Song Spotlight: Madison Cunningham's All I've Ever Known

I first ran across Madison Cunningham at the Bootleg Theater (did not re-open after the shutdown if anyone is wondering where that venue is in Los Angeles). It was a venue that I first came across many a band or singer-songwriter. It was 2018 and this is what I wrote after the set:

"Opening up the night was Madison Cunningham. It kind of felt like a showcase for her. As soon as I walked into the Bootleg, the place was packed. It was around 8:45 p.m. so not like I was showing up late. Her set had a wonderful tone to it and one couldn't help but notice her amusing facial expressions that she gave her band mates."

Madison Cunningham at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Starling's Bottlebrush Tree

Starling took to the Zebulon stage with their mystically ethereal sound that emphasized lead singer's Kasha Souter Willett gothic and vulnerable persona. Bassist Grace Rolek could be seen swaying along with her bass. The venue kept the lights low (which isn't at all unusual for Zebulon) as if to emphasize a David Lynch Blue Velvet visual experience for the audience. 

Starling at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Robert DeLong's Fool Me Once

I came across Robert DeLong by chance in 2011. There was an event called Art Cycle LA that year. It was a combination of both biking and art. I personally don't own a bike, but I went anyways to participate in the art portion of the event. I happened to come across DeLong and I remember that he had his fans out. Jump to 2017 and he stole the show at the Sunstock Solar Festival. I wrote the following about the party atmosphere around his set, "The festival organizers brought out the balloons and a balloon party went on throughout the set. Some of the balloons would end up in the photo pit and various photographers would toss the balloons back into the eager crowd."

Robert DeLong at El Cid

Song Spotlight: Matty Gottesman's Not Scared (Of Being Along)

I had just recently spent a weekend at USC for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Of course, it was time to support UCLA. That occurred when I crossed paths with a Matty Gottesman, an UCLA student, via WFNM's showcase at Hotel Ziggy. He and his four piece backing band are all UCLA students (or maybe by the time this posts some will have graduated). I'm also guessing that their photographer was a UCLA student -- every so often I run into UCLA photographers at various venues who are shooting for UCLA Radio. 

Matty Gottesman at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Host Family's Dromedary

Pretty But Wicked put together a solid line-up at Zebulon on a Tuesday night with Host Family as the anchor. The band was celebrating the release of their EP Extended Play. I will admit that the reason I went out to Zebulon was to catch Mo Dotti for the first time in 2025; however, the whole bill was fantastic. Seko opened up the night. The band was joined at different points during the set by Host Family band members Spencer Stange and Zac Hernandez. 

Host Family at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Devon Ross' All the Things

I first came across Devon Ross in December 2023 at the Zebulon. I was an immediate fan. She was scheduled to once again play Zebulon in January 2025, but the night got cancelled due to the massive January fires in Los Angeles. I knew that the night would get rescheduled eventually so I kept an eye out. Finally, it was announced that there would be a Monday night set in May to help celebrate her single release "All the Things." Date was circled and I was there when it arrived. Of interest is that Longplayer was part of the bill for both that December 2023 set and this May 2025 set. 

Devon Ross at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Rachel Goodrich's Why Do We Fall In Love?

I noticed that Rachel Goodrich was playing Ryan Pollie's showcase at The Fable. There was a tough decision to make. That tough decision wasn't rather or not I was going to The Fable on a Tuesday night. No, the tough decision was what future night was getting cut out of my schedule. I'll repeat what I've written before, 2025 is dedicated to going out less often than I did in 2024. In 2024, I would not have made an adjustment to my schedule, but this being 2025 it means that unexpected surprises result in scratching a future planned music night. To say it this way: I really wanted to catch up with Goodrich again. 

Rachel Goodrich at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Mo Dotti's dead to me

Mo Dotti played perhaps their best set ever (of those I've seen) during Pretty But Wicked's recent night at the Zebulon. It was, as they describe on their website, noise pop (or others call shoe gaze) heaven. The band was opening for Host Family. Let's flash forward to the end of the set and their song "for anyone and you." Lead singer Gina Negrini went reaching for the tambourines. That got her band questioning her as she was supposed to play guitar. She responded saying that it would take too long to tune the guitar and she didn't want to impose on Host Family's time. I thought that was such a thoughtful gesture. That didn't stop the band from playing those guitar riffs that give the song such notable power. It also did not go unnoticed that Negrini took off her glasses for the song. 

Mo Dotti at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Sierra Levesque's U Are My Drug

Sierra Levesque hit the WFNM stage at Hotel Ziggy with a firecracker personality. She hails from Canada, but now lives in Santa Monica. She introducing herself with, "I'm mostly rock music so I'm going turn it up just a little bit for you guys." Then she kicked off the set with "Don't Make Me Repeat Myself." It had me thinking Heart 1985. 

Sierra Levesque at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Mac Hanson's Alfa Romeo

Mac Hanson used to play under the moniker Joshua & The Holy Rollers. I caught a set back in 2018 at The Hi Hat (current location of The Goldfish). It was a high energy set. I later caught a portion of a set while running and gunning at the 2019 Echo Park Rising. Fast forward to June 2025 and I was looking for something to do on a Sunday night. I happened to notice that Swyndle was doing a free night at Gold-Diggers. First off, I realized that I hadn't gone to Gold-Diggers yet in 2025 and the year was basically half way over. (Once I got to the venue, someone that I run across every so often at various venues mentioned that she hadn't see me at Gold-Diggers in a very long time. Totally true.) Also, I noticed that Mac Hanson was doing a Single Release party. I'm always good for an album, EP, or single release party. 

Mac Hanson at Gold-Diggers

Review: Romance is in the air for Blake Stokes and Liza

Okay, a good romance is always nice to see on the movie or television screen. It is a unique moment when you see it played out at a music venue that. That occurred at Hotel Ziggy during a WFNM night when significant others Blake Stokes and Liza (Aliza Kate Barlow) played back to back sets. 

Blake Stokes at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Lucy & La Mer's I Feel Better Now

I first came across Lucy & La Mer (the moniker for Lucy LaForge) in 2017 at Chinatown Summer Nights. I was immediately sold. And she must have been sold on my photography, because every so often I'd get asked if I wanted to shoot a show. 

Lucy & La Mer at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Ned Casual's Gentrification Blues

I was introduced to Ned Casual via his band Zooluxx. Their PR person reached out in late January 2020 about covering their set at the Moroccan Lounge. If you wish to do so, you can read the article here. The article posted on February 21st. It is interesting thinking back to those times. Just a couple weeks later, venues would shut down and stay shut down for more than a  year. 

Ned Casual at Harvard & Stone

Song Spotlight: BANDANNA's 10 Stories

I really do enjoy catching the opening band or singer when I head out on any particular night. One never knows if you'll catch a gem. Then there are those times when I walk into a venue (often because I've misjudged the start times) and the opening band is just about to end their set. That's what happened when I saw Gypsum for the first time at The Smell. I caught maybe half a song, but I knew I was going to love that band from that moment onwards. Now some of you who come across this are saying, who is Gypsum? Members of the band included Rosie Tucker and  Sapphire Jewell (who tours with illuminati hotties). 

BANDANNA at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Artificial Go's Circles

Did a band from Cincinnati, Ohio steal the show at Permanent Records Roadhouse? Maybe I wouldn't go that far as they were book ended by Los Angeles bands Julez and the Rollerz and Jagged Baptist Club who have their fan bases. Yet, Artificial Go definitely got the crowd behind them and in rather quick fashion. How would I describe the band? I'll just steal the description from their Bandcamp page, "existential post-punk chamber pop."

Artificial Go at Permanent Records Roadhouse