Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Paul Bergmann never rests. Last winter, he put out an EP with his full band project, The Fair Moans, and the winter before that he delivered a concise, quiet release under his solo moniker. Even more records have come prior to that, and each has in some way contributed to Bergmann’s experimentation on the guitar, which feels galvanized on his … Continue reading Paul Bergmann Finds His Own ‘Paradise’ on New EP
Photo Credit: Michael Tyrone Delaney II Originally appeared on Ones to Watch. Kera Armendariz is aggressively human. Watch them onstage, and you may feel the freedom that reaches beyond their extremities or giggle at the many expressions that flash across their face. Speaking one-on-one, you’ll notice their boundless charm. … Before they had the vocabulary for it, Armendariz has always centered their art on identity. They … Continue reading The Future Is Bright: KERA’s Queer Journey and an Optimistic New Song
Photo courtesy of the artist Originally appeared on Irvine Weekly. The daytime hustle of an artist does not define them. Ask them what they do and their secondary answer may include terms like “day job” or “paycheck,” but rarely “career.” It carries too much weight. It suggests that so-called work life is fulfilling and secure. It pretends that there is only one path in a … Continue reading TheKhue and the Experiments of a Working Stiff
Photo Credit: David Black Originally appeared on Irvine Weekly. Alex Lilly’s new album is called 2% Milk, but she would never touch the stuff. “I’m trying to drink less [of it]…But when I do have milk I definitely have whole milk.” Two percent is just watered down anyway. It reflects a part of society that bothers her; throughout our conversation on a frigid afternoon at … Continue reading Alex Lilly Confronts Ambivalence on 2% Milk
Originally appeared on the 405, with the title The 405 Meets Royal Teeth; view archived article here. We all have something to prove, whether just to ourselves or to society in general. On that note, Louisiana-based Royal Teeth have a lot to say with their new single, “Show You What I Can Do.” It features a fiery verse from the force that is Tunde Olaniran, … Continue reading Royal Teeth Prove Themselves With New Single “Show You What I Can Do”
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Sean Draper is a clever experimenter. The first thing you notice about her, especially if her forthcoming record is your introduction to the project, is the wordplay in her album title and moniker. Then you will be hit by the technicolor waves of fuzz and noise. Bothy is Pander Sera’s debut LP due out next week. In honor of the … Continue reading Pander Sera Wants to Rattle Your Sternum
Originally appeared on the 405; view archived article here. Self-discovery takes time. Society pressures us into finding a skill while we’re young and perfecting it until we are some iteration of “successful.” But that’s not how it works; the lucky ones will find their passion early, but it is another task entirely to secure the resources to pursue it. Then there are the late bloomers, … Continue reading Soft Streak declare it’s better late than never on new Late Bloomer EP
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Local songwriter Celeste Tauchar earned her stripes touring with bands like Frenship, but has proven her independent prowess with her new EP as talker. The leading singles were a good indication of what was to come, and the full release packs a punch. … “Show me your haunted side and I’ll show you mine,” Tauchar taunts in the title track. Much … Continue reading talker Embraces Her Haunted Side on New Horror Films EP
Originally appeared on the 405; view archived article here. The more self-made music videos I come across, the more I realize the incredible impact of Norman McLaren. He was notable filmmaker for the National Film Board of Canada who grew to prominence in the 1970s, though he had been active even thirty years prior to that era. In collaboration with Evelyn Lambert, McLaren created a … Continue reading Sweden’s Sophomore puts together a “Mosaic” of sound and color
Sawdust & Gin 