Rilo Kiley’s remarkable return
On Wednesday, May 7, I ventured to one of the last places on earth where twee appeared to be alive and well: the Rilo Kiley concert at Libbey Bowl in Ojai. Residents of the idyllic town and surrounding enclaves...
In the garage with SOBO: Inside Berkeley’s Student Music Scene
Live music is foundational to Berkeley, from the performances at the history-filled 924 Gilman to the frequent band nights near campus. I have grown familiar with feeling the bass buzz through my body as my fri...
Kind of copied: Jazz as conceptual art
Jazz is a strangely unique kind of music. Although to some it might sound like a lullaby, boring or calming, jazz has endless complexities. Because of these complexities jazz complicates the rules of art and mu...
When the music plays twice
Never, without exception, is there a reason someone should cover The Beach Boys. Of course, I love me a Fiona Apple cover of Across the Universe, but The Beach Boys is a whole different ball game. One weekend a...
Cupid Deluxe: An Ode to Queer Love
With 11 beautiful, soulful, and intense tracks, Cupid Deluxe (2013) compresses the feeling of giving to someone who can never be pleased—the constant chase for validation, for proof that your love means som...
The music I inherit
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
-Jim Rohn
Recently, this quote was brought back up to me by a friend of mine; I think it holds a degree of truth. Just taking a gli...
Finding the Full Picture in the Chaos: An Interview with Megan Claire
Nor-Cal based artist Megan Claire released her first single “I-5” nearly a year ago. That year had been filled with live shows, a brief stint in Los Angeles, the finding of a full band, and overall growth a...
Story of an artist: The life of cult singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston
"The best thing you can say about me is that I have been and I always will be in the twilight zone, and I'm serious. I live a different life. I'm lonely, but it's not just being lonely. It's the things that I s...
SLCHLD in Seattle: she likes spring, we both prefer winter
It’s my second year living in California, but Seattle is my home. The bulk of my memories are there, the “growing up” stage of my life still contained in Seattle’s crisp, chilly air. I see my homesickne...
Kikuo: A rainbow fever dream of a concert
I had convinced (not that it took much convincing) a close friend of mine to attend Kikuo’s concert with me, on September 8th in San Francisco. For context, this friend was one I had known since second grade;...
An interview with Kikuo: Reflections on music, Vocaloid, and creation
Almost everyone who is remotely familiar with Vocaloid will have heard of Kikuo, a household name in the genre. Vocaloid is a type of music originating from Japan that is based on the usage of voice synthesizer...
I went to the Michael Seyer show and all I got was farted on
Where do I begin?
I first want to thank my wonderful friend Riya for accompanying me on this journey and for her growing patience.
When I asked if anyone knew Michael Seyer, the following story was the la...
The world is… Hatsune Miku’s? What to know about Vocaloid
If you’ve ever lurked in the digital swamp that was the Internet during the 2000s to early 2010s, chances are, you have encountered, in some form, Vocaloids and Vocaloid music. The ever-present, blue-pigtaile...
Only in Your Wet Dreams: A Double Feature on Snow Wife & Wet Leg
Skydiving off of a building. Skinny dipping with your best friend. Committing arson in the dead of night. Have you done any of these actions that I cannot legally condone? No? Well, neither have I. This, howeve...
The chaos of catharsis: Doom Loop Festival, starring Yeule
Doom Loop at the Regency Ballroom wasn't your standard music festival—some six-stage, three-day festival with name-brand flags and sponsored water stations. Instead, Doom Loop was a one-night, five-act festiv...