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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Best Debut Albums of 2015

Best Debut Albums of 2015
Mark E. Ortega & Sandra Burciaga
GrimyGoods.com
December 8, 2015

This past year was a great year for debut albums, and especially a mammoth year for women in music. About 65 percent of our debut selections are from some very talented women. While we could have easily added a few more records to this list, we like to keep it selective. When it comes down to what exactly makes a “best debut album of 2015”, there are a lot of factors at play, but for us, all the debut records listed below were constantly on repeat throughout the year. From hip hop, rock, pop, electronica and more — these debut albums were each extraordinary in their own way.

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Halsey rips industry at first sold-out Fonda show, teens scream, riveting alt pop performance

Halsey rips industry at first sold-out Fonda show, teens scream, riveting alt pop performance
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
November 20, 2015

Wednesday night marked the first of two sold-out shows at the Fonda Theatre for rising alt-pop star Halsey, touring in support of her highly-acclaimed debut full-length album Badlands.

It’s been a meteoric ascent for the 21-year-old. This marked the fourth time I’ve seen her perform live, beginning with an early-day timeslot at May’s Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama. She’s since sheared off most of her hair and enjoyed a boundless supply of press, turning her from a sleeper pick into a bonafide breakout star.

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Kendrick Lamar, surprise Killers set, Halsey and Death Cab for Cutie cap off Life is Beautiful

Kendrick Lamar, surprise Killers set, Halsey and Death Cab for Cutie cap off Life is Beautiful
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
October 1, 2015

The third-annual Life is Beautiful Festival in downtown Las Vegas saved some of their best tricks for last.

Kendrick Lamar topped off a weekend that included many memorable performances. Perhaps it was perfectly fitting that Kendrick — perhaps the hottest thing in rap today — would close out a festival that is clearly on the up and up in its third year. Kendrick’s live band was fantastic and the rapper brought his A-game.

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Halsey proves the hype train is legit at BADLANDS surprise record-release show

Halsey proves the hype train is legit at BADLANDS surprise record-release show
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
September 1, 2015

Is there anyone with as much buzz as burgeoning 20-year-old pop singer Halsey these days? If Friday’s secret record release show in downtown LA’s Arts District is any indication, probably not.

A pop-up shop was setup Wednesday on Melrose in the afternoon called BADLANDS AIR, where hundreds of kids showed up to claim free tickets to the show in shape of boarding passes. It was quite a unique thing.

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Halsey adds second show at Fonda Theatre

Halsey adds second show at Fonda Theatre
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
July 31, 2015

On Wednesday, we announced that rising 20-year-old pop star Halsey would be headlining the Fonda Theatre on Wednesday, November 18. That show had such a high demand (and sold out in seconds) that Goldenvoice has decided to add a second show at the Fonda, scheduled for Thursday, November 19.

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Foo Fighters shred day one of Hangout Fest, but the ladies rule the day

Foo Fighters shred day one of Hangout Fest, but the ladies rule the day
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 17, 2015

he Foo Fighters took their role as Friday headliners at Hangout Fest seriously, pulling out all the stops in a two-plus hour set on the main stage.

“We’re going to play as many songs as we can until they kick us off the f*cking stage,” rock god Dave Grohl said early in the band’s set — and he delivered on that promise. The Foo Fighters played 19 songs, from their biggest hits to a couple covers including Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” They dragged out some intense solos and breakdowns in almost every major song, bringing the crowd to the point of exploding a number of times before dialing it back.

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Hangout Fest 2015 brings bands -- and DJs -- to the beach

Hangout Fest 2015 brings bands -- and DJs -- to the beach
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 14, 2015

Grimy Goods contributor Mark E. Ortega is embarking on a six-week music festival tour around the United States. After a stop at Shaky Knees in Atlanta, Mark’s next stop is Gulf Shores, Alabama for Hangout Fest. Here’s a preview of the festival below.

There’s that old saying about how you shouldn’t bring sand to the beach — but they never said anything about bands (or DJs). Hangout Fest is a unique festival in that it takes place right on the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with most people (myself included) staying in condos that are located near the festival entrance.

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