Remember when MTV was a music channel and actually played music videos and music-oriented shows?  When they abandoned music programming, there was still MTV2 to fall back on – until they went the same route.

Now there’s Palladia – an HD cable channel dedicated to music programming from MTV, VH-1 and CMT.  Their tag line is Epic.Awesome.Music.  A pretty bold statement, but it holds up.  The eclectic channel plays everything from Pink to Sara Bareilles to Faith Hill.

A closer look at their schedule shows that they are a godsend for music lovers.  Aside from music videos, programming includes Rihanna: Nokia Live from Brixton; Pink: Funhouse Tour – Live in Australia; Amy Winehouse: Live From London; Glastonbury 2009; Sara Bareilles: Live at The Fillmore; Summerfest: Sara Evens; Unplugged: Paramore; Soundstage: Alanis Morissette and much, much more.

Epic? Yes.  Awesome? Yes. Music? Yes!  Let’s hope it stays that way because they’ve got a good thing going…

Try it before you buy it!  Visit KCRW to listen to Inara George’s Accidental Experimental in full.  The album stream is available on demand until January 5, 2010.

Inara George, one half of the Bird and the Bee, recently released a new solo album, Accidental Experimental.

The 11-track, digital only release can be downloaded at iTunes, Amazon, or any other digital music store.  As of this writing, the album is $8.99 at Amazon and $10.89 on iTunes.

If you liked her solo debut, All Rise, chances are you’re going to like Accidental Experimental too.  Standout tracks include “Surprise,” “Bottlecaps” and “Can’t Say No.”

Visit her myspace page to preview some tracks in full.

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me

Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)

At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” won Video of the Year while Taylor Swift won Best Female Video with “You Belong With Me.”  Who’s video is really better?  We know what Kanye thinks, but who’s vidcap is better?  You be the judge.  Click the pics to see a large sized version.

Here are a few shots of Anya Marina, who opened up for Emiliana Torrini at the El Rey Theatre on August 19th. I’ve been playing her single “Move You” for a while, so it was a nice surprise to find out she was the opening act. Anya will be playing a couple of more Southern California shows (Hotel Cafe on August 26th and Street Scene 2009 on August 28th) before hitting the road in September. Visit http://www.myspace.com/anyamarina for tour dates. Read on to see more photos. Read the rest of this entry »

Emiliana Torrini played to a packed house at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, August 19, 2009.  For close to two hours, Emiliana and her band treated the captive audience to a wide variety of her catalog, including “Sunny Road,” “Jungle Drum,” “Me And Armini,” and “Heard It All Before” (not on the set list).  She was in a very jovial mood, perhaps because of the El Rey’s ambiance.  She admitted that it felt great to play at such a Presidential-looking venue (complete with a red velvet interior, chandeliers and a balcony area in the back).  The sound and lighting was equally impressive, making it her best L.A. performance to date. Read the rest of this entry »

Elly Jackson (La Roux) - Bulletproof

Vidcap from La Roux’s slick new video for “Bulletproof”. Click image for full-sized version.

Tina Dico will be returning to the States this Fall. Tour dates are below:

Sept 29 – Highline Ballroom, New York
Sept 30 – World Café, Philadelphia
Oct 1 – IOTA Café, Arlington (Washington DC)
Oct 2 – Schubas, Chicago
Oct 4 – Roxy, LA
Oct 6 – Café Du Nord, San Francisco
Oct 7 – Triple Door, Seattle

Last night, the Bird and the Bee (Inara George and Greg Kurstin) were in their natural habitat, as they played an outdoor show at Descanso Gardens in La Canada, CA. The show was open to all ages, so fans both young and old were on hand to view the Main Lawn performance.

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Australian artist, Butterfly Boucher has become a staple in Southern California since the release of her latest CD, Scary Fragile.  Aside from playing at Spaceland, House of Blues San Diego, and Sainte Rocke in Hermosa Beach, Butterfly is currently in the middle of a weekly residence at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, CA.  I was able to catch her show on Wednesday, June 17th.

Butterfly opened the show with her catchy single “Gun For A Tongue” and it didn’t take long for her to kick it in high gear. So high that she was forced to shed her black leather jacket in the middle of the show and later took a longer than usual pause to tune her guitar (which she admitted was only a cover for her to catch her breath, to the amusement of everyone). Mixed in with other songs from Scary Fragile, she didn’t forget to play “Another White Dash” and “I Can’t Make Me”, two hits from her debut CD, Flutterby.

Butterfly Boucher ends her June residency at Hotel Cafe with a show on June 24th and then travels north for shows in Portland and Seattle before circling back to San Francisco.  Check her website for tour details.

More pics from the show follow…

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