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...
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...
A quintessential fall album: Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago
Following the warm weather and constant sunshine of the summer, it is almost ironic how it is followed by autumn, marked with rain, gloom, and for a lot of people, the beginning of a new school year. These elem...
Billie Marten Ascends to New Heights at August Hall
I remember the first time that I listened to Billie Marten: sitting in the dark of my room in April 2020, the soft yellow glow of Christmas lights over my desk blinking before me. I was transported into a new w...
Contemplating the tenderness of Natalia Lafourcade’s De Todas las Flores
Natalia Lafourcade’s newest album De Todas las Flores (2022) is Lafourcade’s first full record of original music in seven years. Her last album containing original work was Hasta la Raíz which was released...
Far from a Wayside: Bedouine’s third album displays songwriting brilliance
Azniv Korkejian, also known as singer-songwriter Bedouine, pulls in listeners with her poetic lyricism and elegant style. With her third record released just over a year ago on October 22, 2021, Waysides contin...
First dates and new music
I learned about Remi Wolf how everyone else learns about music nowadays: a hinge date. More often than not, these dates are unsuccessful, filling your brain with information that will no longer be needed in two...
“I know this song from TikTok” – an empowering night with Baby Tate
The unexpected rain created a sense of urgency as fans rushed to get inside Oakland's Fox Theater on March 27th; shelter-seekers became indistinguishable from those clamoring to hear Baby Tate open for Charli X...
Getting to Play the Guitar Not as a Man: Sam Quiñones on New Music and Gender
From virtual dorm room jam sesh to The Sound of University of California-Berkeley, “Stay” by Emielyn and Sam Quiñones is finally out and getting the recognition it deserves. Released on October 15, it chro...
Positivity in a pandemic: Hana Bryanne on making an EP and going viral on TikTok
In a time of great uncertainty for all, Hana McElroy, or Hana Bryanne as she's known online, uses the changes happening around her to her advantage. The 18-year-old California native was a high school senior wh...
A night of acoustic bliss With Ty Segall
Sprinkled with pockets of scenic lookout points throughout the coast, where passer-byers, tourists and excited concert-goers such as myself can step out and experience the magical vastness through its stunning...
Anti-Folk has a band now: Jon Bunting at the Red Heron
If you just clicked on this article and you don’t know who Jon Bunting is, stop. Don’t you dare make any assumptions because you saw the picture of a dude in a beanie playing acoustic guitar. Go listen to h...
Mumford and Sons’ Delta delights
Mumford & Sons was the banjo band, and can be cited as one of the leading forces behind bringing the indie-folk movement to the mainstream. They continue to be one of the twenty-first century’s strangest ...
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit showcase ferocity and tenderness at the Greek
Jason Isbell challenges what it means to be a country singer. In fact, he doesn’t even consider himself a country singer, and most people would probably agree once they’ve heard his brutally honest lyrics a...
An interview with Crystal Bowersox (without discussing Simon Cowell or her hair)
Crystal Bowersox is cool. She is honest and vulnerable, you don’t have to worry about any gimmicks with her. In many ways, she reminds me of a contemporary Janis Joplin: a female powerhouse vocalist set on au...