For anyone in Los Angeles that thinks they know pop music, or who the great vocalists of our time are, there is no conscionable reason to have missed Nao at the El Rey last Wednesday, where the British electro R&B prodigy graced a sold-out crowd of about 800 with a stadium performance. Before the El Rey curtain […]

On Blonde, Frank Ocean fearlessly balances avant-garde themes and aesthetics with cathartic pop bliss Words: Jamie Lawlor For a minute there, we thought the day might never come, but on that sunny Saturday afternoon, the second studio album by Frank Ocean was finally out. A lot has happened in the realm of black culture since Ocean’s […]

The typical crowd at a Los Angeles concert is not nearly as exhilarating as one might imagine in today’s generation, because let’s face it; most folks are really just powering through an awkward first date or passive-aggressively nudging their way across the pit for a better Snapchat angle. However, there’s something about standing in line […]

Looking Back on “Indie” Culture in 2016 Opinion Feature by Jamie Lawlor Close your eyes and imagine the sounds that accompany each of the following genre titles: jazz. folk, reggae, heavy metal… EDM. Each evokes their own trademark silhouette of rhythms, themes, and instrumentation. Now think of the genre known as “indie” in the same context. […]

Opinion Feature by Jamie Lawlor Every January, there’s that special day on the west coast when the sacred Coachella lineup is announced. We all know the large-font usual suspects by now—the “indie band that still sells tickets off that one hit from 2008,” the “old school rapper you never listen to but want to tell everyone […]