Portishead’s former DJ Andy Smith first met group frontman Geoff Barrow while the two were at school; he eventually joined Barrow’s touring band as support DJ. He also appeared with the Fugees, Republica, and Prophets of the City, and released his debut mix album, The Document, in early 1998. A follow-up was five years in coming, but The Document II proved just as varied and exciting as the first. - John Bush, All Music Guide
DJ Andy Smith is playing The Roxy this coming Wednesday, October 3rd, with Troublemaker and J-Logic. Get your tickets now!
Van Stone is playing their FINAL SHOW EVER at The Roxy on October 12th. There are still tickets available, so make sure to get yours before they sell out.
Dress as a zombie and Van Stone will give you some free merch!
The one and only Angie Stone will grace the Roxy stage for one night only, October 1st, 2007.
A singer, a self-taught keyboardist, and a prolific songwriter, Angie Stone’s first claim to fame was being the lead vocalist on Vertical Hold’s smooth urban dance track “Seems You’re Much Too Busy.” An R&B Top 40 hit during the summer of 1993, it eventually led to a solo career, and her debut album Black Diamond was issued in 1999 by Arista. In six years, Stone had definitely gained an old-school, autobiographical vibe, exemplified by her hit ballad “No More Rain (In This Cloud),” which has samples from Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye).” Contributors included Lenny Kravitz and former Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad as producers, and Stone’s ex-boyfriend D’Angelo as a vocal guest on “Everyday.”
Stone, a native of Columbia, SC, began singing gospel music at a young age at First Nazareth Baptist Church. Her father, a member of a local gospel quartet, would take his only child to see performances by gospel artists such as the Singing Angels and the Gospel Keynotes. During her youth, she wrote poetry, played sports, and, after high-school graduation, was offered college basketball scholarships. While working dead-end jobs, Stone began saving money to record her own demos at a local studio called PAW. She joined Gwendolyn Chisolm and Cheryl Cook in the rap trio the Sequence, who recorded hits for Joe and Sylvia Robinson’s Sugarhill label — “Funk You Up,” a remake of Parliament’s hit “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker” called “Funky Sound (Tear the Roof Off),” and “I Don’t Need Your Love (Part One).” Soon after, Stone was working with futuristic rappers Mantronix and rocker Lenny Kravitz and formed the neo-soul trio Vertical Hold, who first charted with the Criminal single “Summertime.” Besides “Seems You’re Much Too Busy,” the group’s self-titled A&M album spawned another charting single, “ASAP.” She moved to J-Records in 2001 for her second record, Mahogany Soul, and the record cracked the Top 40 thanks to the pop/R&B hit “Brotha.” Three years later, her third record Stone Love became her biggest hit, with a number 14 placing. In 2004, Stone Love was issued, followed by a live recording of her greatest hits in 2005. - Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
This Friday, The Boys Club Presents THE MEDIC DROID, playing with Good With Grenades, Hyper Crush, and DJs Heather Peggs and Jax live at The Roxy Theatre.
The Roxy Theatre is a proud sponsor of LA Weekly’s Detour Festival, this Saturday, October 6th, 2007. Tons of Roxy veterans are on the bill, including Justice, Teddybears, Busy P, Cool Kids, The Deadly Syndrome, Augie March, Mink, Franki Chan, and more. If you make it downtown, make sure to stop by The Roxy tent and hang out with us, hear some music, and grab a Roxy glowstick to rock out with after dark! We’ll see you there!
A one-time member of the West Coast neo-psychedelic bands the Three O’Clock and Jellyfish, Jason Falkner went out on his own by 1996, playing jagged power pop with impeccable arrangements, a clue to both his classically trained childhood and additional time spent working on the first LP by another classical popster, Eric Matthews. Born in Los Angeles in 1968, Falkner grew up listening to West Coast pop bands like Love and Crosby, Stills & Nash but later began taking piano lessons in preparation for a classical career. Pop music regained control of his life when he discovered his sister’s punk/new wave collection, and Falkner began playing the guitar, later appearing in several bands from his high school. After stints with Three O’Clock and Jellyfish, Falkner worked with Eric Matthews on the 1996 LP It’s Heavy in Here, and finally got what he had been looking for all the time: a solo deal. Through Elektra Records, he released his acclaimed debut Presents Author Unknown, also in 1996. The following year, he played on Matthews’ second album, The Lateness of the Hour, and in early 1999 issued his own sophomore effort, Can You Still Feel? It was followed in 2001 by Necessity: The 4-Track Years, a collection of home recordings, and Bedtime with the Beatles, a covers album featuring instrumental lullabies of Fab Four favorites.
Jason Falkner plays on Filter’s Revenge of the Sunset Strip on September 13th, 2007 with Castledoor and Annie Stela. Tickets are now available - call the Roxy or purchase through Ticketmaster.
Check out this video of Jason Falkner performing “Holiday” live:
