By Charssa Lock  The initial vibes forming a slanted grin (for reasons including, but not limited to; Bob Dylan-esque vocals, saws delicately played with violin bows, and lyric and theme holding no boundaries to semi-orchestrated “pop” melodies) was the wise-cracking result of the duo’s Skeptic Goodbye.  As much seriousness was in the entirety, there was [...]

By Charissa Lock I get too distracted by the hov to appreciate Beyonce the way I know I should.  I am too picky to acknowledge the multitude of “badass” female artists floating around in the universe as my pop alter-ego.  Sia is pretty much my only go to.  Let’s be serious, she is close to [...]

preview by Matt Downes This was a challenging year for ktc.  Charissa took on more work and school, Aurora took on new work (and some school as well) and Matt just took on more work.  In between the work, the school and the traveling to work and school we all listened to a lot of music. [...]

by Matt Downes with photos by the indubitable Colin Rieser from Blue Kite Cinema. Once in blue moon a band comes along that changes the music in your house, your car and your phone. This just happened to me with a Canadian band called We Are The City.  I was introduced to them with a glowing [...]

By Charissa Lock Think of Plastic Flower EP like the wispy sweet nothings of a delicate Norah Jones-like vocals set against an Ingrid Michaelson twinkly indie pop style background.  Soft and simple, yet twirling with a flamboyance of uniqueness amongst the genre of “female indie pop.”  Where this unknown element of freshness stems from is both [...]

By Aurora Cowen When Big Black Delta hit the Teregram Ballroom stage at 10 pm, the nearly full 600 cap room lit up.  Jonathan Bates’ stage presence was invigorating.  His moves and the way he handles his mic are unmatched, a confidence so thrilling to watch you almost need a minute to settle in before [...]

By Aurora She’s an unsigned MC from Mississippi, living in LA doing things her own way and she’s literally just getting started (she has 598 likes on FB people).   Rene Brown squashes gender identity and unapologetically lays out the often times harsh truth from her perspective.  Her verses are doused with passion and intensity, but the [...]

By Charissa Lock I’m strongly considering writing a piece about the benefits and amazing abilities of technology while I relax in a power-less coffee shop, one of which realizes it’s better to stay open (if only for the ice coffees and teas) to satisfy the needy caffeine obsessed population.  An early morning thunderstorm ceased the [...]

By Charissa Lock As much as Boys & Girls was raw and magical, Sound & Color is sophisticated, rich, and magical…just in another way.  The second “Heavy Chevy” hit my ears three years ago, my mind exploded and from that point on I was aboard the Alabama Shakes train (read Boys & Girls review here).  [...]

  By Charissa Lock Hunter Hunted has recently been blasting new tunage out of LA and the fact that this is a duo…as in only two males.. will probably shock your socks off.  Their sound is so dramatic and intricate, you can’t imagine any less than a quartet here.  Yet, these two dudes, Dan Chang [...]

By Aurora I’m a musically eclectic soul, I love so many different styles and genres, but I am definitely particular and sometimes hard to please. Therefore, when I’m presented with a new artist or song that I absolutely love, I get overwhelmed with excitement and my entire being is affected.  The song(s) become a part [...]

Wolf Alice played to a sold out crowd at the Roxy on Monday – a surprisingly mature crowd I will say: rocker dudes, couples, and I imagine a slew of industry peeps all there to support the London based vintage rock quartet whose star is definitely on the rise. Lead singer and guitar player Ellie [...]