Showing posts with label CHVRCHES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CHVRCHES. Show all posts

Saturday, March 19, 2016

SXSW 2016 (Friday): Willie Nelson’s party weathers the storm; CHVRCHES, Deftones rock SPIN showcase

SXSW 2016 (Friday): Willie Nelson’s party weathers the storm; CHVRCHES, Deftones rock SPIN showcase
Mark E. Ortega
Grimygoods.com
March 19, 2016

Friday was a wild day for SXSW goers everywhere. The afternoon came and went without issue, but when the evening started rolling in, a nasty storm came along with it. All outdoor showcases were postponed and later shut down due to the weather. I myself was nowhere near Austin at the time, instead an hour west at Willie Nelson‘s ranch for their annual Luck Reunion, itself delayed by the inclement weather. Check out the recap of Friday, which features performances from Willie Nelson, Jenny Lewis, CHVRCHES, Deftones, and Lucius.

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Friday, March 18, 2016

SXSW 2016 (Thursday): John Legend, Loretta Lynn, Gallant, DMA’S sparkle

SXSW 2016 (Thursday): John Legend, Loretta Lynn, Gallant, DMA’s sparkle
Mark E. Ortega
Grimygoods.com
March 18, 2016

Thursday at South by Southwest, we got to take in a diverse range of acts spanning a multitude of genres, including acts ranging from heavyweights like John Legend, Loretta Lynn and The Kills to up-and-comers like Gallant, Vince Staples and DMA’s.

John Legend not only topped a SXSW showcase this year, but he showcased some buzzy artists like Jack Freeman, IAM Action, Korbyn Rachel and Tim Jack Wilkins. I didn’t make it in time to see these acts but what an honor it must have been for them to be featured on the same bill as the hit-making Legend.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Coachella 2016: finally moving away from being a boy’s club?

Coachella 2016: finally moving away from being a boy’s club?
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
January 5, 2015

According to an April 2013 Buzzfeed article, Coachella hadn’t seen a ratio of male-fronted acts to female-fronted ones below 80% since 2008. Last year, female-fronted acts represented less than 16% of the lineup with names like Florence + The Machine, Alabama Shakes, Jenny Lewis and St. Vincent being some of the more prominent ones.

Only Bjork (twice) and Portishead have headlined the desert fest as female-fronted acts. With LCD Soundsystem, Guns N Roses and Calvin Harris headlining in 2016, that trend of exclusion will continue.

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Saturday, December 27, 2014

Top 20 Favorite Shows of 2014

Top 20 Favorite Shows of 2014
Mark E. Ortega
Medium.com
December 27, 2014


Not counting music festivals, I managed to see exactly 100 live concerts in 2014. Previous to this year, I had seen in the ballpark of 25 concerts, I think? I couldn’t have ever expected to see this many shows, but thanks fo relocating to Los Angeles as well as picking up freelance work writing about music, I was able to make it to a shit ton of concerts. In August, I saw live music for seven straight days, something I wanted to do my whole life. I upstaged that by seeing shows 10 straight days in October, and all of a sudden in December, 100 seemed a realistic goal. I hit that mark with the Dec. 20 Saves the Day & Say Anything show at House of Blues on Sunset.

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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

The Nine II Five: Volume One


The Nine II Five: Volume One
TheAudiologist.net
November 26, 2014


Remember mixed tapes? Mixed CDs? Recording songs off the radio? Nowadays, it’s too easy to try and make a playlist on subscription-based streaming sites that spiral out of control.

Every playlist I’ve made climbs to crazy numbers, sometimes into the hundreds. This can be nice, for many reasons. But there was a certain difficulty and passion that came all my life with making mixed CDs. There’s an art to it — being able to move from track to track without something feeling far too out of place.

925… It’s the area code where I grew up in northern California’s Bay Area. It also works as “nine-to-five”, commonly known as the working person’s grind Monday-through-Friday. I’m taking that number and using it as the formula for a mix I hope to continue creating every week.

The Formula:

1. NINE - Nine songs from acts that are either a) unknown b) currently breaking out or c) about to break out. My main hope is that people will discover some music that they otherwise weren’t aware of.

2. TWO - Two specialty songs. This could be covers, live versions, unreleased tracks, remixes, acoustic versions, etc.

3. FIVE - Five songs from established and well-known acts. Doesn’t necessarily have to be well-known songs by those acts, however. Just named that people will know. There is no set order to the playlist. The track listing will be based on how well each song transitions into the next. Usually, I’ll try and keep a central theme to each playlist.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

CHVRCHES puts on a PDA-inducing performance at the Palladium


CHVRCHES puts on a PDA-inducing performance at the Palladium
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 21, 2014


Depending on who is playing, a concert can be a difficult place to bring your struggling relationship.

Friday night at the Hollywood Palladium, I saw first-hand the ramifications of this as a couple next to me went through a wide range of emotions during CHRVCHES‘ fantastic 13-song set. This show served one of the last two shows on their tour in support of their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe.

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