Los Angeles – Fryars is the one man-project of 24-year-old London-based singer/songwriter, Ben Garrett. His long-awaited sophomore album, Power, is a genre-bending euphoria of a record. His previous effort, Dark Young Hearts, came out five years ago and the days of being a timid, inexperienced teenager are long behind him. During the lapse between albums,
Los Angeles – Brooklyn indie-pop outfit Ex Cops is the duo of Brian Harding (formerly of Hymns) and Amalie Bruun (formerly of Minks). They first made waves late 2012/early 2013 with the release of True Hallucinations. It navigated through the channels of dream-pop never replicating but only purely reinvigorating the vibe. The group now find themselves on a
Austin – Ultimate Painting was introduced to me as a supergroup. Not in those words, but there must have been some hope that name-dropping Veronica Falls and Mazes would entice me to listen to their music. I’m not sure if, by the strictest definition, there can be such a thing as an indie supergroup. The
Los Angeles – Kenny Vasoli of Vacationer is the happiest guy I’ve ever seen on stage. When I saw him perform with his band this past Sunday night, I took notice of how he plays every song with a huge, infectious smile. He’s finding his own relief, which coincidentally happens to be the title of
Los Angeles – On Tuesday night at an overly occupied El Rey, local indie pop electronic trio Wildcat! Wildcat! performed an incredible live set. In August, Best New Bands met with the band right around the release for their dazzling debut LP, No Moon At All. The performance included an amalgamation of R&B-inspired beats, dreamy compositions, and a sonic palette
Los Angeles – This past summer, Philadelphia-based band Vacationer released their sophomore album, Relief. Their unique sound has been described as “Nu-Hula/ World Wave.” Relief is an appealing, earnest, and utterly joyous record. The laidback electronics booted with the dreamy guitars bestows a pleasant summer feeling we wouldn’t mind experiencing all season. It sheds light
Los Angeles – Once in a while someone is fortunate to experience a sound that truly resonates in more ways than one. Islands, the debut record out this week on Communion Records from the London-based trio Bear’s Den, is one of those records that fits that mold. Bear’s Den is a byproduct of the London
Los Angeles – Francisco The Man explodes onto the indie rock circuit with Loose Ends. It’s a towering, triumphant record that excites the listener’s mind. Throughout this transition, one’s thoughts are ruminating with questions of their own self-examined life. While the LA-based quartet has been creating music for several years with numerous singles and EPs,
Los Angeles – Milo Greene, an LA indie pop quintet, has returned with their brand new single, “White Lies.” It will be featured on their forthcoming sophomore LP, Control, due out on January 27 via Elektra. Their latest track is a ferociously dark-pop gem that diverges from the band’s previous folk-rock and harmonies-driven resonance. Best
Los Angeles – Up and coming singer-songwriter, Zella Day, who’s been hailed “the happier Lana Del Rey,” opened for veteran musician LP Friday night at The Roxy. Despite the misconstrued description, there’s still an essential sadness embedded in Day’s songs. The eclectic crowd was spellbound by the songstress’ bohemian vibe. Day was dazzling at her