On Becoming Something More: SHILPA’s Debut Album ESSAR
On her debut album, Shilpa evokes her environment as she explores what it means to grow into our humanity.
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Songs for a confused twenty-something
My name is Kanchan, I’m 21 years old, and I’m confused. Your twenties are an invigorating time. Fraught with twists and turns, fresh starts and restarts alike, and a never-ending string of existential crises. A time when the people you’re closest to now are people you didn’t speak to two years ago, and the people…
Camp Flog Gnaw Festival 2023 (Day 2) – A Journey through Creativity and Community
Photos by Mary Tio November 12, 2023: Day 2 of Camp Flog Gnaw For our second day, Mary and I quickly down our coffees and eagerly rush over to the festival at noon. Due to our second round of interviews, we caught fewer performances as compared to the previous day – we didn’t mind though,…
Camp Flog Gnaw Festival 2023 (Day 1) – Tyler, the Creator’s Love Letter to L.A.
Photos by Mary Tio It would be difficult to write an article about the critically acclaimed Camp Flog Gnaw festival without understanding the mastermind behind the creative madness. Formerly known as the Odd Future festival, this laid-back celebration of music and arts began as scribbles in Tyler, the Creator’s notebook. 11 years later, Camp Flog…
UCLA Radio Wrapped 2023
Life’s playlist is a mosaic of memories, each track painting a different picture. Whether it’s a familiar tune sparking nostalgia, a musical roadmap, or a song that perfectly captured a poignant moment, music punctuates each year’s trajectory. At the end of 2023, our writers reflect on new releases, deep musings, or the beat that made…
“Poor Things” Review
*spoilers ahead! From the mind of the Glaswegian writer, Alasdair Gray, Poor Things tells the Frankestein-esque tale of Bella Baxter, played by Emma Stone, through a seemingly Victorian, coming-of-age, and aesthetically-alluring world crafted by Yorgos Lanthimos and Tony McNamara. Bella Baxter mysteriously falls into the hands of the genius scientist and professor, Godwin Baxter (Willem…
Looks Like Another Perfect Day (We Love L.A.)
It was a slow Sunday morning in Los Angeles. The sun overslept, yawned hot air and its haze sprawled from the desert, crawled around the mountains to swallow the sea shore. Cloudless blue skies bleached the fabric of the city. Glass skyscrapers, pueblo bungalows, Bauhaus mansions, googie apartments all were starched and flattened into earthy, coastal…
A Talk with Uhhh… Oh!: An Interview with Um, Jennifer?
Have you heard of trans slut rock? I didn’t know how to visualize it or even think of how it could sound until my friend and I walked down the flights of stairs into El Cid. We came there for the band, Um, Jennifer? We kept our hopes up that their iconic band member, Jennifer…
TV Girl @ The Observatory OC [12/17/23]
“Think about the average TV Girl Fan. They’re lonely. They’re depressed. They’re morally bankrupt. They’re actually bankrupt. They have no friends. They don’t go outside. They’re addicted to their phones, and honestly they don’t smell very good most of the time! That’s who listens to TV Girl.” As said by none other than lead vocalist…
Um, Jennifer? @ Yeah, Yeah, Yas [12/13/2023]
Photos by Chloe Gonzales & Dylan Simmons 10:30 PM I mean we were heading to an event called “Yeah, Yeah, Yas,” I knew what to expect. Drive the freeway, look around the block twice and miss our turn to find the event, stop, take a couple of tries parallel parking, and struggle to find the…
aja monet + the surrealists album release show [07/14/2023]
In a sense of oversimplification, poetry is to language as jazz is to music. These respective artistic pursuits hinge on an artists’ courage to abandon established formalities, a nature of creative rule bending that forges the bridge between art and activism with poetry and jazz resting at its center. An artist combining the two seems…
An Interview with ENNY: Finding Yourself Through Music
Meet ENNY, the distinctive voice from South East London, also known as Enitan Adepitan. Grounded in her hip-hop roots, ENNY seamlessly ties in self-identifying narratives into her music. Gaining nearly 2 million monthly Spotify listeners, ENNY dropped her EP “We Go Again” in April, followed by a remix of her hit track “Charge It” feat.…
Snow Strippers at The Roxy [12/1/23]
For me, nothing signals the end of another year quite like music fans and critics alike beginning to release lists ranking the best albums of the year. When looking back on my own favorite projects of 2023, one sticks out above the rest. Something about the shoegaze tinged balls to the walls EDM club tracks…
Camp Flog Gnaw Chronicles: An Interview with Mike G.
Photos by Mary Tio Did you know that Flog Gnaw spelled backward is Golf Wang? Were you also aware that the brand Golf Wang originated from the iconic 2007 alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, commonly abbreviated as OFWGKTA? This realization certainly blew my mind, especially when you consider that some…
Gabito Ballesteros @ Peacock Theater
As I’m walking through downtown Los Angeles on a Tuesday night, all I see are Mexican tamborazos and bandas playing live music in the street with hundreds of people lining up waiting at the Peacock Theater’s front doors with the smell of hot dogs grilling filling the air. When a regional Mexican super star such…
Camp Flog Gnaw Chronicles: An Interview with Fana Hues
Photos by Estefania Keener & Mary Tio Fana Hues creates a magnetic experience that beckons listeners into a realm of ethereal tunes and eclectic lyrics. As I inch closer to her set, I’m immediately captivated by her natural presence on the Flog stage. Fana Hues is entirely in her element when performing in front of…
Unveiling Unreal: An Interview with Lucy Tun
Cover photo taken by Joel Barney & Oscar Ferguson (@_bttr_half) As the music landscape continues to evolve faster than ever, tapping into the zeitgeist is a daunting task. Nevertheless, it’s something that British-Burmese artist Lucy Tun does with ease. Musically, lyrically, and aesthetically, Lucy gives the impression of someone who has an intuitive grasp of…
The Menzingers @ The Belasco [12/03/23]
I’m not used to America yet. Every time I pack my bags and board the 15-hour flight from Hong Kong, it freaks me out a little bit. Walking into a coffee shop and seeing six different types of milk (none of them being whole milk) does fill me with a sense of unease. So you…
Celebrating 15 Years of Mexican Summer
Cate Le Bon, L’Rain, Zsela, & Mega Bog @ El Rey Theater [11/29/23] Photos by Lily Stockton November 29, the day that everyone’s highly anticipated Spotify Wrapped drops. As people are recapping their year’s worth of musical experiences and learning that their music tastes belong in Berkeley, California, my Spotify Wrapped tells me that three…
Camp Flog Gnaw Chronicles: An Interview with AG Club
Photos by Ria Bose As a part of UCLA Radio’s Camp Flog Gnaw coverage, we have had the incredible opportunity to interview some of the hottest names in the world of alternative R&B. My press partner Mary and I had the pleasure of speaking to Jody Fontaine and Baby BoY of AG Club, a creative…
Camp Flog Gnaw Chronicles: An Interview with DAISY WORLD
Photos by Mary Tio As a part of UCLA Radio’s Camp Flog Gnaw coverage, we have had the incredible opportunity to interview some of the hottest names in the world of alternative R&B. My partner in crime, Mary and I kicked off our second day at the festival with a giddy kick in our step…