Artsweek

UCSB Swoons Over Smino

January 31, 2018 by

His charisma and aesthetic are reminiscent of André 3000, down to his natural, grown-out hair and onstage gyrations. Like many soulful black artists, his relationship with the stage started in church...
read more

The End of the F***ing World: A Teenage Rebellion

January 31, 2018 by

At the core of it all, they are two teens struggling with that awkward in between: they’re not quite adults and not quite kids anymore. They’re brimming with a bleak resentment to an awful society...
read more

Tracks of the Month: January 2018

January 31, 2018 by , , , , and

Every month, Artsweek’s staff collects a handful of newly released tracks that highlight the best musical moments of the past 30 days. January was chock-full of hits from a variety of genres.
read more

Composer Souren Baronian Dazes MCC Armenian Jazz

January 30, 2018 by

From the very first notes, Taksim captured the attention of the entire audience. Feet tapped softly in the aisles to the percussion, and heads rocked steadily to the strong sax solos.
read more

KCSB Showcases Local DIY Bands in Weekday Jam Session

January 24, 2018 by

On the heels of Espresso’s lively set, Washington-based Arrington de Dionyso astonished the audience with his ability to emphasize the minimal instrumentation flowing from the drums and the saxophon...
read more

Smino to Bring Soulful Sounds to the Hub

January 24, 2018 by

The rapper’s words rebound off the bouncing melodies of each track in a way that keeps the album’s sonic momentum moving at a steady yet nonchalant pace.
read more

Trevor Noah Takes on Late Night Talk at Arlington

January 24, 2018 by

In the age of late-night talk shows taking over television, Noah knows how to bring in the younger viewers, and you cannot blame him for knowing how to rile up millennials (myself included).
read more

Watch: Tyler, The Creator’s Conversation About Flower Boy

January 23, 2018 by

Throughout the conversation, the rapper opens up about his third studio album and provides insight into his creative process.
read more

New Talent: Isla Vista Bands to Watch in 2018

January 18, 2018 by

Everyone watching the Isla Vista music scene, myself included, can’t wait to see what these bands are going to do.
read more

The Friday Review: Saturation III by Brockhampton

January 6, 2018 by

Brockhampton just doesn’t stop. Their first three albums sound like no one else’s, and all of them are among the best rap albums of 2017, so Brockhampton may not remain on the periphery of mainstr...
read more

The Year of the Album: a Look Into the Future of Media Consumption

December 8, 2017 by

The advent of music editing technology has made the process of recording easier, slicker and faster — which makes a Beatles-esque creative yield even more achievable. This year, we saw a return to t...
read more

This Year In Music: Artsweek’s Favorite Albums

December 8, 2017 by

Saturation is quite possibly my favorite release of the year and proved the group to be a simultaneously experimental and accessible force in today’s music scene. Tracks like “Gold,” “Heat” ...
read more

Meet SALES: The Minimalist Pop Duo That Crafts Bedroom Beats

November 29, 2017 by

SALES creates an amalgamation of indie, dream pop, hip hop and rock to produce something that is otherworldly to the ear. Their hip hop-influenced production backs electric guitar to create a sound th...
read more

Batcave Sessions with Delta Dagger

November 29, 2017 by and

Watch one of the first ever live performances from Delta Dagger, the side project of The Real Savage Henry lead guitarist John Pagliassotti.
read more

Tropicalia Fest Opens in Long Beach with a Splash

November 16, 2017 by and

The musical acts, along with the assortment of Mexican cuisine, created a festival culture that resonated among the evolving Latinx culture of Southern California.
read more