JT Spangler and Friends at Cat Club Last Night

Originally from the Louisiana, LA newcomer JT Spangler brought soulful melodies to the Sunset Strip last night, conveyed with a voice that silenced the room through moving a cappella and then guitar-driven acoustic love songs (for no one.)

Perhaps it was the small space, but it seems that there is a quality about JT’s voice that resonates even after he finishes the note; the lyrics, too, continue to exist in the room after their spoken.

In “Lullaby,” JT sings “Life don't make sense, she trades her youth to pay the rent, and she worries she'll break, cause she can't bend.” In “Impossible,” he declares “If I were a sculptor with my hands, I'd scrape away your demands, and cut on through, I'd mold the excess near perfection, It'd be just like you, but brand new.” Throughout all songs, lines appeared to rhyme effortlessly, creating a fluidity of sound that was a pleasure to witness.

Although storytelling is at the root of all of JT’s songs, he reminds the audience that his songs are not necessarily autobiographical. After all, it is not necessarily the job of an artist to put their life to music, but to observe experiences and place them into the context of art so they can go on to help others. As JT also suggested mid-performance, the songs don’t care about the original story – who was right, who was wrong, who was loved – they just are what they are; they are what the artist allows them to be.

In addition to featuring songs from his new EP “Love Songs for No One,” JT sang two well-chosen covers (Bill Withers’ Who Is He and Steve Wonder’s Never Had a Dream) and debuted new track “Good Morning, Baby,” about a kind of love that brightens all parts of the day and makes them worth celebrating.

Learn more about JT Spangler and hear samples at www.myspace.com/jtspanglermusic
or at www.jtspangler.com.


Surrounding JT’s performance at The Cat Club last night were short sets by fellow LA residents Isaac Johnson (acoustic/rock/pop), Chris Parish (folk/rock/alt), and the ever versatile Dave Yaden who was accompanied by acoustic/rock artist Curtis Peoples.

Announcing his brand new music video “Back Where I Started” (online now), and the release of his self-titled debut album due August 19 (CD party to be held at Roxy), Curtis presented a preview of the ten tracks born from a collaboration with some of the top pop/rock artists in the country (Ryan Tedder from One Republic and Tyler Hilton), as well as an individually strong capacity for songwriting and arranging.

Although Curtis is brand new to the LA music scene, he appears to have already found an audience and an identity. He knows exactly what he wants the listener to feel the then takes them there passionately. Also, for a new artist, he seems to have a very firm grasp on what kind of artist he desires to be. While each song has its own distinctive personality, they all work within the clearly defined breed of rock that is Curtis’ sound and vision. They manage to offer uniqueness and still be reliably great.

Learn more about Curtis People and hear samples at www.myspace.com/curtispeoples or at www.curtispeoples.com


A night of high caliber musicians ended with the consistently-impressive Dave Yaden, a multi-talented artist who has shared the stage with, produced and co-written with some of the world’s top performers and songwriters (Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, One Republic, Lady Antebellum, Marc Broussard, Josh Kelley, Tyler Hilton). With full album “Bear Me Up” due in August, Yaden’s music features piano and lyric-driven folk-rock songs that hit hard and keep you singing.

Looking around, I saw several people who trekked out to West Hollywood on a very late Tuesday night to see Dave and sing along carefully to every word. This is as much a testament to his growing and dedicated fan-base as it is to the accessible quality of his songs and passionate piano playing.

A rhythmic performer, Dave has the habit of pulling his arms away after giving them to the piano’s stronger chords, almost as if plucking a string instrument. He proves that simply because a performer is “stationary” at a keyboard, they can still be the most animated member of the stage. Literally, every move Dave makes during a show, whether striking a key or leaning into the mic, creates emphasis, creates an experience.

Stay tuned for more news on this exciting artist and his CD release. Learn more about Dave Yaden and hear samples at www.myspace.com/daveyaden or www.daveyaden.com.


Review by Bre Goldsmith ( www.bregoldsmith.com )