There are 2 festivals I look forward to each year: Culture Collide and FYF Fest. Both festivals have their separate histories but bring great acts to Los Angeles
FYF Fest
FYF Fest 2009
FYF started as Fuck Yeah Fest and eventually just turned into FYF Fest. Just wanted to clarify that. The first year I went to Fuck Yeah Fest was in 2008 with bands like Mika Miko, The Mae Shi, No Age, Matt & Kim, and Abe Vigoda on the bill. That year took place at a bunch of different venues in Echo Park and was a perfect location. The festival won me over and I knew that I was definitely coming back. Unfortunately, the super convenient Echo Park setup wouldn’t last because they were at capacity in ’08. I still followed FYF and continued to look forward to the local “FYF Presents” shows as well as the annual festival. The festival has grown and grown each year and has continuously given me the chance to a variety of bands who put on incredible live shows, such as Glass Candy, Man Man, !!!, Refused, Father John Misty, Warpaint, and Future Islands. This year’s lineup is also exceptional, my favorites include Beach House, Chelsea Wolfe, TV on the Radio, My Bloody Valentine, and the Breeders. Every year, Coachella gets all the attention for bringing the next best bands to town, but FYF Fest does it way better. Not to mention, the comedy tent is always a blast. The best comedy performance I ever saw was Josh Fadem in 2010. This tweet sums up his performance. Check out the lineup here.
Culture Collide
Land of Talk, Culture Collide 2010
Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide festival goes under the radar each year. It’s a newer festival and I’ve gone every year since its inception in 2010. Unlike many festivals where you have a plan in mind on who you’re going to check out each day, it’s best to try and check out all the bands playing. Many of them won’t have another chance to play in LA for a while, since they’re lesser-known bands traveling from different countries. Each year, it’s held at a variety of venues in Echo Park, so everything is within walking distance (it’s pretty much the same setup as FYF in 2008). Some bands that have played in the past include Monotonix (Israel), Fran Healy (UK), Descartes a Kant (Mexico), and Mr Little Jeans (Norway). Culture Collide never disappoints with great prices for the 4-day fest and happy hour for early birds. It’s a great opportunity to expose yourself to good music from distant (and not so distant) places. Check out this year’s fest
Mr. Little Jeans, aka Monica Birkenes, first broke into the scene a few years back with her cover of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs.” A good cover should be a reworking of a song, that illuminates it in a way where you understand the song from a different perspective. She rose to the occasion and created a really beautiful piece.
But what about her original work? Although her debut album is not out yet, she appeased fans by releasing a single, “Oh Sailor.” The video for it, directed by Tim Nackashi, is absolutely breathtaking and encapsulates the feeling of the song wonderfully. Watch:
For those of you in LA, or if you’re in the SF Valley and willing to make the trek out on the 405, Mr. Little Jeans will be playing a show at the Santa Monica Pier later this summer with Santa Barbara’s own, Gardens and Villa. She’s a great performer and will not disappoint.
I have exhausted all of my social media outlets talking about this band! I went to see Bosnian Rainbows (featuring Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes) on Tuesday at the First Unitarian Church in Los Angeles with Sister Crayon as the opening act. If you’re a fan of CocoRosie, you will definitely like them. Their name actually comes from a drunk letter singer Terra Lopez wrote to CocoRosie’s Bianca Casady. It’s no wonder Sister Crayon are from Sacramento, the place that has produced other talents like Chelsea Wolfe and Agent Ribbons. Terra has such an incredible voice, it’s seriously unbelievable. Her range is so diverse, at times she sounds as though she’s singing in an opera while at other times, she sounds like she’s on the verge of rapping. I immediately had goosebumps once the band started playing. Everyone in attendance knew they were in the midst of something spectacular. After each song, the crowd cheered, begging for more. I have been to hundreds of shows over the years and it’s been a while since I was this blown away by an act.
Sister Crayon’s most recent release is an EP called Cynic. You should totally give it a listen…like now…don’t delay!
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