Patrick O'Heffernan | Music Junkie Press

Review of Maggie’s Magic at the Hotel Cafe by Patrick O’Heffernan

February 12, 2014

MAGGIE ‘S MAGIC AT THE HOTEL CAFÉ Review by Patrick O’Heffernan, Host of Music FridayLive! Hotel Café, Hollywood, Saturday night. If you were in Los Angeles this was the place to be. Canadian-born, LA-based, soul pop singer Maggie (aka All About Maggie) was introducing her new single “Tidal Waves and Hurricanes” with a high-powered concert and a screening of the new song video. You did not want to miss this show. I got there a little before 8 pm for the 9 pm gig and the crowd was already filing in. Maggie and her band – Sam Campbell on drums, Nate Evans on rhythm guitar/background vocals, Mike Minjarez on bass guitar/keys/background vocals, Kyle Calvillo on lead guitar, and special guest Jarrett Furst on the carbon graphite cello were hanging out on the floor chatting with friends as the James Apollo Five finished up their set and the country singer Dawn McCoy came on. As McCoy sang her last song, there was a surge of Maggie fans through the door. Every chair was filled and [Read More]

Review of Maggie’s Tidal Waves and Hurricanes by Patrick O’Heffernan

February 11, 2014

Review of Tidal Waves and Hurricanes by Maggie Patrick O’Heffernan – Host, Music FridayLive! I don’t usually review singles, but once in while something comes along that deserves a second listen and a thoughtful review. This time it’s the song, “Tidal Waves and Hurricanes” by the LA-based Canadian singer/songwriter, Maggie. Maggie and “Tidal Waves and Hurricanes” are a phenomenon, there is no other way to put it. First, the song. Maggie is releasing it tonight, Feb. 7, 2014, at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles, along with a video. The show starts at 9 pm and should be a barn-burner. The music is infectious – perfectly crafted to stimulate all those parts of your brain that respond to sound and pleasure. With a hypnotic, but not overpowering, drumbeat, and all of the hooks and guitar and keyboard details and overdubs of world-class pop, “Tidal Waves and Hurricanes” pulls you into its orbit and swings you around like a carnival ride. At the same time, it transcends pop in its lyrics. Maggie’s website tells us that her [Read More]

Interview with Terese Taylor by Patrick O’Heffernan of MusicFriday Live!

February 5, 2014

Interview with Terese Taylor by Patrick O’Heffernan Terese Taylor’s music describes a personal world – or maybe series of worlds – that is dark, stark and cynical. Or perhaps, she is simply laying reality out in front of us as she sees it and letting us interpret her images through our own lens. Or maybe both at once. That is the genius of Terese Taylor, a song writer and musical artist who uses her lyrics to paint sharp, steel cut images of life that upon closer inspection can be ambiguous. The same goes for her music. Is it rock, folk, country, or punk…or something that is simply Terese Taylor, best enjoyed without analysis? Music FridayLive! interviewed Terese Taylor on 1/31/14. * * * * * * * Patrick: Welcome to Music Friday Terese: Hi Patrick. Patrick: Terese, you sent me four songs that I understand are slated for a new album to be released in April. April is only about 2 months away, so you must be closing in on having it ready. Can you gives us a [Read More]

Review of Too Worn To Mend by American Beauties from Patrick O’Heffernan

February 4, 2014

Review: Too Worn To Mend by American Beauties by Patrick O’Heffernan, Host Music FridayLive! Having been raised with the lush harmonies of Crosby, Stills Nash and Young, and even working with Stephen Stills for a little while, I resonate with bands that understand how to construct layered harmony vocals in earworm arrangements – songs that make you hum and sing . American Beauties is a band that does that. They happily insinuate their music into the soundtrack of your life. They’re not quite folk, not quite pop, not quite rock and not quite country; they skillfully blend all these genre’s into something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Rich guitars, gentle bass, steel pedal hints, subtle drum beats and great background vocals enable American Beauties to paint their lyrical vignettes with skill and grace. It is the kind of music you can put in your playlist to cushion the day. American Beauties is an indie folkrock band that emerged from the Cambridge, Massachusetts music scene a few years ago and has been [Read More]

Kris Gruen at the Sanctuary in Santa Monica by Patrick O’Heffernan of Music Friday Live!

January 31, 2014

Kris Gruen at the Sanctuary in Santa Monica Performance 1.24.14 The Sanctuary, just off Main Street in Santa Monica, is one of LA’s little oddities. During the week it is a small, traditional Christian church. But one weekend a month the staff clears out the nave, moves the alter and puts out a table in the back with wine, soft drinks, potato chips and a bottle for donations for musicians. It becomes a local music venue. The artists singing a playing there range from neighborhood garage bands whose day jobs really, really need to be secure, to rising stars staying on the Westside while they pitch other venues around the city and have a Saturday night free to introduce themselves to a Westside audience. And Westside audiences can be equally diverse: street people who come in for free snacks and entertainment to music junkies looking for the next rising star, to friends of the booked artists. This past Saturday night, The Sanctuary saw the usual audience mix of locals, music fans and artists’ friends settle [Read More]

A great weekend for dance: Rory Partin and his All Star Big Band at Santa Monica’s Typhoon

January 29, 2014

A great weekend for dance: Rory Partin and his All Star Big Band at Santa Monica’s Typhoon by Patrick O’Heffernan Now that Daft Punk has abandoned Electronic Dance Music (and won a Grammy for the effort!) I thought I would explore other ways to get my heel-clicking kicks. So Saturday night I joined Trombone Shorty and a thousand or so of his fans at the El Ray Theater in Los Angeles for a swaying and bobbing New Orleans-blues/rock dance madness party, and Sunday night I ventured to Santa Monica’s Typhoon venue for Rory Partin and his All Star Big Band. Both were a blast. You saw Trombone Shorty for his appearance on the Grammys playing with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Madonna during the mass wedding. You may not know Rory Partin, although he has played some pretty big venues including presidential balls for both President Bush and President Clinton and appears in hip showcase clubs like Hotel Café with his wife, Alexa James, in his pop band, The Roamies. Needless to say, this is [Read More]

Interview with Niki English by Patrick O’Heffernan of Music Friday Live!

January 28, 2014

Interview: Niki English, lead singer and songwriter for Western Avenue country band. Country music was once described in the famous B.J. Thomas 1975 recording, as “somebody done -somebody-wrong songs”. the genre’s stock in trade got expanded to include trucks, beer and unemployment. Not Western Avenue. they are a whole different ballgame. The Canadian-based trio of Niki English, Keith Robertson and Matt Williams have developed country into a powerful vehicle for deep feeling and expressive writing without sacrificing an inch of country vitality. They combine the ethos of country with the warmth of love songs and the heat of rock. The lyrics they write and play are about loss and joy and nostalgia, and most of all, about hope. And they do it with great hooks, earworm melodies and classic country arrangements . They call it “hot country”, and it’s a long way from somebody-done-somebody- wrong songs. It is no wonder Western Avenue has been nominated for the Nashville Universe Award for best country vocal group. Niki English, songwriter and lead singer of Western Avenue [Read More]