Sometimes I'm alone, but the world is by my side

Sometimes you just know when you’re in the presence of pure, rare, unadulterated talent. You don’t have to think about the how or the why, you just know. It could be from the shivers you feel up and down your arms, or the funny feeling in your stomach. Or if you’re excessively in touch with your every sentiment, you might be alerted by the urge to cry happy tears. Or maybe that’s just really weird and I’m all alone in that sort of reaction. 

The talent that caused my over-sentimentality appeared in a stranger’s lofty apartment in downtown Los Angeles, somewhere near the 4th Street Bridge. She wore combat boots and subtly sparkled black leggings under a sweet purple and plaid dress. She quietly told a room filled with polite onlookers: “I don’t know any of you so I’m not going to make it awkward by talking.” And then her hand began strumming her guitar, her quiet voice grew louder, and all of her shyness melted away as she began to sing a song called “Honest Thief.” 

At the age of 13, she's the youngest solo performer to play at SXSW, and before she heads to Austin this month, Grace London played a short show in L.A. on Thursday, put on by Sofar Sounds, a neat "movement" that holds pop-up gigs in living rooms across the world. Grace London, who slightly reminds me of a blond Becca from Californication (though with a less creepy voice), has developed a distinct sound with a musical sensibility that is wise beyond her years. Her lyrics are simple, yet sophisticated, and relevant to an audience of any age group. The melodies and guitar riffs that she has created are involved and sometimes unpredictable, but catchy. If anyone were to ever doubt her ability to play the guitar, they can watch her version of Led Zeppelin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp," which is no easy feat. 

What this young girl has accomplished in just 13 years is certainly impressive and rare. But her music isn't just great for an eighth grader. Her music is great for a human being. Any age. 

Here the three other bands that followed London's performance at the Sofar show that are also worth checking out:

   

Portland band Aan (pronounced like 'On', not like 'Anne')

   

The amazing trio that makes up Yellow Red Sparks.

   

The Lonely Wild, which ended the night with a few lively numbers.

Pour me another drink and punch me in the face

Lady L let your soul be free

There are many reasons why Freaks and Geeks is such an amazing series--the all-star cast (including the mother, played by Becky Anne Baker, who now plays Hannah Horvath's mother in Girls), the production quality, the writing. But what really did it for me was the soundtrack. Most of the major moments throughout the series are enhanced by music from the 70s and 80s. From Sam's "slow dance" to Styx's "Come Sail Away" in the pilot episode, to Jason Segel's silky, sexy disco dance in the final episode, and everything in between.

My absolute favorite scenes--and quite possibly some of the greatest musical moments in television history--are when Nick sings "Lady L" (which was written by Jason Segel), and when Lindsey's parents debate the sexual implications of The Who's "Squeezebox."

Great music. Great entertainment. It was a crime against television to cancel this show.

We were standing at Forsyth and Bowery

On their most recent--and slightly more subdued and melancholy--album, Hummingbird (released Jan. 29 on French Kiss Records) Taylor Rice of the Local Natives sings "We were standing/at Forsyth and Bowery":

That sounds nice and all, but I am 99.999999% positive that Forsyth and Bowery do not intersect. But maybe there's a hidden curve in the street I don't know about. Or maybe there's another city in which these streets exist, although Rice told a crowded room at the Music Hall of Williamsburg that "Bowery" is inspired by New York. So either the Local Natives (who are, I should point out, from Los Angeles) made a careless mistake, or "Bowery" is deliberately deep and insightful and its meaning requires some further thought. It could be the idealist in me, but I'm going to root for the latter, since I have enormous respect for the band, and I also like to think that beautiful music has beautiful meaning to it--whether or not you can figure it out. Also, the Local Natives recorded the album with The National's Aaron Dessner, who is based in Brooklyn, so I'd like to think that he might have caught such an unintentional falsity.

While I'm on the subject, here's an example of geographically accurate lyrics.

My head has such a cloudy view

I'm behind the moon, floating in space

I'm really loving this song right now. It's beautiful and sad. Hard to tell with the mariachi instrumentals, but Benjamin Gibbard actually took the melody from an old cowboy tune--hence the parenthetical "Cowpoke."

Can you get to that?

With a seemingly infinite combination of notes, chord progressions, and melodies, it's surprising how often music is duplicated. But when you think of all the beautiful songs that have already been thought up, it's not surprising that someone would want to take that beautiful song or lyric or melody and make it their own--by covering it, sampling it, or pulling from it in a more subtle way.

Funkadelic and Sleigh Bells: A 1970s funk band's guitar riff gets reused three decades later in a low-key track from a high-energy rock/pop group.

Tom Tom Club and Mariah Carey: Mariah straight up took the "I'm in heaven/with my boyfriend" verse from the only good song the Talking Heads spinoff group ever released.

Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot and Las Liminanas: From the hazy bass line, to the softly spoken French lyrics, to the more obvious "woo woos" throughout the song, it's clear that Las Liminanas are majorly channeling Serge and Brigitte.

Lou Reed and A Tribe Called Quest: Some obvious musical borrowing is ethically questionable, but others are done tastefully and with respect, like "Can I Kick It." Both songs are, in my book, equally epic.