The Last Dinner Party’s “Big Dog” Finally Made Me Understand the Hype
LOS ANGELES, CA- For the longest time, I felt like I was standing just outside the conversation surrounding The Last Dinner Party. While seemingly everyone around me was completely enthralled by the London five piece’s theatricality, Baroque pop flourishes, and glamorous mystique, I admired…
MOD SUN’s “Mirror” Captures His Boldest and Most Honest Evolution Yet
LOS ANGELES, CA- There was a time when Mod Sun proudly branded his music as “Hobo Rap.” Back then, his sound felt tied to skate culture, backpack rap, Warped Tour parking lots, DIY positivity, and a kind of restless, wandering spirit that separated him…
Snail Mail Brings Reflection and Reinvention to The Wiltern in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, CA- Seeing Snail Mail in 2026 feels a little different now compared to when Lindsey Jordan first emerged in the late 2010s as one of indie rock’s most promising young songwriters. Back then, her music carried a restless, emotionally direct energy that…
Pastel Blank’s “Radiator” Turns Anxiety Into Art-Rock Gold on Unmade in Minutes
LOS ANGELES, CA- Montreal’s indie scene has never lacked for bands willing to get weird, but Pastel Blank seem especially comfortable living in that strange little space where anxiety, humor, and danceable art-rock all collide. Led by songwriter and vocalist Angus Watt, the project…
Failure and Hayley Williams Unite Perfectly on “The Rising Skyline”
LOS ANGELES, CA- Last year, I had the chance to interview a peer of mine, Priscilla Chavez Scott, one of the producers behind “Every Time You Lose Your Mind”, the documentary chronicling the legacy of Failure. Watching that film really drove home just how…
Violet Grohl’s “Cool Buzz” Is a Fierce 90s-Inspired Alt-Rock Knockout
LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ll admit it: I tend to give the children of famous recording artists a little short shrift when it comes to their own musical careers. There’s always that natural skepticism, the quiet assumption that the spotlight arrived before the songs did….
The Maine Bring ‘Joy Next Door’ to Life at The Novo in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, CA- Arizona natives The Maine have had a big spring. They’ve been embarking on their ‘I Love You But I Chose The Maine’ tour across the US for their 10th studio album ‘Joy Next Door’. As a fan since basically the beginning…
Wet Leg Bring Sharp Indie Energy to Sold-Out Fox Theater Pomona Show
POMONA, CA- Wet Leg, the Isle of Wight founded by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers (The band also includes Josh Mobaraki (guitar, keyboards), Ellis Durand (bass) and Henry Holmes (drums)), have had a pretty rapid rise over the past few years. What started off…
The Haunt Return With Ferocious New Alt-Rock Single “Ghost” Ahead of 2026 Hollow Crown Tour
LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ve been high on the band The Haunt for a minute now. Ever since first coming across the sibling duo of Anastasia Grace Haunt and Maxamillion “Max” Haunt, it’s been pretty clear to me that they possess the kind of chemistry…
Dogstar Return With “All In Now”: Keanu Reeves and Band Tap Into Gritty 90s Alt-Rock Energy
LOS ANGELES, CA- For years, Dogstar was one of those bands I never really gave a fair shot. Not because I disliked the idea of them, but because I had already formed a lazy assumption about what the experience might be like. I’ve always…