Stephanie Hernandez
Toro Y Moi Delves Into the Understated Beauty of Love and Loss on Ambient ‘Boo Boo’
Album Reviews • Published on July 2017
“Boo Boo” is Chaz Bear’s first solo effort since 2015’s “What For?” Returning for his fifth LP under his stage name Toro Y Moi, “Boo Boo” finds…
An Act of Contrition, Highly Personal ‘4:44′ Shows Jay Z at His Best
4:44 • Published on June 2017
Few artists have a legacy as impressive as the iconic rapper Jay Z, rounding out what has arguably become one of the biggest months in his life with the release…
Lorde Gives Adolescence a Voice on ‘Melodrama’
Album Reviews • Published on June 2017
It is no secret that Lorde’s unique voice and perspective are unusually addictive. Her debut “Pure Heroine” proved just as much. But since her…
London Grammar Delve Deep on ‘Truth Is a Beautiful Thing’
Album Reviews • Published on June 2017
Atmospheric electro-pop has become English trio London Grammar’s modus operandi. This, combined with their affinity for minimalistic soundscapes,…
Katy Perry Blends Heartbreak and Social Consciousness on Mediocre ‘Witness’
Album Reviews • Published on June 2017
The headlines surrounding Katy Perry’s fifth studio album, “Witness,” have been all but positive. Following…
Roger Waters Holds True on ‘Is This The Life We Really Want?’
Album Reviews • Published on June 2017
The driving force behind one of rock’s most iconic groups, Pink Floyd, Roger Waters is nothing if not a dedicated conceptualist. Though “Is This The…
Shakira Returns to Her Roots With ‘El Dorado’
Album Reviews • Published on May 2017
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll took Latin music to the next level in the United States in the late ’90s but didn’t truly conquer the world until…
Emotions Run High as Erasure Fuses Social Commentary With Synth Pop on ‘World Be Gone’
Album Reviews • Published on May 2017
It seems British dance floor legends Erasure are still the masters of surprise we’ve grown to love them for being. In their 30-plus year career, we have never…
Linkin Park Go Pop With New Album ‘One More Light’
Album Reviews • Published on May 2017
Confidently blending hip-hop, alt-rock, electronica and nu-metal, Linkin Park once transformed into an elemental force all their own, taking up uncharted (and much needed) territory on the radio.
Paramore Deliver Sad Lyrics Alongside Cheery 80s Pop on ‘After Laughter’
After Laughter • Published on May 2017
Paramore’s unfaltering commitment to the pop-punk scene in the early aughts is what helped them rise to the top of Warped Tour fanaticism and into the mainstream. Their…
Harry Styles Channels Rock and Roll Greats on His Debut Album
Album Reviews • Published on May 2017
One Direction fans will rejoice, and everyone else will simply be pleasantly surprised: Harry Styles’ self-titled debut has finally dropped. Half emotional ballads, half top 40…
Blondie Features Sia, Charli XCX, Blood Orange on Essential New Album ‘Pollinator’
Album Reviews • Published on May 2017
Revered as one of the most iconic bands to come out of the eclectic 1970s New York music scene, Blondie has been anything but boring. Mixing the unexpected –…
Gorillaz Turn Our Anxieties Into a Masterpiece With ‘Humanz’
Album Reviews • Published on April 2017
There is something to be said for those who play well with others, and Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn is arguably the best in the game. The…
Incubus Play It Too Safe on ‘8’
8 • Published on April 2017
Incubus rose out of the eclectic soundscape of the 90s to bring voice and validity to adolescent angst and confusion. With a penchant for funk-infused bass lines and nu-metal decibel…
John Mayer Returns to His Roots on ‘The Search for Everything’
Album Reviews • Published on April 2017
John Mayer has not released a full-length studio album since his foray into country on “Paradise Valley” in 2013. His experimentation with the genre garnered mixed reviews, thus encouraging the…
Father John Misty Addresses the Current State of Humanity on ‘Pure Comedy’
Album Reviews • Published on April 2017
Beginning his career in popular music as the drummer of the beloved indie-folk group Fleet Foxes, Josh Tillman’s ascension into superstardom as his egocentric counterpart, Father…
Future Islands Fuse Passion and Pain on Infectious Fifth Album ‘The Far Field’
Aladdin • Published on April 2017
Future Islands have been cranking out their passionate and addictive idiosyncratic synth-pop since their formation in Baltimore in 2006. The trio’s palpable charisma is endearing and readily reflected in each…
Bob Dylan, Channels Sinatra and Hammerstein, Reinvents the Standards on ‘Triplicate’
Album Reviews • Published on March 2017
Bob Dylan’s iconic songbook has been dissected, puzzled over and lovingly pulled apart over course of his sixty-plus-year career. Yet here the legend stands still capable of making…
Goldfrapp Embraces Darker Themes on ‘Silver Eye’
Album Reviews • Published on March 2017
It’s been 17 years since electronic duo Goldfrapp emerged from London’s underground club scene. Balancing their success with their evolution as a group, Goldfrapp has maintained a strong…
James Blunt Ditches the Folk Rock for Pop-Centric Album ‘The Afterlove’
Album Reviews • Published on March 2017
Love it or hate it, in 2005 it was hard to imagine a world without James Blunt’s “You’re…
Moby to Perform Three Nights at Hollywood Forever
Everything is Wrong • Published on December 2014
Moby was arguably the most important player in the rise of popularity of techno music. In the early 90s, he brought a face to a genre largely composed of anonymous DJs, and provided a…
KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas Celebrates its 25th Year with a Bang
Al Wooten Jr. Heritage • Published on December 2014
Get ready to Jingle those bells at KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas! December 13th marks the start of the 25th annual much anticipated concert series. Past lineups read like a list of the who’s who…
A Picture Perfect Time to Be Had at The Napa Valley Film Festival
Bardessono • Published on November 2014
Napa Valley Film Festival preview Star studded films, good food, and even better wine: The Napa Valley Film Festival is truly the recipe for an amazing weekend. Over 12 beautiful venues scattered throughout the…
The Ting Tings: Super Critical Album Review
Album Reviews • Published on October 2014
What happens when you put a British pop duo on the Spanish party island of Ibiza for eight months? Apparently you get the nine-song nonstop disco, synth, and groove heavy dance album that is…
Las Vegas for the ‘Life is Beautiful Festival’
Beck • Published on October 2014
Life is Beautiful Festival had an extremely successful inaugural year last October. The fledging festival managed to bring together the likes of The Killers, Childish Gambino, Kings of Leon and…
Destination New Orleans for Voodoo Music + Arts Experience Festival
Event Destinations • Published on October 2014
A Halloween-weekend tradition since 1999, the New Orleans Voodoo Music + Arts Experience festival is best known for mixing popular acts with homegrown NOLA talent. Starting as a small, one-day…
Kasabian Frontman Tom Meighan Talks About the Band’s Evolution and Breaking Into America
Kasabian • Published on October 2014
The eclectic rock band Kasabian has been a huge force in the British music scene since the debut of their self-titled album in 2004. Their unique and ever-changing take on rock, psychedelia and…