This past Thursday, I found myself among a small crowd awaiting the drop of Steve Lacy’s first album since Gemini Rights, a well-known project released four summers ago showcasing his artistry and talent as both a writer and producer. He grew up as part of the collective/band the Internet and has since worked on projects…
Photos courtesy of Swurve (@swurv3) Co-founder of the band The Internet, member of the collective Odd Future, and Grammy-winning artist Syd released her third solo project, Beard, last Friday. Beard is a 12-track album that features a variety of artists, including Big Sean, Blu June, Jordan Ward, and more. This album is about coming to…
All media provided by Alex Lucke Alex Lucke, @alexlucke (pronounced Lucky), is a freelance web designer and developer, as well as the founder and creative director of AM LUCKE, a boutique digital studio that brings clients’ and brands’ personalities to life. Specializing in creating Squarespace sites that look like they’re not Squarespace sites, Lucke is…
Photo provided by Andrew Joseph Woomer Summer sunsets in Santa Monica are one of the best things about Los Angeles. But a summer sunset on the rooftop of The Proper Hotel, listening to Leon Bridges and Jungle, might top that. I found myself there on Saturday evening, July 11th. The elevator doors opened to a…
Cover Photo by Camryn Kim Criterion Mobile Closet by Dylan Simmons Paired with the Hollywood Bowl’s three-day celebration of all things Wes Anderson was a series of activities hosted by The Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a curated selection of movies approaching two thousand titles, highlighting classics from cinema history as well as contemporary…
Since its inception in 2007, HARD Summer transforms Hollywood Park into Southern California’s largest dance floor. Each August, the festival has built a reputation on curating a lineup that spotlights EDM all-stars, underground techno DJs, and boundary-pushing pop stars in the same night. Over the weekend, more than 70 artists are set to take over…
Photos provided by Alive Photography If you were to pass unsuspectingly by the Wiltern on June 23rd or 24th, you would have had no idea that the crowd wrapped around the venue was there to see an artist whose debut album isn’t even a year old. The colorful tights, feather boas, and tiaras made the…
Photos courtesy of Matine Kazemi (@queenmatine / @tripletakecreativeco on Instagram ; @queen.matine on Tik Tok) Last month, I had the pleasure of virtually meeting with Jasmine Rodgers, lead singer of the alternative rock group, bôa. While I was in sunny Los Angeles, she was on the other side of the pond in London. Despite this…
Photos provided by Ashley Osborn/Kia Forum There’s nothing quite like watching an artist embark on their first arena tour. They don’t always sell the best and they require tons of trial and error to nail, but the glint in an artist’s eye as they finally bring to life their creative fantasies at the level of…
Photos by Sofia Cardenas On a warm June evening, indie bands Broken Social Scene and Metric, supported by Stars, stopped at Los Angeles’ iconic Greek Theatre en route to their co-headlining All the Feelings summer tour. Throughout the show, there was a repeated message highlighting the significance of closeness between the three bands. Hailing from…
Photos by Dylan Simmons. Words by Sylvia Ansley & Dylan Simmons. Founded in 2024 by Nicky Palermo of Nothing, annual shoegaze festival Slide Away continues its reputation of bringing back bands from the dead. This year, English shoegaze pioneers Chapterhouse headlined alongside American ‘90s alt legends Hum, both of which reunited in honor of Slide…
Cover Photo Courtesy of Olivia Ezechukwu — Last Wednesday, Atlantic Records showcased their exciting new signee, Charlotte MacInnes, to celebrate the upcoming release of her debut EP, HIGHWATER, which comes out June 26. The five-track EP reflects themes of nature, transformation, and self-discovery. Blending mythical elements with vulnerable lyrics, HIGHWATER embodies MacInnes’ raw talent and…
Photos by Lauren Kim Singer-songwriter Riya Mahesh, known onstage as Quiet Light, has an ear for sentimentality. The classically trained pianist’s sound shines in her careful arrangements, balancing electronica with eclectic samples and acoustic folk instruments. Mahesh’s soundscapes are constructed like a dream sequence. Pitchfork has described her sonic world as one with a “loose logic…
Cover photo by Kimberly Ruiz Alvarez (SCA) On a cold Thursday evening, hundreds of students formed a line spanning the surface area between Royce Hall and Powell Library in anticipation of watching the next musical act to grace the UCLA campus –the trip pop duo After. Since finding recent fame kudos to their uniquely accurate…
Photos by Lauren Kim No two projects from Water From Your Eyes sound the same. The only throughline in the two-piece band’s discography is their funky spirit and dedication to experimentation. The dance-pop/art rock band was formed by vocalist Rachel Brown and producer Nate Amos. The pair met in Chicago, were once lovers but are…
In early March, I embarked on a bumper-to-bumper drive from LA to OC and decided to turn on War Child Records’ brand new HELP(2) album, a sequel charity project raising funds for children in war. The project is stacked with my favorites — The Last Dinner Party, beabadoobee, Big Thief, Wet Leg and Olivia Rodrigo…
Photos by Rebecca King Sean Solomon Born and raised in Los Angeles, Solomon has curated his dynamic sound while playing solo with only his voice, his guitar, a TV, a tape, and a projector. Both his music and past animation collaborations with Unknown Mortal Orchestra were unknown to me before this performance. Now on his…
Photos by Dylan Simmons It seems that on the internet, the classic riff from American Football’s “Never Meant” is inescapable. But to alternative rock fans, the riff alone is the anthem for the midwest emo subgenre. In case you’re unfamiliar with their emo impact, American Football is a four-piece rock group that formed in Urbana,…
Purple lights filled the Wiltern as the crowd slowly grew in size and cramped together. As the opener of American Football’s tour, Mei Semones’ role that evening was to warm up the crowd for what was to come, and I can assure you she did just that. Opening with “Itsumo,” released in 2025, the stand-alone…
Photos by Kiara Mack It was just days after my fifteenth birthday when Lorde released “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All),” a sentimental song reminiscing on when she “couldn’t wait to turn fifteen.” I blinked, it’s been five years, and it feels like my entire adolescence has led up to my 19-year-old self…
Photos by Lauren Kim Singer-songwriter Olivia Austin, known onstage as Operelly, makes music for the tenderhearted. Her eclectic lyricism and quirky arrangements have forged a pop sound that feels familiar yet experimental, a delicate balance that music platform Nina Protocol has referred to as “matured nursery rhymes.” Operelly’s sound is not to be siloed. Her…
Photos by Lauren Kim You’d probably drive past Zebulon without thinking twice. Just past a bridge and nestled between two freeways, Zebulon’s plain white facade houses a dimly lit bar. Inside, scattered conversations hum over the muffled sound of music. Enter the back room, and you’ll find a routine gathering spot for music lovers in…