Author: Kiana Malekzadeh

KROQ announced the annual Weenie Roast lineup this morning, pulling in big-time Florence + the Machine, Death Cab for Cutie, and Muse to help headline this May.

Other emerging acts such as James Bay and band Saint Motel (who recently played main stage at Coachella this year) are invited to KROQ’s Fiesta held in Orange County. The majority of the lineup consists of alternative and upbeat bands, KROQ’s specialty, with hits that have played through radio nonstop within the past year (lady, runnin’ down to the riptide) and have yet perform newly released music from upcoming records. Those who missed Cold War Kids and Vance Joy on tour can look forward to making up for it.

Compared to past lineups, this year’s acts do not seem initially breathtaking based on having to figure who will close the night compared to the 2013 and 2014 names that evidently stuck out to the public (e.g. Beck, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jimmy Eat World). Guests Awolnation, Of Monsters and Men, and Walk the Moon  are also not newcomers to the mini-festival; it just feels a little too predictable. In my opinion, the lineup could have been stronger based on my music preference and as an avid KROQ listener growing up. I feel they could have hosted better performances alluding to a bigger indie-rock presence rather than pop-punk with random hits here and there. 2015 has been quite the year for music – maybe Weenie Roast 2016 will show a better festivity.

Nonetheless, the headliners know how to put on a good show; given that Florence Welsh broke her foot from her electric Coachella Weekend 1 performance gives some insight of how good. Ticket info and a YouTube playlist with music from all bands can be found here.

Spring break is upon us and there is no better way to celebrate than blasting some feel-good tunes to relieve the dreadful stress we call midterms. I created a playlist and filled it with songs that give me that summer-vibe with upbeat styles of indie and electronic with the exception of some major throwbacks as well. Whether I’m driving, hanging out, or beaching it – this is what I’ll be listening to for the remainder of our small vacation time.

Spotify made it possible to share this compilation of 50 songs featuring music from Flume, Weezer, Blink 182, and artists coming up at Coachella next weekend. As the rest of this semester flies by, I will most likely add on to this playlist at full-force until summertime by updating it with my favorites for this coming season. You can also catch hearing some of these songs on KRK every Wednesday from 4-5 PM on KCR!

Enjoy & happy Spring!

Click play to listen below or here to open in a new window:

With scorching weather and festival season approaching, each weekend in San Diego is becoming a tease of summertime. This is part of the blessing that is living in Southern California along with having live shows and entertainment available in most cities. After the first annual KABOO Music + Arts Festival announcement, I was inspired to put together a small list of upcoming and musically colorful events happening both in and around the San Diego county.

1) San Diego IndieFest

On Saturday, March 28, SDIF promotes the independently-described power of diverse and underdog forms of art that includes music, business, films, comedy, etc. The lineup consists of various genres that shift from reggae to alternative pop and rock to hip hop. Open to all ages, this event is posted in City Heights Urban Village.
2) BURGERAMA

This two-day festival filled with heavy rock/alternative bands set on this years’ lineup grows more popular each year. Held this month at the Observatory in Santa Ana, anything goes at Burgerama. With garage-rock from FIDLAR and classically known Weezer carrying this year’s title, it is destined to carry out its musically carefree and thrilling reputation.

3) CRSSD Fest

If you are 21+ and festival savvy, CRSSD fest invites electronic artists (like Lido) and alternative-rock bands (like STRFKR) along with other genres of dance music to their stages. Held in SD, this festival attracts our generation of with a handful of DJ sets and upbeat trance-styled artists. 

4) “Localchella” 2015

Mostly (though not entirely) held around the LA county, Goldenvoice handles its annual mini-coachella by taking countless performances staged in Indio this year and dispersing them in venues throughout SoCal. Basically, if the Coachella lineup was either dissatisfying, unattainable, or too pricey for your liking – there is still hope. Various artists featured on Coachella’s 2015 lineup are visiting venues such as the Glass House and Fox Theater this April.

If festival-esque events are not your thing, Bandsintown is how I know if anyone I listen to is on tour and coming near me (including festivals in my area). Its best feature? Searching your Spotify, last.fm, or Soundcloud library to give you updates based on your personal taste. With all these options, you are bound to find a way to cash out on live music this year. Life is more fun when you have a concert to look forward to.

Last week, social media stumbled across what will soon be the first music festival held at the Del Mar Racetrack + Fairgrounds in San Diego county.

KABOO is an innovative music and arts festival held the weekend of Friday, September 18th to Sunday the 20th this fall. It features some of the most well-known artists and bands of the decade, such as The Killers, No Doubt, Spoon, Zac Brown Band, Sheryl Crow, and Slightly Stoopid. These bands are destined to dominate the seven stages with their most classic throwback tunes. Other recently popular performances by Cherub, Foster the People, and Girl Talk add a modern sound which caught my eye as well. KABOO also invited comedians like Chris D’Elia and Tim Meadows to the grounds for further entertainment. In summary, the festival does not seem to focus at all on acts who have released anything in the past year (like Coachella) or a certain genre (like Stagecoach).

Initially, I was surprised and somewhat impressed to see such big names on KABOO’s lineup for its first year taking place. The entire list of bands, artists, and comedians ultimately struck me as a festival targeted at an older adult audience despite the few DJ sets and underdog bands featured as well.  This might change in years to come (hopefully) if KABOO 2015 is successful and continues to grow – I would really enjoy seeing more musical variety and performances of other styles of music with time. With San Diego’s prime weather and location, I definitely see potential in its overall entertainment.

The downside? For college students, the pricing of 259$ for a standard GA 3-day pass during first semester can be financially discomforting. Compared to last summer’s lineup and price range of Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco, OSL is almost as costly and has been running for several years with (in my perspective) a plentiful amount of diverse artists and bands for the weekend. Overall, your location and personal taste in music should be carefully weighed when deciding whether or not the festival owns up to your money’s worth.

The official website includes the full lineup, travel tips, ticket links, and general information about what to expect at the racetrack this year. KABOO promises that they are not your average festival of the arts, thus, I am beyond excited to hear how the event turns out. Tune in to KCR Wednsay evenings from 4-5 PM to hear some bands featured on this year’s KABOO lineup!