Mannequin Pussy @ The Fonda [4/29/24]
Mannequin Pussy was unbridled sacrilege, defiant and rugged, teasing and contemplative. They took their audience to church, whipped them into a climactic frenzy, and left them on their knees.
Album Review: Prelude to Ecstasy
Prelude to Ecstasy is massively successful as a debut, as much a period piece as a fourth-wave feminist dissertation. At times, overwhelmingly pop sonic qualities clash with lyrical norm transgressions, yet the album ultimately triumphs in its polished sonic qualities, catchy hooks, and punchy lyrics.
Enjoy @ Fox Theater Pomona [2/23/2024]
Perhaps that ethos is what makes Wyatt Shears’ music (produced under the moniker, Enjoy) so hard to define, an amalgamation of breakneck punk, quirky electronic synths, and a prickly acoustic guitar; a Johnny Cash song on crack produced under brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears’ label, Vada Vada.
The Immediate Family @ The Mint [2/13/2024]
One with the crowd, dare I say my prior alienation was somewhat relieved, my existence now seeming more a testament to music’s timeless appreciability than the intrusion of an unschooled youth. The Immediate Family has that effect–of making accessible such supreme talent so that the audience too, becomes part of the family.
Shabang Celebrates 10 Years
Peach Pit; Thundercat; The Walters; Kate Bollinger. From indie royalty to tech house up-and-comers, the Shabang lineup is a manifestation of the festival’s ethos–experience, quality, vibes, community, participation.
GROUND CONTROL TOURING PRESENTS: SECOND ANNUAL ABORTION ACCESS BENEFIT SERIES @ The Lodge Room [1/20/24]
Improvised, created on-the-spot EDM from Reggie Watts, synchronized hitch kicks from the “anti-rock” Faux Real, dramatized undulations from Actually Huizenga of Patriarchy as she ran her tongue over an unsuspecting mic stand. With a diverse lineup embodying the DIY, the avant garde, and the sensational, the artists of the Annual Abortion Access Benefit Series appeared to have taken Watts’ meditations to heart, utilizing their talents to directly or indirectly protest the United States government’s usurpation of women’s bodies.
Current Joys @ The Vermont Hollywood [11/05/23]
Before the show had even begun, with the likes of Lil Peep and XXXTentacion blasting throughout the cavernous Vermont Hollywood, it became clear that Nick Rattigan, under the moniker “Current Joys,” would be departing from the melancholy indie pop that dominated his early career. This inclination was reinforced by Current Joys’ latest release, the album…
Beach Fossils @ The Novo [11/02/23]
“I was thinking about the lyrics like, ‘goddamn’ can’t cry cause you gotta sing” (Dustin Payseur). Payseur, the frontman of the Indie rock band, Beach fossils, succinctly encapsulated not only the relaxed, confident mannerisms of the band itself with this statement, but also facilitated rumination on the dichotomy between Beach Fossils’ danceable, hazy productions and…
GUM @ The Lodge Room [10/26/23]
Overhead outside the Lodge Room: “I always wondered where the cool people in LA went…” Depending on your definition “cool,” he wasn’t wrong! By the time GUM, aka Jay W. Watson took the stage, the eclectic venue was packed to the brim with handlebar mustaches, overgrown haircuts, patchwork tattoos, and loafers. It was exactly the…
Slow Pulp @ The Teragram Ballroom
To experience Slow Pulp’s music is to plant oneself beneath a warm summer sun, luxuriating under thick beams of light despite an impending tornado promising to wreak havoc on an ephemeral peace. Masters of metaphor, the Chicago-based, indie band’s productions echo the emotional roller coaster that is life, bolstered by hazy shoegaze riffs and an…