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 […]

Darker Waves brings New Wave to the shores of Huntington Beach

This past Saturday, November 18th, marked the inaugural Darker Waves music festival on the scenic sands of Huntington Beach and under the sun of some perfect southern California weather. The new wave centric lineup, complete with performances by legends such as New Order, Tears for Fears, and the B-52s, was highly anticipated by fans of […]

A Danny Elfman experience leaves San Diego stunned

There are few who deny that what Danny Elfman does, he is the best. A singer-songwriter, a film composer, a keyboardist, percussionist, an 80s icon… by 2023, what hasn’t Danny Elfman tried his hand at? Turns out, he’s not finished. What started as a pre-pandemic inkling has turned into the most eye-capturing, enveloping experience the […]

Catharsis & clove cigarettes at Cruel World 2023

Goldenvoice delivered another dose of poetic depth and darkwave to the apathetically inclined, in the form of the second annual Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California. From near and far, New Wave-lovers, old-school punks, and all-out goths got together to celebrate the best synthy hits the 80s had to offer. Walking into the Rose Bowl, […]

The Church releases first ever concept album

Australian psych-guitar masters, The Church is released their epic 26th album on February 24th. The Church has risen to the occasion to expand their highly acclaimed and blended post-punk, and psychedelic music vibes, it is unbelievable. Their expansive music career generated a sequence of hit songs including “Under the Milky Way,” “Reptile,” “The Unguarded Moment” and “Almost With You,” amongst […]

Steel Panther warms up for upcoming world tour in San Luis Obispo

Steel Panther, a comedic glam metal band from Los Angeles has been bringing us their hilarious take on profane stereotypical rocker lifestyle since the early 2000s under a variety of band names including “Metal Shop,” “Metal Skool” and then finally “Steel Panther.” The band’s Sunset Strip days consisted of a slightly different line up than […]

Spellbound over Cruel World 2023 lineup

Woe to those that can’t attend the return of Cruel World! What some thought to have been a one-off from Goldenvoice just announced its sophomore lineup — and one that would make the inaugural year cry. If you missed it, the sad and ambivalent, the modern, yet indifferent descended upon the expansive grounds of the […]

Heaven 17 returns to Santa Ana, CA

Brothers, Sisters, We Need This Heaven 17 thing! 40 years. Yes, I waited 40 years for Heaven 17 to tour America! I had tickets twice previously to see them, only to be sorely disappointed with cancellations. Once they cancelled due to visa issues and once due to COVID. Thanks, COVID! So, when I saw this […]

80s night in Anaheim, with The Motels & more

On July 1st, the 80s flashed back in Anaheim at the House of Blues. The Motels headlined with night with support from Gene Loves Jezebel, Bow Wow Wow, When in Rome and The Untouchables. The Untouchables hit the stage first, getting everyone warmed up with favorites like “I Spy (For The FBI)”, “Free Yourself” and “Wild […]

How San Diego’s Music Box got its kicks with The Fixx

The Fixx arrived in San Diego on the first leg of their Every Five Seconds Tour 2022 at the Music Box June 17th, 2022. Fortunately for us in San Diego, Slim Jim Phantom is on the bill for the California dates! Slim Jim Phantom is the drummer for Stray Cats. He introduced his wife, Jennie […]

Cruel World 2022

Oh, what a wonderful Cruel World it was! Presented by Goldenvoice, this nostalgic New Wave fest graced Pasadena’s Rose Bowl on Saturday, May 14th (with the same lineup repeating the next day). Arriving midday, Christian Death was already rocking the side stage, while Sextile was crushing the main Outsiders Stage. Despite the heat, people were […]