NFV Song Spotlight: Jesika Von Rabbit's Psychic Spice

I don't get to catch Jesika Von Rabbit all that often. I first came across her in the band Gram Rabbit in 2011. One has to jump to 2019 before I caught her again, now performing under the name Jesika Von Rabbit. That is very infrequent, but throughout my years in the Los Angeles music scene, I've often wondered when I'd get to catch another set. Jump to 2024 and I happened to notice that she was doing a Saturday night residency at  Harvard & Stone for the month of October. I knew I had to make it to at least one night of that residency.

Jessica Von Rabbit at Harvard & Stone

NFV Song Spotlight: Essenger's After Dark

Jesika Von Rabbit has a Saturday night residency for the month of October 2024 at Harvard & Stone. I was aiming to go to the October 12th residency, but I happened to notice that Halo Kitsch was playing an outdoor street festival and I decided to catch that set instead and switch to seeing Jesika Von Rabbit on the 19th. That was a good trade off, because I got to catch Essenger. I'm doing a round about way to get to Essenger, but when I first saw the night's line-up, I thought Jesika Von Rabbit was playing with the Los Angeles band Essencer. I took a closer look at the name and realized there was a "g" versus a "c."

Essenger at Harvard & Stone

NFV Song Spotlight: Boy Deluxe's Bait

I've followed Boy Deluxe since 2017. At the time, the band was called Ever So Android and they'd just relocated from Seattle. I was perhaps the first Los Angeles based photographer to catch one of their sets. I was an immediate fan of Hope S and True Murra and have seen them numerous times over the years. This year, I've seen them 3 times. And, hey, those who have a somewhat deep history of the Los Angeles music scene remember the jokes that Hope S and Kimi Recor (Black Flamingo, Draemings, Kevin, etc) were sisters.

Boy Deluxe at the Regent Theater

NFV Song Spotlight: March Adstrum's Relics from Phantoms

March Adstrum recently played the Harvard & Stone stage. I came across her in 2023 at The Smell. She started to play in other bands that I enjoy such as Magnolia and Valley Porno People. She's also in a band called Optometry that I've yet to see.  

March Adstrum at Harvard & Stone

NFV Song Spotlight: Ouch!'s Bitter Host

In early September, Ouch! hit the stage first at The Fable on the same night that Janelane played. It was a more than appropriate line-up as Ouch! reminded me of early Janelane. The band hails from Oakland and is fronted by Ryann Gonsalves. Based on her Instagram page, Ouch! is just one of the four bands that she is in. 

Ouch! at The Fable

NFV Song Spotlight: The Doohickeys' This Town Sucks

I've followed The Doohickeys for a bit over a year now. The band duo includes Haley Spence Brown and Jack Hackett. I first came across the band at Americana West Music Festival in 2023 and I got addicted immediately. What got me addicted to this band? Well, as per the title of this blog post, it would be their song "This Town Sucks." I just couldn't help but laugh back in 2023. I also grew up in a small town. The song is about Liberty, Missouri which currently has a population of around 31,000 and is where Brown grew up. The city I grew up in also had a population of around that size. 

The Doohickeys at the Bigfoot Lodge

NFV Song Spotlight: Jessy Fury and The Sound's Heaven

Jessy Fury and The Sound is the project of Jesse Robitaille and they recently played Hotel Ziggy. Robitaille's vocals bring his pop tunes to life. He projects an Elvis Presley reincarnation, but mixed in with pop sounds of the late 80s / early 90s. On this night, the band did toss in a Presley cover song. His backing band is selected to create energy. Emily Dickinson on the keytar and Aubrey Harris on bass amplified and synergized perfectly with Robitaille. Let's not forget the beats and tracks of Declan O'Raidy. The packed house ate it up. 

Jessy Fury and The Sound at Hotel Ziggy