Derrick Lee
Laufey Channels Vintage Elegance on New Single “Silver Lining”
LOS ANGELES, CA- I got swept off my feet again, transported to another era, with Laufey’s latest single, “Silver Lining.” The Icelandic-Chinese chanteuse has a habit of conjuring entire worlds with a single phrase, a delicate run of piano, a velvet-lined vocal lilt. With…
Trousdale’s “Secondhand Smoke” Is a Devastating Exhale of Surrender
LOS ANGELES, CA- With just days to go before the release of their second full-length album Growing Pains (out April 11), Los Angeles harmonic trio Trousdale have pulled back the curtain on one last track, and it’s a stunner. “Secondhand Smoke,” a raw and…
Momma’s “Rodeo” Is a Fuzzed-Out, 90s-Inspired Anthem That Marks a Bold New Chapter
LOS ANGELES, CA- If you’ve ever spent late nights parked under orange streetlight haze, thumbing mixtape cassettes and brooding over heartbreaks real or imagined, Momma’s “Rodeo” is going to hit you square in the nostalgia. And that’s not to say this band is coasting…
Morgan Saint Live at the Moroccan Lounge: A Luminous, Soul-Stirring Night in the City of Angels
LOS ANGELES, CA- It was one of those soft Los Angeles evenings where the weather seemed to echo the mood of the night. I showed up to the Moroccan Lounge earlier than I usually do, and to my quiet surprise, a small gathering had already…
Alejandro Aranda’s “Meant To Be” is a Heartstring-Plucker for the Hopelessly Devoted
LOS ANGELES, CA- It’s not often that a singer-songwriter makes a middle-aged man search TikTok. But Alejandro Aranda has always been a bit of an anomaly—ever since he stepped onto the American Idol stage in 2019 and redefined what a reality show contestant could be….
Pixel Grip – “Split” Review: A Feral Dancefloor Purge Drenched in Bloodlust and Betrayal
LOS ANGELES, CA- Adrenaline has a sound, and it might just be Pixel Grip’s latest single *“Split”* — a high-voltage jolt of raw techno minimalism that slices straight through the chest and refuses to let go. Unveiled as the third offering from the Chicago trio’s…
First Listen: fknsyd’s ‘Anesthesia Smile’ Delivers Dreamy Escapism Through Electronic Soundscapes
LOS ANGELES, CA- There’s something quietly arresting about fknsyd’s new single, “Anesthesia Smile.” My first encounter with her music, it came by way of an unassuming press release—but what poured out of my speakers was anything but ordinary. Swirling in woozy, electronic atmospheres, and…
The Swell Season Return With “People We Used To Be,” and I’m Feeling Everything All Over Again
LOS ANGELES, CA- Some emails hit harder than others. When the press release for The Swell Season’s new single “People We Used To Be” landed in my inbox, I had to sit down. A lump in my throat, a rush of memory—warm, aching, and strangely…
From CHVRCHES to ‘Vicious Creature’: Lauren Mayberry Shines Solo in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, CA- Lauren Mayberry, renowned as the lead vocalist of the Scottish synth-pop band CHVRCHES, embarked on her solo journey with the release of her debut album, Vicious Creature, on December 6, 2024. This album signifies a notable departure from CHVRCHES’ signature sound, allowing…
Grace VanderWaal Shines on “Proud,” the Poised Prelude to a Bold New Chapter
LOS ANGELES, CA- There was a time when Grace VanderWaal was a wide-eyed tween with a ukulele, charming her way to a win on America’s Got Talent and earning headlines as the precocious “next Taylor Swift.” But if you haven’t checked in since those days,…