Joseph Arthur

BOOKS Peggy Orenstein and Lori Gottlieb The Writers Bloc reading series invites author Orenstein to discuss her work, including her new book, "Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture," which examines the troubling side of female youth culture. Gottlieb, a writer on women and relationships and the author of "Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough," will join the Writers Bloc conversation. MGM Tower , 10250 Constellation Blvd.

“Did you see Maroon 5 on 'Saturday Night Live'?” Jeff Ament asked the other day. The Pearl Jam bassist wasn't looking for an opinion on Maroon 5's performance last weekend; instead, he was sharing his incredulity over the L.A. group's all-orange wardrobe - the same look Ament has been going for in RNDM , his new power trio with singer-guitarist Joseph Arthur and drummer Richard Stuverud. “I wouldn't have cared if they were good,” he went on. “But the song [wasn't good].” Ament can rest easy: Beyond that shared color choice, RNDM stands little chance of being confused with Maroon 5. On “Acts,” its recently released debut, the band rockets through a dozen leanly propulsive art-rock cuts full of sharp grooves and the atmospheric vocals Arthur has honed over the course of his acclaimed solo career.

Joseph Arthur is a singer-songwriter with an itch for electronics. His music floats beneath waves of sound and echo, dreamy and biting, painfully direct or obscured by clouds. He's just a man with a guitar, but one who has the right gadgets and light touch to twist folk rock toward some compelling postmodern ends.

BOOKS Peggy Orenstein and Lori Gottlieb The Writers Bloc reading series invites author Orenstein to discuss her work, including her new book, "Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture," which examines the troubling side of female youth culture. Gottlieb, a writer on women and relationships and the author of "Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough," will join the Writers Bloc conversation. MGM Tower , 10250 Constellation Blvd.

The new fans who have been drawn to singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur recently tend to think of his latest album, "Come to Where I'm From," as his debut, but in fact he released two earlier, little-noticed albums. "I wouldn't take away all that work I did before," says Arthur. "It's just getting more recognition." It's easy to see why. The Ohio native's distinctive music combines poetic lyrics and folk aesthetics with ambient, machine-driven backdrops.

JOSEPH ARTHUR'S band is setting up at the Troubadour for the night's show, but their leader isn't in the room. Try out back, one of the musicians says. In the alley behind the club, Arthur stands in the sunlight working intently on a bright red jacket spread out on the hood of a pickup truck, applying abstract shapes to the fabric with an artist's crayon. "Purple makes it make sense, man," says Arthur, eyeing his work. The man standing next to him looks over and nods.

“Did you see Maroon 5 on 'Saturday Night Live'?” Jeff Ament asked the other day. The Pearl Jam bassist wasn't looking for an opinion on Maroon 5's performance last weekend; instead, he was sharing his incredulity over the L.A. group's all-orange wardrobe - the same look Ament has been going for in RNDM , his new power trio with singer-guitarist Joseph Arthur and drummer Richard Stuverud. “I wouldn't have cared if they were good,” he went on. “But the song [wasn't good].” Ament can rest easy: Beyond that shared color choice, RNDM stands little chance of being confused with Maroon 5. On “Acts,” its recently released debut, the band rockets through a dozen leanly propulsive art-rock cuts full of sharp grooves and the atmospheric vocals Arthur has honed over the course of his acclaimed solo career.

"THIS is a bonkers kind of night," said Joseph Arthur, right as he started the second half of his show Tuesday at the Roxy with his new band, the Lonely Astronauts. And right he was. That's a good thing, though -- something that's been all too rare in much of rock of late. And that seems to be the point of this latest venture from this former protege of Peter Gabriel known for his introspective, largely solo musical constructions that could at times be distancing.

A list of upcoming concerts across the Southland, with on-sale dates in parentheses. Festival Grounds of Angel Stadium: Bamboozle with AFI and Something Corporate, March 27-28 (Sat.) Hollywood Palladium: Infected Mushroom, Feb. 20 (Fri.) The Wiltern: Citizen Cope, Jan. 8 (Fri.) El Rey Theatre: Lalah Hathaway, Jan. 22; Christian Death, Feb. 12; Copeland, March 26 (now); Gomez, March 20-21 (Sat.) Club Nokia: The Dan Band, Feb. 19; Brazilian Carnaval 2010, Feb. 20; Boyz II Men, March 6; Hard 13 with Fake Blood, March 13; Mint Condition, April 10 (now)

Working on Richard LaGravenese's latest movie, "Beautiful Creatures,” gave a couple of the musicians who created the film's music a chance to follow in their fathers' footsteps. "It was epic,” George Harrison's son Dhani Harrison told Billboard about his first opportunity to record an entire album at London's famed Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles did most of their work. The film score is played by Dhani's band thenewno2 , and Harrison said he was able to share the feeling with his bandmate Paul Hicks, whose father, Tony Hicks, was a member of the Hollies, who also spent time working at Abbey Road.

"THIS is a bonkers kind of night," said Joseph Arthur, right as he started the second half of his show Tuesday at the Roxy with his new band, the Lonely Astronauts. And right he was. That's a good thing, though -- something that's been all too rare in much of rock of late. And that seems to be the point of this latest venture from this former protege of Peter Gabriel known for his introspective, largely solo musical constructions that could at times be distancing.

JOSEPH ARTHUR'S band is setting up at the Troubadour for the night's show, but their leader isn't in the room. Try out back, one of the musicians says. In the alley behind the club, Arthur stands in the sunlight working intently on a bright red jacket spread out on the hood of a pickup truck, applying abstract shapes to the fabric with an artist's crayon. "Purple makes it make sense, man," says Arthur, eyeing his work. The man standing next to him looks over and nods.

Joseph Arthur is a singer-songwriter with an itch for electronics. His music floats beneath waves of sound and echo, dreamy and biting, painfully direct or obscured by clouds. He's just a man with a guitar, but one who has the right gadgets and light touch to twist folk rock toward some compelling postmodern ends.

The new fans who have been drawn to singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur recently tend to think of his latest album, "Come to Where I'm From," as his debut, but in fact he released two earlier, little-noticed albums. "I wouldn't take away all that work I did before," says Arthur. "It's just getting more recognition." It's easy to see why. The Ohio native's distinctive music combines poetic lyrics and folk aesthetics with ambient, machine-driven backdrops.

* Tickets go on sale Sunday for two Los Angeles "farewell" concerts, by Barbra Streisand, right, Sept. 20-21 at Staples Center. . . . Tickets go on sale Saturday for A Perfect Circle's Hollywood Palladium show on Sept. 7, and for two Greek Theatre events: a third Neil Young concert, on Sept. 14, and Moby's Sept. 24 concert. . . . Saturday is also the on-sale date for the reunited Bangles' series of shows--Sept. 16 at the Ventura Theatre and Sept. 21-23 at the House of Blues. . . .