Alicia Murphy

A lot of people recently on Facebook have been calling jean jackets the “Canadian tuxedo.” Is that a thing? I dunno… but there can be no doubt that down here in real America, the T-shirt with a clever graphic on it has firmly established itself as the basic warm-weather outerwear of our masses.
Singer-songwriter Alicia Murphy may not be as folky on her newer songs, what with the electrical beats interlocking with what might otherwise be purely acoustic chords. But her new video for this one, directed and edited by Gabriel “Gabotron” Gaete and L.A. RECORD’s own Sé Reed, points her words straight at the thin veneer us common folk use to cover our hearts! And she doesn’t just use words. In fact, she even chides us to “just ignore the wind, the roar, the thunderstorm inside my mouth… smart remarks don’t get you far!”
Nay, not conversation, but cotton is king here! As the video for “Be a Doctor” unspools, Murphy keeps a straight face even while clearly having a blast with the wardrobe department, putting on every t-shirt in her collection, one by one, dozens upon dozens, including a rare L.A. RECORD Christmas shirt that I don’t think I even have anymore.
As she cycles through all the tees (imagine how much cotton that must be!), look closely at her noggin. I think she’s got a headphone endorsement of some kind, and if she used those same headphones to record this ditty, they must sound pretty grand! But it’s not the headphones or how she wears T-shirts–it’s the lyrics, the simple, story-telling lyrics, that politely convey a confusion and forgiveness and frustration as old as time, one that can make you disarmingly SAD if you let it hit you from the wrong angle. And cotton will not cushion you.
(Well, maybe just a little bit.)
Well played, Alicia. If our website was a T-shirt, it would be a graphic tee. And that graphic on the T-shirt would be of a brain. And that brain would have a little word bubble coming out of it. And in that bubble, the brain would be saying “I LOBE you.”
-D. M. Collins - L.A. Record

Excerpt:
Alicia Murphy – 5:30 pm at Sophia’s

The songs written by Alicia Murphy are like bottled-up happiness, and they’re delivered with raw, effortless simplicity. She might as well be playing in her own living room, and the crowd might as well be her roommates. The effect is comforting, and it’s further enhanced by the steady banter between Murphy and her sister, who provides subtle percussion and beautiful harmonies.

She’s one of my favorite local talents these days. Her band is trying to get 1,000 Facebook likes before the end of the month, so feel free to do your part on their page.

Full text:
I spent 10 hours at the Davis Music Festival on Saturday and am sitting at Delta of Venus (where the festival is still in motion) as I write this blog on Sunday morning. I’m drinking coffee, eating a breakfast burrito and taking in the tunes of Lauren Cole Norton. It’s cool and cloudy and the songs fit the moment quite nicely.

Rather than attempt to cover the whole Fest (which I might have done if I was still the editor of this lovely site) I’m just going to retrace my footsteps.

I’m not gifted at applying adjectives to the styles of bands and artists, so I’m just going to pretend you’re sitting across from me as I eat this burrito and we can have a one-way conversation. Cool? Cool. Let’s do this:

Steve Kotarek – 2 pm at Delta of Venus

I first saw Steve play at Armadillo Music during the 2nd Friday ArtAbout a few months ago, and then I got to know him a week later at the Monticello Seasonal Cuisine open mic night. His original songs can be soulful and soothing, but he packs a whole lot of vocal power, and he’s not afraid to unleash it. His voice and his acoustic guitar easily filled up the outdoor patio at Delta of Venus, bringing the place to life. It was a great way to kick off the fest.

Camila Ortiz – 2:45 pm at the Pence Courtyard

I wrote my first song around the age of 15, and it was absolutely awful. But writing that song (and dozens after that) was a necessary step in the process of getting better. That’s how it works. Now that I’m pushing 30, I tend to be somewhat pleased with the stuff I finish, which is nice.

But Camila Ortiz is in high school, and her songs are already mind-blowingly great: they’re smart, catchy and tightly written. Every time one ends, you’re left wishing there was a bit more to drink in. I hear shades of Regina Spektor; the tracks feel quirky, yet heartfelt and meaningful. There’s not a cliché to be found within her lyrics, and the guitar work sits quietly in the background, allowing her voice to go anywhere at any time. Davis is lucky to have her.

Mason Rex – 4:30 pm in the Pence Courtyard

My wife and I drank some tea at TeaList after Ortiz’s set, which allowed for the pleasant discovery of Mason Rex, who wasn’t initially on my attack plan for the Festival. With a thick electric guitar and a drum set, Mason Rex reminded me of The Lemonheads, along with a bit of Elvis Costello and maybe the Black Keys. (But that could just be because of the guitar/drummer setup).

West Nile Ramblers – 5 pm at G Street Wunderbar

These guys are Davis staples at this point, but I never get tired of seeing them live. They deliver their own brand of throwback country rock that does a damned good job of shuffling people’s feet. Come for the melodies; stick around for the fiddle-laced jam sessions.

Alicia Murphy – 5:30 pm at Sophia’s

The songs written by Alicia Murphy are like bottled-up happiness, and they’re delivered with raw, effortless simplicity. She might as well be playing in her own living room, and the crowd might as well be her roommates. The effect is comforting, and it’s further enhanced by the steady banter between Murphy and her sister, who provides subtle percussion and beautiful harmonies.

She’s one of my favorite local talents these days. Her band is trying to get 1,000 Facebook likes before the end of the month, so feel free to do your part on their page.

Sea of Bees – 7 pm at Odd Fellows Lodge

Sea of Bees is something special, and they’re no secret to the Davis crowd at this point. When they were introduced yesterday, the emcee described Sea of Bees as “Hard to categorize, yet impossible to forget.” Sounds perfect to me.

Last time I saw Sea of Bees, Jules (the singer), performed by herself after the Davis Flea Market. I must say that I preferred that solo format to the full band. Her voice seemed to get lost in the madness of the drums and distortion of Saturday’s set. Not saying it was bad by any means at all; just saying I prefer her voice at the forefront.

Miss Lonely Hearts – 8 pm at the Armadillo Stage

I went to high school in Winters with Wyatt, the lead singer of Miss Lonely Hearts. As teenagers, we played in our own little punk rock and ska bands at local festivals and whatnot. Those childhood memories allow me to enjoy Miss Lonely Hearts’ live shows on a nostalgic level. It excites me to watch them - Davis Patch

Los Angeles. On Saturday, September 7th, new West-side based music store Touch Vinyl launches "Touch Tapes" on Cassette Store Day with 7 unique tape releases. One special mixtape "Serene Wave", showcases strictly Westside-based bands and artists as a benefit for Surfrider Foundation. All proceeds from the sale of this mixtape goes directly to the Surfrider Foundation which will help keep our environment, ocean, and beaches clean.

This special mixtape, produced by Malcolm Cross of Morello, includes: The Tulips, Alicia Murphy, The Olms, Fauntella Crow, Chris Joyner, Troup, Daryl Hannah, Solomon's Seal, Parker Ainsworth, Sonia Rao, We Are The West, JaJa Valentine, Sid Jordan, The Dustbowl Revival, Greg Johnson, Clayton Joseph Scott, MK & The Gentlemen, Tom Freund, Matt Ellis, Minnie Driver, Lukas Nelson & P.O.T.R. and Morello.

The project was completed when husband-and-wife artist team Kozyndan signed on to provide the cover art. In addition to this compilation being a one of a kind, rare, opportunity for music lovers, there will be a limited edition series which feature handmade labels available for those lucky cassette junkies that get into the store in time to purchase them. Each cassette comes with a free digital download card so you can download all music into your Ipod. The compilation will also be available digitally on release day if you are without cassette deck/boom box, yet still want to support Surfrider Foundation for this worthy cause.
- examiner.com

Folksinger Alicia Murphy brings her Southern California summer tour to Long Beach with performances at The Blue Cafe, Viento Y Agua and Que Sera.

Alicia will continue her July residency at The Blue Cafe on Thursday, July 19. The following evening, July 20, she will play at Viento Y Agua for her only remaining free, all-ages performance. She will close out her summer tour with a final performance at the Blue Cafe July 26 and Revival at Que Sera August 3.

Singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Alicia Murphy has self-produced and -released multiple collections of her songs. But this summer, she has been putting the finishing touches on a special project: Her first studio EP, recorded with Rami Jaffee (Foo Fighters, The Wallflowers) and Ran Pink of Fonogenic Studios in Van Nuys, CA, slated to be released in early August.

For the past three years, Alicia has been performing at a range of venues throughout Southern and Northern California, sharing the stage with an eclectic assortment of musicians, including Daryl Hannah, Minnie Driver, Joesph Arthur, George Watsky and Ben Sollee.

Alicia Murphy’s performances range from just-a-girl-and-her-guitar to full rock band. Most often she performs as a folky duet with her sister Sé Reed, who provides harmonies, backing vocals, and light percussion. Guitarist John Oliver and drummer Evan Freeman will help rock out the sound for some of her Long Beach performances. - Everything Long Beach

Alicia Murphy got her first guitar from her big sister at the age of 5 and she grew up playing it just before bedtime to process what she’d experienced during the just-ending day. Se Reed was 16 years old when she gave her little sister a guitar as a 5th birthday present, so when the girl grew into a teen so talented that a dude from the Foo Fighters invited her to his home to record , Se went along to make sure nothing went wrong. At some point this summer, that EP—called It Is and It isn’t—will be released. This month, Alicia is serving a residency at the Blue Café, where she has a 9 o’clock show tonight. She has summer internships at the Los Cerritos Wetlands and Colorado Lagoon because this fall she is going back to UC Davis to finish her degree in hydrology. Somewhere in there she’s got to find time to turn 21. But before any of that, Alicia Murphy will spend an hour on Greater Long Beach Radio with Dave Wielenga, playing some of the quirky folk music she writes and sings, explaining how it still comes from the way she processes her life. And Se will go with her, not because she thinks anything will go wrong, but because older sister sings backup vocals and plays percussion in little sister’s band. - K-BEACH

Alicia Murphy got her first guitar from her big sister at the age of 5 and she grew up playing it just before bedtime to process what she’d experienced during the just-ending day. Se Reed was 16 years old when she gave her little sister a guitar as a 5th birthday present, so when the girl grew into a teen so talented that a dude from the Foo Fighters invited her to his home to record , Se went along to make sure nothing went wrong. At some point this summer, that EP—called It Is and It isn’t—will be released. This month, Alicia is serving a residency at the Blue Café, where she has a 9 o’clock show tonight. She has summer internships at the Los Cerritos Wetlands and Colorado Lagoon because this fall she is going back to UC Davis to finish her degree in hydrology. Somewhere in there she’s got to find time to turn 21. But before any of that, Alicia Murphy will spend an hour on Greater Long Beach Radio with Dave Wielenga, playing some of the quirky folk music she writes and sings, explaining how it still comes from the way she processes her life. And Se will go with her, not because she thinks anything will go wrong, but because older sister sings backup vocals and plays percussion in little sister’s band. - K-BEACH

Alicia Murphy is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from San Pedro, CA.

She has self-produced and self-released multiple collections (Randomness Guaranteed, Wrapping Paper (EP), thanksgiving song (single) and has been performing around Southern and Northern California for the past two years.

She has recorded 13 songs with producers Rami Jaffee (Foo Fighters, The Wallflowers) and Ran Pink of Fonogenic Records in Van Nuys, CA.

Having met Alicia randomly while she was practicing with her high-school garage band, Jaffee was intrigued by the unique sound of Randomness Guaranteed, and invited Alicia to record at Fonogenic. The yet-unreleased, all-original tracks those sessions produced feature a remarkable lineup of musicians, including Matt Chamberlain on drums, Paul Ill on bass, and Stevie Blacke on strings, as well as multiple Grammy-winner and nominee Jaffee on keys.

Alicia Murphy has performed at a range of venues throughout Southern and Northern California, sharing the stage with an eclectic assortment of folk and indie musicians, including Daryl Hannah, Minnie Driver, Joesph Arthur, George Watsky and Ben Sollee.

Alicia plays all the music on her recordings, but her performances range from just-a-girl-and-her-guitar to full rock band. Most often she performs as a folky duet with her sister Sé Reed, who provides harmonies, backing vocals, and light percussion. Guitarist John Oliver adds another layer of intricate guitar work and bassist Mike Gewehr brings steady lowend.

Alicia is currently studying hydrology at UC Davis and is passionate about environmental conservation, particularly water conservation and clean water access, a theme that is present in many of her songs. - Long Beach Independent

Alicia Murphy is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from San Pedro, CA.

She has self-produced and self-released multiple collections (Randomness Guaranteed, Wrapping Paper (EP), thanksgiving song (single) and has been performing around Southern and Northern California for the past two years.

She has recorded 13 songs with producers Rami Jaffee (Foo Fighters, The Wallflowers) and Ran Pink of Fonogenic Records in Van Nuys, CA.

Having met Alicia randomly while she was practicing with her high-school garage band, Jaffee was intrigued by the unique sound of Randomness Guaranteed, and invited Alicia to record at Fonogenic. The yet-unreleased, all-original tracks those sessions produced feature a remarkable lineup of musicians, including Matt Chamberlain on drums, Paul Ill on bass, and Stevie Blacke on strings, as well as multiple Grammy-winner and nominee Jaffee on keys.

Alicia Murphy has performed at a range of venues throughout Southern and Northern California, sharing the stage with an eclectic assortment of folk and indie musicians, including Daryl Hannah, Minnie Driver, Joesph Arthur, George Watsky and Ben Sollee.

Alicia plays all the music on her recordings, but her performances range from just-a-girl-and-her-guitar to full rock band. Most often she performs as a folky duet with her sister Sé Reed, who provides harmonies, backing vocals, and light percussion. Guitarist John Oliver adds another layer of intricate guitar work and bassist Mike Gewehr brings steady lowend.

Alicia is currently studying hydrology at UC Davis and is passionate about environmental conservation, particularly water conservation and clean water access, a theme that is present in many of her songs. - Long Beach Independent

Alicia Murphy was ?ve years old when she got her ?rst guitar as a gift from her big sister. At ?rst, the little girl’s ?ngers couldn’t stretch across the frets, but as she grew up her guitar became a part of every life lesson. She played the instrument every night just before bedtime. She discovered that strumming and picking at the strings enabled her to process the things she had experienced during the day that was fading away.

Sé was 16 years old when she decided that guitar would be her little sister’s 5th birthday present. As Alicia grew into a teenager so talented that a guy from the Foo Fighters invited her to his home to record, Sé felt proud—and responsible. She accompanied her little sister to make sure nothing went wrong. The EP from those recording sessions—called It Is and It Isn’t—will be released before the summer ends. Alicia is the artist-in-residence at the Blue Café this month. She has summer internships at the Los Cerritos Wetlands and Colorado Lagoon because this fall she is going back to UC Davis to ?nish her degree in hydrology. Somewhere in there she’s got to ?nd time to turn 21.

But before any of that, Alicia Murphy spent an hour on Greater Long Beach Radio with Dave Wielenga, playing some of the quirky folk music she writes and sings, explaining how it still comes from the way she processes her life. And Sé came with her, but not because she was worrieds anything would go wrong. These days, older sister sings backup vocals and plays percussion in little sister’s band.

Alicia Murphy and Sé Reed were rather agitated when they arrived at K-BEACH studios for the Thursday-at-6 o’clock start of Greater Long Beach Radio, and only partly because it was just a few seconds before 5:59. See, they had a good excuse, and it doubled as breaking news: the Blue Café, where Murphy and her band, the Mandelbrot Set, were scheduled to headline in a few hours, had suddenly closed for a few days—something about some kind of hassle with the City of Long Beach during which somebody was allegedly overheard using the worddays—something about some kind of “permits.”

But Murphy was determined to perform, anyway. She had already announced that her show would be at {open}, the landmark 4th Street book store and culture salon owned by the woman who right this minute was settling into a studio chair and scooting up close to the microphone right beside her— her older sister, Sé.

The show began awkwardly. The Greater Long Beach Radio theme didn’t play, the delivery of the news about the Blue Cafe wasn’t sharp and then came a weird drift through small talk. But everything was corrected just as quickly when Alicia Murphy agreed to play one of her songs. First came her guitar in a rising and falling rhythm, then her voice joined in a soothing, milky melody, while all along the way, at precise and crucial places, came Sé’s sweet and careful harmony.

It was marvelous, yet still not as as good as the buzz of Se and Alicia’s sisterhood. Looking back, my interview may have been a bit too to explore the love and tension and relationship strategies that seem to have rewarded these women for bridging their 11-year age difference through nothing more complicated than the willingness to be as humble or assertive or anything else it took.

Ultimately, Se and Alicia deftly and sweetly evaded what they saw no use in talking about, and the rest of the time they were relaxed and generous conversationalists. Quite funny, too. And loving. In other words, all my questions were answered. - GreaterLongBeach.com

Alicia Murphy was ?ve years old when she got her ?rst guitar as a gift from her big sister. At ?rst, the little girl’s ?ngers couldn’t stretch across the frets, but as she grew up her guitar became a part of every life lesson. She played the instrument every night just before bedtime. She discovered that strumming and picking at the strings enabled her to process the things she had experienced during the day that was fading away.

Sé was 16 years old when she decided that guitar would be her little sister’s 5th birthday present. As Alicia grew into a teenager so talented that a guy from the Foo Fighters invited her to his home to record, Sé felt proud—and responsible. She accompanied her little sister to make sure nothing went wrong. The EP from those recording sessions—called It Is and It Isn’t—will be released before the summer ends. Alicia is the artist-in-residence at the Blue Café this month. She has summer internships at the Los Cerritos Wetlands and Colorado Lagoon because this fall she is going back to UC Davis to ?nish her degree in hydrology. Somewhere in there she’s got to ?nd time to turn 21.

But before any of that, Alicia Murphy spent an hour on Greater Long Beach Radio with Dave Wielenga, playing some of the quirky folk music she writes and sings, explaining how it still comes from the way she processes her life. And Sé came with her, but not because she was worrieds anything would go wrong. These days, older sister sings backup vocals and plays percussion in little sister’s band.

Alicia Murphy and Sé Reed were rather agitated when they arrived at K-BEACH studios for the Thursday-at-6 o’clock start of Greater Long Beach Radio, and only partly because it was just a few seconds before 5:59. See, they had a good excuse, and it doubled as breaking news: the Blue Café, where Murphy and her band, the Mandelbrot Set, were scheduled to headline in a few hours, had suddenly closed for a few days—something about some kind of hassle with the City of Long Beach during which somebody was allegedly overheard using the worddays—something about some kind of “permits.”

But Murphy was determined to perform, anyway. She had already announced that her show would be at {open}, the landmark 4th Street book store and culture salon owned by the woman who right this minute was settling into a studio chair and scooting up close to the microphone right beside her— her older sister, Sé.

The show began awkwardly. The Greater Long Beach Radio theme didn’t play, the delivery of the news about the Blue Cafe wasn’t sharp and then came a weird drift through small talk. But everything was corrected just as quickly when Alicia Murphy agreed to play one of her songs. First came her guitar in a rising and falling rhythm, then her voice joined in a soothing, milky melody, while all along the way, at precise and crucial places, came Sé’s sweet and careful harmony.

It was marvelous, yet still not as as good as the buzz of Se and Alicia’s sisterhood. Looking back, my interview may have been a bit too to explore the love and tension and relationship strategies that seem to have rewarded these women for bridging their 11-year age difference through nothing more complicated than the willingness to be as humble or assertive or anything else it took.

Ultimately, Se and Alicia deftly and sweetly evaded what they saw no use in talking about, and the rest of the time they were relaxed and generous conversationalists. Quite funny, too. And loving. In other words, all my questions were answered. - GreaterLongBeach.com

inspirations from verbs
Geoff -- December 26, 2011 -- inspirations and We Saw It On Youtube. Tags: fmly fest, inspirations, verbs

VerBS – Feelings Getting in The Way

VerBS is the Homie. I wish that James Brown was still alive, because I’d love to set up a challenge between the two of them to find the true “hardest working man in show business.” The last time I saw VerBS was at Home Room. He was closing out my video release party, but he had to jet over from a photo gig in some far-off part of town. He showed up without a set, slapped one together on his laptop in just a couple of minutes right as he was scheduled to begin playing… and then laid down a spot-on performance that belied the rushed preparation.

VerBS is one of the hardest-core DIY cats out there, and also one of the most open-minded. His Bananas nights in Leimert Park have done more than continue that neighborhood’s tradition of true, intelligent hip-hop; they’ve expanded that tradition to include alternative acts and elements from all over the LA underground.

Of course VerBS will be at FMLY Fest this week, and if you want to shake your ass I’d recommend that you watch his performance. In the meantime, follow the link to see some video inspirations provided by the man himself.

Anavan: “You’re Taking Me Out”

A former girlfriend introduced me to the whole world of DIY venues and music, which at the time was so foriegn to me and out of the microcosm I frequented (Hip hop shows and rap battles). Anavan was the first band of this type of noise punk electronic awesomeness that I got exposed to. I’ve seen these guys play in every part of LA (The Smell, Pehrspace, Family Bookstore, their house, and another random where house get-down). They were so fucking awesome — the lead singer was the drummer and sang through a hockey mask. The music they produced inspired me to really let loose when performing and have fun…

RIP Anavan. That chapter of my life was very fun. If I wasn’t exposed to this stuff I might not even know about DIY shit and the FMLY. So Anavan and the ex-girlfriend who will remain nameless — thank you for acting as a catalyst to help me develop more as the Entertainer/Performer I am now.

St. Vincent: “Human Racing”

St. Vincent… Annie Clarke… So fine… “Human Racing” is soooooo fucking dope. Her lyrics are ill-ass poetry. Yo I love the bars “roooomeeoo whered ya go its been years and still no sign but I’m keepin hope allliiiiiivvve ” and “Hummingbird, what’s the word? Are you still your mother’s child or have you found yourself a flower?” I also like this lyric: “Flowerchild, you’re still wild. Under a harvest moon can we eat of all the fruits of our youth?”

I love songwriting like this and her vocal ability and style really make me love this song… Hardcore dope shit over here yo.

The Noisettes: “Every Now and Then”

There was a time where I was soooooo gay for The Noisettes. It was a good time in my life: I had a indie rocker black girlfriend, and I walked down the street with a since of dignity and pride… it was great. I feel like I was getting higher off the weed I was smoking, more full of the food I was eating, getting great orgasms when having sex, and I loving the smell of… wait, what am I saying? Yeah, the Noisettes. I found out about them on Myspace and I thought the singer was hot and electic-e (I make up words). The song “Wild Young Hearts” really did it for me from there I peeped their other stuff. Seen them at Amoeba at an in store, and I’ve even seen them at Spaceland. That show was fucking amazing. She’s a great performer and she plays bass in her band. Man, gotta love cool alternative black chicks.

Anyway this video is from some performance from somewhere. I used to watch this alot on Youtube.

Jay Electronica: “Anakin’s Prayer”

Jay Electronica is an absolute wizard when it comes to rhyme formulation, song concepts, and rhyme scheme complexity… He’s a real “rapper’s rapper” if ya know what I mean… On “Anakin’s Prayer,” he begins rapping like he’s Darth Vader: “I can drill a hole at the Earth’s equator/ fill it with dynamite and make another moon a’ craters/ See ya later/ She ain’t know, that innocent shit with Obi-Wan behind the Jedi back can turn Anakin to Vader/ shit, your lack of faith in the force is disturbing / and if it wasn’t Jack Daniels and Parliament Lights it woulda been murder.” Then after that he relates the story to his life and the shit is really cool. You gotta listen to it in allegory an you’ll realize how crazy he is of a rapper. Every time I listen to his words I get inspired to rap better.

Alicia Murphy: “Appreciating”

Alicia Murphy (check her out here) is my friend. I love this girl and I love her music… I met her in 2010 in Davis; I was performing at this school event and she came up to me and told me she was a big fan of my stuff and my friend Sirah’s stuff. I was like “Dayyyuum! Thank you for listening and all that jazz.” Anyhoo, we became real friends a - FMLY

inspirations from verbs
Geoff -- December 26, 2011 -- inspirations and We Saw It On Youtube. Tags: fmly fest, inspirations, verbs

VerBS – Feelings Getting in The Way

VerBS is the Homie. I wish that James Brown was still alive, because I’d love to set up a challenge between the two of them to find the true “hardest working man in show business.” The last time I saw VerBS was at Home Room. He was closing out my video release party, but he had to jet over from a photo gig in some far-off part of town. He showed up without a set, slapped one together on his laptop in just a couple of minutes right as he was scheduled to begin playing… and then laid down a spot-on performance that belied the rushed preparation.

VerBS is one of the hardest-core DIY cats out there, and also one of the most open-minded. His Bananas nights in Leimert Park have done more than continue that neighborhood’s tradition of true, intelligent hip-hop; they’ve expanded that tradition to include alternative acts and elements from all over the LA underground.

Of course VerBS will be at FMLY Fest this week, and if you want to shake your ass I’d recommend that you watch his performance. In the meantime, follow the link to see some video inspirations provided by the man himself.

Anavan: “You’re Taking Me Out”

A former girlfriend introduced me to the whole world of DIY venues and music, which at the time was so foriegn to me and out of the microcosm I frequented (Hip hop shows and rap battles). Anavan was the first band of this type of noise punk electronic awesomeness that I got exposed to. I’ve seen these guys play in every part of LA (The Smell, Pehrspace, Family Bookstore, their house, and another random where house get-down). They were so fucking awesome — the lead singer was the drummer and sang through a hockey mask. The music they produced inspired me to really let loose when performing and have fun…

RIP Anavan. That chapter of my life was very fun. If I wasn’t exposed to this stuff I might not even know about DIY shit and the FMLY. So Anavan and the ex-girlfriend who will remain nameless — thank you for acting as a catalyst to help me develop more as the Entertainer/Performer I am now.

St. Vincent: “Human Racing”

St. Vincent… Annie Clarke… So fine… “Human Racing” is soooooo fucking dope. Her lyrics are ill-ass poetry. Yo I love the bars “roooomeeoo whered ya go its been years and still no sign but I’m keepin hope allliiiiiivvve ” and “Hummingbird, what’s the word? Are you still your mother’s child or have you found yourself a flower?” I also like this lyric: “Flowerchild, you’re still wild. Under a harvest moon can we eat of all the fruits of our youth?”

I love songwriting like this and her vocal ability and style really make me love this song… Hardcore dope shit over here yo.

The Noisettes: “Every Now and Then”

There was a time where I was soooooo gay for The Noisettes. It was a good time in my life: I had a indie rocker black girlfriend, and I walked down the street with a since of dignity and pride… it was great. I feel like I was getting higher off the weed I was smoking, more full of the food I was eating, getting great orgasms when having sex, and I loving the smell of… wait, what am I saying? Yeah, the Noisettes. I found out about them on Myspace and I thought the singer was hot and electic-e (I make up words). The song “Wild Young Hearts” really did it for me from there I peeped their other stuff. Seen them at Amoeba at an in store, and I’ve even seen them at Spaceland. That show was fucking amazing. She’s a great performer and she plays bass in her band. Man, gotta love cool alternative black chicks.

Anyway this video is from some performance from somewhere. I used to watch this alot on Youtube.

Jay Electronica: “Anakin’s Prayer”

Jay Electronica is an absolute wizard when it comes to rhyme formulation, song concepts, and rhyme scheme complexity… He’s a real “rapper’s rapper” if ya know what I mean… On “Anakin’s Prayer,” he begins rapping like he’s Darth Vader: “I can drill a hole at the Earth’s equator/ fill it with dynamite and make another moon a’ craters/ See ya later/ She ain’t know, that innocent shit with Obi-Wan behind the Jedi back can turn Anakin to Vader/ shit, your lack of faith in the force is disturbing / and if it wasn’t Jack Daniels and Parliament Lights it woulda been murder.” Then after that he relates the story to his life and the shit is really cool. You gotta listen to it in allegory an you’ll realize how crazy he is of a rapper. Every time I listen to his words I get inspired to rap better.

Alicia Murphy: “Appreciating”

Alicia Murphy (check her out here) is my friend. I love this girl and I love her music… I met her in 2010 in Davis; I was performing at this school event and she came up to me and told me she was a big fan of my stuff and my friend Sirah’s stuff. I was like “Dayyyuum! Thank you for listening and all that jazz.” Anyhoo, we became real friends a - FMLY

From the moment opening act Alicia Murphy took to the stage—a quirky singer/songwriter whose music Jaffee describes as “humble pop”—through headliner Joseph Arthur’s powerful set, the stellar line-up of talent that Fonogenic Studios secured would have been more than enough to make this event a success. - lamusicblog.com

From the moment opening act Alicia Murphy took to the stage—a quirky singer/songwriter whose music Jaffee describes as “humble pop”—through headliner Joseph Arthur’s powerful set, the stellar line-up of talent that Fonogenic Studios secured would have been more than enough to make this event a success. - lamusicblog.com