacies. After nearly eight years, we’ve amassed quite an archive of sessions, and within that archive more than a few stellar songs and performances have seemingly fallen to the wayside.
These 8 Sitch Sessions from the BGS archives are a few of our most favorite, underrated moments from our years of shooting sessions. We hope you’ll enjoy a few of these “reruns” — and take a deep dive into our past featured videos yourself!
Nathan Bowles – “Burnt Ends Rag”
Andrew Combs – “Firestarter”
Alice Gerrard – “Maybe This Time”
With a new documentary film available, You Gave Me a Song, perhaps it’s about time for another session with this hero of ours!
Ben Sollee – “Pretend”
We’re firm believers that the world needs more bluegrass, old-time, and Americana cello and we’re happy to return to this archived Sitch Session for that reminder!
Caroline Spence – “Mint Condition”
Laura Veirs – “July Flame”
In 2016, after this session was published, Veirs went on to release case/lang/veirs with Neko Case and k.d. lang. Remember that!?
Kelsey Waldon – “Powderfinger”
Sunny War – “He Is My Cell”
War recently appeared as a guest on our Shout & Shine series – read our interview here.
BGS 5+5: Madison Cunningham
Artist: Madison Cunningham
Hometown: Orange County, Califoria
Album: Wednesday EP
“I challenged myself at the beginning of last year to learn and post a cover song every week as a way to stay inspired both in writing and performing. What started as a fun prompt cracked something open in me and stayed for good, freeing me up in the areas I tend to be too cautious in. After weeks and weeks of this, I decided to release four of these songs as an EP of interpretations, in hopes that they would bring comfort to people in the same way they for did me during this painful year.” — Madison Cunningham
Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?
It’s hard to give credit to only one as so many artists helped me along in different phases of my life. But if there’s one artist that encompasses all forms of my deepest interests, which is singing, playing, and writing, it has to be Joni Mitchell. She taught me how to sing and how to be a free thinker. Her music cracked me open as a young shy writer.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
I was in Aspen, Colorado, last year opening for Amos Lee. I’m not quite sure if it was the elevation or the drunk audience, but it holds the record for being one of the most comfortable and freeing shows that I’ve played to date. For me, if there’s one small accident or interruption during the tuning portion of a performance, it makes me feel right at home. The conversation is the fun of it and makes the music feel invincible. Without it, I feel like I opened the door to the wrong apartment.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
I think the only answer to this question is to eat some sort of red pasta with red wine, while sitting across from Joni Mitchell underneath a New York veranda. Ideally at sunset. But the truth is, I’d jump at any chance, at any hour, to have such a meal.
What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?
Probably when writing “Something to Believe In.” It’s quite possibly my favorite song that I’ve written, but cost me most of my hair. I sat on the chorus, and verses one and two, for about six months. And on the day I decided to finish it, I was pounding my fist against the floor and standing on my head trying to come up with verse three. Even after I finished it, I wasn’t convinced this song was for me to sing. So I gave it to a friend and then ended up recording it myself later.
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?
I think every character is some three-dimensional form of myself. The only way you can write sincerely about someone is by relating to them, and you really only have your own experience to go by. Writing from a character’s perspective also gives you a kind of bravery to write about yourself, freeing you up to say things you’d normally feel was too forward. It’s an “I’m only the messenger” sort of a thing.
Photo credit: Claire Vogel
WATCH: Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes Performs at the Autry Museum in L.A.
In an effort to support the visual and musical arts, especially during a time when we can’t visit museums or concert venues, The Autry Museum of the American West is presenting a music video series featuring intimate, acoustic performances by some of L.A.’s best musical artists, all filmed live on location. The Autry will be unveiling a new performance every two weeks.
The Autry Presents: The Best of Los Angeles, produced by Gia Hughes and filmed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Austin Straub, will feature 20+ minute sets by Los Angeles-based artists Taylor Goldsmith, Gaby Moreno, Aubrie Sellers and Chris Pierce. The musicians will perform alongside artwork and objects on display at The Autry including Bridges by James Doolin, War Music II by Mateo Romero, and a Concord Mail Stage Coach made by Lewis Downing.
Hughes tells BGS, “We’re excited that the first video in the series features the prolific songwriter Taylor Goldsmith, of LA’s hometown heroes Dawes. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen them in countless live settings over the years, and getting to share this particular performance with Taylor is just as special. You feel like you’re in the room with him and get to hear just how unique and special his songwriting is.”
Avi Kaplan Comes Full Circle to Folk Roots on Solo EP, ‘I’ll Get By’
Growing up near the Sequoia forests of Northern California, Avi Kaplan gravitated toward the low-key albums by John Denver, Bill Withers, and Simon & Garfunkel in his parents’ CD collection. But in time, the term “low-key” took on a whole new meaning as his baritone voice dropped dramatically upon starting high school. Suddenly possessing a clear, thundering bass range, Kaplan discovered a newfound confidence and rare vocal ability that ultimately led him away from the dream of becoming a choral director to joining the a cappella group Pentatonix.
After six years as a member of that Grammy Award-winning group, Kaplan parted ways with Pentatonix in 2017 and essentially went off the grid for a year. Now living in a cabin in the woods outside of Nashville, he is ready to reconnect to his roots — as he did on his new album, I’ll Get By. With a speaking voice that’s as resonant as you’d expect, Kaplan caught up with BGS by phone.
BGS: I’ve read that you had an early interest in folk music, so I was curious to know if you’d consider this is a full-circle moment, coming back to the music that you grew up loving?
AK: Oh yeah, absolutely. I grew up listening to it and it’s always the music that I’ve listened to throughout my life. And it’s always the music that I’ve written as well. I had a departure when I went and did the Pentatonix thing, but it definitely is a full-circle thing. It’s really surreal for me.
You released “Change on the Rise” about a year ago and it sent you on the path to this record. Why did you choose that song to usher in this stage of your career?
In the past I’ve written a lot of songs that are softer and maybe on the prettier side. A little fire, a little less power, and more about the soft, serene beauty of folk music. I really wanted to come back with something that just had a little more fire in it, because it was really reflective of where I was in my life. I felt like I really got my fire back. I didn’t want to come back with something people had already heard from me. Even then, people hadn’t heard much from me in general, when it came to a solo voice, or my voice out of its lower register. So I wanted to come back strong.
What was on your mind when you wrote “I’ll Get By”? That seems like an anthem of this record.
Thanks, man. Whenever I write a song, I don’t listen to it for a while. Then I come back and listen to it again so I can hear it on fresh ears, without the critical ear. When you’re in the writing situation, you’re criticizing everything you’re doing, so I had to get myself out of that. And when I listened to it again, I got emotional. It was something that really felt special to me. It felt really strong to me. It felt like it was conveying exactly what I was going through at that time, and hopefully something that would help other people get through the same type of thing.
On another song, “Chains,” there’s a lyrical reference to needing peace, and phrases similar to that. Were you needing peace and quiet to keep on going?
Oh yeah, absolutely. I was living in L.A. for about seven years and I’m just not a city guy in general. But when I wasn’t in L.A., I was touring non-stop. I was always going, so I really feel like I lost myself and I lost touch with the things that I loved the most – hanging out with my family, being in nature, all that stuff. … It was about a year after I left the group that I really started delving into writing. I wanted to do some healing first, but even through that, I was still healing just from a lot of stuff I was going through. So yeah, absolutely I was in that spot.
What did that healing process look like for you? What were you doing that year?
Well, I left the group and I just took some time to do the time to do the things that I’ve been longing to do. So I camped a bunch. I moved out of L.A. and moved into a cabin in Tennessee. But before that, I went back out to the Sequoias, where I’m from, and did a camping trip there. I did a lot of time in the Eastern Sierras and the Mojave Desert, and up in the mountain lakes.
I also went to Holland. I went to Germany and did a bunch of nature stuff. Then I went to Israel and I went hiking out there as well. So, I kind of went all over and just got away from everything as much as I possibly could. I just sought out to heal and find myself again, and just do work on myself. It was really important at that time. It was something that I needed more than I even knew.
Why did Tennessee become the place you ultimately settled?
I knew that I wanted to do music still. And really Nashville is the only music city where you can drive like 15 minutes outside the city and be in the country. And that’s where I wanted to be. That was a huge reason and also my sister lives out here. Also, with the music that I’m doing, I would say it’s more of a hub than I would say L.A. or New York anyway.
So, all signs pointed that way. I never had a doubt in my mind either. It was like, “OK, now it’s time for me to move out to Tennessee. I need to get a cabin out there and be in the forest.” It was all very clear to me what I needed to do. I didn’t exactly know how I was going to get into a place where I was good again, but I knew that’s where I needed to go to do it.
You mentioned earlier that you’re singing in a different part of your range on this record. But not a lot of people can sing as low as you. When did you realize you can do something that very few people can do?
It was my freshman year of high school. I joined the choir when I was in eighth grade but I was a baritone back then. And over that summer between eighth grade and freshman year, my voice changed big time. So I remember coming to the choir room and my choral director was extremely excited to hear my voice because it’s hard to find basses and that’s very much needed in choir. So he was a huge inspiration for me and a huge advocate for me. He helped me realize how different it was and how I could utilize it. I owe a lot to him, definitely.
It sounds like music education in your school is a cornerstone of your development.
That’s huge for me. Now I run a summer camp for high schoolers based around harmony and a cappella, music, songwriting, and all that, because that was such a huge inspiration to me. It changed the course of my whole life. It’s always been something that’s been important for me. Before I joined the group I was on track to be a choral director. I was also studying opera, but being a choral director was the dream, just because it had such an impact on me.
Was country music an influence for you growing up?
I didn’t listen to actual country, like Garth Brooks and that type of thing, but I loved bluegrass. I loved John Denver. Bluegrass is more of what I listened to when I was younger. And the Sons of the Pioneers, old-school country. There was actually a band in my hometown that was very similar to them called that Sons of the San Joaquin that I listened to a lot.
What was your entrance point into bluegrass?
I really started delving into it when I was a bit older. What’s funny is that I got on the Bluegrass Situation’s YouTube channel and I just went down a rabbit hole. I was blown away by some of the newgrass that was going on, and by some of the old-school. I think one of my favorite videos that you did was the one of Tim O’Brien. That blew me away. I love it so much! I would watch it all the time.
Then I started getting into Hot Rize, and an album with Tim O’Brien with Darrell Scott, and then I got into Elephant Revival, then Mandolin Orange, and I kept going down and down and down. I really delved into it and fell in love with it even more because it felt like my roots. I had grown up with that kind of thing, but I had gotten into more of the contemporary modern folk with Iron & Wine and Bon Iver.
I’m a huge fan of bluegrass and I tell people all the time that bluegrass musicians are world-class musicians. They are truly virtuosic. So unbelievably talented. It’s amazing to hear music that I love with such virtuosic musicians. That is something that is always very inspiring to me – a musician’s musician, someone who is really amazing at their craft. And that is definitely what bluegrass is about.
I wanted to ask about auditioning people for your band. What are you looking for when you pick a band?
I’m always looking for vocals. Harmonies. That’s the most important thing to me. Especially with my music, it’s not the toughest stuff to do, instrumentally speaking. With this album, the drums are actually more complex than I thought they were going to be, but at the end of the day, it’s nothing crazy. The harmonies are really where I’m looking for the strength. Yeah, that’s it – harmonies, 100 percent, all the way.
Photo credit: Bree Marie Fish
GIVEAWAY: Win tickets to Mt. Joy @ the Wiltern (LA) 11/8
The Shift List – Jonathan Whitener (Here’s Looking At You) – Los Angeles
This week on the Shift List, Jonathan Whitener — chef and co-owner of Here’s Looking At You in Los Angeles’s Koreatown. Similar to his cooking, Jonathan’s musical tastes are a reflection of his family and surrounding environment. Outlaw country from his father, ’80s metal from his brothers, and a love for Glenn Danzig that continues to this day.
LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • STITCHER • MP3
Since it opened in 2016, Here’s Looking at You has appeared on almost every ‘best of’ restaurant list around LA — and that’s due to a number of factors: Co-owner Lien Ta’s laser focus on service and comforting hospitality; top-notch tiki-adjacent bar service; the evolving playlists blending old school hip-hop and post-punk; but it’s anchored by Whitener’s anything goes approach to cooking.
Whitener grew up in Huntington Beach, CA the son of a Mexican mother and a German father. Growing up near Orange County’s thriving Vietnamese and Japanese communities, he pulls all of these influences into his “SoCal tapas-style” menu with standout dishes like the shishito peppers accompanied with an tonnato sauce — the Italian answer to hummus — sprinkled with Huamei, a preserved Chinese plum. Or for another example, frogs legs seasoned like Nashville hot chicken with a salsa negra, scallion, and lime.
Whitener cut his teeth for three years as the chef de cuisine for Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s restaurant Animal in Los Angeles before opening Here’s Looking At You with Lien Ta, who he met while she was serving as front-of-house manager at Animal.
Jonathan Whitener’s Shift List
Buzzcocks – “What Do I Get?”
Waylon Jennings – “I’m A Ramblin’ Man”
Waylon Jennings – “Rainy Day Women”
Danzig – “Am I A Demon”
Metallica – “Ride The Lightning”
Nick Waterhouse (Feat. Leon Bridges) – “Katchi”
Tupac (Feat. Syke) – “All Eyes On Me”