LA / LBC / OC
Long Beach’s Magic Lantern have finally gone and released a new sonic document after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. Eagerly anticipated by those who have been biding their time waiting for the band to get on with their uber limited cassette only and CD-R releases (their Self-Titled CD-R was limited to 30), “High Beams”, the band’s latest opus [...]
News Bytes Twitter Next Week’s New Releases
Asa photo by Andreas Terlaak
Originally scheduled to open for fellow Mercer Street Records label mate, Femi Kuti at the House Of Blues last Friday, Asa will now be making her West Coast debut at Hotel Cafe on Monday January 26th, after Kuti came down with an illness that forced him to cancel his entire January tour. Following her performance at Hotel Cafe on Monday, Asa will be doing a last minute instore at Fingerprints in Long Beach at 7pm on Wednesday January 28th. No purchase is necessary for entrance to the instore, though an RSVP is required ahead of time, so call 562.433.4996 to put yourself on the list.
Check out a little sample of what you’ll hear this Monday and Wednesday with Asa performing my favorite song from her new album, “Jailer”, acoustic in Tokyo.
Born in Paris but growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Asa returned to her birthplace in 2004 and immersed herself in the music of the city, and then again returned to Lagos in 2007 to record the songs she had been writing in Paris. The result of those Lagos recording sessions is her debut album, simply titled Asa, for which she was awarded the Prix Constantine for the Best New French Artist of 2008. Out this Tuesday January 27th in the U.S. on Downtown Records’ new imprint Mercer St. Records, Asa, is the culmination of an artist’s early influences of Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey and later immersion in the songs of her musical contemporaries—Erika Badu, D’Angelo, Rafel Saadiq, Lauryn Hill and Angelique Kidjo.
Listen to my other favorite track from the album, “Fire In The Mountainâ€, the most politically charged of the ten tracks on the album.
Monday: Asa w/Gabriella Cilmi, Amy Correia, Ian Hopkinson @ Hotel Cafe (1623 1/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd) | 21+ – Asa plays first 7pm
Wednesday: Asa @ Fingerprints (4612 E. 2nd Street) in Long Beach | All Ages | Free w/RSVP, call 562.433.4996 | 7pm