May
21

Frank N’ Beats: The Lonesome Dusty West

Aaron Frank has been hustlin, hustlin. With American dubstep mutating into ever-undesirable forms, it’s satisfying to see the artists on Oakland’s West In Dust label adding their own flare to the recent revivals in house and UK bass. Most of these artists have been making silky, uptempo electronic jams since well before the dubstep craze… Continue reading »

Feb
08

Frank & Beats: The Full Float of Porcelain Raft

Aaron Frank has returned after a few strange weekends writing for the LA Weekly. Throughout its many manifestations, synth-pop has always suffered from similar shortcomings. While readily apparent in the most recent generation of artists, the Achilles’ heel of almost every latest, greatest synth-pop act is their failure to make a human connection through creative… Continue reading »

Oct
20

Frank & Beats: How to Win the War on Drugs

Aaron Frank has read more Daniel Pinchbeck than you. First off, I have absolutely no idea how the War on Drugs show this Saturday night isn’t already sold out.  This is how you treat people, Los Angeles? War on Drugs release one of the best albums of the year, team up with rising star Carter… Continue reading »

Oct
14

Question in the form of an Answer: Thundercat

As a child, Stephen Bruner, a.k.a. Thundercat, experienced a similar upbringing to most 80’s babies. He dug cartoons, video games and music — “kid stuff” as Dave Chappelle once put it. Those hobbies become obsessions as his adolescence extended. In any other family, they might have incited a Ritalin prescription. Thankfully, Thundercat grew up amongst… Continue reading »

Sep
28

Question In The Form Of An Answer: The Stepkids

The long hours and more rigorous aspects of recording can easily strip away the experimentation and purity behind the ostensibly enjoyable process. Drummer Tim Walsh realized this early on in his post-collegiate career, opting to build his own studio in his hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 2009, where he later invited bassist Dan Edinberg and… Continue reading »

Sep
22

Frank N Beats: Mary Anne Hobbs’ New Superstar Mix Platform

Aaron is still going to be Frank. You can still be Garth. Here at Passion of the Weiss’s Good Time Shamanitorium and Produce Emporium, we’re not shy about showing our respect and admiration for British DJ Mary Anne Hobbs. While her long-running BBC show quickly became a platform for introducing new artists and labels, her… Continue reading »

Sep
16

Bridging The Cultural Divide: James Blake at Low End Theory

Photo by Lee “Intuition” Shaner via Knocksteady Aaron Frank knows what CMYK stands for but he ain’t telling. In the three years since I moved to LA, I’ve never seen a new artist sweep up fans across such a broad cross-section of socio-economic backgrounds quite like James Blake. The Sunset Strip crowd and industry crabs… Continue reading »

Aug
23

Frank & Beats: The Coastal Groves of Blood Orange

Aaron Frank found this to be slightly too mandarin. Dev Hynes’ initial solo outing as Lightspeed Champion in 2008 was a surprising departure from the dance punk his former outfit, Test Icicles, wielded throughout the UK and Europe in the mid-2000s. Lightspeed Champion was clearly written during the throes of a bitter breakup, and much… Continue reading »

Aug
18

Have you ever worn a Mask: Martyn Goes Brainfeeding

Aaron Frank does not pronounce his name Frahnk. Flying Dutchman Martyn recently unleashed his latest single “Masks” on Brainfeeder, a taste of what to expect on his forthcoming full length, Ghost People — slated for release on Oct. 10.  The veteran producer and DJ also recently appeared on Benji B’s BBC radio program to promote… Continue reading »

Aug
01

Question in the form of an Answer: Baths

Up until recently, 22 year-old Will Wiesenfeld had spent most of his life in Chatsworth and Woodland Hills, suburban communities about 30 minutes outside of Los Angeles, where he recorded music under the monikers Geotic and [Post-Foetus]. Classically trained on the piano since age 4, he grew weary of the limits of classical music and… Continue reading »

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