Coachella’s “Bloom” Video: WTF Does it Mean?

Yesterday afternoon, the home page of the Coachella website changed to a video called “Bloom,” which shows plants and art exhibits sprouting from the ground. Some look pretty creepy–did those worm/slug things 30 seconds into the video really just form a structure? At least the rest are fairly cute or…

Social Distortion, Marquee Theatre, 1/22/13

Social Distortion @ Marquee Theatre|1/22/23By most standards, I arrived on the Social Distortion scene rather late, some 15 years ago. I wasn’t much older than 14 when I bought my first album, and was — like most fans — immediately hooked. Many of us grew up on the lyrics of…

Iamwe, Crescent Ballroom, 1/19/13

Iamwe @ Crescent Ballroom| 1/19/13We’re going to need another venue. Iamwe is a rare exception in indie music. Last night, the local rockers packed Crescent Ballroom to release their album, Run Wild. After touring the East Coast with Anberlin, the boys returned to their hometown to play their first headlining…

Trampled By Turtles, Marquee Theatre, 1/19/13

Trampled by Turtles @ Marquee Theatre|1/19/13The rumors are true: There’s nothing like a Minnesotan man. Better yet, there’s nothing like a group of Minnesotan men gifted with knowledge, skill, and artistic sensitivity performing exciting and powerful music. This might sound like a cheap generalization, there’s no way to better simplify…

Down, Marquee Theatre, 1/14/13

Down and Warbeast @ Marquee Theatre|1/14/13So, it turns out there’s a reason it’s called “stoner metal.” I’ve been to several Down shows before, but two things stuck out to me during Monday night’s Down/Warbeast concert at Marquee Theatre. My friend (who goes by “Iron Maiden,” thank you very much) and…

Castle, Yucca Tap Room, 1/9/13

Castle @ Yucca Tap Room|1/9/13Every journalistic piece has an angle. The last time Castle played here, touring with Portland doom-metallers Witch Mountain, I was so overwhelmed by the riff-saturated environment that the angle for the piece I wrote on that show shifted to the eating habits of the various touring…

TMI Radio SxSW Showcase at Crescent Ballroom, 1/9/13

Palms, Wiley One, Jared and the Mill, and Sara Robinson and Midnight Special @ Crescent Ballroom|1/9/13South by Southwest, the sort of Mecca of indie music, is kind of a big deal. A good show there can make or break a band, even if the event itself is a tad self-indulgent…

Six Ridonkulous Holy Ship!! Dance Move GIFs

Katie BainThe EDM cruise Holy Ship!! journeyed from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas this past weekend, and we’re still recovering. Here’s our complete coverage. A highlight was an afternoon spent on a pristine private island in the Bahamas for an afternoon of sun, surf, cocktails and the kind of dancing…

Holy Ship!! Wrap-Up: It Was the Best of Times….

There were a lot of grim faces on Monday morning as the electro-loving masses emerged off the MSC Poesia — a.k.a. the EDM party boat Holy Ship!! — and did a slow zombie shuffle through U.S. customs and back into the real world (a.k.a. Fort Lauderdale). Here in the industrial…

A Dude’s Dream Comes True Aboard the Holy Ship!!

Katie BainA-TrakAboard the Holy Ship!! one gets to mix and mingle with the slew of name DJs. “Hey there’s Zedd in line for pasta salad. Oh wow, there’s Dillon Francis in the elevator. Oh damn, Diplo is out on the beach swimming with all the fans. “Jackbeats just bought all…

Holy Ship!! Day One: A Surprise Guest Whose Name Rhymes With Drillex

Katie BainOn Friday afternoon, nearly 3,000 raver chicks, dude guys, scenesters, club kids and DJs assembled at a port in Fort Lauderdale and boarded the MSC Poesia, a.k.a. Holy Ship!! (There are two exclamation points because this is the second edition of the EDM party cruise put on by L.A.’s…

Who Is Really Playing Coachella This Year?

Historically, the Coachella lineup has been announced in January. That means it — along with the schedules of some artists who, hopefully, will make their way to Phoenix between dates — should be announced any day now. There have been a number of fake posters circulating on the Net –…

FMLY Fest on Fifth Street

PHX FMLY Fest @ Fifth Street|12/28/12Perhaps it was a few too many Santa Clauses wandering around, but FMLY Fest felt a lot like spending the holiday season with the extended family. The massive festival — featuring 60 bands taking dozens of stages on Fifth Street, drew all sorts of interesting…