Hollywood's Music Box closed -- for now

Hollywood's Music Box has closed its doors, venue promoter Goldenvoice confirms. A spokeswoman for the promoter, however, noted that Goldenvoice was still hoping to stage its events at the space, and concerts that were due to go on sale this weekend, such as a March 22 show for the '60s influenced pop of the Cults, would go on sale as planned. 

"At this time, it is our understanding that the closing of The Music Box is a short term closure, please be patient with us as we work out the details as they pertain to our previously scheduled shows," wrote the promoter in a statement. 

A follow-up call to Goldenvoice yielded little more in the way of information regarding the 1,300-capacity venue, as Goldenvoice's Lindsay Lyons mentioned the company was still waiting to speak to owners of the Music Box to hopefully sort out details. Calls to all of the Music Box's executives all went straight to voicemail, and none has been returned yet.

L.A. @ SXSW: The Afternoons

Pop & Hiss will covering the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, from March 18-22. Most of our time there will be spent chasing down bands that don't live in our own backyard, so in the days leading up to the industry event, we'll be looking at some noteworthy locals heading to Texas.

Who: Afternoons

What to listen to: "Saturday Morning (After the Funeral)" and "Say Yes," which you can stream below, are fine places to start. Playfully operatic, the seven-piece Afternoons bring a rock 'n' roll drive to a marching band lushness. A smashingly bright electronic hook adds a bit of a twinkle to the taut vocals of "Saturday Morning," a song that builds to a stomping shout-along chorus. Featuring four of the five members of Irving, the Afternoons boast a more rambunctious sound than the indie rock of the former. There's something that's a bit parade-like about "Say Yes," but there's also plenty of weirdness underneath the expansive melody, with suddenly shifting rhythms and a delightfully odd psychedelic breakdown in the song's final seconds.

They're playing Austin: On March 21 at 8 p.m. at Antones.

Added bonus: They're still unsigned.

Follow us on Twitter to get updates from Austin.

-- Todd Martens

Related: L.A.@SXSW: Great Northern

Photo credit: Sterling Andrews