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Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. [Lauren Ruth Ward] reflects on her life’s trajectory with a certain amount of incredulousness, as if her reality is still an unthinkable dream. Now her music is spreading through LA like wildfire. She only moved to the west coast from her hometown of Baltimore two years ago, but has already played all the underground venue staples across the city, hitting … Continue reading Making Love With Lauren Ruth Ward
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. If there was one word I could use to describe Never Get Back, it would be tender. Rumbling out the gates with a Black Keys-esque single, the release twists to reveal unspoken desires, then nears catharsis by the end. His vocals are deep like Justin Vernon’s, where some moments even sound like outtakes from For Emma. A steel guitar slides … Continue reading On His Solo Debut, Terence Jack is Free
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Words by me, photos by Andrew Gomez. Aurora masterfully navigates a sparse pop landscape. Fans told her before the show that they were ready to dance, but she admitted that her songs aren’t that type of pop music. Occasionally there is uptempo percussion, but her music is really about invasive insecurities and emotional escapism. You can dance to it, sure, but … Continue reading Norwegian pop songstress, Aurora charms Los Angeles fans at 30 Days In LA at the Fonda
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. You may have heard of the up-and-coming Brooklyn artist Von Sell through his dominance on Hype Machine, or some other outlet of the blogosphere. His sound is based on a subgenre of electronica that has gained immense popularity recently, marked by synths and drum machines that work in an optimistic symbiosis. Some of the most recognizable mainstream pop stars (Bieber, … Continue reading New Brooklyn Producer Von Sell Makes a Mark with Debut EP
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Words and cheesy photo edits by me. Without meaning to, Hval ended up addressing our recent election several times. She decided not to show us a video of zombies doing aerobics because it didn’t “feel appropriate,” then she stopped herself to apologize. “Everything I say feels ironic. Maybe it’s just my Norwegian-ness. But I mean all of it,” she … Continue reading Jenny Hval and Dinner Come Together at Resident to Light Up a Dark Week
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Photos courtesy of Red Bull Sound Select. “Imagine if Banoffee played with Empress Of,” my roommate joked with me last summer. I had just told him that Empress Of was coming to the Echo, and around that time I had been gushing about Banoffee’s masterful second EP, Do I Make You Nervous? It clearly amused him to tease me about … Continue reading Powerful Producers Empress Of and Banoffee Share Stage at Club Bahia for 30 Days in LA
Originally appeared on Thrillcall. Photo above courtesy of Julian Malagon, Refined Grind. Things got complicated on day two. The start of the day may have been wet, but everything still ran as usual. 2 Live Crew threw a profane pep rally at the indoor Observatory main stage with lots of crowd engagement from the MC and of course the star duo, Fresh Kid Ice and Brother … Continue reading Beach Goth V: A Little Rain Never Hurt Anyone
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Words by me, photos by Steven Ward. What set this concert apart for me was Kishi Bashi’s ability to keep us grounded. This wasn’t just a blissful romp; he also got political and emotional (but thankfully not at the same time). I felt Beach Goth was surprisingly absent of political rhetoric, but Kishi Bashi made up for it by emphasizing … Continue reading Kishi Bashi Returned to LA for a Joyful and Emotional Show at the Belasco
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Words by me, photos by Danielle Gornbein. BAIO is not the most innovative electronic musician I’ve heard nor would I characterize his live show as revolutionary, but hell, the whole affair still is fresh and fun. Not another DJ could make tapping one button in time to the beat look so amusing. Nor could any other white boy make shaking your … Continue reading Electrop pop sensations St. Lucia and BAIO dazzled crowds at the Wiltern
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. “El Paso buried under red hot lava, blazing brimstone, hollow every syllable,” the song [”El Paso”] goes, spun around a rhyme and syllable structure similar to the complex equations Joanna Newsom wrote out for the scheme of “Leaving the City.” Guitar riffs swirl like a Western ballad as blazing brimstone encircles us, but the final line of “El Paso” leaves … Continue reading On Her Debut LP Ziemba Proves Hope is Both Never and Always
Sawdust & Gin 