If the Arcade Fire ever went through an awkward post-adolescent pop punk phase and played at their high school prom, it would resemble a live performance by Los Campesinos! Continue reading…
Shout Out Louds could have been just another casualty of the sophomore slump. Their second album, 2007’s Our Ill Wills, was met with a tepid reception by fans and critics, who criticized it for being over-produced and lifting too heavily from bands like The Cure.
Those complaints have been silenced with Work, the Swedish band’s triumphant return to form. Shout Out Louds have never sounded this driven or vital, thanks to some captivating, no-nonsense arrangements, adhesive melodies, and Phil Ek’s gleaming production.
San Diegans will get to experience Work standouts “Walls” (MP3), “Fall Hard,” and “Show Me Something New” on May 22nd, when the rejuvenated band joins Freelance Whales and Ok Go for an afternoon show at House of Blues. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.
We sat down with multi-instrumentalist Bebban Stenborg to discuss Shout Out Louds’ revamped approach. Continue reading…
There are bands you passively enjoy, and then there are those whose music, for whatever reason, fits like key to lock in that musical sweet spot deep within your brain. Heartless Bastards have always been the latter type of band for me, and I don’t know whether it’s their gritty Southern influences, lead singer Erika Wennerstrom’s bluesy alto, or some mysterious combination of the two, but I’ve been proselytizing them to the world since I first heard their music. Continue reading…
It took two years for L.A.’s Jail Weddings to secure their first show at the Casbah. Lining up their second gig at the legendary San Diego venue took only a few days. Continue reading…
Craig Finn makes for an unlikely rock star. It’s partly his anti-hipster look, always sporting novelist eyeglasses and either a button-down shirt or a Twins T, but more than that it’s the vibe. Continue reading…