Music Category

Rock and roll has always been a bit of a boy’s club, but don’t tell that to Alex Kandel, frontwoman of Kentucky’s Sleeper Agent. The rooftop lounge of Hollywood’s Bardot is packed with bodies and the stage seems impossibly small for the six-piece Bowling Green outfit, yet Alex still commands the room, bounding through the band’s energetic twist of alt-rock like a young, fiery Joan Jett.  Backed by real-life fiancé Tony Smith on guitar and vocals, she and her scrappy band of misfits turn it way past eleven after openerRead More

It was a passing conversation that led me to an interview with Denver DJ Treyy G. I was talking to a co-worker about a shared love for EDM and he mentioned that he knew Treyy and I suggested doing an interview, and a few weeks later, here we are. Trey Garrett is 20 years old. He has tattoos on every inch of his body (that I can see), and large gauges in his ears. Tall, but slim, he might look intimidating to some, but the second he opens his mouth,Read More

However, for those of you purists out there, great rock n’ roll music is still out there for those of us who are willing to seek it out. In fact, in my humble opinion, there are several contemporary bands that are churning out some of the best rock music ever produced. The improvements in technology over the last few decades has led to lots of watered-down, autotuned nonsense, but it has also improved the sound of rock music. Without further ado, here are five bands that can still rock outRead More

“So…what kind of music are you into?” It’s a stock question everyone uses to pry open that door of awkwardness in class or at a party. It could mean anything from “I’m bored and this silence makes me uncomfortable,” to “let’s bang in the bathroom between stats and psych.” It’s a safe conversation starter and it has the potential to make you feel instantly connected to someone if your playlists are divinely synced up (oh my gosh, you’ve heard of the Front Bottoms, too?) It also let’s you find out inRead More

For every Nickelback and Green Day that dominates the airwaves, there are countless bands that seem to be forever stuck in the underground – a kind of beer-soaked, pool hall purgatory.  Life there is an endless cycle of supporting Paramore on their latest tour and playing covers (because no one came to hear your music anyway). But just because the Average Joe off the street hasn’t heard of a band doesn’t mean they deserve obscurity.  For some reason or another, some of history’s best musical acts have flown under theRead More

Overrated bands don’t start out that way.  There’s always the trickle of promise as they emerge from the underground, a whisper from mouth to blog that there’s some fresh, talented blood on the music scene.  But like Frankenstein’s Monster, good bands can stray from their hopeful path and prey on a few villagers along the way. The list of overrated bands is exhaustive and very much subjective, but there are definitely some acts that induce earbleeding more than others.  Too bad every radio station insists that they’re the one youRead More

The temperature is sub-zero as I head to the Four Seasons in Denver for my interview with Jordy van Egmond.  It’s 11:15 p.m., and Jordy is supposed to start his set at Beta Nightclub at 12:30. Still, he has agreed to chat with me, despite the hour and freezing Colorado weather. Jordy is only 21 years old, but he has achieved things DJs double his age can only dream of- he made his debut at Ultra last year when Hardwell invited him on stage to play their new song “NeverRead More

In the world of professional sports, a dislocated knee could mean the end of a career.  For a certain Los Angeles-based electropop quartet, however, it was only the beginning.  “It’s been a trip,” muses frontman Ryan Daly.  “We never thought a year ago that things would have blown up so quickly.” The Slidebar in downtown Fullerton is packed, but somehow I’m able to hear him over the roar.  The KROQ Locals Only Show is already in full-swing, but we still have a few solid hours before Parade of Lights takesRead More

I truly believe that the hallmark of any great artist, of any great musical outfit, is the ability to evolve musically, to grow personally, and to have every new album serve as a showcase for that latest great step forward. There is little more impressive than progress. Against Me!‘s latest album, the deeply personal Transgender Dysphoria Blues, not only represents a bold new step for the band and frontwoman Laura Jane Grace – it represents a colossal step forward for the LGBT society, and hell, the American public at large. If TransgenderRead More

The Sasquatch Music Festival lineup for both Memorial Day Weekend AND Independence Day Weekend 2014 has been announced! Get the FIRST look at the lineup on Writtalin!  Read More

I was on a Facebook break from work last month when I learned of the passing of Paul Bäumer, one part of the EDM duo Bingo Players. I was surprised to find how sad I became when Reading this. My mind immediately went to how young he was and all the music that wouldn’t be written, produced and played. I also was upset because I hadn’t gotten to see him perform. I had seen Bingo Players at Coachella in April of 2013, but it had only been one of them.Read More

If you’re one of the millions of New Years’ resolvers who vowed to get fit this year, chances are you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack to help you push through the wall or run away from the Blerch.  And if you’re like us, you’re tired of the incessant Top 40 that the gym insists on blasting while you’re trying to get into the zone.  A great workout mix needs variety as well as the driving BPM to help get you up and get you psyched.     Whether you needRead More

R. Kelly just released an album titled simply and tastefully titled “Black Panties” – yet again proving there are things in this world that only R. Kelly is allowed to do. His latest work of lyricism isn’t music for the family so much as it is music for making a family. With songs like “Crazy Sex,” Kelly ensures the making of many, many more seasons of Teen Mom on MTV. “Black Panties” is 17 continuous tracks of rousing sexuality that will pin you to the bed – or, as theRead More

The world of electronic dance music (EDM) was good to me in 2013. I saw 20 plus DJs in three different states and at a plethora of venues. At Coachella, I reveled in the glory that is the new Sahara Tent where I saw soon-to-be named “No. 1 DJ in the world,” Hardwell. In July, I had my first Deadmau5 experience at the MGM’s new super club, Hakkasan, and I closed 2013 by seeing the ruler of EDM himself, Tiesto. All that being said, few of my 2013 DJ experiencesRead More

So the lineup for Coachella 2014 was released the other night (January 8), in case you haven’t checked your Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/texts/literally anywhere. In full disclosure, my own mother has been the first one to notify me of the lineup’s announcement for the past three years running. I’m hoping that’s more of a testament to my mom’s coolness than the amount of friends I have. But regardless of how you heard the news, the lineup is here, spreading like wildfire and launching endless opinionated posts about how good or bad it is.Read More