The Laundry Shop Live at The Viper Room in Hollywood, CA
Be sure to check out THE LAUNDRY SHOP and their upcoming album “Exit at Salvation”
Photography By: Shane Suski |Ambassador of Photography | San Diego, CA| @shanewithmwl | Beat-Play and Music Without Labels, LLC
If you haven’t heard Hanni El Khatib’s debut album, “Will the Guns Come Out,” do yourself a huge favor and buy this album. El Khatib grew up in San Francisco, where he was an accomplished skate boarder and director of the skateboard fashion label HUF. He’s now based in L.A. where he’s turning out some of the most badass new blues rock music I’ve heard since The White Stripes. Others have taken notice, as Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) is set to produce Khatib’s upcoming second album.
“Come Alive” is the kind of amazing that causes your body to make awkward jerky movements whether you want it to or not. The lyrics, guitar, and drums, all work together to create a fantastic driving beat throughout. While El Khatib’s subject matter isn’t ground breaking, it’s his descriptions and word choice that set the songs apart. The lyrical structure is more akin to Hip Hop than rock.
“You Rascal You” is a straightforward song about how happy Hanni is going to be when the guy that’s been sneaking around with his wife is dead. “I’ll be standing on the corner full of gin, when they bring your dead body in. I’ll be glad when you’re dead you rascal you.” You can’t argue with logic like this.
“I Got A Thing” is a punk-ish, fuzzed out cover of the Funkadelic classic. It’s a far cry from the happy-go-lucky hand-holding original. You may remember this song from a Nike commercial that aired during last year’s NBA finals.
Written By: Jordan Prather | Ambassador of Tucson | Jordan Prather | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC
The Lonely Forest Live at The Fox Theater in Pomona, CA
Be sure to check out the exclusive MWL LIVE interview with THE LONELY FOREST
Photography By: Shane Suski |Ambassador of Photography | San Diego, CA| @shanewithmwl | Beat-Play and Music Without Labels, LLC
The Dead Weather, Rome, The Raconteurs, The White Stripes. As music fans I’m not going to tell you what music to like or dislike, but if you have never heard of any of the bands/ projects I just noted you need to check yourself. Jack White has been making music as a member of these entities for at least a decade. Most recently he has formed a new band, well actually two and put out his first solo offering called ‘Blunderbuss’. I’m sure most of you have this record already, but for those who do not it’s time to go to music church with one of the best artists making music today.
This record makes a lot of sense. I guess that’s a weird thing to say about Jack White and his music, but it does. He has explored the realm of rock duo shredding on drums and guitar with the White Stripes. He has formed a great blues/ rock and roll band in the Raconteurs and tried his hand at drums in The Dead Weather. He even created a film score to a film that doesn’t exist with Danger Mouse. With this new solo record a lot of it sounds like how Jack himself has wanted to sound for a while. A record all his own that sounds like it was one part written in his studio while experimenting with awesome sounds and one part written on his porch in Nashville, TN.
Jack is currently on tour with two bands. What? At his recent Webster Hall show which was streamed live on youtube (say thank you, because I worked my ass off on it) he played his first set with an all female band called The Peacocks and then closed out the show with an all male band called Los Buzzardos. I don’t think anyone has ever done that before and I’m sure there will be some skeptics, but having watched the show I think it worked perfectly. He weaved in and out of covers from his past bands and crushed the new material like he’d been playing it for years. My favorite song on the new record is called ‘Sixteen Saltines’ it is by far the most rocking compared to a tune like ‘Blunderbuss’.
He opened the show with my favorite White Stripes song called ‘Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground’.
In my opinion it was the best way to open when was about to be a two hour marathon of hits. His catalog is so complex and has so much depth with any different styles of music playing a piano tune and then rocking out to say ‘Seven Nation Army’ to close the show made total sense. The songs work and as a whole the album “Blunderbuss” makes so much musical sense to me. One track that stands out for me that I can’t get out of my head is called ‘Love Interruption’. On first listen I thought it was a simple, bubbly love song while instead it actually an incredibly dark and deep love song. It’s a stand out for me because melodically I think the song is genius and lyrically is on the level with some of Jack’s best material.
As I said before Jack closed the show with the punch of The Raconteurs ‘Carolina Drama’, ‘Seven Nation Army’, and a Leadbelly cover called ‘Goodnight Irene’. It was awesome to see that he still acknowledges the music that has got him to this point in his amazing career. Jack is currently touring with both The Peacocks and Los Buzzardos although each band is not playing every night of the tour. He is going to be at the Wiltern for two nights in LA at the end of this month. I’m pretty sure it sold out faster than it took me to write this sentence, but if you’re lucky enough to have tickets (I do, tee hee hee) then I’ll see you there. Tour dates are here if you want to have a look at where else you might be able to catch a glimpse of one of the truest troubadours of the 21st century. The set list below is what Jack has been playing most nights of the tour or at least an abbreviation of that. This set is from the Webster Hall show. He doesn’t play with a set list so its hard to tell what you are going to get. He hasn’t played many dates yet but this set list should give you an idea of why you should pay big money to see this live.
Set 1: The Peacocks
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
(The White Stripes song)
10. Take Me With You When You Go
Set 2: Los Buzzardos
As always here is the last track from Jack Whites most recent solo release. It’s incredible.
13 Take Me with You When You Go
For more on all things music check me out on twitter @stevewithmwl. I’ll be heading to more music festivals and events this summer and I want to meet some of the music without labels readers so hit me up!
By: Steve Rippin | Beat-Play Ambassador Los Angeles | @stevewithMWL|Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC
Last Friday was an amazing night in Pomona! We were officially out of San Diego, and for me, it felt like the “real” beginning of the tour. We met up with Portugal. The Man, The Lonely Forest, ate free tacos and well.. I had lots of free drinks compliments of Jager VIP. As promised here is our video with Zach Carothers from Portugal. The Man!
By: Katie McVeay| Spokesperson |Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC | crookedsunshine
Washed Out live at The Music Box in Hollywood, CA
Click the pic for more WASHED OUT concert shots!
Be sure to check out Washed Out!!
Photography By: Shane Suski |Ambassador of Photography | San Diego, CA| @shanewithmwl | Beat-Play and Music Without Labels, LLC
The MWL Live Tour 2012 has begun and our first stop is Los Angeles, California! We had the opportunity to meet up with The Lonely Forest and Portugal. The Man at the historical Fox Theater in Pomona on Friday and caught Washed Out at The Music Box last night. Watch the video interview with Eric and Braydn from TLF above and check back tomorrow for the video interview with Zach from Portugal. The Man!
By: Katie McVeay| Spokesperson |Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC | crookedsunshine
