We've got issues.
In the United States we are taught at a young age to desire impractical shiny things under the premise that more luxury equals a life lived successfully. But if our desire for an upper-class aesthetic is a social construct, what part of the goods we consume is real? A sculpture in progress Continue reading
Local hardcore punk band Novelas knocks the patches off a typically white-bro dominated scene. The band brings a femme aesthetic, dad jeans and luscious emotional melodies to the table, and they’re returning to Eugene’s music world with gusto after a six-month hiatus. Get out your lipstick, grrrls. Continue reading
Hi-Fi is hosting a wide variety of musicians this month, especially with contrasting artists Emily Jane White and Dizzy Wright performing in the same week (watch out for whiplash). Continue reading
If you’re a sensitive artsy type who swoons over emotional prowess in music, then Laura Marling, a musical folk fairy, is right up your alley. Marling began her career at 16 after gaining a large following on MySpace (ah, the good ’ole days) and her popularity continued when she joined hipster heartthrob band Noah and the Whale in 2006. She took her music in a different direction after splitting with both Noah and the whale by 2008. Five albums later, Marling is kicking folk ass with her solo career. Continue reading
The music of Edna Vazquez can send shivers to your soul. When Vasquez performs, she closes her eyes and each of her facial muscles crinkles with concentration. She whistles and taps on her guitar’s body with an intimate familiarity, and when she opens her mouth to sing or speak, it’s a bellow straight from her heart. “I want to share something with everyone,” she says. “Whatever you do that is in a form to ease our hardcore journeys as humans, bring it out.” Continue reading
I spent a half hour of my life watching YouTube videos of nearly naked men wiggling and worming around on stages illuminated by flashy lights — for research purposes, of course. Magic Men Live is coming to town and there’s something hypnotic about the performers’ abdominal capabilities. Magic Men Live is a simulation of the 2012 Steven Soderbergh film Magic Mike but omits plot development and Channing Tatum. Each set of dancers in the performance is dressed according to a theme, so you can expect impractical firefighter uniforms and cowboy hats galore. Continue reading
It might be the way Makayla Meador carries her contagious energy or the fact she’s taking the local DJ scene by storm — whatever it is, something tells me to remember her name. Continue reading
Across the wood floorboards at WOW Hall, there’s a frenzy of writhing limbs, bare feet and butts. In fact, someone farted square in my face while stretching. The crowd is intimate, exchanging kisses on the cheek, sharing bear hugs, grinning widely. Clearly, this is a special gathering. This is Coalessence Dance, a bi-weekly “ecstatic” dance gathering centered on building community through motion. Continue reading
When I listen to EDM, I’m brought back to freshman year when I was introduced to drugs, dub-step and sardine-packed shows. That’s when I first heard the badass-ery of Pretty Lights, an electronica sensation created by Derek Vincent Smith. Smith started Pretty Lights in 2004. He takes samples — mostly bits of songs from ’70s soul or ’90s hip hop — and laces them up with his own sound effects. Add in some rad light displays and MDMA and, voilà, you’ve got the Pretty Lights experience. Continue reading
What do booze, Philadelphia and reggae-ska have in common? Mike Pinto. Pinto is a Philly-born singer-songwriter who cut his teeth playing at punk rock shows and the occasional coffee shop. Since the Philly rock scene wasn’t his jam, Pinto moved to San Diego, where he connected with the Sublime-loving community. Life in Philadelphia taught him how to be a storyteller, he says, and California helped solidify his “reggae-ska” sound. Continue reading