See Dropped Jaws at Shane Alexander's Hotel Cafe Show on 3/29

An incredible indie acoustic rock performer!

Here's why...

Three albums into his career, Shane Alexander's music shares stories of the world, hope, change and love. I would gladly take his latest album "The Sky Below" as my only cd on a cross-country drive- this would give me just enough time to linger upon each song's word and wear down the steering wheel leather with repeated finger tapping.

Live, Shane is extremely approachable and humble, despite his startling vocal range and soulful romantic rhythm. If you're left thinking to yourself: "Have I heard this guy before?", its only because his music is what you've been subconsciously longing to hear for many many years.

Learn about Shane at www.myspace.com/shanealexander or go to www.shanealexandermusic.com

Sally Jaye to Perform at Hotel Cafe on 3/24

See a beautiful performance: Sally Jaye!

Here's why...

After departing from the eclectic and ever-soulful Paper Sun, Sally Jaye recently launched a poignant solo album that promises to melt hearts and turn heads. Although I to resist applying a metaphor to an artist who is, at times, more beautiful than poetry, I can't help likening Sally's new album "Amarillo" to a very hot cup of tea: wonder how it can be so steamy and wholesome at the same; borrow from it when you're in need of warmth, soothing, or the shot of caffeine that will push you to do better things; sit very still with it for a while and it'll reflect a clear view of yourself.

Although it is often stated that an album can transport the listener- to happier times, to a place where all that matters in life is a song and a dream- Sally's sound is unusual in that it combines edgy city-inspired writing with the kind of familial story-telling that can only be born from porch swings by sunset in Georgia. Scenes from her life, which are spread between the South and two coasts, between six guitar strings and your ears, are so graphic that while you are listening, you must remind yourself that you are not actually driving across state lines, do not actually feel the dust from cotton fields in your face, are not dancing across your lover's floor in a satin dress, cannot feel the beat and heat of Sunset boulevard.

Take her honesty and voice and let them break your heart in one song and reconstruct it in the next. Above all though, do not take this artist for granted. With good people behind her and a spotlight ahead, fans should await much deserved growth from Sally Jaye, and as a result of this growth, many many more incredible songs.

Check out Sally Jaye at www.myspace.com/sallyjaye and purchase "Amarillo" at www.cdbaby.com.

Jackie Tohn Celebrates New Album at Hotel Cafe on 3/25

Let Jackie Tohn Entertain You at Hotel Cafe!

Here's why...

Jackie Tohn is unlike any performer I've ever had the privilege of seeing live. Her shows, which are part stand-up comedy, part intense guitar playing and part heart-breakingly raw vocals, will remind you of the stark difference between "live" & "album."
The only way to describe Jackie Tohn's command of stage and captivation of audience would be to paint her as ten feet tall supermodel, rather than the very petite and effortlessly gorgeous girl who resists convention and pigeon-holing like a plague. Listening to her lyrics, which often center around everyday life, encourages one to find melodies in their own casual experiences: a breakup, a birthday, a missed train. On the deeper end of her albums, there are songs that confound logic for their ability to convey such profundity with few and simple words. If you're opposed to the type of wrinkles that come from intense smiling and laughter, stay away. If not, listen, repeat, repeat.

Check out Jackie Tohn's music at www.jackietohn.com, www.myspace.com/jackietohn or www.youtube.com/jackietohn

See Jenni Alpert Grace the Stage at Unurban Cafe on 3/22

Come see Jenni at Unurban on 3/22!

Here's why...

Jenni Alpert is a magnificently soulful artist who has been creating and sharing music her whole life. Let her music into your world and you'll wonder how someone who you hardly know can understand and identify your daily struggles, frustrations, loves and triumphs so brilliantly. Her sound offers the "effortless listening" that can accompany and feed you as you walk/crawl/run through your day- yet there is really nothing simple about it; after 5 albums, 2 live recordings and the advanced instrumental combinations that can only come with half-a-lifetime of dedication to one's craft, Jenni has a strong grasp on how each song's word, guitar string, piano key and drumbeat will affect the listener. After one track, you'll be grateful that she takes so much care to accomplish this complexity. After a whole cd, the traffic and confusion around you will melt to the point where all you can reasonably do is click repeat.

Come see Jenni before she runs to Paris and beyond.

Check her music out at www.myspace.com/jennialpert or www.jennialpert.com

Tony Lucca Will Rock Hotel Cafe on 3/15

Come see Tony Lucca Rock Hotel Cafe!

Here's why...

From the opening bars of Tony's songs, he grabs you and throws a series of beautiful and sometimes startling mental images your way. Give in to the beat of the music and you will soon find yourself unknowingly grooving in your chair, shifting shoulders and picturing that the lights are a bit dimmer and bluer than they actually are. An unparalelled lyricist, Tony names human conditions relating to everything from love to current socio-political events. Perhaps these words manage to verbalize your own internal dialogue or give voice to feelings you hardly knew you had; perhaps they challenge your views or even make you swoon; regardless, one thing is for sure: this artist is sultry and timeless. He rocks hard enough to warrant serious attention from the plugged-in-scene, yet is eloquent enough to touch even the most poetic acoustic music listener. If you try too hard to classify Tony though, you'll fail to relax into the beautiful experience that is every track. So, keep an open mind, grab a tumbler of something strong and get ready to be phenomenally inspired.

Check out Tony Lucca at www.myspace.com/tonylucca or www.tonylucca.com. Also, check out clips of live shows on youtube.com

Chris Pierce to Peform at Viper Room on 3/20

Come see Chris Pierce at Viper Room!

Here's why....

When Chris Pierce leans into the mic and sings the opening line of a song, one feels sorry for anyone who is not in the room at that moment. His vocal styling, guitar playing and harmonica are electrifying. They resurrect and honor some of the great soul artists of decades past but with a very modern twist. At times, Chris will hold a note so long that one wonders if he will ever ever inhale- when he does though, beware: there are astounding things to come.

Additionally, Chris is likely one of the most personable and passionately-spoken entertainers on the music scene today; a short conversation will be filled with positive words of gratitude- for his audience, the craft itself and the endless beauty in the world that is just waiting to be captured. If he could thank each audience member with a hug and still make it out before the club closes, he probably would. All this to a performer who has played to crowds of 20,000 and shared the stage with everyone from Macy Gray to Al Green, Seal and Ben Harper.
When Chris does grace a local stage, such as Viper Room, consider it a privilege to see such an accomplished artist and a truly great man.

Check Chris Pierce out online at www.myspace.com/chrispierce or at www.chrispierce.com

March 4- Jim Bianco Rocked Hotel Cafe and Released "Sing"

With a trumpet, drums, piano, guitar, bass, accordion and a fierce-looking saxophone, Jim Bianco turned up the sex factor on the small red Hotel Café stage to a level that rivaled Harvelles on a packed night. Jim's energetic lyrics were sung in a way that allowed each audience member to drink them and linger upon them- savoring each like the last bit of whiskey stuck to melting cubes of ice.

Certain special efforts designed to hook the crowd exemplified the seasoned performance skills that give Jim star quality: Creating beats with heavy breath that mimicked some of the unmentionable acts of his songs; halting his voice at the height of crescendo to have a long hungry silence; carrying the entire band offstage and into the middle of the crowd to invite listeners to "sing" along. The diverse audience, which was still buzzing from Keaton Simons earlier set, readily ate up every one of these tactics, hooting and whistling for just one more note.

Although Jim had proven his prowess by the end of the first number, each subsequent song firmed his versatility and the multiple musical styles that he has incorporated seamlessly. If the already crowded stage could have permitted back-up dancers, the range of songs would have required costumes spanning from burlesque lingerie to a red flamenco dress, a black leather ensemble, or nothing at all.

Lyrics offered a similarly impressive diversity- one song claiming jealousy of the sun for touching his lover long enough to warm her; another asking for a leash to keep him from the beast of lust; and a harder-toned number written with an unsettled mind and foot on the pedal as he offered his own soul for sale.

After seeing dozens of "quieter" shows at the little Hotel that can, it was refreshing to watch the microphone and the floor worked a good deal harder as people clapped, jumped and swooned for the idea of being loved as desperately as the woman of focus in Jim's self-proclaimed "sexier" tracks. After last night, there are surely many more believers in the sultry, sophisticated, rocked-out and electric world that is the "Sing" album. Hotter than a bullet leaving a gun, Jim is positioned to fire an endless array of talent at the US music scene, Europe and beyond.

The First Blog - Welcome

As the LA Acoustic Music Meetup begins to turn its wheels and move forward as a vehicle for promoting locally-based talent, I thought I'd write a bit more about my goals and opinions regarding the exploding community of music creators, appreciators, managers and producers that populate this wonderful city of angels that we call home. As someone who is new to the LA music scene (but certainly not new to music-adoration in general), observation has brought many mixed emotions: excitement for artists who challenge our standards for the amount of talent that one person can offer, hope and confidence for musicians who appear to be just two fingers from reaching major success, admiration for performers that appear to be just as proud for having played to and touched an audience of one versus a crowd of 1,000, frustration for people who force themselves to smile and buckle in daily to the rollercoaster that is the music industry and the current economy.

As someone who has spent my short life marketing and creating results for struggling companies/products in a variety of industries, I figured that surely there was somehow that I could help. After all, objectively speaking, what is a commercial artist and their talent but a message waiting to be expressed, received and enjoyed? The same principles of marketing apply: it can be the best product in the world but if no one knows about it, only the creator benefits.

SO, WHAT BUILDS AWARENESS? In this internet-focused age that is driven by search-engine-optimization, online communities and blogging, text is power. Traditional PR placement has gone the way of the VHS- it no longer matters as much if you're featured in Time magazine versus if you have one brilliant quote that travels virally around the world. Also, community is essential. We no longer operate within just one village as our ancestors did. Our world is large, sprawling and at times overwhelming. As much as we long to explore, it is human nature to crave communities based on a similar interest. These communities are simply waiting to be discovered, united and inspired. And, as we all know, once even a small group of people with a common passion are brought together, word of mouth is like an unstoppable electricity.

That being said, the LA Acoustic Music Meetup aims to create an online and real-time community of people who are all passionate about creating, appreciating and celebrating acoustically-driven music. It will focus on specific up-and-coming artists who stand at critical points on their path to fame and recognition.

The Myspace site (www.myspace.com/laacousticmeetup) will provide important blog/comment space to review new artists and describe why they are worthy of placement on our already flooded radars. The Meetup website (http://acoustic.meetup.com/91) will support this by serving as a tool to promote these artists' local shows to a growing community of interested members. Please feel free to submit suggestions on artists who deserve special attention and I'll do my best to review them / promote them accordingly.

All of the text that is written on either space is free for the taking, so as a note to artists reading this: feel free to borrow any quotes for your own marketing campaigns, as long as they are attributed to the author. This is what the text was created for.
Finally, let me remind you that if you are reading this, you are just as important to this vehicle as I am. If you see a great artist, do not keep it a secret. If you love music and support the idea of this Meetup, pass it on.

Thanks for reading and please come introduce yourself to me at an upcoming show.