Eric J. Lawrence
KCRW
Santa Monica, CA, United States
Contact Eric
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Past articles by Eric:
Pixies | Morning Becomes Eclectic
Alt-rock pioneers Pixies released their seventh album Beneath the Eyrie last September. They performed a special set of new tracks and old gems and spoke with KCRW's Eric J. Lawrence about the new album and their connection to Los Angeles. → Read More
The Legacy of Aretha Franklin
KCRW's Music Blog! Providing the best new music, artists you should know, and exclusive content, at KCRW.com → Read More
Tribute to Mark E. Smith (The Fall)
KCRW's Music Blog! Providing the best new music, artists you should know, and exclusive content, at KCRW.com → Read More
Robyn Hitchcock
In his four-decade career, Robyn Hitchcock has remained a cult favorite in large part due to his sharp wit, keen political commentary and surrealistic style. (10am) → Read More
RIP Holger Czukay, Co-founder of Can
KCRW's Music Blog! Providing the best new music, artists you should know, and exclusive content, at KCRW.com → Read More
Want a More Thrilling Coaster Ride? Add VR Goggles
The New Revolution Virtual Reality Coaster, image: Six Flags Magic Mountain As humankind searches for bigger and better thrills, roller coasters have become among the most popular options. Unlike auto racing, mountaineering and surfing enormous waves in shark-infested waters, hurtling down a wood or metal track for hundreds of feet is a relatively safe and inexpensive way to get your adrenaline… → Read More
Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh on Subversion and the Power of Music
In his Guest DJ set, Mark Mothersbaugh shares boundary-pushing pop, some influential score music and explains the lessons he learned about subversion from an unlikely source. → Read More
Wil Wheaton Breaks the Rules
I’m not going to the San Diego Comic-Con this year. I feel a little guilty about this, like I’m somehow not fulfilling my duties as a nerd/geek culture aficionado. But then I spoke with actor, author & web host Wil Wheaton and learned he’s taking the year off as well, and I no longer feel so bad. In his case, Wheaton is focusing on completing current projects that are sure to be the conversation… → Read More
Sara Rachele & the Skintights – “How Does It Feel Like (to Lose?)”
Throughout the history of pop music, certain styles come & go. But some are perennial, such as the classic, melodramatic girl-group sound, maybe best typified by the Shangri-Las or the Chiffons, but running the whole gamut, from the Slits to the Raveonettes, Luscious Jackson, Lana Del Rey, the Judds, Vivian Girls and even Josie and the Pussycats! One of the latest practitioners is Georgia-born… → Read More
KCRW Celebrates the Life & Music of Prince – KCRW Music Blog
It may not be the popular opinion to express today, but I must admit to not being that big of a Prince fan. Everybody has their personal musical icons to call their own – I’ve always been more of a David Bowie, Otis Redding, James Brown, Sex Pistols kind of guy, more than, say, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Metallica or Prince fan. That’s just personal taste. But one thing I have in droves is a… → Read More
The E24 Coachella Takeover Starts Tomorrow!
Whether you are heading out to the deserts of Indio this weekend or staying at home, Coachella is sure to dominate the music conversation over the next two weeks. Dozens of your favorite bands & DJs will be hitting the stages and tents of the annual event both this weekend and the next. To celebrate, Eclectic 24, our dedicated online music only channel, will feature a special mix by KCRW’s own… → Read More
Kendra Morris – “Avalanche”
Kendra Morris knows her soul music. The NYC-based artist has been making some silky smooth solo jams for nearly a decade, most recently with a stellar covers album, Mockingbird, which managed to turn tracks like “Space Oddity” and “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” into epic, soul-infused interpretations worth the effort, with the Pink Floyd cover and others gracing various film & television projects.… → Read More
SXSW on KCRW: How to Live Vicariously
Ah, Austin, Texas in the springtime! Attending SXSW is a wonderful way to celebrate the changing of the seasons, activating many senses, with sounds (lots & lots of bands), sights (bands’ colorful outfits while performing live on stage throughout the city) and even tastes (the ubiquitous BBQ). But we can’t all just up & leave our daily lives to attend a music festival con queso. Never fear –… → Read More
T.O.L.D. – “Return Forever”
T.O.L.D. (aka The Order of Life and Death) is the musical project of LA-based producer Dan Smith, who made a splash a year & a half ago with their debut track, “Lucifer’s Eyes,” and its parent EP. He is back with a new song, “Return Forever,” composed in collaboration with Jas of Simian Mobile Disco, and Smith calls it “a kind of Nietzschean dance song,” which, to my ears, translates to… → Read More
Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe’s “Pa Colombia” (Bomba Estereo remix)
Since its founding in NYC back in 1964, Fania Records has been the premiere label for the Afro-Cuban sound, featuring many of the legendary figures of the Latin scene, including Celia Cruz, Willie Colon, Ruben Blades, Ray Baretto and many other greats. Over the past decade, they have been reissuing many of their classic recordings, as well as featuring newly commissioned remixes to introduce the… → Read More
Chris Robley – “Anonymous”
Longtime Portland, Oregon-based singer/songwriter Chris Robley is now Portland, Maine-based singer/songwriter Chris Robley. Whatever he has about places called Portland is not for us to conjecture here. What we will ponder is how he was able to successfully lip-sync in reverse the lyrics to his new track, “Anonymous,” while being dunked in and out of the pool at a local YWCA, as seen on the… → Read More
Ned and the Dirt – “We Scream Party”
There just aren’t enough concept EPs out there. Anyone can do a concept album – it gives you lots of room to tell your longer story. And what is a single but a “concept track.” But to limit yourselves to just a couple of songs while still giving a larger scope to your storytelling – that’s a challenge! Los Angeles-based transplants Ned and the Dirt give it a shot on their new self-released EP,… → Read More
Choir of Young Believers: “Perfect Estocada” – KCRW Music Blog
Danish artist Jannis Noya Makrigiannis took a break after a year-long tour with his band, Choir of Young Believers, in the wake of the release of their 2012 album, Rhine Gold, and sought to rediscover his muse. Eschewing the guitar or piano, he concentrated on creating soundscapes untethered to traditional structures. The result is Grasque, which will be released 2/19. While Jannis wasn’t… → Read More
Local favorites The Record Company make their full-length debut – KCRW Music Blog
The Record Company are one of those great local bands that have been bubbling just under the radar for a few years, self-releasing a series of singles & EP, as well as performing countless live shows both in local clubs and touring the world as an opening act for the likes of Trombone Shorty, Social Distortion & BB King, but ultimately taking their time to find the right moment to release their… → Read More
New Music from Miranda Lee Richards – “First Light of Winter” – KCRW Music Blog
Singer/songwriter Miranda Lee Richards has led a pretty free-spirited life to date. Growing up in San Francisco with parents connected to the underground comix scene; modeling in Paris; learning guitar from a member of Metallica, then joining The Brian Jonestown Massacre; releasing three solo albums of pastoral, psychedelic folk-rock. After a six-year break, she returns with a new album that… → Read More