BUZZ BANDS

On stage, he can’t do it alone

When RJD2 released “The Third Hand” in March, some praised the Philadelphia-by-way-of-Columbus producer and multi-instrumentalist for his bravery in jettisoning his sample-heavy hip-hop to explore the sonic boundaries between electronica and pure pop. If nothing else, RJ’s debut for the independent Def Jux label made him the toast of hip-hop heads and music supervisors everywhere (“Ghostwriter” alone ended up in ads for the Washington State Lottery, Wells Fargo Financial Services, Saturn and the film “Wimbledon”).

Even those who decried his musical turnabout couldn’t help but be impressed by his sense of artistry and disregard for commercial realities. Indeed, the sample-less “The Third Hand” represented a marked evolution, with RJ handling all vocals and playing live instrumentation on every track.

But with the entire album recorded in overdubs and featuring multiple harmonies, re-creating it for the stage presented a challenge, considering that it marked the first time RJ has played with a live band. “I couldn’t just hire one keyboardist and one guitarist and one bassist,” RJD2 said. “Some songs needed two keyboardists, a guitar and no bass. Plus, the harmonies on the album are critical to the record, we needed two guys who could sing.”

The artist was able to find three veterans to fit the bill, not to mention a drummer to play alongside the recorded drum machines. As for the man born Ramble John Krohn, he concedes it took him a month to learn how to sing and play simultaneously. “I was always so into it and so passionate,” he says. “When you’re working on something you’re passionate about, you can do that thing and take it to great lengths.”

RJD2, with Pigeon John opening, performs Monday at the Henry Fonda Theater.

Taken from the open spaces

The Western States Motel, the name L.A.’s Carl Jordan chose for his recording project, conjures up images of wide-open spaces, empty highways and yawning horizons -- old Route 66 at burnt-orange sunset. Indeed, the sense of yearning that pervades his self-released album was cultivated on the long road trips that make for good cinema.

“A lot of the inspiration for creating the music comes from that time when you’re just moving through open spaces,” says Jordan, a film major who moved from Northern California to L.A. and has “driven all over this state a million times” -- certainly evident in the gentle churn of songs such as “Powerlines” and “Rows of Homes.”

He began writing and recording, “thinking that maybe I’d get a short film off the ground,” he says. He ended up with a collection of winsome folk-rock -- some of which has found its way into television and film. “It’s strange to see your music put up against someone else’s images,” Jordan says, “but I like the process. Music is intended to be put out there and interpreted by somebody else.”

Though the yearlong making of the album was virtually a solo endeavor, Jordan has hooked up Mike Griffin, Mike Schanzlin and Shannon McKinnon to mount a live band, which is only now starting to click. Says Jordan: “It’s a great transition to escape the solitude of the recording process.”

The Western States Motel plays May 21 at the Detroit Bar and May 24 at Spaceland.

Fast forward

* Touts: “Trading Twilight for Daylight,” the long-awaited debut from Silver Lake quartet Great Northern, hits stores Tuesday, and the band headlines a show at the Echo that night.... Power-pop quartet Peachfuzz impresses with its new album, “Catch Your Snap”; the foursome celebrates its release with a show tonight at the Echo.... New music, too, from downtowners the Lift: “It Is What It Is” will remind you of the poppier side of ‘90s radio. The band plays Friday at the Viper Room.... What’s this? A free show on the Sunset Strip? Indeed, young rockers the Shys headline tonight at the Roxy.... San Francisco’s LoveLikeFire continues its Friday night residency at El Cid with support from local rockers Thailand.... Hot up-and-comer Patrick Wolf visits the Troubadour on Wednesday.... Yes, that’s Ralph Covert playing at the Silverlake Lounge tonight -- but not in his kids’ music Ralph’s World incarnation. He reassembles his early-’90s quartet the Bad Examples to serve up a dose of power pop.

*

Recommended downloads

Stream RJD2’s “Beyond the Beyond” at www.myspace.com/rjd2.

* Stream “Powerlines” and “Rows of Homes” by the Western States Motel at www.myspace.com/thewesternstatesmotel.

* Download “The Middle” by Great Northern at www.eeniemeenie.com/TheMiddle.mp3.

* Stream Peachfuzz’s “Change Her Mind” at www.myspace.com/peachfuzz.

* Stream “Wired” by the Lift at www.myspace.com/thelift.