Check out my first official piece for REMEZCLA feat. Producer/DJ Pacheko (he’s GOOD!).
Author: Ivan Fernandez
Afroxander is the nom de guerre for writer/photographer Ivan Fernandez, based in Southern California.
Carla Morrison Sings for Every Broken Heart
Count Carla Morrison among the current crop of Mexican artists whose fame has exploded seemingly overnight. The singer/songwriter has won over millions of fans in her native Mexico and is slowly repeating that performance stateside.
The young starlet grew up in Tecate, Baja California (yes, that’s the city where THAT beer is brewed in) and studied in Mexico City and Phoenix, AZ where she performed with various musicians, most notably Babaluca.
Morrison (no relation to Jim) released her debut EP, Aprendiendo a Aprender (Learning to Learn), in 2009 and followed it up with Mientras Tú Dormías (While You Were Sleeping) the following year. She most recently wowed audiences at SXSW and at her album premiere show at Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s “Day of the Dead” festival.
“So what’s the big deal?,” you ask. At this point I must admit that any attempt at describing her music will fall flat despite the fact that she is armed with nothing but a guitar, an incredible voice and an enormous heart worn on both sleeves. Instead, I’ll let her music speak for itself.
Una Salida (An Escape) – acoustic version
Continue reading “Carla Morrison Sings for Every Broken Heart”
Barack Obama is Definitely Not a Socialist, Says Joseph Kishore, National Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party
Socialism returned to the United States in an odd way three years ago when pundits took to the airwaves to scream about gulags and breadlines, but the talking heads never actually explained what Socialism as a political ideology stood for. What better way to find out than to ask a real socialist, which is what we did this weekend when the Socialist Equality Party met at King Hall on the CSULA campus to discuss “The Fight for Socialism Today.”
We spoke with SEP National Secretary Joseph Kishore about his organization, the USA’s favorite taboo word and what an actual socialist wants for the country. (Hint: It’s a little different than what Barack Obama wants.)
Read the full interview at LA Weekly.
*This is my first story of LA Weekly’s “The Informer” news blog.
Latin Alternative Music Club Mucho Wednesdays at La Cita to Close, Promoter to Launch Monthly Concert Series at The Echoplex
Latin alternative music fans were dealt a heavy blow days ago when club promoter Ricky Garay announced the end of his much-loved club night Mucho Wednesdays at La Cita. The weekly, bilingual dance party was the only place in town where people could dance to equal doses of Depeche Mode and Plastilina Mosh. This is the second party to announce it’s departure from the downtown club in recent weeks. As Nightranger Lina Lecaro reported,Mustache Mondays just moved to The Belasco.
The news proved to be bittersweet as, days later, Garay announced Mucho’s move to the Echoplex this July June where he will host a monthly concert series featuring Latin alternative acts. “We have something extra special scheduled for July,” said Garay of his upcoming partnership with the Echoplex. “It’s going to be a celebration of us doing Latin alternative events in Los Angeles as an independent group of people.”
Read more at LA Weekly.
Bugging Out in L.A.: Steve Bug Spins at Culprit Sessions’ Rooftop Party
Check out the sexy action over at LA Weekly.
The 5th Techno Symphony: Wolfgang Gartner Returns to Avalon
Check out the photo slideshow for LA Weekly HERE
Bidding Adieu to a Non-Professional Experiment: RIP LCD Soundsystem
Photo credit: Todd Fixler
The year was 2002. It may have been 2003. I was in college and trading CD-R’s filled with MP3’s of every genre imaginable with a girl from a university in Pennsylvania who spent one night a week behind the DJ booth in the university’s radio station.
The first mix she sent me kicked off with a little ditty called “Losing My Edge” credited to James Murphy. I laughed, I made note of every group named, I bobbed my head and tapped my feet along to the now infamous beat. I then lost track of Mr. Murphy until 2005 when I recognized his voice in a song about Daft Punk playing a show in the basement of his house.
Thus began a love affair with one of the best bands of the new millennium whose career will come to an end this Saturday at Madison Square Garden where Murphy & co., a.k.a. LCD Soundsystem, will play their last show ever.
In memoriam, I present to you my favorite LCDS songs:
Continue reading “Bidding Adieu to a Non-Professional Experiment: RIP LCD Soundsystem”
Five Minutes with Spain’s Hottest Indie/Rock Band: Polock
One of the highlight’s from this year’s SXSW festival was the Sounds From Spain showcase at Red Eyed Fly on 4th/Red River. The showcase featured a number of artists from Spain including current Indie darlings Polock who opened the festivities.
I spent a few minutes with the quintet from Valencia to talk about their first tour in the US in support of their debut album Getting Down From The Trees.
Continue reading “Five Minutes with Spain’s Hottest Indie/Rock Band: Polock”
Q: When is The Mars Volta NOT The Mars Volta?
A: When it’s the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group feat. Cedric Bixler-Zavala OR when Omar says it isn’t.
The backstory: The Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group headlined the Sargent House Showcase last Saturday at SXSW at Emo’s Annex, an impromptu stage and concert area built in a small lot on the corner of 6th/Red River. Fans lined up as early as 2 p.m. for a show whose doors/gates opened at 7 p.m. Zavala appeared on stage about 10 minutes before opening time to soundcheck with ORLG. Predictably, Twitter, Facebook and many a carrier-pigeon were sent into the skies of Austin to carry the news prompting the line to stretch out like an intestine up the street and behind the “venue.” The group (Rodriguez-Lopez, Bixler-Zavala, Deantoni Parks, Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, Juan Alderete and Lars Stalfors) took the stage at 12:50 a.m. to a capacity crowd that included fans who filled up the alley behind the stage and down the sidewalk.
Here’s a clip of the madness and the music by Refused TV:
Continue reading “Q: When is The Mars Volta NOT The Mars Volta?”
How I Came to Love the Lone Star State: SXSW 2011 in Pictures
I made my first trip to Austin, TX last week to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival and though I only spent 48 sleepless hours there, I’m already making plans to return next year. Coachella, I love you and we had great times but I’m now in love with another music festival.
I saw a lot of great bands, made some new friends, bumped into some old friends and drank some great local beers (hello 512 Porter). The only bad memory I have of the trip is of the non-existent taxi service at night. Hooray for (almost) being left stranded in Austin at four in the morning!
Head over to my Flickr for photos of The Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group feat. Cedric Bixler-Zavala (sort of The Mars Volta but not technically The Mars Volta), Adebisi Shank, Polock (interview with Polock coming soon), Fang Island, Little Red Radio and many more.
Afroxander (aka Iván Fernández) 