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2017 TWILIGHT CONCERT SERIES Schedule WEEK 1 6/22 NEO SOUL
KHALID Bibi Bourelly WEEK 2 6/29 INDIE POP
LEMAITRE Coast Modern WEEK 3 7/13 REGGAE
Summer fun begins with the Twilight Concert Series
MARCIA GRIFFITHS Jah9 WEEK 4
or much of Los Angeles, summer doesn’t begin until the music starts at the Santa Monica Pier with the annual Twilight Concert Series. The 2017 season continues the popular genre night format from years past. This year will feature Neo Soul, Indie Pop, Reggae, Rock, Dance, Americana, Latin and Indie Rock nights with at least two acts per night. With Expo, Breeze, expanded bus routes and of course the Ocean Front Walk path, officials are again encouraging music lovers to hit the beach without a car. “Our Pier is a special place - a historic landmark which provides sunsets, ocean breezes and affordable entertainment and dining for all incomes and is easily accessed by the Expo line and other mass transit, so visitors can avoid driving and the cost of parking,” said
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Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer. A strong line-up is expected to draw enthusiastic crowds throughout the eight week season and the city’s transit plans are in place to help everyone get where they need to be. "The City of Santa Monica welcomes you to enjoy the music," said City Manager Rick Cole. "Avoid driving and take advantage of the many convenient transit options, including Expo, Big Blue Bus, Metro and Breeze Bike Share. Have fun, be safe and GoSaMo!" The Twilight Concert Series is Southern California’s largest free concert series and will return for its 33rd annual season at the iconic Santa Monica Pier on June 22. The all-ages concert series, co-produced by the Santa Monica Pier Corp. & RH&S Concerts, continues to soundtrack
Thursday evenings in Southern California. The series goes through August 17 — with a hiatus on July 6 — and each concert will run from 7 – 10 p.m. The location is as much a draw for some as the music. “You know you have arrived in California when you see the iconic Ferris wheel,” said Misti Kerns, President/CEO of Santa Monica Travel and Tourism. “People from all over the world are welcomed to the SM Pier which offers diversity in not only the people and languages you will hear but the many memorable experiences it has to offer. Stunning views, a century of history, restaurants, shops and packed with family friendly activities add a perfect summer day, it doesn’t get much better than this, oh yes it does, just wait until the sunsets!”
7/20 ROCK
ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS Mr. Elevator / Rusty's EAC WEEK 5 7/27 DANCE
MIAMI HORROR Cleopold WEEK 6 8/3 AMERICANA
VALERIE JUNE IRMA THOMAS WEEK 7 8/10 LATIN
MON LAFERTE Buscabulla WEEK 8 8/17 INDIE ROCK
WARPAINT Wild Belle
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2017 Twilight Concert Series bios WEEK 1 6/22 NEO SOUL
KHALID Bibi Bourelly
KHALID Everything typically happens for the first time in high school. It’s the first moment behind the wheel, the first taste of freedom, and the first experience of love. Though not far removed from those days, 19-year-old El Paso, TX singer and songwriter Khalid revisits this seminal time on his full-length debut album, American Teen [Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records]. It reflects the spirit of classics such as The Breakfast Club and 90210 through a kaleidoscope of glitch-y soul-driven cinematic 21st century pop and his transient upbringing in a military family. “From beginning to end, it’s the story of your average teenager going through a typical day in high school,” he explains. “In this day and age, young people face a lot of hardships, whether they’re mental problems, relationship problems, or problems with simply facing reality. I wanted to address that in a language someone younger than me can relate to, but that can also translate to somebody a bit older. High school was the same situation every day, but with a slightly different story.” On the eve of his own graduation, Khalid created a bona fide hit in the form of the album’s breakout single “Location.” It generated over 26.5 million Spotify streams and 4 million YouTube views, received acclaim from Nylon, Pigeons & Planes, Earmilk, DJ Booth, and more, and figured prominently in Snapchat stories from Kylie Jenner, P. Diddy, and Rita Ora. As “Location” became a 21st century anthem, he landed a major label deal with Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records. Now, the album paints a modern picture of growing up in the age of Uber and Instagram. With its dreamy production and shimmering synths, the title track sums up the central theme. “It’s my own homecoming pre-graduation song,” he says. “It’s all about being an American teen. You get a visual of seeing your friends passed out in an Uber ride. You’re never going to experience your senior year of high school more than once—at least you shouldn’t,” he laughs. Elsewhere, the first song he ever wrote, “Saved,” pairs a guitar buzz with a simmering vocal performance, while “Young Dumb & Broke” encourages embracing that youthful freedom
BIBI BOURELLY
wholeheartedly embraced these heartfelt stories (and the kid with the weird hair and funny fashion sense behind them). Khalid finally felt at home surrounded by that love. Now, American Teen and his Location Tour sets the next chapter of this journey in motion. “With this album, I want to show everyone it’s okay to have emotions, it’s okay to be happy, and it’s okay to be sad,” he concludes. “I feel like a lot of people are afraid to open up, and the trend is to be very cold. I’m throwing everything I’ve ever been through on the table. I’m giving everyone my take on high school and life. I’m looking forward to how kickass 2017 is going to be. I’m very excited for the year, for music, building new experiences, making friends, and coming back to El Paso after everything happens. It’s going to be amazing.”
KHALID
in the face of suburban malaise. “Hopeless” represents his “musical interpretation of the color blue,” and “Coaster” transfixes with raw confessional emotion. A shuffle of handclaps and piano ignites “Let’s Go,” as he croons, “This is the start of something great. We might be a little late, but at least we’re on our way.” “This is the post-graduation track,” he explains. “I never imagined I’d be where I am. I thought I would become a music teacher. I couldn’t even dream I’d be an artist. It’s got this sense of manifestation, which I’m a strong believer in.” With Khalid's mom serving in the military, he spent most of his childhood moving from state-to-state and country-to-country. After living in Heidelberg, Germany for six years, his family moved to Fort Drum in Watertown, NY during his 8th grade school year. Throughout, mom proved to be a major musical influence on Khalid. She always sang around the house and played classics by Brandy, SWV, and
Destiny’s Child for her son. With his mother’s passion for music as a foundation, he built his own aesthetic cultivated by travel and cultural experiences. Along the way, he became a fan of artists such as Father John Misty, Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and The High Highs. This diverse musical taste fostered his distinct tone and youthful adventurousness to break traditional barriers. During his senior year of high school, he was forced to relocate yet again: this time to Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX. Khalid transformed one of the most depressing times of his life into gorgeous melodies and poetic lyrics inspired by all of the broken friendships fragmented from the nomadic reality of a military family. Settling wouldn’t be easy. However, out of all the places he’d resided, he overcame one of his biggest fears in El Paso and shared his feelings and personal experiences with complete strangers—not knowing how they would react—for the first time. Fortunately, his new friends and peers
Bibi Bourelly 21-year-old Bibi Bourelly is a singer and songwriter who introduced the world to her remarkable sound and undeniable spirit with her first two singles, "Ego" and "Riot.” Her sound is a balancing act of tough, wise worldliness and vulnerability that makes her a true force to be reckoned with. Bourelly was born in Berlin, to a guitar-player father and an art world powerhouse mother. Creativity, and most importantly music, were literally in her blood. Technical skill and knowledge is only one element of what it takes to be an artist, though, and Bourelly says that her sound would be nothing like it is today were it not for the death of her mother from cancer when Bourelly was just six years old. It is the push and pull of freedom and sadness, self-possession with just a hint of heartbreak, that makes Bourelly's toughness truly unique. It's that struggle that's so essential to everything Bibi Bourelly stands for. SEE BIOS PAGE 5
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LEMAITRE
BIOS FROM PAGE 4
WEEK 2 6/29 INDIE POP
LEMAITRE Coast Modern
LEMAITRE Since forming in 2010, Lemaitre have dreamed up a deeply melodic, lavishly textured brand of electronic pop by staying true to their core instincts. Over the course of seven EPs and singles like “Closer” — a 2016 hit that’s amassed over 39 million Spotify streams — the Oslobred duo have brought both genre-defying ingenuity and refined musicality to their groove-heavy sound. On the heels of their 2016 EP Afterglow, producer/songwriters Ulrik Denizou Lund and Ketil Jansen are now delivering a retrospective album showing the scope of their vision and depth of their artistry. Lemaitre’s first full-length release, Chapter One opens with the breezy, piano-driven pop of 2013’s “Cut to Black” and then journeys through their everevolving body of work. In compiling the album, Lund and Jansen settled on fairly straightforward criteria: they simply chose the tracks they love most. “It’s not a bestof and we don’t want it to be,” says Lund. “The goal was to put together a strong representation of what we sound like and what we’ve done so far. It’s called Chapter One because it’s looking forward — this is just the first step for us.” Among Chapter One’s selected songs: “Stepping Stone” feat. Mark Johns (a track whose “aggressively catchy groove…wrestles its way into rearranging the rhythm of your heartbeat,” according to Stereogum), “Playing to Lose” feat. Stanaj (praised by NPR as a “brooding R&B jam” that “capture[s] the highs and lows of intimacy”), and “We Got U” feat. The Knocks (hailed by Idolator as a “disco-infused, whistle-filled banger”). Chapter One also includes Lemaitre’s cinematic new single “Higher” feat. Maty Noyes, an instantly hypnotic track built on soulful piano, jagged synth lines, and a heavy bass riff that Lund describes as slightly blues-inspired. Previously featured on Kygo’s “Stay,” Noyes captures a dreamy desperation in her vocals, an element that intensifies the song’s irre-
sistibly moody atmosphere. “Originally this song was called ‘rachet beatz’ because it is rachet AF, and I like to make rachet beats on my PC computer. This one was more racheter than my other beats, so Maty was at the studio and said, ‘Yo lemme spit that fyre, cuz I also like rachet beats.’ Sometimes I like heavy metal, too. So at the end of the day, it’s just fire, and people want to get lit. This is us giving the people a lighter.” Ketil Jansen Taking their name from Georges Lemaître (a Belgian priest and astronomer known for introducing the Big Bang theory), Lemaitre put out The Friendly Sound EP at the end of 2010, and in early 2012 released the first EP in their Relativity series. With Relativity 2 arriving in May 2012 and reaching No. 1 on the iTunes Electronic chart in the U.S. and Canada, they quickly drew the attention of some of dance music’s biggest artists, including Martin Solveig and Porter Robinson (who brought Lemaitre out on tour in summer 2014). Also in 2014, soon after their song “1:18” was used as a sync in an ad for the Apple iPhone 5C, Lemaitre signed to Astralwerks and made the move to L.A. Over the past year, Lemaitre have earned critical acclaim for 1749 and Afterglow, two boundary-blurring EPs that find the duo exploring everything from electro-swing to nu-disco to future bass. At the same time, Lemaitre have widened their reach by adding to their impressive list of syncs: “Closer” was recently synched for a Google phone commercial and used by Bose in various retail displays, while “We Got U” appeared in the FIFA 2017 and “Higher” landed in an Apple Watch ad. In one of their favorite new endeavors, Lemaitre have begun streaming athome jam sessions on Instagram Live. For each session, assorted friends join Lund and Jansen in their living room and bang away on piano, drums, guitar, and SEE BIOS PAGE 6
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BIOS
into the future. Seattle-native Luke Atlas and LA-local Coleman Trapp met while working as Los Angeles-based songwriters, fellow rats in the race to land songs with mainstream pop artists. After more than two years of peddling some great, some terrible, and some very weird creations at the gates of the mainstream, they received little more than fleeting glances. Coleman escaped his over-saturated hometown for the mountainous serenity of Denver, CO. Without the pressure of writing-ondemand, he began messing around on a borrowed acoustic guitar and recording tossed-off ditties on an old cassette recorder. The pure, child-like enjoyment of writing only for himself led Coleman to a realization: maybe he'd overlooked a path that was right in front of him the whole time. Soon, warbly tape recordings began appearing in Luke's inbox. On a whim, Luke created a production around one of the acoustic demos and sent it back. Coleman was thrilled. Returning with renewed vigor and a rusted-out car hood after a Mile-High winter, Coleman quickly called a meeting with Luke. With their new musical experiments buzzing in their heads, the pair created a personal project based purely on the whims of their creative spark, wherever that led them.
FROM PAGE 5 bass. The only rule: no shirts allowed. “It’s mostly an excuse to get people together to play music, but it’s really cool to get requests and try to figure out how to play all these songs right in the moment,” says Jansen, noting that past covers have ranged from Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” to Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You.” “Sometimes it sounds pretty janky, but that’s part of the fun of it,” Jansen continues. “Playing music in that informal way is something we’d do regardless, so it’s really great to bring fans into it and have them participate in a way that wouldn’t usually happen.” Lemaitre have also spent much of the past year on the road, and toured throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia. With their live experience including unforgettably explosive sets at Coachella 2016, the duo constantly change up their show to specifically suit each audience and venue—sometimes appearing as a 10-piece act complete with a full horn section. “Having more musicians onstage definitely gives it more energy,” says Jansen. “It’s really important to us to bring in some of that live feel when we play, but still create a very electronic sound.” With Lemaitre now gearing up for summer tour dates in the U.S. and Europe, their shapeshifting live show reflects a deep-rooted passion for pushing forward with their music. “From the start we’ve always tried to do whatever feels good to us in the moment, instead of feeling locked into some idea about what we’re expected to make,” says Jansen. As shown on Chapter One, that fluidity has shaped a sound that endlessly morphs while still holding to Lemaitre’s distinct aesthetic. “We can make a cool track and then suddenly take things in a whole new direction with whatever we do next,” says Lund. “With the platform we’ve set up for ourselves, we can go so many different ways and still keep things cohesive. What we’ve done with that so far is only the beginning.”
Coast Modern Coast Modern creates alternative pop with a wink that aims to push the genre
COAST MODERN
WEEK 3 7/13 REGGAE
MARCIA GRIFFITHS Jah9
MARCIA GRIFFITHS Marcia Griffiths is the Queen of reggae music. In 2014, she celebrated her 30th anniversary as an artist in the music business with many successful shows internationally. Her latest album Marcia and Friends, featuring nearly forty songs with her and other top artists, straightaway hit the billboard charts. As one of the original I - Three’s (the background vocalists for the legendary Bob Marley) Marcia helps to keep the spirit of Bob Marley alive. She is a direct link to the prophetical,
MARCIA GRIFFITHS
Marcia and Queen Ifrica. Marcia Griffith's latest CD, Marcia and Friends features combinations with singers such as Beres Hammond, Sanchez, Bunny Rugs, Daville, Freddie McGregor, Toots Hibbert, Barrington Levy, Diana King, Richie Stevens, Etana, Bob Andy and John Holt, amongst others. For DJ’s on Marcia and Friends, there are combinations with Gentleman, Damian Marley, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and U Roy. Marcia Griffiths is a special treat, bringing us inspired reggae music, backed by excellent background vocalists. She puts on a classic show, lively, inspired and uplifting.
Jah9
JAH9
proverbial king of Reggae. In her shows, she always covers some of his hit songs with class and sincerity and the spirit of Bob Marley is rekindled. The I-Threes, Bob Marley’s three little birds, were the most influential female singing group in the history of Jamaican music. A trio featuring Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley and Judy Mowatt, the I-Threes provided the rich harmonies for Bob Marley’s performances and recordings from 1974 until his passing ten years later. Marcia Griffiths was already well known when the I-Threes came together. From her duet recordings with Bob Andy, including Young, Gifted and Black, Marcia Griffiths already had international recognition. During the recording, Marcia asked Judy to sing a harmony on Young, Gifted and Black, which later went to number two on the British charts. After that Marcia invited the Rita and Judy to sing harmony with her on a show she had at the House of Chen in New Kingston, Jamaica. This show was where the IThrees vocal group was born. Shortly thereafter, after the departure of Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston from the Wailers, Bob asked the I-Threes to sing on his recording, Jah Live. After that historical recording, the I-Threes continued to record the entire Natty Dread album. For the next ten years, the I-Threes did all the tours with Bob Marley and sang on all of his albums. The only Bob Marley album they didn’t sing harmony on was Catch a Fire. Since Marley’s passing, Marcia has been working hard and consistently as a solo artist touring the world. August 2011 the I Threes did two major performances in San Diego and Los Angeles, CA at the Hollywood Bowl. People came from near and far to see the I-Threes performing together again. After these shows Marcia toured North America and headlined the Northwest World Music Festival in Eugene OR. On the annual U.S. Sunsplash Tours with Tony Johnson, Marcia used to do the tour every year. Marcia Griffiths is a rare example of what true quality reggae music embodies. Marcia’s Love is Automatic single with Busy Signal was number one on the England and European charts. Another of her big current songs that gets a lot of radio airplay is What Goes Up, Must Come Down which is a combination with
Deeply mystical, Jah9 has emerged from a chrysalis of poetry, dub and spirit to become a powerful femiNINE energy within a universal grassroots movement of consciousness. Inspired by the open spaces in the instrumental dub of 1970’s Jamaican roots music, Jah9 sings with a voice that belies the dimensions of her physical body, from a soul much older than its current vessel. Her philosophy – profoundly spiritual, and her style – Jazz on Dub. Born Janine Cunningham, Jah9 spent her first 9 years in Falmouth, Trelawny, on the rural western edge of Jamaica before moving into the city of Kingston, in 1991. Transplanted in the city, this country girl, used to the idyllic Falmouth where everyone knew everyone else, was suddenly struck by chaos disguised as order in Jamaica’s capital. Highly sensitive to her surroundings, she ventured inward and found an outlet for her feelings in the words that she wrote. A staple on Jamaica’s underground poetry scene by 2009, in instrumental dub she found a place where her words could live, and the songs she started to write found eager encouragement. She has shifted her energies to unveiling a deeper more personal deployment of her ‘Jazz on Dub’ sound. Empowered by her femiNINE – that which is found in the symbolism of 9, the symbol of creation and womb of the universe – Jah9 released her sophomore album divinelyentitled ‘9’ on September 9, 2016.
WEEK 4 7/20 ROCK
ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS Mr. Elevator / Rusty's EAC
ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS
Eric Burdon has one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in rock and roll. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1994, and hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Voices of All Time, Burdon’s music has forged new territory while also topping the charts for more than five decades. Highly prolific, Burdon has released nearly 50 records in those 50 years, as front man of The Animals and WAR and simply as Eric Burdon. Through the changSEE BIOS PAGE 8
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BIOS FROM PAGE 6 ing sounds and genres, what remains constant is his courage as an artist to explore new sounds, diving into new territory with his unrivaled and unique voice. Eric Burdon has shared the stage with legends such as Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Witherspoon, Otis Redding and Bruce Springsteen, and has recently been cited by cutting edge musicians like Patti Smith and Iggy Pop as one of their personal top ten musicians. Eric began his musical journey as a young man growing up in Newcastle, England. Listening to his idols, Ray Charles and Bo Diddley, he immersed himself in American blues and jazz. As front man and driving force of the British Invasion band The Animals, Burdon helped shape rock and roll’s DNA, and his imposing yet soulful vocals are the driving force of the iconic favorite “House Of The Rising Sun.” A long string of hits followed, including “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and the Vietnam-era anthem, “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place.” Pioneering the psychedelic San Francisco sound, Burdon’s classics include “San Franciscan Nights” and “Monterey.” Burdon continued to perform throughout the years with different iterations of The Animals, while also founding and fronting the funk group War, one of the first multiracial bands, and topped the charts again with his groundbreaking hit single, “Spill The Wine.” In the decades to follow, Burdon became an accomplished painter and author, and he continues to record and tour now as a solo artist. The year 2012 saw the release of his latest album, ‘Til Your River Runs Dry.
Mr. Elevator Mr. Elevator – formed in Southern California in 2012 by Thomas Dolas and Justin Martinez (and their mutual love of Donovan) – eschews guitars for vintage synthesizers, organs, and electric pianos, distinguishing themselves within the fuzzy, distorted contemporary Psych-Pop scene. Under the original name Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel, the band began playing shows as a three-piece with bassist Wyatt Blair, and a short-while later, in 2013, relocated to Los Angeles where they released their first album, 'Nico & her Psychedelic Subconscious,' with Burger Records. After a few years of live shows, perfecting their sound alongside acts like Thee Oh Sees, The Fresh & Onlys, The Black Lips, Allah-Las, and more, Mr. Elevator recently completed their second album, 'When the Morning Greets You'. On 'When the Morning Greets You,' the bands’ love for vintage keyboard sounds, concept albums, and 70s pop remains intact, furnishing an album that entrances listeners and evolves over the course of its run-time into an array of bright, complex patterns and shapes. The upbeat, colorful pop feel of Side A, for example, is slowly engulfed in the lush, synth-heavy soundscape of Side B (pointing in at least two distinct directions in regards to the sound of the next album). With the addition of a fourth member
ERIC BURDON
to the performing band, Mr. Elevator will be supporting the release of 'When the Morning Greets You' with national and international live dates.
WEEK 5 7/27 DANCE
MIAMI HORROR Cleopold
MIAMI HORROR The Shapes comes to life as a sonic / art experience and sees the band delve deep into rhythm and percussion with influences ranging from the art pop and lyrical wit of Talking Heads to Caribbean funk and African beats. The first taste from The Shapes, "Leila" premiered on Stereogum, who said the track said the track "shows the band in one of their strongest forms to date." Embodying the glitzy, glamorous sunshine of LA, draped in 80s synth melodies and topped with those iconic Miami Horror vocals, it's a fitting first single. Visually, the themes compliment the rhythmic and percussive sounds of the
project. Focusing on the use of bold shapes, hand drawn lines and color. "I've always been a fan of colourful art and murals, especially those from the late 80s and early 90s. As a child, they excited and inspired me every time I passed them. This left a lasting effect on me into adulthood, a lust for colour and the extraordinary amongst the mundane colours of suburbia or the grey-ness of Melbourne city," says Ben Plant. Since the release of their debut album Illumination in 2010, Miami Horror has toured extensively across the globe showcasing their diverse mix of influences, whilst living between LA and their hometown of Melbourne. Along with other Australian acts including Cut Copy and Total Giovanni, Miami Horror have helped in the rebirth of disco creating their own brand of Aussie electronica that is recognized internationally and have become absolute staples on dance-floors worldwide. The Shapes is like nothing the band have produced before. Their imaginative vision brings color back to daily life with a mold-breaking collection of art. Be sure to catch them at one of their epic block parties or headline shows and boogie down with Melbourne's most colorful four-piece.
CLEOPOLD
Cleopold Cleopold is an Australian singer-songwriter whose debut EP was just snapped up by Detail Co., a boutique record label owned and curated by Chet Faker. Its lead single, "Down In Flames," will serve as Cleopold's emergence as an independent artist. Based in Los Angeles, Cleopold has penned multiple singles for Miami Horror and Cassian, while collaborating with other Australian luminaries like Bag Raiders and Chet Faker. Cleopold provided the lead vocals for Miami Horror's latest single, "Love Like Mine," and Cassian's recent club hit, "Running," while honing his compositional chops on film scores for directors like Roman Coppola. Cleopold crafts blunt, honest songs with a confidence and sonic precision rarely heard in an emerging artist. His shapeshifting voice is deliberately hard to pin down, and places Cleopold in a musical territory all his own. Cleopold will return to Australia in August for a national tour supporting Miami Horror. With the keys to Chet Faker's Melbourne recording studio, he also plans to pen his debut LP in his labelowner's throne — a seat still warm from composing the award-winning album, Built On Glass.
WEEK 6 8/3 AMERICANA
VALERIE JUNE IRMA THOMAS
VALERIE JUNE "Understanding the order of time is important to anyone hoping to manifest a dream," says Valerie June. "There is a time to push, and a time to gently tend the garden." Since the release of her 2013 breakout Pushin' Against A Stone, June has been patiently at work in the garden of song, nurturing seedlings with love and care into the lush bloom that is her stunning new album, The Order Of Time. Some songs grew from seeds planted more than a decade ago, others blossomed overnight when she least expected them to, but every track bears the influence of MIAMI HORROR
SEE BIOS PAGE 10
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BIOS FROM PAGE 8 time. See, time has been on June's mind a lot lately. It's the only constant in life, even though it's constantly changing. It's the healer of all wounds, the killer of all men. It's at once infinite and finite, ever flowing with twists and turns and brutal, churning rapids that give way to serene stretches of placid tranquility. Fight against the current and it will knock you flat on your ass. Learn to read it, to speak its language, and it will carry you exactly where you're meant to be. "Time is the ruler of Earth's rhythm," June explains. "Our daily lives revolve around it. Our hearts beat along to its song. If we let it, it can be a powerful guide to turning our greatest hopes and dreams into realities." June knows a thing or two about turning hopes and dreams into realities. With Pushin' Against A Stone, she went from self-releasing her music as Tennessee's best kept secret to being hailed by the New York Times as one of America's “most intriguing, fully formed new talents." The New Yorker was captivated by her "unique, stunning voice," while Rolling Stone dubbed her "unstoppable," and NPR called her "an elemental talent born with the ability to rearrange the clouds themselves." She astonished TV audiences from coast-to-coast with spellbinding performances on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, Austin City Limits, Rachael Ray, and CBS Saturday Morning, and graced some of the world's most prestigious stages, from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center. First Lady Michelle Obama invited June to The White House, and she toured with artists like Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Sturgill Simpson, Norah Jones, and Jake Bugg in addition to flooring festival crowds at Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Newport Folk, Hangout, ACL, Pickathon, Mountain Jam and more. In the UK, the reaction was similarly ecstatic. June performed on Later…with Jools Holland, joined a bill with the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park, and took the press by storm. Uncut praised her "remarkably careworn vocals," MOJO swooned for her "glorious sound," and The Independent's Andy Gill wrote, "June has the most strikingly individual delivery I've heard in ages." When it came time to record the follow-up, June felt liberated by the success, fearless and more confident than ever in trusting her instincts and following her muse. There was to be no rushing the music, no harvesting a song before it was ripe on the vine and ready to be plucked. When she sensed the time was right, she headed to rural Guilford, Vermont, with producer Matt Marinelli, spending long stretches through the fall and winter living and recording away from the hustle and bustle of her adopted home of Brooklyn. "They made us feel so welcome in Vermont," remembers June. "I was cooking amazing food and hanging out with the band all the time. There were long talks and long walks in the snow, and friends would come up for holidays. I felt like I put myself in a place where I could really soar. With the last album, I was absorbing and learning and developing so much in the studio, but this is me taking the things I learned and the things I felt in
IRMA THOMAS
VALERIE JUNE
my heart and fighting for them." In her heart, June is a songwriter first and foremost, willing and able to blur the lines between genres and eras of sounds. The result is an eclectic blend of folk and soul and country and R&B and blues that is undoubtedly the finest work of her career. Opener "Long Lonely Road" settles in like languid southern heat, as June looks back to the sacrifices of her parents and grandparents, singing in a gentle near-whisper of the sometimes difficult, sometimes beautiful journey we all must undertake in search of brighter days. On the soulful "Love You Once Made," her voice is backed by rich horns and vintage organ as she makes peace with the specter of loss and the ephemeral nature of our relationships, while the bluesy juke joint rocker "Shake Down" features backup vocals from her brothers, Jason and Patrick Hockett and father, Emerson Hockett recorded at home in Tennessee, and "Man Done Wrong" centers on a hypnotic banjo riff that's more African than Appalachian. "People shouldn't necessarily think of bluegrass when they see the banjo," explains June. "It was originally an African instrument, and people in America used to play all kinds of banjo: mandolin banjo, ukulele banjo, bass banjo, classical banjo, jazz banjo, there were even banjo orchestras. For some reason people like to limit it and say it just has to be in folk and bluegrass, but to me it can be in anything, and I really wanted to set the banjo free on this record." The banjo turns up again later as the underpinning of the R&B rave-up "Got Soul," which plays out like a mission statement for the entire album, as June offers to "sing a country tune" or "play the blues" but reveals that underneath it all is her sweet soul. Those genre terms might be simplistic ways to attempt to define her, empty signifiers creating distinctions between sounds where June sees none. "With You" channels the sprightly, ethereal beauty of Nico with fingerpicked electric guitar and cinematic strings, "Slip Slide On By" grooves with
shades of Van Morrison, and "If And" slowly builds over meditative hum that hints at John Cale. Despite the music's varied nature, the songs all belong to a cohesive family, in part because they're tied together by June's one-of-a-kind voice, and because they're all pieces of a larger rumination on the passage of time and how it affects us. The ultimate takeaway from tracks like "The Front Door" and "Just In Time" is that the present is all we have. Everything around us (our loved ones, our youth, our beauty) will someday fade and disappear, but that transience is what makes those things all the more magical. We're given this brief moment to share our love and light with the world, and when, as June sings on the album, "Time's hands turn and point straight towards you," you'd better be ready. Thankfully for us, June was ready when time told her to harvest these songs. In the garden, as in life, there is a time for everything and the moment has finally arrived to enjoy the fruits of all her labor. With 'The Order Of Time,' Valerie June has prepared a bountiful feast, and there's a seat at the table for everyone.
Irma Thomas 2009 marked the 50th anniversary of Irma Thomas's first recording session and she remains one of America's most distinctive and classic singers, a treasure from the golden age of soul music who remains as compelling and powerful as ever. Irma first achieved prominence with a string of 1960s hits such as "Time Is On My Side," (later covered by the Rolling Stones), "It's Raining" and "Wish Someone Would Care." She toured extensively across the South with her band, The Toronados. Yet, her life has not been without its share of hardship and challenge. Pregnant at age 15, she was forced by her father into what she calls a "shotgun marriage." After the devastating effects of Hurricane Camille in 1969, when she was a single mother with four
children to support, she moved her family to Los Angeles and worked for a time at a Montgomery Ward store, recording and performing only intermittently. Upon returning to Louisiana in the 1970s, she slowly rebuilt her reputation as The Soul Queen of New Orleans, signing with Rounder in 1986. In 2005, while she was working in Austin, Texas, Hurricane Katrina flooded her home and destroyed all her possessions, along with her nightclub, The Lion's Den. In the wake of the tragedy and loss that Katrina brought, her career has enjoyed an unprecedented upswing. After several nominations, she won a Grammy and continues to produce new music.
WEEK 7 8/10 LATIN
MON LAFERTE Buscabulla
MON LAFERTE Singer, Songwriter and Chilean performer from Viña del Mar, Mon Laferte is a winner of double platinum album plus gold in Mexico, winner of two MTV 2016 awards, nominated to two Latin Grammy Awards with a tour that visited the USA, Mexico and Chile with over 70 sold out dates. She knew what she wanted in life when since she was 14 years old when the guitar turned into her partner and even in her teen years she transmitted her feelings through the verses she was writing. Musically educated in the streets of Viña del Mar and Valparaiso, she captures popular poetry from her roots that reflect in her tearing yet mellancholic voice.
Buscabulla Buscabulla (Spanish slang for troublemaker) is the experimental pop project of Raquel Berrios and Luis del Valle. Heavily influenced by vintage Latin music like salsa gorda, Cuban psych and '80s Argentinian rock, Buscabulla combines both electronic and live instrumentation. The group create a hybrid sound they like to call the "Caribbean music of the future." Raquel, a designer, record collector, and producer teamed up with multi instrumentalist and producer Luis del SEE BIOS PAGE 11
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BIOS FROM PAGE 10 Valle in 2011 and they have since been warming hearts. In 2015, Kitsuné released their self-titled debut EP which was produced by Dev Hynes of Blood Orange. Their second EP, released in 2017, includes the singles "Tártaro" and "Frío (feat. Helado Negro)," as heard on KCRW. Pitchfork describes "Frío" as a "blissful beach daydream."
WEEK 8 8/17 INDIE ROCK
WARPAINT Wild Belle
WARPAINT It’s easy to get the wrong impression about Warpaint. The band’s studio albums (including their most recent full-length, 2014’s Warpaint) tend to emphasize moody atmospheres: gauzy keyboards, hypnotic harmonies and sinister grooves. In concert, however, the Los Angeles quartet—vocalist/guitarist Emily Kokal, vocalist/guitarist Theresa Wayman, bassist/vocalist Jenny Lee Lindberg and drummer/keyboardist Stella Mozgawa— pair this moodiness with bumped-up tempos and sinewy beats. Of course, confounding expectations has been part of Warpaint’s m.o. since the band formed in 2004. And so when the band convened to make their third studio album, Heads Up, they shared a common goal: to make a faster, danceoriented record. “We’ve always had this really jammy, high-energy live show compared to some of our records,” Kokal says. “We all love to dance. We didn’t want to take away from the emotion or the core feeling of what our band is all about—which I don’t even think we could take out if we wanted, because it is who we are—but we wanted to bump the speed up and have a little bit more fun.” Warpaint spent only four months in the studio making Heads Up, the quickest they’ve ever made a record. “We have a tendency to over-marinate on certain ideas,” Mozgawa says. “There wasn’t a great deal of laboring over things or doing things a million different ways and overdubbing for months.” In another switch, Warpaint tended to work one-on-one or in pairs with produc-
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er Jake Bercovici (who produced their EP Exquisite Corpse) in the studio. “The doors were a little more open in terms of what was accepted and what wasn’t, because we were sharing ideas so rapidly between us,” Mozgawa says. These looser vibes and individual experiences ensured that once Heads Up was complete, even Warpaint themselves were surprised—in a good way—at how the album turned out. “We’ve been on tour, and we’ve been around each and other,” Lindberg says. “But you need to take a break from that sometimes to get a fresh perspective, and to be excited and inspired about what you’re doing. I feel like we did that. “I feel really proud of what we made— almost surprised and shocked,” she continues. “When we were making it, I was like, ‘I wonder what this is going to sound like? How’s this going to come together?’ I love the way that it came together so nicely. I feel so proud of it, and like it’s an evolution of our band. It sounds like a mature version of Warpaint.”
Wild Belle The brother/sister duo started writing music together several years ago, after Elliot Bergman took a sixteen year-old Natalie on tour to play percussion with his acclaimed Afrobeat ensemble, NOMO. Work on the album began in early 2014, in Chicago. They tracked several songs at
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home in Chicago last year, and then at the start of 2015, Natalie packed all of her belongings into the Wild Belle van and drove from Chicago to Venice, California. She rented a house where Elliot joined her a couple weeks later. Recorded at studios in their native Chicago, Natalie Bergman's new home of Los Angeles, Nashville and Toronto, Dreamland — Wild Belle's bold, evolutionary new album — derives from an era in the singer's life when she was struggling to get control of what she describes as the "anger and deep sorrow" that plagued her at the end of her most recent romantic relationship. For a woman whose music
has always been inspired by her desire to translate her complicated feelings into immediately relatable songs, there was certainly plenty of grist for the mill. Dreamland tracks such as "Losing You" and "It Was You (Baby Come Back)" offer glimpses of the darkness that Natalie battled during the early months writing for the duo's sophomore full-length. But there are also genuine moments of lightness and ecstatic triumph, like "Giving Up On You" — an irresistibly kinetic, punk number Wild Belle recorded with TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek producing.
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