Two hombres met at a cactus and cut it down for some tacos...

Western Scene was envisioned in 2011 by good friends Tom Pritchard and Jason Burkhart (Kenan Bell). Tom was in the San Diego band Dynamite Walls when Jason met him and soon after became his manager. When the band broke up, they went in a new direction, built a studio in Echo Park and worked along with Hugo Nicolson (Radiohead, Primal Scream) to record their debut album.

In the race of emerging bands vying for space on your iPod, LA's local Great White Buffalo is worthy of your ear time. A classic quartet of California rockers, they have courted a steady fan base since January 2011 with an infectious, adrenaline-rushing sound, stirring up crowds at the House of Blues, Viper Room, and the Roxy, among other rite-of-passage Hollywood venues. Make listening room for their debut LP, All At Once, and you'll be lured by a layered track list that merges front man Graham Bockmiller's deep, aching vocals with lead guitarist Stephen Johnson's sophisticated strumming, all the while a solid bass and drum line cascades under the helm of Colin Regan and Rich Carrillo, respectively. Hear them out and you'll note evidence of the band's influences, which include The Verve, Queens of the Stone Age and The Strokes; though by combining characteristics of classic rock with a taste of nineties' angst and savvy, contemporary arrangements, Great White Buffalo manifests a sound that is all their own—one that warrants repeat plays.

You can think of Kenan Bell’s arrival as a shining star in the constellation of hip-hop as one of the slowest-developing coming-out parties ever. Bell’s debut album “Until the Future” is hip-hop for people who know their Basquiat as well as their basketball, who are as liable to quote Langston Hughes as MC Hammer, who can party as hard to a soundtrack of Kool Moe Dee as the Offspring. Emerging from the Los Angeles indie scene — Bell did a residency at the respected Silver Lake club Spaceland — the band has opened for such varied artists as De La Soul, RJD2, Jane’s Addiction, People Under The Stairs, Dizzee Rascal, and Kool Keith. "Bell has captured the fancy of L.A. crowds with his spry melodies and sprightly wordplay, thanks in part to a live lineup that includes the likes of guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and drummer Eric Gardner. A rock and jazz fan whose parents sang gospel, Bell manages to blend pop sensibilities, indie-rock edge and hip-hop attitude into rapid-fire soliloquies that even his students could love." --LA Weekly