Hemlocke Springs Builds A Whimsical Pop Universe At Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre
LOS ANGELES, CA- There are artists who perform concerts, and there are artists who invite audiences into fully realized worlds. Hemlocke Springs belongs firmly in the latter category. Before a single song was performed at the El Rey Theatre, the evening had already taken…
RAYE Celebrates Artistic Freedom and Triumph at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre
LOS ANGELES, CA- Few artists in recent memory have experienced a creative rebirth as dramatic as RAYE’s. For years, Rachel Keen occupied a peculiar position within the music industry. Widely respected as a songwriter and vocalist, she nevertheless found herself held back by a…
Grace Ives Brings The Future Of Pop To The Teragram Ballroom | Los Angeles Concert Review
LOS ANGELES, CA- Before Grace Ives took the stage at the Teragram Ballroom, I found myself chatting with a handful of fans who had arrived early enough to secure spots near the barricade. Curious how they had discovered the Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter, I asked. Their…
Grumpy’s “Twenty Five” Finds Beauty In Love, Change, And The Fear Of Being Forgotten
LOS ANGELES, CA- There is something oddly soothing about Grumpy’s “Twenty Five.” On its surface, the song feels warm and nostalgic, built around a lo-fi aesthetic that evokes memories half-remembered rather than fully recalled. Yet beneath that comforting exterior lies a subtle unease that…
Babe Rainbow’s “Polymuscalsaccharide” Is a Psychedelic Summer Groove Worth Surrendering To
LOS ANGELES, CA- Some songs demand analysis. Others simply ask that you come along for the ride. Babe Rainbow’s new single, “Polymuscalsaccharide,” falls squarely into the latter category. From the moment the track opens with its fuzzy, lo-fi bass line, I was hooked. Before…
Pluralone’s Josh Klinghoffer Discusses A Drop In The Ocean, Grief, Time & Vulnerability
LOS ANGELES, CA- Last year, I had the opportunity to watch Josh Klinghoffer perform before a massive crowd as part of Eddie Vedder’s Earthlings at Ohana Festival. It was a reminder of the unique space Klinghoffer has occupied throughout his career: a musician whose…
Major Lazer – Live from Pompey Jamaica
If summer had a soundtrack and a private beach, this would be it. Major Lazer dropped a brand-new live set straight from Pompey Jamaica — Diplo’s ultra-luxe, 50-acre jungle estate on the island’s northeast coast — and it’s pure sunshine in video form. Think modern…
Steve Aoki and Mia Takarabe’s “Heartless” Signals a New Global Era for J-Pop
LOS ANGELES, CA- Japan has been trending for years, making its way into our daily lives one anime episode or sushi roll at a time. But what about the music? Slowly but surely, more Japanese tracks have been landing on global streaming playlists, more…
The Anti Groupies Bring Punk Energy To Yoshihiro Nishimura’s Final Film ‘Geisha War’
LOS ANGELES, CA- There is a special relationship between cult films and music. Sometimes a song helps define a movie. Other times, a movie introduces audiences to a band they might never have discovered otherwise. Over time, the two become inseparable. Think of the Pixies’…
Nobody Puts CHANMINA in a Corner: Inside the Japanese Superstar’s Defiant Rise at Zipangu Festival
LOS ANGELES, CA- The entertainment industry loves a neat label. One to slap onto an artist for an easy marketing campaign. Pop star. Hip-hop artist. Rocker. But what happens when an artist refuses the packaging? “CHANMINA! CHANMINA!” Before she even stepped onto the stage…