A staple on the LA music scene, darkening the doorway of legendary venues like the Whisky and the Roxy, singer, songwriter, and guitarist TJ Doyle combines his unique brand of…
Allison Johnelle Boron
216 Articles
Allison lives in Los Angeles where she is a freelance music journalist, jug band enthusiast, and industry observer. She is also the editor of REBEAT magazine. Find her on Twitter.
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Okay, it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: what do you get when you take five former residents of the USSR, put them in a band, and move…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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It’s one thing to be great at your chosen genre of music — it’s another thing to require a new genre entirely. The powerhouse behind North Carolina’s LOVESUCKER, Crystal Crosby,…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Seemingly since the dawn of time, or at least since man’s vocal cords were developed enough to create hums and grunts, life and death have concurrently inspired song. For Kings…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Get your aural tastebuds ready, because the Splashing Pearls are going to rearrange everything you ever thought you loved about music. This amalgamation of ukulele, steel drums and upright bass…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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With a name like “Sir Cadian Rhythm,” you’d be disappointed if the members weren’t somewhat noble, right? Though they have adopted the knightly moniker, their backgrounds belie their true prowess…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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In the tradition of great, grunge-tinged, guitar-driven rock comes Return for Refund, preaching the gospel of that timeless, Southern-fried anthemic noise that’s almost as American as apple pie and baseball….
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Some musicians are destined for their craft; some are pre-destined. For George Castrinos of the Saint James Band, his penchant for guitar was almost mystical. ”When I was a kid my…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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It’s no secret that music is linked to social change and causes. From the Civil Rights Movement to “We Are the World” and everything that Bono thinks he’s doing right,…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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A true artist in every sense of the word, London’s Mark Maze taps into his rough-and-tumble upbringing in a council estate outside of Leicester, England. Channeling his past into music…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Vince Grant’s story is familiar to many musicians: he left his hometown of Chicago to pursue his musical dreams in the City of Angels, only to spend years busking on…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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While some bands’ inability to pin down their influences and genre may be a bit of an issue that keeps fans and execs at arm’s length, Oakland, CA-based indie rock…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Some of the greatest rock record of all time spring from bands traveling — literally — outside of their comfort zones. Paul McCartney and Wings’ Band on the Run was largely recorded in Lagos, Nigeria…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Artists all over the world will tell you that one thing inspires more material than any other: pain. For some, there’s no other release than setting thoughts and feelings to…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Though their name might read more like your AIM screen name circa 1999, the duo known collectively as CommonUnion59 and separately as Steve McKenzie and Laura Malasig churns out the delightful sound of California pop…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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The disparity that exists between modern musical content and the real lives of its listeners is a very real problem. Lorde, for one, has been an outspoken critic of privilege…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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It’s appropriate for a Valentine’s Day release to have an element of love in it, though one could argue that every song and every album needs love to successfully communicate…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Last year, LA indie darlings Ships Have Sailed released Someday, their first six-song EP, chock full of those dreamy SoCal melodies you expect from rising stars of the region. Since Someday‘s release,…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Back in August, I told you about a little band called Just Walden, their album High Street Barton Blues, and frontman Danny Ferraro, who went from Wall Street to London and…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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It’s not often that I get to write about a musician who’s talented and also loves jug bands. (See my bio below for why this matters.) So, immediately, chalk up a…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Though upon first listen it’s evident that a whole host of influences came together to create the artist known as John Helix, the San Diego-based singer/songwriter himself uses Weltschmerz — a German…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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You’ve probably never heard of Andy Blunda, but I guarantee you’d recognize his work. Lately, he’s been a mainstay in the television world, composing scores and themes for hot reality…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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With a name like Great Spirit, it’s almost possible to hear this unique NoCal band’s sound even before you hit “play” on their new EP, Front Porch to Frontier. Easygoing, folky…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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As synonymous with the New York every-man music scene as a protagonist in a Billy Joel Song, Dan Greenwald’s Workers have been a mainstay on the local scene for over…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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Sometimes when an artist is nondiscriminatory with his or her influences, the result is unfocused, muddy, and downright confusing. Many feel compelled to use a whole spice rack of ingredients…
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The incredibly popular 50th Anniversary British Invasion Tour that circulated along the East and West Coasts last fall is returning for another go-round this spring. Featuring hitmakers from across the pond…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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The ultimate irony: a SoCal power-pop band that self-admittedly strives to include every Californian stereotype into its vibe and music. The sun, the seemingly endless freedom, the youthful energy, the…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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In the vein of other iconic voices (both literal and lyrical) from the past few years, including Taylor Swift and Christina Perri comes New York’s Alice Sungurov, a 15-year-old who’s…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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A lot of singer/songwriters pen songs with a conscience. But, unless they’re Bruce Springsteen, rarely do those tunes mix catchiness and a playful vibe with a biting edge and in-your-face…
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Allison Johnelle Boron
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What do you get when you combine smooth, flowing, almost-spoken verses with an ear-wormy harmonica lick, simple acoustic guitars, a steady backbeat and a guy whose name might imply he’s…