Author: Joy Shannon

I know a concert was good when every time I try to sit down and write my review of it, I get distracted by composing music myself instead. This was most gloriously true of the Children of Bodom concert at the Observatory in Santa Ana on March 2, supported by Tyr and Death Angel. Even though I love the word, I reserve it only for special occasions like this one- fuck… Children of Bodom were so fucking good. That does sum it up, but I...

09 March, 2014 /

The second wave feminists of the 1960s famously coined the phrase "the personal is political". This is true of a vast number of issues, yet often times the very personal impact of political policies gets lost in the furious debates about fiscal impacts of laws or the hypothetical scenarios debated on television talk shows. At a time when immigration issues are hotly debated topic in United States politics, art can be a powerful tool that helps us connect to the personal stories within this multifaceted...

29 January, 2014 /

When I first came across Brandon Spiegel's art, it reminded me of the stones outside of the ancient burial site of Newgrange, Ireland, densely carved with interlocking spirals. What Spiegel's work captures, that one can feel in that ancient work, is that essential urge and joyfulness in creation. Spiegel's mesmerizing work is especially influenced by the patterns and shapes found within Native American cultural designs. Yet, there is also something decidedly modern about the work, as its psychedelic patterns harken a sense of nostalgia for...

23 July, 2013 /

If the ancient goddess Athena- goddess of wisdom whose sidekick was an owl- was alive today, her favorite artist would be the Australian painter Rodrigo Luff. Luff's work is characterized by his goddess-esque women in mystical landscapes, often filled with whimsically rendered creatures like owls. In attempts to blend the inner spiritual and emotional world with the outer physical world, Luff creates imaginative and beautiful work that is truly unique.   Currently on display at Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City until August 3, Luff's work truly captures...

18 July, 2013 /

When I was little I used to spend hours in my family's garden, studying the intricacies of the landscape. Deeply influenced by my love of Jill Barklem's Brambly Hedge illustrations, I was looking for mice homes amongst the trees and bushes. What I discovered under rocks and in what seemed like quiet little corners of our yard, was a surprising amount of activity amongst the insects and the birds. Those formative, imaginative years were the first time I began to be in awe of nature...

29 May, 2013 /

It's rare that LA can offer me something that makes me feel right at home in Ireland again… Owen Dara's delightful comedy show "Two Pint Wonder," showing every Sunday in April at the Renegade Theatre in Hollywood, does just that. Dara crafted an extremely charming and, simply put, very funny show about the in and outs of growing up Irish and coming to America. For myself, as a child of immigrants from Ireland, Dara's comedy possesses a particular type of self-deprecating Irish wit that feels...

13 April, 2013 /

It's rare that a band can invoke a real feeling of mysticism in me upon hearing their music. Perhaps this is because I play music and my brain can go directly to understanding song structure and chords; that is, unless the song is coming from another place entirely. There are some bands and composers who are tapping into something on a deeper, more spiritual level that can shut my brain off and immediately propel me into a state of meditative bliss. The multi-cultural band Deleyaman,...

07 April, 2013 /

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds celebrated the release of their 15th studio album "Push the Sky Away" with a special show at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on Feb 21. This show marks a different sort of album release than they've ever done before. Instead of the usual more extensive tours that the band has done in the past, they've elected to do exclusive small-venue album release performances in a few cities around the world. We in Los Angeles were lucky to have the...

24 February, 2013 /

The night before Thanksgiving, November 21st, the legendary reggae band Toots and the Maytals played a joyous show at the Coach House. On tour from their home in Jamaica, Toots and the Maytals played some of their most classic songs "Pressure Drop," "54-46 Was My Number," and "Monkey Man" to a grateful and enthusiastic crowd. Called a living legend by many, Toots is one of the founding fathers of the reggae music, deeply influencing the ska and rock steady styles. His 1968 single "Do the...

03 December, 2012 /

A compelling and vibrant art show is currently on display at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana. The show, entitled "Siempre es Hoy," runs until November 24, with a special closing reception from 6-11 pm. You must RSVP for the closing festivities (by emailing solartradio@gmail.com), and I highly recommend it based on how fun, lively and interesting the opening reception was. "Siempre es Hoy" vividly documents the Mexican music scene through a diverse group of intimate photographs of musicians and concert audiences....

14 November, 2012 /

Last week, I had the privilege of seeing singer and songwriter Tristan Prettyman in concert at Fingerprints Records in Long Beach. Prettyman was celebrating the release of her third studio album "Cedar + Gold" and just about to commence a tour in support of the new music. Dedicated to "anyone who has ever surrendered," the new album "Cedar + Gold"  is a work of incandescent beauty. Not since the 90s Lilith Fair days of Sarah MacLachlan, has surrender sounded so achingly sweet. Prettyman initially grabs the...

08 October, 2012 /

I recently met up with the progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me during the tail end of their Summer Slaughter Tour. The tour, headlined by Cannibal Corpse, stopped through the Grove in Anaheim on August 25th. Upon arriving at the Grove, I was struck by a unique culture clash occurring that day between the neighboring venues of the Angels Stadium and the Grove. Crowds of young people, generally dressed in black with an assortment of metal shirts, were crossing Katella Ave to reach...

22 September, 2012 /

The legendary music of 1930s jazz virtuoso Django Reinhardt is alive and well in Orange County… if you know where to look. Long Beach-based Gypsy jazz band Hedgehog Swing plays every first and third Wednesday at the Gypsy Den in downtown Santa Ana, along with members of the Orange County-based Gypsy jazz band Riff Raff. Riff Raff have hosted this event for many years, leading the song choices on the first Wednesday of every month, with Hedgehog Swing hosting every third Wednesday. Their lively jazz...

28 August, 2012 /

I began writing this music blog at a time in my own music career- in between albums and right about to turn 30 years old- when I have felt myself changing, growing, and reassessing why I do what I do. My ulterior motive for writing was to get out of my head, my studio, and my everyday life to ask other musicians how they have gotten to where they are and how they have faced whatever struggles they have encountered. I wanted to learn from...

26 July, 2012 /

An epically historic moment occurred at the Grove in Anaheim on Friday the 15th of June. The Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire performed for the first time in the Los Angeles area after garnering a dedicated following since forming in 1993. Rhapsody of Fire's rousing brand of power metal has been lovingly called "Hollywood Metal," because of its resemblance to epic film soundtracks. The powerful compositions tend to make one feel inspired and remarkably able to go slay a dragon… or, perhaps...

25 June, 2012 /

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Ciscandra Nostalghia from the LA-based avant garde electro-acoustic musical duo Nostalghia. They have been called "post-apocalyptic gypsy punk," which is the best description I have heard of their intensely creative music. Nostalghia is the brainchild of recording and performing artists Ciscandra Nostalghia and Roy Gnan. The musician and visual artist pair blend beautiful, mysterious romantic visuals with passionate music and avant garde performances. At times, Ciscandra's unique, raw, and expressive use of her voice is reminiscent of Kate Bush,...

12 June, 2012 /

I first heard a Margot and the Nuclear So and So's song when I saw the Long Beach-based singer and songwriter Will Morrison of the Vacuum Bell perform a beautiful rendition of "Broadripple is Burning." Though the song is absolutely gorgeous, it has desperate lyrics like "I'll be hanging from a rope/I will haunt you like a ghost." Frankly, because Morrison is a friend of mine, I was concerned for his mental health until I discovered he did not write the song. Because the song's...

03 June, 2012 /

I first came across the visual art of metal musician John Dyer Baizley last year. I saw a band T-shirt that was so stunningly beautiful it made me stop in my tracks. The shirt, advertising the Norwegian punk/metal band Kvelertak, interlaced women and an owl with black ink outlines and delicate watercolor shading. The artwork recalled the style of 19th-century Art Nouveau lithographic artist Alphonse Mucha, and included women who looked like they stepped out of 17th century Baroque paintings. Intricately detailed animals and plant...

14 May, 2012 /

Deciding to devote your life to making music or another artistic endeavor has probably always been a difficult decision that entailed making some personal sacrifices. These days the decision to pursue music feels particularly hard, because while technology makes it so we can easily write, record and put music out on the internet, there are seemingly less ways to earn money through songwriting. While I am a firm believer that we should always follow our passions because it makes us live our most rich and vital life,...

04 May, 2012 /

This past Saturday April 21st, folk singer M. Ward played an intimate sold-out show to an enrapt audience at Long Beach's Fingerprints Record Store during their Record Store Day celebration. Fingerprints, located at 420 East 4th Street in the Long Beach East Village Arts district, continually showcases awesome talent during their free in-store performances. The in-store performances I have attended over the years have all felt special, as the audience is getting the privilege of seeing a performer who is normally on large stages in...

22 April, 2012 /