Rena Kosnett

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Will Alexander Benefit

Rena Kosnett
On Sunday, January 13, Skylight Books will host the third in a series of nationwide benefit readings for Los Angeles poet Will Alexander, who is undergoing cancer treatment without the aid of medical insurance. Originally from South L.A., Alexander, 59, received a PEN Oakland award this year for his fiction/nonfiction......
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Ozomatli, Weapon of Choice at HOB, 12/20/07

Rena Kosnett
Ozomatli, Weapon of Choice House of Blues, 12/20 I know it’s been said before but I’ll say it again: If heaven had to spit out a party band, it would be Ozomatli. They are the reigning kings of feel-good L.A. roots music. Aside from one lady in a black halter......
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Cave Singers at the Echo 12/4

Rena Kosnett
Cave Singers Echo, Dec. 4 To call a spade a spade: I’ve been listening to the Cave Singers album Invitation Songs an appreciable amount over the last few weeks. And listening, and listening, and listening… It’s become borderline monomaniacal; the show at the Echo last night, though, did not prove......
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Trash and Vaudeville

Rena Kosnett
Heavy Trash, Power Solo, Jail Weddings The Echo, November 10 I’m trying to understand why Jon Spencer is doing this. This egomaniacal vanity study called Heavy Trash, which I could take for ironic stagecraft if I didn’t think that his inflated id is all too authentic, is Jon Spencer’s current......
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Jon Spencer, Jail Weddings at the Echo, 11/10

Rena Kosnett
Heavy Trash, Jail Weddings The Echo, Nov. 10 Photos and review by Rena Kosnett I’m just trying to understand why Jon Spencer is doing this. This egomaniacal vanity study called Heavy Trash, which I could take for ironic stagecraft if I wasn’t under the impression that his inflated id is......
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The Black Lips at the Troubadour, 10/19/07

Rena Kosnett
(Photos by Rena Kosnett. Click here for more) The Troubadour got punked. The proliferation of stage jumpers, crowd surfers, beverage throwers, and scaffolding climbers that came out to see The Black Lips on Friday totally emasculated the Troubadour's large and normally austere bouncers. There were just too many crazy kids......
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Live in L.A.

Rena Kosnett
Beirut with Colleen and Alaska in Winter at Avalon, October 10 Zach Condon has the voice of a champion. Hearing Condon, the 21-year-old high school dropout/New Mexico native behind the powerful Balkan-klezmer music of Beirut, sing at Avalon last week helped me establish a personal contemporary poster child for the......
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Live in L.A.

Rena Kosnett
Beirut with Colleen and Alaska in Winter at Avalon, October 10 Zach Condon has the voice of a champion. Hearing Condon, the 21-year-old high school dropout/New Mexico native behind the powerful Balkan-klezmer music of Beirut, sing at Avalon last week helped me establish a personal contemporary poster child for the......
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Jerry Hopkins on Fred Neil

Rena Kosnett
Thanks to the suggestion of my friend Nacho Genzon, I have been listening quite a bit lately to Fred Neil, the American singer-songwriter of the 60's & 70's most regarded for penning the tune “Everybody's Talkin',” popularized by the use of the Harry Nilsson version in Midnight Cowboy. And thanks......
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Beirut at Avalon, 10/10

Rena Kosnett
Beirut Avalon, Oct 10, 2007 Words and photos by Rena Kosnett Zach Condon has the voice of a champion. Hearing Condon, the 21 year-old high school drop-out/New Mexico native behind the powerful Balkan-Klezmer arrangements of Beirut, sing at Avalon Wednesday night helped me establish a personal contemporary poster-child for the......