This past Friday, Crystal Castles put on an intense performance at their sold-out Fonda Theatre gig. Despite the heat the band has received since the replacement of original lead singer Alice Glass with new 21-year-old Edith Frances, Crystal Castles turned up and showed fans what the fuck was up. It got hot, it got steamy and it got […]

What a beautiful night to celebrate Fender’s new offices right in Hollywood. Last Thursday, invited guests poured in to peruse the incredible new lot filled with gorgeous guitars as well as architecture design. Sipping on cocktails and socializing among recognizable faces such as Ryan Adams and Bobb Bruno of Best Coast, the night was surely just beginning. And that was […]

As part of his rare headlining North American tour with a three-piece band, German electronic producer — Roosevelt (aka Marius Lauber) took Los Angeles by storm with a sold-out performance at The Echo. The 25-year-old producer/multi-instrumentalist and vocalist was a highly anticipated gig for Angelenos in the know. Without a doubt, this was a special evening […]

It might take two to tango, but for Animal Collective, it’ll always take three to bring the funk. The trifecta that makeup the Maryland-based collective have become something of an enigma the past few years, elevating their already smart, avant-garde productions into something even more iconic. As they took the stage at the Observatory Wednesday night, […]

All the way from Oslo, Norway, and featured as one of our must-see underground acts of September, Highasakite performed this past Saturday at The Echo in support of their new album Camp Echo. Kicking off their performance with their brooding deep cut “My Name Is Liar,” they unforutanaly hit a speed bump with some technical difficulties. […]

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not extremely often these days that a Los Angeles band makes a profound cultural impact on the world. Sure, we’ve got plenty of solo artists, or bands that moved here from somewhere else, but how many bands began here, and also succeed in embodying the culture of the city in […]

West Hollywood was in for a very special treat Tuesday night. The Troubadour had a hot bill with Portland’s soul sister trio, Joseph. The night began with close friends, Duncan Fellows, an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. These guys easily became one of my new favorites. On lead vocals and guitar they have Colin Harman, […]

Any longtime underground music fan has seen Jamie Lidell slyly manifest himself in several shapes and genres over the years, leapfrogging from sweet singer-songwriter to one-man-band loop wizard, and sometimes disappearing altogether. However, it doesn’t take an alternative R&B connoisseur to have heard some of Lidell’s hits, such as 2005’s unmissable hit “Multiply” and 2009’s […]

As the bread-and-butter of Los Angeles’ music scene, residency shows are the most common way of pushing new talent into limelight and as (typically) free events, they’re an unmissable opportunity to find yourself in the underbelly of the city’s ever-churning pool of soon-to-be breakout artists. Held in the humble confines of bars and clubs like […]

One of the quiet blisses of living in the shadow of Los Angeles’ flourishing music scene is that on any given night, a dozen different bands, singers, rappers, and musical creatives can be found cutting their teeth on the nearly endless circuit of clubs, bars, and theaters that dot the city. But of all the places […]

Downtown LA’s Regent Theater was straight up sucker punched with some punk-driven tunes this past Wednesday night. NYC’s pop-punk rock n’ rollers Bayside ripped through the stage with support of opening act The Menzingers. Kicking off the heavy festivities, The Menzingers started the night on a fierce foot. Part of the Epitaph Records family, these proud Philly boys got the […]

A couple weeks back, I described my adoration for Paul Bergmann’s acoustic masterpiece, Stars and Streams. Friday saw the record’s release, and the Bootleg hosted the album release party this past Tuesday, which I couldn’t resist attending; Matt Kivel and Bob Villain supported Bergmann for a night showcasing several unique songwriters. The opening act of […]

There was a certain surreality that came with seeing Alexis Taylor behind a piano and not a synthesizer, without his characteristic lab coat and futuristic headwear, but the Hot Chip frontman’s trill was cutting just the same as he debuted a number of songs off his recent solo release Piano. Like the silver tongued piano man that […]

By the time FYF day two finally opened its gates mid-afternoon, the asphalt and turf surrounding the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum had already been thoroughly baked from the 90-plus degree weather. Trying to stay cool with a steady flow of popsicles and beer, the day began with a quick stop at the Lawn stage, where […]

Dev Hynes, better known as his moniker Blood Orange, took over The Ace Hotel for two sold out nights playing through the entirety of his latest release, Freetown Sound. In the historic elegance of the theater we listened to funky jazz as we waited for the show to begin. The stage simply set with a […]

With little fanfare or hurrah, FYF 2016 began without a hitch and under blissfully temperate weather for a Los Angeles summer. No longer contained within the small confines of Exposition Park, the festival has made its home around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum quite cozily, utilizing the structures’ bathrooms (no porta-potties, hurray!) and elliptical map […]

When I walked into the El Rey Theater on Thursday night, I accidentally bumped into someone near the bar, which prompted an automatic “sorry!” as I shuffled away. If I had lingered, I would have commented on his t-shirt, which read: SAD SONGS MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. That shirt was not a coincidence; the three […]

Kicking off the first of two nights of the FYF “After Dark Series” at The Fonda Theater, the Brooklyn based band, DIIV played to a pack floor of both young and hold hipsters. Opening the show were Alex G and Wild Nothing. While Alex G felt uninspired and a bit drab, even attempting to induce […]

It’s wise to say that 2016 has been the best Echo Park Rising yet. With four days full of music, and an exceptional showcase of local bands—many who who we have yet to feature or cover live—Echo Park Rising was a success. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this neighborhood music […]

I can trace my love for Broods back to a successful ad campaign. I remember when I first moved to LA two summers ago, I saw billboards with these warped-looking wolf heads on them. Broods, the ads read, piquing my interest; I googled them and happened upon a cache of wonderful music. I finally got […]