In 2009, songwriters Keith Waggoner and Josh Caldwell decided to begin a musical endeavor together while both playing in Les Blanks. As a duo, the Los Angeles-based musicians released Heavy Hands, a digital-only EP, in 2011. Though the debut was well-received, it wasn’t until the following year that Holy Folk took the form it’s in today. The two-piece
Late last year, Yoodoo Park made his debut with Explore, a seven-track EP comprising dreamy, lo-fi tunes recorded in the young artist’s garage. The haunting melodies and shoegaze-tinged instrumentation of this release quickly categorized the Japanese born Californian with other bedroom pop projects, but Park’s freshman full-length, Empire, is set to disprove that notion. Aspiring
It takes a fair amount of dedication and passion to step out from behind the shadow of a star and make a name for yourself. Many musicians make incredible livings playing in studio or touring bands, but how many take that risky leap to step back to the beginning as a solo artist? Only a
On Tuesday night Check Yo Ponytail 2 hosted a dance party, and even though headliners Anamanaguchi weren’t slated to play until midnight, the room was full by 9:45 pm with fans anticipating a rare performance by Chrome Sparks. Though currently on tour with the 8-bit power punkers, gigs by the (pretty much) instrumental electronic outfit
In a world so saturated with bands trying to stand out and experiment with new sounds, it’s refreshing to hear straightforward rock ‘n’ roll every once and awhile – especially when it’s tight and solid. Bands like Bleached have begun to pump new life into female-led punk rock, and Seattle’s Big Eyes is following suite
The annual Jubilee Music and Art Festival has become a community staple in Los Angeles, and though this year marked the first in its new Downtown location, the celebration retained (most) of the original charm it possessed from its days hosted in Silver Lake. It still focused primarily on local acts, while inviting a handful
It was virtually a year ago when I saw Crystal Fighters for the first time at The Echoplex, and on Tuesday night at the El Rey, the six-piece performed an exuberant set just like the one that made me fall in love with them last summer. Having garnered a larger following than they had last June, the electro/folk-rockers played their
Some albums encapsulate certain seasons and feelings, and Crystal Fighters’ sophomore effort, Cave Rave, does just that, begging to become the anthem of the summer, preferably during bonfires, road trips, and late night dance parties. The Spain-dwelling six-piece wrote the record during a two-month spell cooped up in the hills of Basque then headed
Javier Dunn is gearing up to release his sophomore album, Trails, on June 25th (Red Parade Music) and to celebrate its first single, “Couple of Drinks,” the singer-songwriter held a remix contest. In the course of a month, over 100 musicians reworked the sparse electronic/acoustic hybrid of a song, and Dunn personally listened to each
It’s been a wild year for Golden Grrrls. The Glasgow/London-based outfit released a romping self-titled debut album via Slumberland Records (U.S.) and Night School (UK), toured Stateside for the first time (a feat they never thought they’d achieve), and filmed a music video for the album’s single, “Take Your Time.” What began as a bedroom