Rising band Big West bridges coasts with upcoming EP

Big West, the musical project and persona of Dan Westerlund, embodies the expansive spirit of the American West — both in name and sound. Originating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dan’s journey out west in 2017 profoundly influenced his creative direction, partially inspiring the moniker “Big West”. This name reflects not just a geographical shift but a […]

Mission Bayfest 2023: a weekend rager in San Diego

DAY 1 DAY 2 Bayfest is a twice-yearly festival that has worked its way into the fabric of the San Diego music scene — and with good reason. Alternating between Waterfront Park downtown and Mariner’s Point in Pacific Beach (the latter aptly named ‘Mission Bayfest‘), the mostly reggae-packed fest has morphed from a casual one-day, […]

Nathan Aurora is gearing up to drop new genre-bending project

In a world too often filled with division and disconnection, music still holds on to an incredible power to beat down barriers and bring people of all backgrounds together. With his latest project — Crossed Heart Clothing Presents: Pop Punk Goes Reggae, Vol. 1 — Nathan Aurora of Iya Terra has managed to create a […]

Dale and the ZDubs drops “Her Melody” collab with HIRIE

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: there are just some bands out there who you can genuinely tell enjoy every single second of everything they do. They are constantly smiling onstage and their energy becomes infectious; it just flows out into the audience and takes over the whole room. Dale and […]

Cali Roots 2023: Day Three

Despite the May grey weather, Cali Roots XII festival goers exuded nothing but sunshine! With two days already behind them, day three at the Monterey Fairgrounds boasted one of the most impressive lineups to date in the realm of reggae rock. The morning kicked off with a high-energy set from Santa Barbara based band, Cydeways, […]

Cali Roots finalizes jaw dropping lineup for 2023

California Roots Music and Art Festival, the genre’s most anticipated, prolific, and environmentally-friendly reggae event of the year, has officially dropped the final three acts to complete their Memorial Day weekend roster. Recently announced 2023 Coachella guests Rebelution and Stick Figure join genre-bending icons Thievery Corporation, finalizing the bill for the all ages festival as […]

Wonderfront Fest 2022: Day 2

As Wonderfronters gathered for day 2 of bliss in sunny San Diego, the festival vibe was in full affect. Cue the cute festival outfits, sun hats, selfie stations, and even a ball pit. That’s right, a ball pit! Wonderfront is a festival that you come to for the incredibly stacked lineup, but you could also […]

HIRIE energizes Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, FL

After three weeks on the road, HIRIE finally came stomping the stage at St. Petersburg’s famed venue, Jannus Live, as part of their Mood Swing Tour. Ballyhoo! and Surfer Girl were also along for the ride. All three bands filled the night with tones that reverberated against the surrounding buildings and absorbed into the lively […]

California Roots 2023: a true bucket list event

Music festivals are a big undertaking. For many, months of planning and budgeting goes into the experience. At times, there is stress, setbacks and logistical nightmares before even getting to the gates. And I’m not talking about the music festival itself. People travel from far and wide to attend such events and the premiere music […]

HIRIE brings her ‘Mood Swing’ to St. Louis

Even with the crisp air of autumn in full swing and the frigid chills of winter right around the corner, the unmistakable sensations and atmosphere of that sizzling summer heat was still rocking like it was the Fourth of July in the middle of October, when citizen of the world and singer-songwriter HIRIE brought her […]

Cali Vibes lineup impresses even more for 2023

Goldenvoice is bringing Cali Vibes back to Long Beach, California! The three-day reggae festival graced Marina Green Park for the first time with a new name (changed from One Love Cali Reggae Fest) in February 2022 and will be returning again this February 17th through 19th, 2023. The SoCal music festival is one of the most […]

Reggae Rise Up Vegas returns for Fall 2022

From the Reggae Rise Up camp comes the second of three yearly nationwide festival installments, this time at the downtown Las Vegas Events Center the second weekend in October. Last year’s Reggae Rise Up in St. Petersburg, FL hosted over 15,000 festival-goers, with numbers for the other two festivals expected to reach or surpass in […]

Reggae Rise Up Maryland 2022: Day Two

Some walked, some ran, others skipped, but no one missed Day Two of the first-ever Reggae Rise Up Festival in Baltimore, Maryland. For the second day in a row, festival-goers were lucky to experience 11 straight hours of feet-moving music. Gates swung open at noon with music starting an hour later, leaving ample time to […]