by John Grimley

James McCartney Is Ready To Rock

James McCartney’s father is one of the most influential figures in rock and roll, so it’s no surprise that he is trying his hand at the genre that his father affected so heavily.

What is surprising is that his debut effort is so darn…good. Taking inspiration from the Beatles (duh), Nirvana, and Radiohead, James has released a 5-song EP (Available Light) that blends his velvet pipes with electric guitars, mandolins, piano and bass. All of which he recorded himself. Holy crap.

James explains that “it is basically rock n’ roll, clean sounding and vocal.” The songs were written over a 10-year span, which makes sense considering he had to learn every instrument ever made.

You can find Available Light on Enigma Records in stores (or browsers) now. Feel free to check out the song “Angel” right here first.

James McCartney – “Angel” by wiredset

11.01.10

by Jane Lambert

Song of the Day: Genesis vs. Katy Perry – “Invisible Gurls” (Mashup / Mix)

Genesis vs. Katy Perry – “Invisible Gurls” (Mix) by ModernMystery3

11.01.10

by Jane Lambert

Playtime!: Paul and the Patients – CMJ 2010

Paul and the Patients are one of our favorite up and comers that hit up CMJ this year. We met up with singer Paul Holmes early the Saturday morning of the marathon and headed to a cozy Lower East Side playground tucked away in Manhattan.

11.01.10

by jill ettinger

Pepper Rabbit Hops All Over the Left Coast

Is it ever a bad time to be a band based in Los Angeles? Not if you’re the LA based duo, Pepper Rabbit. On the heels of their debut, Beauregard, released October 26th, Pepper Rabbit’s Xander Singh and Luc Laurent are garnering praises from fellow Angelinos, Local Natives, and press raves across the country from FILTER, WNYC, and Seattle’s KEXP.

Gearing up for fall concert dates with Freelance Whales, Passion Pit and coming in early 2011, two shows with Ra Ra Riot, Pepper Rabbit kicks off the tour with a show at The Echo in Los Angeles on November 18th. Their live show delivers a variety of instrumentation unique to Pepper Rabbit’s sound—expect ukele, synths, clarinet and those unmistakable rhythms. Catch their latest track, “Babette!” here.

Tour Dates:

11/18/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
11/19/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Shop ^#
11/23/10 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile ^#
11/24/10 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore
11/29/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre *
11/30/10 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre *
12/1/10 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
12/3/10 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium *
12/4/10 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theatre *
12/5/10 – San Diego, CA @ Soma *
12/7/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium *
12/9/10 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues *
1/22/10 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s %
1/25/10 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall %
^ w/ Freelance Whales
# w/ Miniature Tigers
* w/ Passion Pit
% w/ Ra Ra Riot

www.myspace.com/pepperrabbit

11.01.10

by Jane Lambert

Playtime!: Neil Nathan “California Run” – CMJ 2010

One late afternoon during CMJ, we had the pleasure of stopping by Neil Nathan’s studio that was tucked away in one of the coolest places in Brooklyn. By far one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, he played us “California Run,” off of his debut LP The Distance Calls. Playing alongside with him on the banjo is Riley McMahon, a super talented musician. This is one performance you don’t want to miss. Sit back, relax and take it all in.