Robert Francis Archives - musings from boston

It's a mystery what happened to Rademacher, but I hope they ride into L.A. magically around Echo Park Rising time this month for a 'sekrit show'

What started with a small and serene handful of indie bands has become a busy army of multicolored, many-tentacled octopi. Yes, it’s time for the third installment in my four-part Eastside L.A. midyear band round-up. If you’re wondering what Pisces (Sarah Negahdari), Pretty Flowers, Princeton, Radar Brothers, Radars to the Sky, Rademacher, Robert Francis, Sara Radle, Seasons, Sea Wolf and Shadow Shadow Shade have been up to, read on.

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The Infamous Eastside L.A. 2013 Roundup, part II

By julie

On January 5, 2013

In Indie Music

A few bands with new albums out this year: The Happy Hollows, The Airborne Toxic Event (Anna & Noah at Osheaga) and Radar Bros.

I hope you enjoyed part I of the Eastside L.A. 2013 Roundup. In part II, we pick up where we left off, with the lovely Miss Sarah Negahdari‘s side project, Pisces.

Same rules apply. If the last update was last summer and not a word since then, I’m going to call the band MIA and assumed gone or on extended hiatus, unless I hear otherwise. Confirmed as defunct: Shadow Shadow Shade and Walking Sleep.

We continue now with the rest of our roundup. Good night, and good luck. >>

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Robert Francis – Strangers In The First Place

By julie

On June 3, 2012

In Indie Music

Just a few words in honor of Robert Francis’s lovely new album, Strangers In The First Place (Vanguard Records). It’s personal and romantic, with finely-crafted arrangements of strings and horns, lap steel and harmonica, and Robert’s timeless, smooth and soaring vocals. Watch and listen as he describes the recording process and sample tastes of this wonderful work. | KCET Interview

Honest and straight-from-the-heart, on this, the follow-up to 2009’s Before Nightfall, there is a perfect integration of words and music and a lyrical sophistication that suggests a songwriter much further down the road. A class act. Robert’s playing U.S. dates through the end of this month; then it’s off to Europe through July.

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Eastside L.A. Roundup – Part II of II

By julie

On February 16, 2012

In Indie Music

Sarah Negahdari (photo by Zoe-Ruth Erwin), Robert Francis, The Henry Clay People

Continuing on with part II of my Eastside L.A. Bands 2012 Roundup. Again, I’m only including artists who either are doing significant touring this year, or who have a new album just out, very recently out, or are working on something. If I’ve missed anyone or something big, please let me know. I’m going to bed now. Goodnight and good luck.

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Robert Francis, Lawrence Arabia, and Fanfarlo @ the Paradise ~ April 11, 2010

By julie

On April 30, 2010

In Reviews

Robert Francis at the Paradise, Boston

A warm, gentle breeze has been blowing in from the West, sweeping awesome L.A. artists into town like an unpredictable weather pattern blowing exotic birds in from off their usual migration path. Ok well, it’s kinda like that. It’s also the case that a growing number of the Silverlake/Echo Park area bands that I’ve regularly featured here have been (rightfully) achieving wider success and have been madly touring all over the f’ing place. Robert Francis is one of those artists; a thoughtful and personal singer-songwriter strongly steeped in folk tradition, but rocking out more since last year’s Before Nightfall. He’s been back and forth between Europe and the U.S. so much lately, it’s more likely you’ll see him in Boston – or Brussels for that matter – than in his native Los Angeles.

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Eastside L.A. Update – February 12, 2010

By julie

On February 12, 2010

In Gigs, Indie Music, Music News

A few of the bands with new albums out this year: Avi Buffalo (photo by Jeff Antebi); Castledoor; Shadow Shadow Shade (center photo by Alex Gallardo, Los Angeles Times - August 6, 2009); Local Natives (photo by Benjamin Hoste); and The Deadly Syndrome.

There’s been lots of exciting stuff going on for my favorite Eastside L.A. bands, which I first profiled in my “Silverlake Roundup” – Part One and Part Two. I’ll be including those I have some info. for; if I’m leaving anything out (or got anything wrong), please let me know. Stay tuned for a batch of new bands from – or who regularly play at clubs – in this area (which, to be technically accurate, comprises Silverlake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, etc.). But for now, read on…

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Silverlake Band Update! (Part 2) – September 16, 2009

By julie

On September 16, 2009

In Gigs, Indie Music

Here’s part 2 of my Silverlake update, featuring such bands as Rademacher, Silversun Pickups The Deadly Syndrome, The Happy Hollows, and The Henry Clay People (and lots more).

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Band Roundup, part I – August 17, 2009

By julie

On August 17, 2009

In Band Profiles, Indie Music

I’ve got some serious catching up to do. After my “mini-festival-weekend” now two weeks ago (which included Boston’s Best Music Poll and the WBRU/McFadden’s block party in Providence), it took me all the following week to assemble my plethora of notes, photos and video clips into a few reviews. Since then I’ve been trying to catch up with a backlog of MySpace requests, emails and bands I’ve been meaning to check out.

What I’ve decided to do, rather than have to choose (from a wide variety of some great or at least interesting music) which bands to do profiles on, is to have periodic “band roundups”, where I’ll write shorter profiles, much like I did during the Coachella Festival. Since I’ve got over 20 bands to get to here, I’ll do this in bite-size chunks, rather than assault you with yet another of my massive tomes.

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screams, whispers and songs from planet earth

Tag: Robert Francis

The (Infamous) Eastside L.A. 2013 Midyear Round-up! (part III)

The Infamous Eastside L.A. 2013 Roundup, part II

Robert Francis – Strangers In The First Place

Eastside L.A. Roundup – Part II of II

Robert Francis, Lawrence Arabia, and Fanfarlo @ the Paradise ~ April 11, 2010

Eastside L.A. Update – February 12, 2010

Silverlake Band Update! (Part 2) – September 16, 2009

Band Roundup, part I – August 17, 2009