Luke Sundquist Of Jalopy Goes Solo @ Room 5 Lounge, Los Angeles

Photo Credit: Jalopy

01.12.10 -- Luke Sundquist, co-guitarist and singer of the acoustic rock-Americana band Jalopy, put on a very solid solo concert for a Tuesday night at Room 5 Lounge. The audience sat with what seemed like a room of unblinking spectators holding domestic brew, sipping merlot, downing Jack N’ Cokes, listening to the sounds of “Breakin Down My Mind” and a tasty new jam, “All I Need Now”.

The songs “When You Can’t Find Love” and “Days That Disappear” sent me reminiscing about a familiar sadness while being in love or finding it. “Right Where You Begin” lured the audience into a vulnerable and honest outlook on love, giving the audience some ear cuddling hope “where even losers win”. Luke dedicated the song “My Love” to a friend in the audience who had Luke sing it at his wedding. The glow radiating from each of the glass kaleidoscope candles was helping everyone get a little gushy and sentimental. Like if someone was to take a picture and blurred its edges with Room 5’s familiar warm wood feel and rich red furnishings.

To balance all this sentiment we were led into the more laid back and catchy tone of my favorite song, “Calihustle”. The feel of the song sent me into a memory of Jack Kerouac’s novel “On The Road” and uplifted the room into a more playful turn of events. Three cover songs were played – Lyle Lovett’s “If I Had A Boat”, Jamey Johnson’s “In Color”, and Ray LaMontagne’s “Jolene”.  Luke introduced Lovett’s “If I Had A Boat” as a “cowboy song” and dedicated “Jolene” to “the sound man and the bartenders”. How graciously Ryan Adams (circa Whiskeytown) of him.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jalopymusic

Jalopy @ The Viper Room in October!

I've already seen them live at Genghis Cohen and they were amazing! Please go and show some support for these guys! Having a show at The Viper Room just screams that they're probably going to be playing really REALLY loudly.

Flyer art by @kidPEACE from kpeace designs

Follow Jalopy on Twitta! @JalopyMusic

Jalopy MySpace here!

♫ Jalopy & Friends - Genghis Cohen - 09/16/09

Genghis Cohen’s Fairfax 9ish pm – I walked through GCs big wooden door and made a bee line for the bar. After ordering a rum and coke from the smallest bar top on the block, I finally took in the scenery and the crowd. Maybe it just seemed crowded because everyone was trying to get a drink all at once or it was the buzz in the air surrounding Jalopy’s special guest, Samantha Ronson. While there was still enough personal space to go around, the group I was with quickly relocated to the concert room ($7 entry).

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

A fiery elegance and warm familiarity surrounded me when I walked into the room. The interior spoke volumes about the room. It was like the room said you’ve arrived to a Wednesday night music service and that we should get ready for an acoustic sermon. Jalopy & Friends began setting up instruments and took up nearly every crevice of the soap box sized stage (not the smallest, but close). The audience sipped their drinks ($6 beer on tap, $7 rum & coke, $9 scotch) and waited for the show to start.

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

Song by Song:

Luke, lead singer and guitarist, took to the mic and opened up the set with “When You Can’t Find Love”. The clear acoustic plucking and humble voice reminded me of Conor Oberst, Elliott Smith, and a little John Mayer. 


“Anne Marie” has this masculine vulnerability, but maintains this sense of honesty while being stubborn (circa Ryan Adams “When Will You Come Back Home”). 


The song “Cali Hustle” definitely got the Cali stamp of approval. I can’t find it anywhere on YouTube. So, if you’re reading this, members of Jalopy, please post footage of this song. 


During "Right Where You Begin” I noticed that there’s this really easy feel to the dynamics of the band. The acoustics of the room set the drums, bass, and guitars off! The audience could hear each layer of music delivered with a down-home crispness. 

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

“All I Need Now”, a Samantha Ronson song, was dedicated by the lead singer, “for my girl Samantha”. She looked on from inside the hallway and shyly and sincerely smiled. 


Samantha was the only one on stage for “Sometimes When You Win You Lose”. What I got from this song was that life and love always have their Catch-22s. And that while there is openness to life and to relationships that sometimes those two don't intersect. They just can't work out in that time and space. I like that Ronson’s voice isn't elaborate and can't be compared to let's say, Mariah Carey’s. She's in a whole other field, like Cyndi Lauper without the higher notes. 


“In And Out Of Love” was another audience favorite. Samantha's voice really made me sad, which is good, she was effective! The honesty and secrecy behind the song really made her simple acoustic style shine through. It's refreshing since we tend to associate the Ronson name with everything DJ, analog, and digital. 

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

“Days That Disappear”, was performed with Samantha on background vocals and accompanying guitar and Jordan from The Jury Pool provided the bass lines. Luke jokingly elaborated about what the song meant – “It’s about an uplifting time in my life”. 


The closer, Tom Petty’s song “Yer So Bad”, was covered by all of Jalopy & Friends. I had never heard the song before, but I’ve heard of Tom Petty, so this was a great way to really get to hear Jalopy’s influences. What a classic ending to an already flawless set. 

Visit the Jalopy Myspace

Follow them on Twitta! @jalopymusic

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

xo

♫ Showin' Love For Coconut Records

You may have heard of Jason Schwartzman from such gigs as playing Max Fischer in the film Rushmore, Ross in the tweaker feature Spun, and being a drummer for the band Phantom Planet. Although many focus on his ever changing range of artistic developments - dabbling in music and in film - Schwartzman is not a man to be taken lightly.

Coconut Records was created in 2006, and shortly thereafter the indie-secret-project full-of-awesome album "Nighttimin'" happened in 2007.

My favorites off of the "Nighttimin'" album (for now) are "It's Not You It's Me" (for it's catchiness), "Minding My Own Business" (because it has a funkier edge and a hint of the Beatles somewhere in there), "Nighttiming" (because it has an interesting upbeat jive to it that you wanna cruise all over LA with), "Summer Day" (it reminded me of Elliott Smith in a good way), and "West Coast" (to represent the WEST! and because the song reminds me of last Summer and of a bittersweet love returning and then leaving again). Wow, I actually like most of the CD - that's how you know I like a band. When it sounds like Summer all the time.

In January 2009 the album "Davy" came out sounding more acoustic influenced than jivey like the first album. I liked "Any Fun" (because of the cool patterns on the drums and the presence of the piano keys), "Drummer" (it's like an ode to his life as a drummer boy for band P.P. and it's catchy), "I Am Young" (it's bittersweet and sounds like it could be at the end of a movie, or when a man realizes his vulnerability), "Microphone" (this too reminded me of the late great Elliott Smith ♥).

I give Coconut Records 10 music notes out of 11 possible music notes. Because I have been listening to CR since about the same time it came out, they are a favorite I don't think I will be forgetting about anytime soon. Listen and give your support for real artists like Schwartzman! Schwartzman for Prez!

Official Coconut Records Website!!!

Follow them on Twitta! @CoconutRecords

Photo from Coconut Records Last.fm page.