Schmindie Friday! Sparrow's Gate and Alana Amram

FEATURED ARTISTL SPARROW'S GATE official site myspace [MP3] Sparrow's Gate - Heart Beat I wanted to get a quick post off before I headed to New York City. It's Friday. I've had a rough week, but slowly it's getting better - due in large part to the discovery of two new acts that have renewed my lust for music (yeah, yeah I know I say that everyday, but I MEAN IT EVERYTIME!). I spent a fair amount of time with these gentlemen in the last week or so in my travels through the great state of Utah. Sparrow's Gate were Briertone's tour companions on the Something Sacred Fall Tour. Not only are the gents of Sparrow's Gate some of the nicest people you will ever meet, but they play some pretty kick-ass Rock N' Roll. Singer Zebedee Zaites raspy vocals and charismatic swagger complement soaring Petty-esque guitars in an almost seemless marriage of modern structure and classic style. On stage every member of the band look so stoked just to be up there doing what they love and sharing it with the world. It's hard not to watch them play without perma-grin infecting your face. BEWARE - you'll wear that smile for weeks to come. Their songs make you want to hop on stage, stomp your feet, and sing-a-long - even if you don't know the words. It's so refreshing to see a band who seem to love music more than me. Trust me, for an MP3 blogger that's hard to beat. Sparrow's Gate live show usually doesn't stop after their set. The band has been to know to start impromptu parking lot hoedown's - an event I witness in St. George, UT last week. Just imagine all 4 members of Sparrow's Gate, the fellers of Briertone, a few friends on percussion and a crowd of perplexed onlookers watching the raggedy bunch of troubadours atop of a pair of tour vans singing folk songs as loud as they can into to crisp desert air. 4 songs in they were shut down by the venue owner (yeesh, sleepy towns man) - but everyone who witnessed the event left with a happy heart. It was great. Sparrow's Gate recently recorded a new EP and will be putting it out this winter on Something Sacred. Upon returning from the fall tour the band posted a track from the release on their myspace page. You can download it above. Orange County folk can see Sparrow's Gate in action Dec. 11th at The Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa. Check the band's myspace page for more show dates. ALANA AMRAM [MP3] Alana Amram & The Rough Gems - Painted Lady [MP3] Alana Amram & The Rough Gems - Blackest Crow I came back to work after going to check out the new ZUNE mp3 player. I sat down at my desk expecting to just print out my boarding pass and go. I started searching on a few blogs and after a few random clicks I fell upon what could possibly be my new music discovery of 2006: ALANA AMRAM. Alana Amram's country heart makes her a diamond in the rough amid the bright lights of the Brooklyn skyline. Her lyric's are simply fantastic and that haunting voice with a hint of wavering beauty behind every note just hits me straight down to the core. I started crying while listening to "Painted Lady." I'm serious. I was sitting at my desk like a blubbering fool. This is country rock n' roll at its absolute finest and I hope she soon makes her way out to LA! The Tripwire caught her Mercury Lounge show the other night and had nothing but glowing things to say. Well, I'm finally off! See you in the city!! TONIGHT IN LOS ANGELES: Lupe Fiasco @ Key Club Velella Velella, Point Juncture, Bodies of Water, Gift Machine @ Knitting Factory, Alterknit Islands @ Henry Fonda Ima Robot, Whitestarr, Hairbrain Scheme @ The Roxy Petra Haden & The Sell Outs @ Getty Center Kid Koala, Fog, Flying Lotus @ The Echo The Wrens, Asobi Seksu @ Troubadour Brand New Heavies @ El Rey Theatre Deftones @ Avalon Hollywood The Rapture, The Presets @ Glass House Gliss @ Amoeba Ben Taylor + Sonya Kitchell, Meiko, Trading Yesterday, Cooper @ Hotel Cafe The Shocker (w/ Jennifer Finch of L7), Horace Weintraub, The UV's, Black Furs @ The Scene Bar Abe Vigoda, Foot Foot, Maria, Jeremy Jay, Oh Home @ The Smell Tara Jane O'Neil, Sir Richard Bishop, Gena Rowlands Band, Thailand @ El Cid - $10 Rose Hill Drive, Gosling, The Singles, The Robins @ Club Spaceland SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11TH The Apex Theory @ Troubadour Skyscraper Frontier, Writer, Gabriel Garcia @ Pehrspace Easy Action, Year Long Disaster, Dolemite Project, Falling Sky, Lights @ The Scene Bar, Glendale Captain Ahab, The New Flesh, Pedestrian Deposit, Warhammer 48K, Night Wounds Son Of Dad @ The Smell Anathallo, Page France, Tiny Lights @ Club Spaceland Pink Martini @ The Wiltern Ben Taylor + Sonya Kitchell, The Bittersweets @ Hotel Cafe The Shys, Eastern Conference Champions, Tawny Ellis @ Safari Sam's SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12TH Tokyo Police Club, 120 Days, The Lovely Feathers @ The Echo - $5 Sage Francis, Mac Lethal @ Troubadour Molecules, The Electromagnetic, Eastern State Champions @ Club Spaceland - FREE! JAX - The Rock Insider