Artists Tag

A singer-songwriter known for her cinematic sounds, Lana Del Rey never fails at amazing me. I am the only one of my friends and family who truly loves her and listens to her religiously. I have my reasons:   1. She is so vintage – it’s cool, trust me.   2. Her words are like poetry and they speak truth.   3. Her inspirations are Elvis, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears and more.   4. She is weird. Weird is fun.   5. She’s from New York (I’mRead More

A while back I wrote “Rappers I’d Totally Kick it with in a Non-Sexual Way,” and in the name of more rapper-inspired lists that no one cares about but me, I’m coming back at ya with my list of rappers with the sexiest voices. Everyone always asks what got little ol’ white me into rap…well this is one of the reasons, albeit a very small one. Just a warning: some of these voices may be NSFW. I recommend having a change of underwear near by. Here we go:   5.Read More

Some music groups evolve and get better with every single album they put out. However, other groups start out hot…and then regress for the rest of their musical careers. Here are five bands who started out with all sorts of promise, only to get mired in mediocrity.   #5 – The Killers Sometimes a band tries SO hard to evolve and experiment and grow that they find themselves instead regressing and devolving. Such is the case with the Killers. After breaking into the mainstream with 2004’s multi-platinum Hot Fuss, theRead More

1. ‘Merica Every year, Bonnaroo tells the story of America in four days. People come to a 600-acre farm in Middle America hoping for the best but not knowing what to expect. Massive amounts of dollar bills are exchanged, people get drunk, friends are made, and on Monday you have the worst case of Mondays this side of Mike Judge’s imagination. Bonnaroo offers everything for everyone. You can watch the World Cup while eating a grass fed hamburger and drinking a microbrew. You can watch Skrillex, Damien Marley, Robbie Krieger,Read More

Lana Del Rey, even with her melancholy vocals and brooding melodies, is far from epitomizing what being sad really is. If for whatever reason you’re having a rough start to your summer, here are ten of the saddest songs ever written to send you deeper into your dark place.     #10: Modest Mouse – “Little Motel” Whether you interpret “Little Motel” as referring to a divorce, a disintegrating relationship, or even the loss of a loved one, there is nothing happy about this track. Isaac Brock’s subtle vocals overRead More

Streetz 94.5: You’ve been spendin’ all your life livin’ in a gangsta’s paradise. You’re a hoodrat with a dark past and you’ve done some things you’re not proud of, like listen to a T-Pain song every once in a while. You’re the slightly more underground version of Hot 107.9, meaning you’re the underdog but you’re on the come up. I respect your hustle. V-103: You’re smoother than a baby’s bottom stuffed in a tiny velour track suit. You’ve got the moves that make all the ladies swoon, and the fact thatRead More

The first time I saw Odesza, it was completely by accident. I stood in line at the coat check at Mezzanine, a smallish venue tucked away in the SOMA district of San Francisco, as they opened for Emancipator. I had no idea that this was their first-ever show in this city, as my friend and I remarked, “Wait…I really like this!” It was the kind of upbeat, laid-back electronic sound that perfectly emulates how you want to feel 24/7. Walking out of the venue later that night, we happened toRead More

EnterViews is Hilary’s weekly series with emerging artists via various forms of digital communication. Last week as I sat down at work, I did the first thing we all do—check Facebook. It was then that I saw a link from two New York friends. The site was StroudFunding. It was a cheerful looking thing, in blues, whites, and blacks, with the tagline “Changing the way Ian Stroud makes money.” In 2009, the current popular crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, hit the streets of the internet. Soon, film students across the country wouldRead More

“So…what kind of music are you into?” It’s a stock question everyone uses to pry open that door of awkwardness in class or at a party. It could mean anything from “I’m bored and this silence makes me uncomfortable,” to “let’s bang in the bathroom between stats and psych.” It’s a safe conversation starter and it has the potential to make you feel instantly connected to someone if your playlists are divinely synced up (oh my gosh, you’ve heard of the Front Bottoms, too?) It also let’s you find out inRead More

In the world of professional sports, a dislocated knee could mean the end of a career.  For a certain Los Angeles-based electropop quartet, however, it was only the beginning.  “It’s been a trip,” muses frontman Ryan Daly.  “We never thought a year ago that things would have blown up so quickly.” The Slidebar in downtown Fullerton is packed, but somehow I’m able to hear him over the roar.  The KROQ Locals Only Show is already in full-swing, but we still have a few solid hours before Parade of Lights takesRead More

I truly believe that the hallmark of any great artist, of any great musical outfit, is the ability to evolve musically, to grow personally, and to have every new album serve as a showcase for that latest great step forward. There is little more impressive than progress. Against Me!‘s latest album, the deeply personal Transgender Dysphoria Blues, not only represents a bold new step for the band and frontwoman Laura Jane Grace – it represents a colossal step forward for the LGBT society, and hell, the American public at large. If TransgenderRead More

Ahh…the Super Bowl. If you’re anything like me, it’s a time for merriment, poor eating habits, a chance to see David Beckham running half-naked, and, best of all, a kickass halftime performance. Bruno Mars was the league’s pick for 2014 and yet, regardless of the artist’s proven talent and popularity, many critics questioned whether the fresh young performer was ready to live up to the likes of last year’s show brought to us by the amazing Queen Beyonce. After delivering a killer performance complete with drum solos, heartfelt messages fromRead More

I was on a Facebook break from work last month when I learned of the passing of Paul Bäumer, one part of the EDM duo Bingo Players. I was surprised to find how sad I became when Reading this. My mind immediately went to how young he was and all the music that wouldn’t be written, produced and played. I also was upset because I hadn’t gotten to see him perform. I had seen Bingo Players at Coachella in April of 2013, but it had only been one of them.Read More

The ball has dropped, the champagne has been poured and it’s time to cleanse ourselves of all things 2013.  With all the twerking, tweeting, vining and seflie-ing we’ll wash from our shamed public consciousness, we’ll also say goodbye to an admittedly interesting year in music.  From Kanye’s cracked-out messianic Yeezus to the zeitgeist of Random Access Memories and the latest in Lil Wayne’s steady decline, there was much to listen to and even more to avoid.  2014 has a lot to live up to.  Good thing there are quite aRead More

Regardless of whether you’re hitting up one or ten music festivals this year, there’s still some amount of preparation required for each one. You and your group are put up against massive crowds, unfamiliar territory, extreme climates, and questionable states of mind. You might end up as group leader, you might be tagging along for a good time. Either way, make sure your asses are covered.   Base Camp These things take planning. Buy your festival tickets and figure out where you’ll be sleeping as early on as possible. ItRead More