Virtually all bands come from humble beginnings, but some were just meant for the limelight – performing with such bombastic intensity that they make more sense on large arena stages than intimate clubs. For most of these groups, the climb to stardom is a long, strenuous one, but for some the rungs were placed in
Break-up albums are supposed to be sad, right? They’re supposed to be an outlet for the pained musician to spill his/her guts to the masses and ask “Why, oh why?” to the world. Right? Well Jessie Waite and Kevin LaRose don’t quite see it that way. Unbeknownst to them at the time of conception, the
The general public’s thoughts and perceptions of modern dance music have become utterly misconstrued. With the booming popularity of EDM, acts like Skrillex, Deadmau5 and Kaskade have become the forerunners in what we think of as “electronic” music. Ecstasy, visuals and bass drops are the three main ingredients for any dance tent or extravagant electronic
Many bands bred in Los Angeles don’t stay local for long. Striving to broaden their fan bases, these dedicated acts work hard in order to tour the States and beyond, allowing people all over the globe to catch a glimpse of their musical prowess. Of the SoCal up-and-comers, not many have been as successful in
If there was one album that encapsulated the summer of 2013, it’d be San Cisco’s self-titled debut full-length. The Australian quartet, led by guitarist/vocalist Jordi Davieson, have successfully shrunk the sunny months into 37 minutes of pure indie pop bliss. On the surface, each of San Cisco’s 13 tracks could be its own summer anthem.
New York City’s Black Taxi creates an interesting dichotomy both onstage and in its music. The quartet meshes a balls to the wall punk rock ethos with pop sensibilities, resulting in high energy live shows and head banging rock tunes laden with infectious guitar riffs and catchy vocal harmonies. This interesting blend of genres has
For the last seven years California native Justice Aaron has called Tokyo home, and his time spent abroad has spawned his latest creation: TheMidnight Machine. This project, which the producer describes as a three-part science fiction opera loosely based on his experiences in Japan, will be released in Acts, with the first, aptly titled The Midnight Machine, Act One, having recently
The summer has just begun, and already Los Angeles’ Y Luv has had a hectic one. The indie rock quartet released its latest EP, Take The Ride, in late May and have been playing shows to support it ever since. The band performed a special DJ set at Bonnaroo’s Silent Disco in mid-June and just
Two years ago, brothers Jeff and Ryan Burian moved up north from Hemet, Calif. to Portland. Like many young musicians, the City of Roses appealed to the SoCal natives because of its booming, anything goes music scene. And after listening to the duo’s debut full-length under the moniker Béisbol, it sounds like they’re fitting in
Stepping out from behind the shadow of a well known act is not always easy, and it took some time for Javier Dunn to be confident enough to leave behind his role as a touring guitarist with Sara Bareilles and release his own material, but I think it’s safe to say he made the right