Artsweek

February 7, 2018

2018 SBIFF Virtuosos Awards Shine Bright

By Jasmine Rodriguez

The recipients of the 2018 Virtuosos Award provided a fascinating unpredictability that had the audience on edge of their seats, ready to laugh and leaving them reluctant to leave the escape of a Hollywood party at the A...

February 7, 2018

5 Acts Who Could Have Delivered More Than JT on Super Bowl Sunday

By Alex Modiano

The choice of Timberlake as singular ringleader of the biggest entertainment event of the year has left many baffled, as his only memorable track in recent years, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” is from the soundtrack to...

February 3, 2018

Indie Act Wallows Ignites Velvet Jones

By Hannah Jackson

In what turned out to be a surprisingly delightful artistic decision, the group experimented with trumpet and tambourine throughout the performance. In an impressive display, Minnette showed off his uninhibited dance mov...

January 31, 2018

UCSB Swoons Over Smino

By Zoe Jones

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 and is still reflec...

January 31, 2018

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

By Jasmine Benafghoul

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, taking out their f...

January 31, 2018

Tracks of the Month: January 2018

By William Emmons, Hannah Jackson, Konrad Neithercutt, Kristina Valencia, Alex Modiano, Jasmine Rodriguez

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.

January 30, 2018

Composer Souren Baronian Dazes MCC Armenian Jazz

By Anyi Cheng

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.

January 24, 2018

KCSB Showcases Local DIY Bands in Weekday Jam Session

By Jasmine Rodriguez

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 saxophone.

January 24, 2018

Smino to Bring Soulful Sounds to the Hub

By William Emmons

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.

January 24, 2018

Trevor Noah Takes on Late Night Talk at Arlington

By Stephany Rubio

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).

January 23, 2018

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

By William Emmons

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

January 18, 2018

New Talent: Isla Vista Bands to Watch in 2018

By Zoe Jones

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

January 6, 2018

The Friday Review: Saturation III by Brockhampton

By Konrad Neithercutt

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 mainstream rap for much lon...

December 8, 2017

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

By Zoe Jones

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 this level of relentl...

December 8, 2017

This Year In Music: Artsweek’s Favorite Albums

By William Emmons

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” and “Star” highl...

November 29, 2017

Meet SALES: The Minimalist Pop Duo That Crafts Bedroom Beats

By William Emmons

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 that comes off as simu...