Mia Doi Todd

Mia Doi Todd at the Trails Café in Griffith Park

MIA DOI TODD 

At Griffith Park 

Having first heard of Mia Doi Todd upon the release of her fifth album (Manzanita) in 2005, the singer-songwriter has been on my radar for almost 10 years. She has continued to create beautiful songs that showcase her uniquely soft yet powerful voice on four additional full lengths, making appearances on numerous compilations and soundtracks for films like Mood Indigo, the latest from Michel Gondry, who directed Mia’s colorful video for “Open Your Heart” in 2010.

I’ve always felt a little kinship with the L.A. native since she is also half-Japanese and has a keen fondness for nature, so it wasn’t that surprising when she happened to pick one of the places that I love most in the city as her own favorite, Griffith Park. We meet just south of Griffith Observatory at the Trails Café on Fern Dell Drive, order a biscuit with honey for her and her 2-year-old daughter Ynez and a strawberry lemonade for me and begin to talk about growing up in Los Angeles and Mia’s upcoming album, Floresta, which releases next week and was inspired by Brazilian music and culture.

“I grew up in Silver Lake, so I’ve been coming to Griffith Park since I was little,” Mia shares. “[Riding the train and carousel], that’s what we would do for my birthday.” 

At this, Ynez reminds her mom that she would like to ride on the ponies later on their way home to Glendale. It’s quite heartwarming to see the two ladies interact, and I’m sure that Mia feels quite fortunate to be able to share the places where many of her own childhood memories occurred with her daughter. She also considers herself fortunate to have been able to expose Ynez to the person she looked up to most in life, her grandmother.

“Luckily my grandmother was alive when Ynez was born, so she was able to meet her bachan, her great-grandmother before she passed away. My grandmother was my idol; she was such a hardworking, gentle lady,” Mia reflects. “She was a seamstress for a living, so she taught me to sew when I was 4 or 5. She worked at a lingerie factory with silk and lace – the hardest materials – so she could sew anything, doing very detailed and beautiful work. My mother and aunt had the most beautiful prom dresses when they were in high school because of my grandmother.

Mia continues to sew a lot of her own clothes and even some dolls for Ynez. One of the fabric stores she often frequents is in Downtown’s Garment District, Michael Levine, Inc. http://www.lowpricefabric.com As a result of her father being a sculptor and painter, both Mia and Ynez love to draw and paint.

“[Growing up,] I was always drawing, sewing and doing crafty things in my room. I wasn’t very athletic, but I was really into school,” she says. “There was a lot of music in my grammar school, which was awesome. My teacher played guitar and sang. We would go around the room and get to choose our favorite song from a songbook to sing. That was really my first experience with singing.” 

At around 8 or 9, Mia’s mother – who is an Associate Justice for the state of California (She was the first female Asian-American judge in the country.) – took her to her first concert, Michael Jackson at Dodger Stadium.

“It was raining that night, and the show was so scary because it was the Thriller tour. I was totally freaked out,” she laughs. “I don’t know if I had ever been in such a big crowd. After that, the first concert I chose to go to that I got my mom to take me and some friends to was the Cure in 1989, also at Dodger Stadium.”

Mia’s own voice training began around this time. The family’s next-door neighbor was an opera singer and gave her private vocal lessons in his living room throughout her teenage years.

“That’s where the tone of my voice comes from,” she offers. “I started dancing in high school, too. We could take dance instead of P.E., so I did that.”

Although she didn’t start dancing until adolescence, her interest in dance and theater was sparked by her immersion in Japanese culture from a young age.

“My mother was on the board of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC), so we went to a lot of performances and art shows there. We went to see kabuki and Noh there,” she recalls. “My interest in Japanese culture definitely stemmed from all of that.” 

Mia was so taken with the culture that she went on to major in Asian Studies (with a focus on Japan) at Yale University, becoming immersed in the country’s history, religion and art. She was especially drawn to Butoh, Japanese dance theater and eventually received a grant from Yale to study the art form in Japan.

“When I was back east, I saw Kazuo Ohno perform at Amherst College. I had already been into Butoh, but seeing him live really heightened my interest in it. He was already 92 or 93 when I was studying under him in Tokyo; he was there, but his son, Yoshito, was leading a lot of the workshops,” she remembers. “I also studied with Min Tanaka, whom I consider a great teacher, during my year in Japan.”

Going away to college and then traveling to Japan were the first experiences Mia had away from Los Angeles, and this definitely had an impact on her. 

“I wrote my first song at the end of high school, and by the time I was in college, I was writing a lot of songs. There’s the whole first generation of songs that I only have on a tape, and they’re really funny,” she laughs. “Then there’s the second generation of songs that were recorded in 1996 and released on my first record, The Ewe & the Eye. Those were written around when I was 20 years old.”

“Going to the East Coast I could definitely see myself as a Californian more because it’s not until you go away that you see where you’re coming from, what’s behind you. I found out I was definitely a California girl, I didn’t know until,” she continues with a smile. “There are other places I would like to live but I have such a strong community here, roots, family and friends. It’s so hard to leave. We have such beautiful parks in Malibu, here at Griffith Park and we live really close to Angeles Crest at the top of Glendale. I find great comfort in nature and am always trying to find it.” 

Nature has always figured greatly in Mia’s work, and she feels that it relates to the fact that growing up in the city, she was constantly surrounded by asphalt. A longing to be in nature is always inside of her, it manifests itself even in the title of her albums. Her latest effort is called Floresta, which is Portuguese for ‘forest.’

“Flore is flower, so in Portuguese floresta mentions the flowers of the forest not just the trees. The rainforest in Brazil is so rich, abundant and teeming with life, so Floresta captures that feeling,” she tells. “We made a video for ‘Cais,’ the last track on the album, in France, and it’s about nature being our path to salvation. That characterizes the whole message of the album. I’ve found so much solace in nature.” 

Mia has also found much comfort in Brazilian music. She was originally introduced to the genre via a compilation put together by David Byrne, Beleza Tropical.

“Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, a lot of huge Brailian stars are represented on that compilation; hearing that for the first time was like discovering the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen. I listened to that CD for years and gradually became more familiar with all the different artists on it,” she says. “Over time, Brazilian music became more popular in the states, and a lot of my DJ friends collect the original vinyl, so I got to hear the albums that the singles came from – so much amazing music. My love of Brazilian music has just continued to grow.” 

As her fascination with Brazilian music and culture flourished, she decided to travel to the country to play some shows and became acquainted with drummer and percussionist Mauricio Takara.

“I got to play at Circo Voador, this amazing venue in Rio opening for Marcelo Camelo who is like the Beck of Brazil just by chance. Immediately, I was so accepted by all the people I met in Mauricio’s community. They would be surprised that I wasn’t from São Paulo, while here in Los Angeles, it’s the opposite. People are always asking me where I’m from,” she laughs. “I felt so accepted in Brazil, and it started to be less of the ‘other.’ I spent six weeks there, went back later that year and made lifelong friends.”

Upon returning from that first trip to Brazil in 2009, Mia began working on material inspired by the culture with guitarist and arranger Fabiano do Nascimento. After going back to Brazil last November to work on a track, “Jardim do Amor,” with Takara for the Red Hot + Bach compilation that released this summer, Mia finally found the perfect place to record the songs she and do Nascimento had been putting together for the past four years.

“Mauricio’s family had moved their studio into an amazing new location that was built in the ‘80s by an Argentinian architect. It’s the most beautiful studio that I’ve ever been in with lots of Brazilian hardwoods, paneling all over, modern architecture,” she gushes. “I had been wanting to make this record, Fabiano and I had been working on this material for four years, and it was getting to the point here we need to record it, capture it or else just move on. Once I found that studio, I said, ‘OK, we’re going to do it!’” 

Floresta is comprised of compositions by some of the Brazilian masters who first inspired her, Nascimento and Veloso, as well as Joyce, Tom Zé, Cadeia, Tom Jobim, Dorival Caymmi and Dércio Marques. There was just one hurdle that Mia had yet to overcome: All of these songs have lyrics composed n Portuguese, and she doesn’t speak the language at all.

“In order to learn the songs I had to know what I was singing, so I do understand all the lyrics. The way I chose the songs had a lot to do with the lyrical content, so I just have to convey the emotion of the songs, the feeling of them, through the music for the listeners in the states,” she admits. “A lot of the interpretations of Brazilian music that get to us in the U.S. are more club oriented, lounge music or jazz with a lot of production, that are more slick. I approached the songs like folk songs. I was aiming for a more roots-y album; that’s what I could bring to it. There are way better singers who could perform these songs in a super fabulous way, but I wanted to go to the core of them because they’re just beautiful songs.”

While several of the songs deal with sad subjects, Mia says that transforming that sadness into something sublime is “the joy that pierces through the cloud.” Beauty can be found in even the saddest of places. Music gives many people solace, a diversion from their troubles. Throughout the recording of Floresta, Mia had her own doubts about being worthy of recording songs by such legendary musicians, but the power of the music itself was undeniable.

“As a songwriter I just love Milton Nascimento and Caetano Veloso, so I grappled for a long time, 'why should I be doing this,' 'can I do them justice?' Even while we were recording, I was still wondering, ’why am I doing this,'” she says. “But I learned so much, it was so fun. I love these songs, and to be able to play them, sing them is just a dream. I hope that joy is contagious in the songs. And for me, on my path of growing as a musician and songwriter, digesting this material fuels my own songwriting.”

I can’t wait to see what’s going to come next from Mia Doi Todd.

Floresta will be available Sept. 16. Mia Doi Todd performs at Floresta’s release party Sept. 15 at the Blue Whale in Little Tokyo. For more information, visit miadoitodd.com.

David Flannery

Actor David Flannery at Griffith Observatory

 

DAVID FLANNERY

At Griffith Observatory

2800 E. Observatory Ave., Los Angeles (Griffith Park) 213-473-0800

"When people come visit Los Angeles and ask what I like to do, I say, 'Let me take you to this great spot.' It's free, you can learn so much about the city from the views and all of the displays are so interactive. I just love it," gushes actor David Flannery as we begin our walk through his favorite L.A. place, Griffith Observatory. "This Our Sun Is a Star exhibit is great. Can you imagine, the sun is that big? We are just a little blip in the universe; it's pretty amazing."

He can hardly contain his enthusiasm as we continue through the Ahmanson Hall of the Sky. His wonderment reminds me of the story about how the location came to be: Industrialist and philanthropist Griffith J. Griffith dreamt up the idea of a public observatory while peering at the sky through the Mount Wilson telescope in 1904. Griffith's vision for making astronomy accessible to the general population wasn't realized until after his death when Griffith Observatory opened in 1935, yet it succeeds in awing multitudes of visitors to this day and has become an L.A. landmark, symbolizing the city in films like Dragnet, The People vs. Larry Flynt and Transformers.

David Flannery is himself a rising L.A. star. In the five years since relocating from Boise, Idaho, he has nabbed roles in "The Bold and the Beautiful," Taylor Swift's music video for "Mean" and A Single Shot with Sam Rockwell, Jeffrey Wright and Kelly Reilly. His most recent part is in William H. Macy's feature-length, directorial debut, Rudderless, alongside Billy Crudup, Selena Gomez, Anton Yelchin and Laurence Fishburne.

He tells me a little about his childhood and the path that led him to Hollywood as we travel down the Cosmic Connection, a corridor in the observatory that's lined with a glass case housing celestial-themed jewelry.

"Science was huge for me growing up, but I was mainly into sports. I played football. I didn't do theater because that's not what the cool kids did," he confesses with a laugh. "I was a closet nerd, in all these AP classes, but I would try to hide it from everybody. Then, I would go home and play Magic: The Gathering cards and be really nerdy. It was my deep, dark secret. It sounds so funny now, why was I so embarrassed? All these idiosyncrasies are what make a person a person, after all."

David loved science so much that he was actually going to study biology in college before deciding to move out to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

"My grandma instilled in my head that I needed to go to school and become a doctor, so that's what I felt I had to do to make her happy. When she passed away, a lot of stuff took place in my life, one event after another, and I moved to Los Angeles," he recalls. "It was just the right time."

We come to the Edge of Space Mezzanine, where David is able to let his inner science nerd run rampant, touching all the meteorite samples, and he informs me that we're approaching his favorite part of the observatory, the Gunther Depths of Space.

"I have this whole system of taking people through this area. I usually like to start at the moon and then go down to the planet exhibits," he says. "The first few times I came the observatory, I only stayed upstairs but when I finally came down here I thought it was so cool because you can stand on these scales and see how much you weigh on each planet, read all of the information and look into the scopes at actual 3-D images of places like Mars. We get to be hands-on with the exhibits here, and that's really what I love about it."

We head outside for what David calls "some of the greatest views in the city" and come upon the Rebel Without a Cause monument, a bust of James Dean, who was the lead actor in the 1955 film that Griffith Observatory was featured in. When I ask if David has seen the film, he replies, "I actually own it. It's a cool movie, but I like East of Eden more. I love the camera angles they use, and there's not much dialogue in it – kind of like Drive where it's more of a visual thing. You look into the characters' eyes and feel like there's no need for words."

In fact, one of David's all-time favorite movie characters had very few lines at all.

"Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be an actor, and it was because of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which I probably shouldn't have been watching as a kid," he laughs. "But I did, and I fell in love with Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, the Terminator. He got to play this machine character. I also loved all the action."

While he has mainly acted in character-driven pieces, like A Single Shot and Rudderless, David still harbors a love for good action movies.

"I just saw the new RoboCop and I loved it. The action sequences and how they redid it from the original, it reminded me of Terminator 2," he admits. "Gary Oldman was awesome in it. I would absolutely love to do a bang-em-up action movie. Those kind of movies are just fun. I really love to sink my teeth into a character, get a handle of the script and become a character, but when you're in an action movie you get to jump and roll around, your blood's pumping. Not to say you can't do that in a drama because god knows there have been times when my heart's beating fast staring into the eyes of a beautiful woman."

Although Rudderless' storyline is quite somber, David did manage to have a fun time filming this particular picture.

"William H. Macy is one of the coolest guys I've ever worked with for the fact that he really understands actors because he has been acting for so long, and he had such a great time directing. He didn't treat it like a job, he treated it like a passion, and I loved that about him," he tells. "There was so much enthusiasm when he came on set, and he was like a kid in a candy store the whole time that it was such a pleasure to work with him. The simple fact that I got to work with him in that capacity was amazing."

Rudderless made its Sundance debut as the festival's closing night selection in January, and David had a wonderful experience in Park City.

"It was my second time going but my first time having a film there so, in that capacity, it was awesome. Last year, I was on the outside looking in, whereas this year, I was actually in a film, and it was exciting to experience it from the inside," he says. "It's a sleepy little town the rest of the year, but when Sundance goes on, it blows up and everybody has a great time."

In the film, Billy Crudup is a former high-profile advertising executive, Sam, whose life is turned upside down at the tragic death of his son, whom David plays a college mate of. Sam discovers demos and lyrics his son had created and learns to play each song. He captures the ear of a young musician (Anton Yelchin) while playing one of the songs at a local bar, and through the band the duo creates, comes healing. Music plays a big role in Rudderless, and holds a lot of meaning in David's life as well.

"Rudderless is definitely a story that hasn't been told before, and they do it in such a way that you feel compassion for what these people are going through. The music really helps and is absolutely amazing. They got a standing ovation in the theater at Sundance for the last song they played, which was fantastic. It was the first time I had seen the film, and it just blew me away. I took my sister, and she was in tears," he remembers. "I find music to be a huge inspiration to me, especially when I'm going over lines. I put on music, and it helps my mind get away from totally intellectualizing everything, to let creativity just flow. Reading a script is like conducting a symphony, you have your ups and downs."

David taught himself to play the guitar and sings a bit ("Well, I sing a lot, just not in front of people," he laughs."). He even took some guitar lessons at the Silverlake Conservatory of Music near his home in Silver Lake.

"The teachers at the Conservatory are so passionate about their craft, they really want you to learn," he says.

Music also has a part in the Griffith Observatory's history. From 1973-2002, its planetarium hosted the Laserium laser show, where lights would be set to the songs of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Aside from playing his guitar, David loves to write poetry. While he admires the work of writers such as Maya Angelou, he mainly likes to pen his own pieces rather than read others' poems.

"Poetry is feeling in some of its truest form when you write. I like to write and let the person whom I give the poem to feel it and come up with their own idea about it. I've had people ask me, 'What does this mean?' I say, 'What do you think it means? I wrote it for you.'"

When he's not writing poems, you could probably find David collaborating with his screenwriting partner, Josh Winot, or sitting at one of his favorite cafés, Intelligentsia.

"I usually get an Angeleno, which is four shots of espresso [with milk and agave]. It really gets you going, but it's delicious, too," he informs. "Intelligentsia has some of the greatest chai lattes that you can get. I don't know what they do to their mix, but they're pretty amazing."

While he's not a vegan or vegetarian, he highly recommends Sage Vegan Bistro in Echo Park for their KindKreme ice cream. He is a big salad lover, especially Cobb Salad, and when I tell him that the Cobb Salad was created in Los Angeles, at the Hollywood Brown Derby where it was named for co-owner Robert Cobb, he's floored. Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park, however, overall hold the most special place in David's heart.

"The first time I came to Griffith Park, my friend took me on this great hike through the trails. I fell in love with it and started doing that trail all the time. There's a great hike off to left of the Hollywood Sign. You go along the fence, climb over some rocks to that lone tree, and there's a box you can sign your name on," he says, pointing out the exact tree on the hillside. "I used to walk dogs for some cash, and when I started taking them here, I just became addicted. Every single day I would walk the dogs I would take them here, and they fell in love just as much as I did. I miss that a lot, getting exercise as you're hanging out with animals and forming a bond."

Don't get him wrong, though. Even when the entertainment industry gets overwhelming, he really couldn't see himself doing anything else in the world other than acting. As for Los Angeles, he has a love/hate relationship with the city.

"It's funny, I love the town but always feel like I need to get away to San Diego or Santa Barbara. When I come back, I have this great feeling like there's something magical about this city. There's this great energy here, and it can be as positive or negative as you want," he states. "That's what the joy of L.A. is – it is what you make of it. There really is something magical here. I mean, look at this view."

The amazing views from Griffith Observatory really are breathtaking. As we drive down the hillside from the observatory into Griffith Park we see a group of coyotes and deer sitting in a meadow next to the Greek Theatre. It's like a scene out of a nature documentary, and the site takes me back to one of the most important lessons that David says he's learned about life lately.

"Never complain. Life is going to give you things, but it's not going to give you anything that you can't handle so you just have to go with it. Why sit there and complain about it? There are so many gifts that this city has to offer you if you just take it," he says. "Don't complain, because there are so many people out there who don't have what you have or aren't able to experience these things. Let it go, and just let it flow."

For more information, visit davidadamflannery.com.

L.A. LANDMARKS - Griffith Observatory

 

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY

2800 E. Observatory Ave., Los Angeles (Griffith Park) 213-473-0800

Griffith J. Griffith came up with the idea for a public observatory while peering at the sky through the Mount Wilson telescope on a visit to the research facility in 1904. He then donated the land and funds for the observatory, which would include an exhibit hall, a cinematic theater to show educational films and, of course, an astronomical telescope offering free viewing, to the city. Although Griffith passed away before building began, his trust oversaw that his vision came to fruition, enlisting some of science's greatest minds at the time to contribute to its design and construction, before passing ownership on to the city.

Griffith Observatory opened its doors on May 14, 1935, welcoming over 13,000 visitors in its first week. They examined exhibits such as the Foucault pendulum and a triple-beam coelostat solar telescope, which are still available to the public today, and watched shows about the moon and worlds of the solar system in the planetarium. In 1974, the observatory began hosting the world's first  music-accompanied laser light show, the Laserium, in the planetarium, and it was still going strong when I was in high school in the '90s. We would make the trek from Orange County to be captivated by the lights set to the songs by the likes of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

The Laserium was removed from the program when the observatory underwent a $93-million renovation and expansion from 2002 to 2006. Aside from exhibits being added on a new underground level, a café, bookstore and the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater were also created, along with a major revamping of the planetarium, was renamed the Samuel Oschin Planetarium.

While admission to the observatory and all its exhibits is free, tickets for the planetarium shows are $7. The four shows – Centered in the Universe (exploring the history of astronomy), Water Is Life, Light of the Valkyries (images of the northern lights will amaze you) and Time's Up – are well worth it, though. The observatory's architecture, designed by John C. Austin and Frederick M. Ashley, is also a sight to behold and has been featured in films like Rebel Without a Cause (There was even a bust of the movie's star, James Dean, erected on the grounds.), which have led to it becoming one of Los Angeles' most recognizable buildings.

There is so much to explore inside the observatory, yet it's often hard to tear yourself away from the sweeping views of the city to be had from its exterior terraces and walkways. I love to stand next to the domes and search the landscape from Downtown to Hollywood and – on clear days – the Pacific Ocean for familiar landmarks. Even though I've been to the observatory many times, it's one place I doubt I'll ever get tired of visiting on my own or with out of towners.

Lavender Diamond

Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark at the Trails Café

 

BECKY STARK of LAVENDER DIAMOND

At The Trails Cafe

2333 Fern Dell Drive, Los Angeles (Los Feliz)

Journalists often describe Becky Stark as ethereal and fairy-like. As I walk along the Ferndell path in Griffith Park to reach her favorite L.A. haven, the Trails Café, it seems like the perfect location for a pixie hollow nestled amongst the lush flora, wooden bridges and a babbling brook. I immediately sense why the Lavender Diamond frontwoman calls it her second home.

"I just love it here, and I come here as much as possible. When I haven't been here in a while I start to miss it. I know my life is out of balance when I'm too busy to come to the Trails," she admits. "I love to be in nature, but I'm also an urban lady. I like to wear high heels sometimes, so the Trails is perfect. It's an urban forest café."

Becky perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the Trails. Accessible from bustling Los Feliz Boulevard, the café is a great place to decompress after a long day at the office since it's close to the heart of the city, yet you still feel like you're immersed in nature. After walking in Ferndell, stop at the Trails for a thirst-quenching strawberry lemonade, nourishing avocado sandwich or sweet treat.

"The food is delicious and wholesome. There are pastries, but they're pastries that feel like health food because of Jenny Park, who is the pastry chef. She studied Chinese medicine and then became a pastry chef. Everything is baked fresh here every day," gushes Becky. "It's a combination between feeling a connection to your community and a connection with nature that makes it feel particularly healing here. Also the food, because those are the top ways to feel good, right? Eating, connecting with friends/community and connecting with nature. Sometimes if I feel really tired I don't necessarily want to go on a hike, but I want to reconnect with nature because it will make me feel better. Here, I can sit in the forest and eat the most delicious cookies I've ever had in my life."

Ferndell Trail

 And she's right. It's impossible to feel bad while nibbling on a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie and sipping an iced coffee at the Trails. Becky seems to fit in so naturally with the environment. Although she was raised on the East Coast, she has fallen in love with Los Angeles.

"L.A. is such a surprising city, it's so mysterious and soulful. It is so demographically diverse, it makes me love it here," she says.

The fact that there are so many different kinds of people here is a positive in the realm of fashion, which is definitely a passion for Becky.

"That's another thing that's wonderful about Los Angeles: There are great thrift stores in L.A., maybe because there are so many people here. I love to shop at Out of the Closet. They have these $1 racks, and the things you can find there are amazing. I really love Berda Paradise, it's probably my favorite thrift store," she shares. "I like some vintage stores, too: Flounce, Squaresville and Ragg Mopp. I love beautiful dresses, the artistry in vintage dresses. There's no comparison between clothes made in the '20s, '30s or '40s and anything that's manufactured. They're only comparable to couture. I like to go to Opening Ceremony to soak in the artistry. You can see the designers' work, and their imaginations are really inspiring to me."

Becky's clothing style is akin to the music she creates, in that, they can both be described in one word: 'timeless.' Whether it's a plaintive ballad ("Please" from the 2004 EP, Cavalry of Light), a bouncy pop melody ("Open Your Heart" from the 2007 full-length, Imagine Our Love) or a rock anthem ("Oh My Beautiful World" from the upcoming album, Incorruptible Heart, due Sept. 25), Lavender Diamond's songs are epic. Becky, along with Ron Regé on drums and Steve Gregoropolous on piano, successfully blends old-school techniques with modern elements to create a sound that is completely their own.

"I think a lot about our moment in history and what it means, the relationship between old forms and modern times. In our world, every moment is a turning point. You think of the evolution of time, it happens so slowly, and suddenly there's a moment of some evolution that's so instant. I feel that music and fashion are related to that in an interesting way," she says. "Music is ancient. What's more ancient than sound/sound patterns? In my ideal world, I think what a song could be is an energetic code. The songs that stay with you, they're nourishing – you know them, they're a part of you. Music is a sound pattern that you make, to relate to something that everyone could experience."

One distinct Lavender Diamond trademark is Becky's powerful voice. It can soar to amazing heights while conveying emotions that span the depths of despair and the utterly sublime.

"When I was young, I had a really weak speaking voice and severe asthma, so singing was something that was very therapeutic for me. Singing was a way that I developed strength in my breath and physical strength," she shares. "Singing was so healing because I was literally changing my vibration and connecting to a deeper source of energy. When you're singing harmony and playing music together, it's something that's such a powerful feeling and connecting force."

If there's one thing that is most important to Becky about Lavender Diamond's music, it's connecting people. A track on Incorruptible Heart where that intention is quite apparent is "Everybody's Heart's Breaking Now."

"That song is so dramatic and busted, but it's also like a soft-shoe: 'Hey! Everybody's heart is breaking now!' I told that to Damian [Kulash, Jr., of OK Go], who produced it, and he said, 'You're crazy, that song is so sad,'" she remembers with a laugh. "For a while I didn't want to make this record because I thought it was too sad, but I think that being willing to share your own feelings can have a very positive effect. If there's anything that's magical in the world, it's empathy, compassion. When you feel something and someone else feels, it changes it. It's chemistry. So if we want to change things and be part of active growth, then to feel with each other is a real force. If you think about anything that needs to be healed in the world, the way to that is to be more connected. The more connected we are, the more whole we are. All the ideas on the record are part of that plan."

As the release of Incorruptible Heart approaches, the band has begun to play the new songs live.

"It's a bit challenging because there is so much happening electronically on this record. When we were making the album, we were just following a vision of how we wanted it to sound. Damian said, 'Let me produce it, I know how to make it sound like that.' Dave Fridmann, who has worked on Flaming Lips records, said, 'Do you want me to make you a song like 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'?' And I was like, 'Yes, exactly!' We got home, and I thought, 'how are we going to play this live?' I had to really shake the guys, they thought we sounded good the way we were. But I said, 'No, we're going to change our sound – get some echo pedals, keyboard sounds, put reverb on everything! We have some friends who are helping, ladies singing harmonies, because there are crazy harmonies on the record. Alex Lilly who sings with my band the Living Sisters, sang with us for our first attempt, a show at Bootleg Theater."

Overall the band is embracing change and looking forward to more performances, especially their upcoming Monday-night residency at the Echo.

"I'm excited. It's good to evolve. You just have to have a sense of humor about everything," Becky says. "I am really obsessed with a couple of Beyoncé songs right now. To me, she's the best dancer in the world. Whenever I feel sad, I just watch her videos and learn the choreography. Maybe I'll do some Beyoncé covers at the shows, that would be so fun."

Aside from preparing to tour in support of Incorruptible Heart, Becky is starring in a new web series, "We Can Do It," launching Sept. 11, where she interviews guests like Damian, Andrew W.K., Jena Malone and John C. Reilly, whom she has a country act with. Becky has also performed as part of the Living Sisters, the L.A. Ladies Choir (which she co-founded), She & Him, the Decemberists and Courage, a band she created with comedian/actress Charlyne Yi.

"I feel like there's a common sense of purpose with all the people I collaborate with, a purpose of sharing love and helping to heal the planet. There's a motive to try and create something that is uplifting and makes you feel better. I feel lucky that I have been able to work with them and be part of that force," says Becky. "I feel like, with all these people, that we were the crazy nerds in high school. We're just big nerds who want to go on a mission of friendship and magic. It feels really special to join forces with people like that. It becomes more real, more powerful. The more our numbers grow, the more the forces of magic and love can grow and multiply!"

Incorruptible Heart is currently available. For more information, visit lavenderdiamond.net. 

Rose's Pawn Shop

Stephen Andrews, Christian Hogan, Tim Weed, Paul Givant and John Kraus of Rose's Pawn Shop (Bree Ellsworth)

PAUL GIVANT of ROSE'S PAWN SHOP

Griffith Park Hiking Trails

Trailhead at Commonwealth Ave. and Los Feliz Blvd. (Hollywood)

Paul Givant is not an easy man to categorize. Like Rose's Pawn Shop, the band that he founded in 2005, Paul defies any solitary label that one might try to affix to his personality and artistic style. The group's blend of bluegrass, country, folk and rock cannot be classified into a single genre. The vocalist is a fiery ball of energy when he performs, armed with an acoustic guitar and an arsenal of lyrics touching on heartbreak, regret and that "One Last Glass of Whiskey." But when we meet at a coffee shop close to his favorite L.A. haunt, Griffith Park, I discover that he is also a down-to-earth, avid hiker who is just as comfortable shopping at his local farmers' market as he is on stage.

"I love to go hiking in Griffith Park. There's a certain trail that I usually take that runs up behind the Greek Theatre. That's a very common thing to do for me, it's so close. It's great to have a hiking area that I can be at in like five minutes," he shares. "There are a couple different places where you can catch the trail. You can go up Commonwealth Avenue, past Los Feliz Boulevard, and there's an entrance past the golf course. The other one is by the Greek Theatre, there's a trailhead that starts right across the street. Depending on how far you want to go, it can be a 30-minute or hour to hour-and-a-half hike to go all the way to the top. That's what I like about it: It's an escape that's in the middle of the city."

Often, this time away from the hustle and bustle stimulates his creativity.

"I do a lot of writing sitting at home holed up in a room, but usually if I get a little ways into the song – lyrically, especially – I'll be able to keep going with it while I go jogging," he says. "I go three or four times a week, and it clears my head. I've finished a lot of songs lyrically while I'm out jogging. Hiking, too. Being out there in motion opens your mind, and you're not editing as much. I've had a lot of good lyric ideas that way."

An ideal Saturday afternoon for the frontman would be spent relishing everything the city has to offer.

"There's a farmer's market right by my house so I would walk up there with my girl and her daughter. Then, if I'm lucky and don't have anything to do, I would probably laze around, watch sports and try to write music. I would go for a hike in Griffith Park, then go out to a good dinner. Hopefully something would be going on with my friends – we would listen to some music or to a party at somebody's house. That's the kind of Saturday that we mostly have when I'm in town," he says. "I used to have many spots where I would have that 'One Last Glass of Whiskey' on a pretty regular basis. I think I've mellowed out a little bit as I've gotten older. One of my places used to be the Dresden on Vermont. Also, Good Luck Bar, but lately I haven't been going to those places. Our bass player's girlfriend works over at Mohawk Bend in Echo Park, so we've started going there. It's a cool spot. Sometimes I hang out at the Edendale in Silver Lake. They have some cool outdoor seating; it's good during the summer."

In any setting, it is clear that Paul loves his bandmates and the music that they create.

"It really is a brotherhood out there when we're on tour. It feels like family," he says. "When you first get home from tour, you're fine by yourself because you've been looking forward to having personal space, but at the same time you get separation anxiety and start calling them up to say, 'Hey, what are you doing?' It's weird how that works."

Paul Givant of Rose's Pawn Shop

Things didn't start out so easily for Paul once he decided to form the band in 2004. Its first incarnation included completely different members than it does now, except for Paul and electric guitar/banjo player John Kraus. The group got their name when Paul's former girlfriend/bandmate took their instruments and gear and sold them to a local pawn shop out of revenge. The band surged forward, cultivated their unique sound and released a debut album, The Arsonist, in 2006. Shortly after, the band won Billboard and Discmaker's Independent Music World Series, and Paul realized that Rose's Pawn Shop could become a lot bigger than he initially thought.

"I wasn't sure if we would just play around L.A., and that would be it. But we got such a good response as we started playing outside the city," he says. "Some of the early members of Rose's Pawn Shop were really great and said, 'This is something real. We could do something with this, let's get out on the road.' I don't know if I would have had the guts to get out on the road without them pushing me and backing me up saying we could do this. Once we finally got out there, we started getting crowd response and seeing that no matter where we went in the country people were digging what we were doing."

The band began to build a solid fan base across the country, but when their (German) drummer had some visa problems and their fiddle player and bassist also left, Paul and John had to reassemble the group.

"There have been two waves of Rose's Pawn Shop," says Paul. "The first wave was the musicians who played on The Arsonist. Then there was a big turnover between The Arsonist and our latest record, [Dancing on the Gallows], which is the crew that we have now. It's been almost three years with this crew, so it doesn't feel like it's new."

Paul and John were joined by Tim Weed on fiddle, mandolin and vocals, Stephen Andrews on upright bass and Christian Hogan on drums and recorded 2010's Dancing on the Gallows with producer Ethan Allen (The 88, Gram Rabbit). When Paul speaks of his musical cohorts and some of their hobbies, it is with genuine pride and affection.

"Tim is a home brewer; he makes pretty good beer. His last name is Weed so he collects bottles, strips them and he's got this stamp where he stamps 'Weed' right on the bottle. It's pretty cool. He makes a good hefeweizen," Paul begins. "In addition to playing with us, Stephen plays in Merle Jagger and a couple other bands, so it seems like he's always on the road. He does carpentry, too. He's got a loft in Downtown that he basically built with his own hands. It's amazing. When he moved in, it was a huge empty room. Within six months he built a small town inside of his loft, all out of wood: four bedrooms, a rehearsal space, two stories, a garage. He's crafty like that. We bought a new tour bus recently, a shuttle bus type vehicle that you'd take to the airport, We took all the seats out, and he basically reconstructed it. We helped him, but he was the brains behind it."

Regardless of their other hobbies, all five members unwaveringly share a common love for music. Paul started by playing drums in his junior high school's band.

"From there, I got deeper into rock, learning to play on a drum set. From my junior high years onward, music has always been one of the biggest parts of my life, right at the forefront," he says.
"I've gone through a lot of musical phases. In high school it was bands like Fishbone and Red Hot Chili Peppers, the funkier stuff. But as I got older, I went really deep into a Bob Marley phase for a while. Then I came out of that into the more Americana and folk side, and that has led me into the music I play now. I had a friend who was way into music by the Grateful Dead and bluegrass, and I don't listen to much of that, but he turned me onto Bill Monroe and the Dead. I think through that friendship and the music he turned me onto, it led me down a wormhole of American artists, getting into old stuff like Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash. Then I started finding new Americana artists like Gillian Welch and the Avett Brothers, people like that who are doing a modern twist on the old style. What I loved about their music is that it's new music that sounds like it's old – a versatile sound. There have been certain songwriters who have been really huge songwriting influences in my life, such as Elliott Smith. It's been a long journey, but it is for a lot of musicians and songwriters. They find their way from one artist to the next and kind of take what they can from each artist."

Growing up in the Simi Valley, Paul and his friends started venturing out to Hollywood in high school to see punk rock shows, especially performances by his favorite band at the time: Fishbone.

"They have never reached the level of success that they deserve really, but they're still going strong," he says. "They're one of the best live bands of all time, hands down, they're amazing. Subconsciously for me – even though we don't sound anything like Fishbone – the way that they take punk, ska, reggae, rock and metal and put it all into their melting pot, there's a similar idea for me with Rose's Pawn Shop because we take different elements of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and put it into a melting pot."

Their successful melding of different genres can be felt throughout Dancing on the Gallows and even in their choice of cover songs they perform at shows.

"One thing that we started doing not too long ago was we used to cover a version of the Misfits' 'Skulls,' a punk rock song," Paul shares. "We get asked a lot at shows, people will yell out for 'Wagon Wheel,' a popular bluegrass song by Old Crow Medicine Show, but we don't really play that. We heard the request for it one too many times and decided that since we would always play 'Skulls,' which has almost the same chords as 'Wagon Wheel,' that we would mash them up. We would play a verse and a chorus of 'Skulls' then we would do a verse and a chorus of 'Wagon Wheel.' We'd go back to 'Skulls' and back to 'Wagon Wheel,' then we'd do a twist on the last verse of 'Wagon Wheel.' We put the two songs together, changing the lyrics a little bit. That was fun – one of the more unique cover versions that we've done recently."

Aside from surprising fans with new spins on familiar songs, Rose's Pawn Shop hopes to give listeners something to relate to, and most of all, they just want you to have a good time.

"Of course, as a songwriter, it's most meaningful when somebody says that a song of mine has related to something that's happened to them or helped them through something. Now and then I'll have somebody come up to me after a show or send me an e-mail that says something like that. As a songwriter, for me, that's the goal. Being able to write something that strikes a chord with somebody, because that's what I loved about songs and music growing up: hearing a song and being like, 'Yeah, me too. I feel that same thing.' That's a huge plus if I can get that kind of response," Paul says. "Bottom line is that we hope  somebody coming out of our show had a great time, danced, forgot their worries for a while and felt that maybe it was a cathartic release from their week. That's really what we love about it."

For more information, visit rosespawnshop.com.