The Sisters of Mercy & Blaqk Audio bring darkwave to San Diego

Self-proclaimed ‘intellectual love gods’ The Sisters of Mercy brought their headlining North American tour to San Diego’s Cal Coast Credit Open Air Theater on October 5th, 2024. Alongside them were dark electro-pop Blaqk Audio — the side project of AFI’s Davey Havoc and Jade Puget. Frontman Havok commanded the stage with energy, twisting and twirling […]

How dark & dreary! Cruel World returns to Pasadena May of 2025

Goldenvoice is going gothic yet again, with another installment announced for what has come to be the annual mecca of the morose and misunderstood — Cruel World Festival. Now in its fourth year, Cruel World in Pasadena, California has welcomed post-punk and New Wave legends to the stage such as Iggy Pop, Siouxsie Sioux, Morrissey, […]

Desert Daze unveils astounding Artist Transmission for 2024

Calling all evolved Earthlings! It’s almost time to meet in the Valley of the Unbroken Horizon (aka, Moreno Beach in Perris, California) for yet another transcendent experience at Desert Daze — one of the last true music festivals left on this planet. Originating over a decade ago, Desert Daze is an annual get-together of like-minded […]

Echo & The Bunnymen at San Diego’s Observatory Theater

It was a chillier evening than you’d expect for June 10th in San Diego, as I stood shivering outside the Observatory Theater in North Park. Some would object to the chill, but I thought it only fitting for the ever-enticing Echo & The Bunnymen. You see, in my experience, Echo has always been mysterious. And […]

5 hidden gems at Coachella (besides the music, obvi)

It’s here — another two glorious weekends at Coachella! While Weekend One-ers are gearing up for the great unveiling of the 2024 installment, let’s look at a few not-so-obvious thrill spots and chill spots that await attendees of both weekends. Sure, the music’s great. But what else? Between the iconic ferris wheel and the controlled […]

The Slashes says goodbye to close a friend in “Limo Tint”

The genre of darkwave capitalizes on feelings of emptiness, apathy, and futility to sell records… but that only scratches the surface. Sure, the guitar most often pierces a post punk song layered with a hefty amount of reverb, guiding the listener through somber sounds and monotone vocals until the very end. But there are also […]

Rock, ska, reunions… Coachella changes it up for 2024

We’re living in an era of nostalgia, with even the weirdest fads returning full-force. Reboots of 80s movies are bringing in the most chatter at the box office, while bands that were seemingly forgotten a few years ago are currently selling out tours at numbers never thought plausible. So… it was only a matter of […]

Princess Goes gets spacy synthy at San Diego’s Music Box

It’s Friday night at the Music Box in downtown San Diego… the Friday following New Year’s Eve (a mere five days prior), meaning most inhabitants of this coastal town are in hibernation mode until further notice. But not the synth-loving, darkwave fans of Princess Goes — a sonically progressive band led by renowned actor Michael […]

Urban Heat shares origins & 2024 outlook at Darker Waves Fest

In November 2023, the inaugural Darker Waves Festival wowed New Wave fans with its impressively iconic 80s and darkwave headliners, such as New Order, Tears for Fears, She Wants Revenge, and Echo and the Bunnymen. This festival also featured a slew of great performances beyond the headliners, with many festival-goers finding new bands to love […]

San Diego’s The Slashes release dark cover of “Nowhere Girl”

When San Diego trio The Slashes set their sights on “Nowhere Girl” by B Movie, they embarked on a mesmerizing musical journey that skillfully traversed the post-punk landscape, melding the nostalgic echoes of the past with their distinctive contemporary flair. At the helm of this sonic exploration is Esteban Rene, whose vocals carry a raw […]