The Standard

There’s been a last-minute addition to this week’s Wednesday line up for The Standard, Hollywood’s live music acoustic showcase, Desert Nights. The Two will be joining us all the way from Paris, France. So that means that we added The Two to our usual three acts, making four great bands in one lovely night. See you there.

The Two. Looking adorable, as usual.

The Two: Seven years ago Ara Starck met David Jarre in Paris. She was a painter, he was a magician. Their meeting produced magic of another kind, crystallized today in The Two, a duo that weaves together its members’ atypical career paths, and melds their singularities in a shared intimacy. The starting point for The Two was the song I Wanna Be With You Again ,the first song they ever sang together, early 2009. From then on Ara and David shut themselves away from the world, at home and then in an empty studio, to sing, write and record, fine-tuning a work that involved no other musicians and no producer. On their debut album, Ara and David are seemingly rediscovering the magic of uncluttered melody, primary sound colors and simple words, all underlined with strength and elegance by their vocal harmony. As though improvised, The Two’s music speaks with a rare natural voice. All the songs are very direct and have the quality of enchanting rough sketches on which the voices of Ara and David imprint their singular charm, reflecting a shared melancholy and solitude. Whether they choose to sing in unison, or in Q&A, the songs tell the story of two people sharing a fascinating complicity, rich with a thousand affinities and an equal dose of turbulence.

The Sister Ruby Band. Have yourself a listen!

The Sister Ruby Band: The Sister Ruby Band is the psych-rock project of 22 year old Los Angeles based Johnny Ruby. After last year’s self-recorded EP “A Shot In The Dark”, The Sister Ruby Band is set to release their full-length debut album “In Cold Blood”. Featuring appearances from guest musicians such as The Black Market Band and the Sugarplum Fairies, this record oscillates between the gauzy sounds of British shoe gaze and West Coast psychedelia. According to Buzz Bands LA’s Kevin Bronson “Sister Ruby’s woozy wall of sound isn’t too far from the reverb-soaked shimmer of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and, when the guitars are turned down, that trio’s excellent excursion into Americana, “Howl.” The singer himself? Ruminative and world-weary, on two continents.”

The lovely little Leslie Lowe! (couldn’t resist a little alliteration there)

Leslie Lowe: Leslie Lowe’s story is one told through music. Laced with both mystery and openness, her debut album Heart Still Beats the Same, is a musical journey that blurs the lines between past and future, life and death, and explores the depths of the human condition. With melancholy melodies, buoyant beats, and a family of talented musicians at her side, Leslie uses each song to tell a story about herself…, and anyone who has ever defeated doubt, yearned for adventure, and overcome heartbreak.

Veronica Bianqui & The Love Break. Rockin’ out, as usual.

Veronica Bianqui & The Love Break: There are two types of intoxication: There’s that dark place, drunk-like, when one’s eyes focus on that void in between here and oblivion—that nowhere land where drunk minds meet just to be alone. And then there’s the intoxication of Love that makes everything feel connected. It fills you up to such an extreme that you become possessed, consumed– mind, body and soul. Veronica Bianqui’s songs come out of the conflict between that lonely intoxication and that ecstatic intoxication. With her recently formed group The Love Break, she explores themes concerning the balance we must find in our delicate daily struggles: happiness and sadness, love and death, madness and sanity. You can’t pigeon-hole her unique psychedelic pop blend, nor can you expect such a powerful voice to come out of such a small body. Her songs are thoughtful, sophisticated, and raw. Her bandmates Colin (drums) and Charlie (bass), and other friends join her on this special night at The Standard.

What is Desert Nights?

Desert Nights is a weekly gathering at The Standard, Hollywood, hosted by KCRW’s DJ Valida. Every Wednesday, Valida curates three acoustic musical acts to perform a set in the Cactus Lounge. The vibe is warm and intimate, evoking an impromptu jam in a musician’s living room. The music begins at 7:30pm, it’s always free and always a good time. Guaranteed.