It’s been done before, but never like this. LA based Crash Kings pay tribute to monster rock legends like AC/DC, Queen, and Led Zeppelin in their rendition of the "Evolution of Guitar II". Although it may be called the evolution of the guitar, Crash Kings take it to another level. Vocalist Tony Beliveau shreds through classic solos on his clavinet, a keyboard with guitar strings and a customized whammy bar, allowing him to bend notes like a guitar god. The trio is currently recording their newest album set to be released at the end of September.

-Margarita Castellanos

Combining rock ‘n’ roll, pop, and new wave, Viva Modula resonates a new age yet vintage vibe. Frontman Myles Hendrik and guitarist Justin Silva made a name for themselves in their previous band Bloodcat Love, dubbed by L.A. Weekly as one of the city’s "top indie bands", and sharing the stage with acts such as The Horrors, Airborne Toxic Event, Dead Meadow, and OK Go. They stumbled upon the need for change, and decided to ditch the garage rock sound for a more melodic and upbeat route, hence the birth of Viva Modula.

With influences like The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, and The Stooges, it’s not surprising that VM doesn’t lack diversity. Soonafter Hendrik’s announcement of their 4 track EP Take This Time in March, Viva Modula won our ‘artist of the month’ poll. The sun-stained "Youth Contender" sets a perfect backdrop for summertime fun, with chiming guitars, twinkling keys, and a steady uptempo. The quirky sound of the horn in "Vagabond Heart Attack" was an interesting accent to the chorus and the end of the second track. "Ladders" is a bit darker, with a feel similar to bands like The Cure or New Order. 

"Brand new yet familiar, timeless yet irreverent, Viva Modula is creating a sound all of their own, bridging the past and the present. A veritable vagabond heart attack and they wouldn’t have it any other way…" 

Fresh as ever, drenched with sex, swagger, and style, Viva Modula has a bit of a mysterious veil in front of them. So stay tuned, and we’ll keep you in the know of any local shows and updates!

–Jenna Putnam

Besides being my favorite actor (screw American Beauty, it’s all about K-PAX), Kevinspacey is also the upcoming album of Jason Drake’s project Cassettes Won’t Listen due in June. This LA-based multi-instrumentalist by way of Brooklyn, the followup to 2008’s Small-Time Machine was three years in the making.

I got a hold of a track off Kevinspacey entitled "The Echoes". It comes in initially with glitch samples before bringing in the signature sound of warbling LFO’ed dubstep bass synth. The main melody feels like a throwback to Mega Man NES cartridges, but with a far smoother attack than the grind of a retro midi synth. Drake’s filtered vocals draw similarities to San Francisco’s The Ay Cad, although far less pop-minded they sink into the mix adding another layer of electro-flavor.

Get your hands on "The Echoes" here.

You can get Cassettes Won’t Listen’s Small-Time Machine as a free download through his Facebook page. Be forewarned, while the album is worth it you do have to Like the page, sign up for the mailing list, download a file with a document that has the album link, then download the album — a daunting task.

Drake’s bi-costal collective, Daylight Cerfew, has in the works plans for monthly concerts and art shows. We’ll be keeping our ear to the ground for them.

-Angelo Lorenzo

It’s Record Store Day today! The second best holiday of the year (What’s the best you ask? Arbor Day.). It’s the day where hundreds of independent record stores across the world join forces to celebrate musical culture and their important place in local communities.

Record stores are slowly being supplanted by big chain stores, iTunes, and other online music outlets, but it’s all so impersonal. Walk into a record store and you can buy imported music that, heaven forbid, iTunes says you can’t download because you’re in the US. Ask the cashier his favorite band and he might point you to an obscure 80’s hair band that you fall in love with.

Record Store Day’s official website has a list of participating record stores in California here. Origami Vinyl will be planning some amazing giveaways all day, while Ameba Music will have an awesome menu of limited edition LPs and CDs and live performances including a guest DJ spot with Henry Rollins and a performance from the band Fucked Up. Get out and buy some music kids!

-Angelo Lorenzo

Jen Hirsh’s album Myself in Two is an interesting collection of songs from this self-described pop vocalist. It’s not the fodder of convoluted artistic expression from artists like Regina Spektor and Imogen Heap or the syrup coated melodies of Ingrid Michaelson or Hayley Sales. Granted there are more musical cues from the later, but producer Max Coane (Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin) and Hirsh decided these songs were more than a vessel for record sales and radio play. "Scissors and Soap" is a haunting song that speaks to saying goodbye while "The Better Half" balances things out, its message about never wanting to leave – and its hook might not leave your ears either. Things close with "Faster", a song you could picture Andrew McMahon sing, but Hirsh makes it her with sweetly conservative vocals over a more rocking arrangement than the majority of her guitar and piano laden album.

Jen Hirsh will be playing The Hotel Cafe on April 18th.

-Angelo Lorenzo

The soaring melodic sounds of indie-pop quartet Robatanists are both fun and meaningful, danceable but headphone material as well. Riding the wave of the electro trend, they manage not to overdo it like a lot of these types do. Their third album, Plans In Progress, has an overall light and pretty feel, with cascading beats, airy guitars, and heart-heavy vocals. The dreamy and nostalgic track "The Ghost You’re Haunting" has a similar feel to Yeah Yeah Yeah’s "Cheated Hearts", with fading chants in the background, fluttering guitar reverbs, and an impressive showcase of Ellquist’s vocals during the bridge. Their single "On/Off The Ledge" is a bit darker and progressive, and the music video is a visual mind blow. Set atop a Los Angeles rooftop, the elements of the video are Warhol-esque, as some bright pops of color and art are thrown in with the party scene captured. Robotanists set themselves apart from most bands, keeping an upbeat and interesting style at the same time as being deep and sensual. 

Upcoming shows: April 13th @ The Satellite, April 27th @ The Troubador, and April 27th @ The Cabana Club.

***For those who like: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Feist, Florence and The Machine, The XX.

 –Jenna Putnam 

Robotanists – "On/Off Ledge" from Consequence of Sound on Vimeo.

What’s sexier than a front woman who can strut her stuff? Easy. It’s a band that’s a hard rocking and hardworking total package. Ben Epand and Lauren Little of Queen Caveat answered some questions with us for the uninitiated.

Biggest challenge for the band in 2010?

QC: Finding our drummer. We recorded our EP w/ Dan Epand of Nico Vega on drums last year and played a handful of shows when he was available, but we suffered months of brutal auditions, stagnancy and frustrations waiting to find someone that musically embodied our direction as well as a friend that could join our lifelong marriage. Will (bass) mentioned to the band one evening that his good buddy from Berkely College of Music, Jesse Magnuson was moving to LA in a few weeks and he thought he’d be perfect. The rest is history and we secured Jesse Magnuson (drums) and all the bolts we’re in place to begin our journey together.

– More after the jump

I first saw Mia Doi Todd during L.A. Folk Fest‘s "desert weekend" back in February. The first night took place at Pappy and Harriet’s, where Tommy Santee Claus and He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister performed, among others. The second show was a daytime gig, so after perusing through the vintage stores on 29 Palms Highway, we made our way in. One performance really stood out to me, and that was Mia Doi Todd’s. She has a gentle, natural presence, gracefully strumming the acoustic and singing with a deep and soothing tone. Her voice is almost like a chant, and the hollow sound of her hands tapping the soundboard of her guitar put the audience into a trance, hanging on her every move. Her music has an honest, rustic but pretty aura. Mia’s 9th studio album, Cosmic Ocean Ship, comes out next month.

Mia Doi Todd will be playing TONIGHT at Little Temple in Silverlake.

–Jenna Putnam

Michael Runion’s soothing folk pop is easy on the ears. A weaver of the acoustic guitar and story-telling lyrics, it’s no surprise that Runion also has worked with other talented L.A. artists.

You’re an involved guy: playing with The Elevated, JJAMZ, and your new project The Chances. How has working with so many other artists influenced your recent solo material, or do you try to seperate the two?

Runion: I think working with other is a huge influence, simply because when I write with others I’m less precious about the work, less uptight. So that’s allowed me to step away from my solo stuff, realize I can do whatever I want, that I don’t have to feel tethered to any style or sound. But I definitely write in a different voice for each project. I can tell when I start working on a song if it’s a solo work, for JJAMZ, or potentially for someone else.

– More after the jump

It’s serendipity really. I stumbled across Milo Greene’s video for their song “1957” and I was hooked; I had their song on repeat for the following hour. Then I found out they were playing along with Honey Honey for the last night of their Bootleg Theater residency and I couldn’t pass that up.

What I attended ended up being the quintet’s first official show. Deep locked-in percussion created the anchor to four part layered melodies and instrument switching fun. For a new band, I was pleasantly surprised they injected sweetly crafted interludes into what would have been an abbreviated set; I can only hope that these are seeds of songs to come. It’s not quite indie, it’s not quite folk, and it’s not quite pop but a blend of all three that conjures memories of spending time on a sun drenched porch of an east coast home.

You can download “1957” via the band’s BandCamp page or check out the video below for a slightly different version.

–Angelo Lorenzo (Photo: L Gray)

The Fling‘s new video for "Wanderingfoot" was recorded while rocking a live session at the infamous Daytrotter Studios in Illinois. The other half was filmed in between all the running around while on tour with Darker My Love and Delta Spirit last year. Drenched with cheap beer, youth, and nostalgia, the video reminds us not to take life to seriously and drives the urge to travel and enjoy life the way it was meant to be. 

–Jenna Putnam

If you spend any time bouncing around the local venues of Hollywood or Silverlake, then you’ve probably seen The Diamond Light play once or twice. They’ve got a pretty decent buzz going on in the music scene of Los Angeles. They put on a hell of a live show, the kind that even if you haven’t heard them before, you’ll leave the bar knowing their name. Their heavy blues and southern-infused rock ‘n’ roll will rattle the walls and clear the whiskey bottles off of the shelves, and leave you waking up in the morning with a your ears ringing and a massive hangover. Just the way we like it.

The Diamond Light will have an April residency at Bardot for Camerata Sundays.

–Jenna Putnam