mon 11/12
The Abigails
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THE ECHO
Ex-Growler Warren Thomas is a tattooed dude with a gleam in his eye and a guitar in his hand, who leads his band The Abigails out into the kind of dark, dark night that both Lee Hazlewood and Roky Erickson would have loved to sing about — where love and death are kind of the
same thing, and whiskey is the medicine for both. It's the kind of haunted, ramshackle country-punk that would have sounded real good between Tav Falco and Skip Spence or any of the other brave fools
who decided to make Americana sound as if it came from another planet. The band's recent LP, Songs of Love and Despair (on Burger/Mono), has a big black hole on the cover, just to remind you where they're coming from. —Chris Ziegler
In The Valley Below
BOOTLEG BAR
Looking like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman walk-ons, and with an eye-contact connection to rival Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in their good times, Echo Park hubby-and-wife Angela Gail and Jeffrey Jacob patchwork together love-in-ready bluesy rock, '80s synth 'n' beatbox pop, and aughties folk revivalism without showing the stitching. Mellow, dramatic and Manson Family–mesmerized, they spread word of their brave new world through singable storytelling that bares their souls while hinting at hidden meanings. "Palm Tree Fire," from their just-released namesake debut, is like the best of Phil Collins recorded against a Mojave sunrise, while coed timbres aid, abet and pirouette with gospel-tinted Laurel Canyon–scene nostalgia on "Take Me Back." Accessible yet arcane, and almost worryingly sincere. Also 11/19 and 11/26. —Paul Rogers
tue 11/13
THE TROUBADOUR
"You're going to know my name by the end of the night," Gary Clark Jr. insists on his new album, Blak and Blu. The warning is far more than just an idle boast, as the Austin singer underscores his bluesy declaration with sizzling guitar riffs that literally embody the classic Jimmy Reed song title "Bright Lights." Plenty of other blues experts already know his name, including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck and Mick Jagger, who jammed with the 28-year-old upstart at the White House earlier this year. Unlike so many blues revivalists, Clark doesn't play guitar with a timidly retro reverence; instead, he attacks his ax with a bloody, messy and loudly fuzzed-out fervor that's closer to Jimi Hendrix in spirit than to, say, Robert Cray. Also Wed. and Thurs. —Falling James
Wiz Khalifa & The Taylor Gang
Rhyming since elementary school age, the triple Grammy Award–nominated Wiz Khalifa first registered on the national hip-hop radar in 2005 with the release of his memorable mixtape Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania. One year later, his major label debut, Show and Prove, was considered "one of the best albums of the year" by OKAYPLAYER.COM. Several mixtapes and label migrations later, the world was forced to take notice in 2010, when infectious anthem "Black and Yellow" peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. Khalifa is promoting the April release of his latest effort, O.N.I.F.C. This show features his posse of longtime collaborators, The Taylor Gang. —Jacqueline Michael Whatley
wed 11/14
THE BOOTLEG THEATER
"When the music is on, I get my best blood drawn," Laura Burhenn confides on the Mynabirds' new album, Generals. The Omaha-based singer doesn't mind bleeding for her art, but she isn't exactly happy when assorted generals and politicians take her blood, sweat and tears and "keep putting all our cash into the next bloodbath." It's enough to make Burhenn slap on her war paint and beat her "marching drum," but the singer-keyboardist retains her sensitive side on introspective early ballads like "L.A. Rain," where she soulfully evokes the lonely corners of this old town: "Another heart attack today up on the 405/The sirens came, and they went away/They told me I'd be fine ... I got lost again today out on the 101/The exits came and they went away/But I kept driving on." —Falling James
Goldenboy
BOOTLEG THEATER
Diamond Bar natives Goldenboy rereleased their most identifiable work, Blue Swan Orchestra, on its 10th anniversary, immediately followed by a new full-length, The New Familiar. Although a decade apart, the proximity of these two albums shows how little the group has changed. With all the ingredients for a serviceable indie-pop group, Goldenboy fall just short of unforgettable. Their head-swaying melodies are always pretty, but that means they don't quite make it to gorgeous. The band's central figure, guitar aficionado Shon Sullivan (of Spain and Elliott Smith fame), adds a feminine touch to the dual vocals of "The Right Chemistry," giving it texture in the process. Strings and whistles give bite to the otherwise innocuous "Steal Your Face." Familiar remains, for the most part, indiscernible but safe in its simplicity. —Lily Moayeri
thu 11/15
Funkmosphere East
THE VIRGIL
Culver City's Funkmosphere is one of L.A.'s iconic club nights, thanks, in part to its founder, international sensation Dam-Funk, whose unflagging devotion not just to funk as music but funk as a way of life helped haul '70s and '80s funk and boogie from the fringe (where it was hiding) to the dance floor (where it deserved to be). After six years, the original Funkmosphere could no longer be contained by a single night on the Westside, so Dam and his unparalleled squad of residents — Billy Goods, Laroj, Matt Respect, Eddy Funkster and Randy Watson — set up the brand-new Funkmosphere East every Thursday at the recently redone Virgil. (They're perpetually filming a sequel to their famously cable-access-a-rific Funkmosphere commercial, available online to dazzle you.) If you ever need a reminder of why you're living in this city, glide on out to this. —Chris Ziegler
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