#ucla radio

We’re pleased to announce that É Arenas of Chicano Batman will be headlining LA College Radio Night on Thursday, February 7th at the Bootleg! Doors will now be at 7:30 PM. 

Article by Samantha Garduno

Photographs by Karina Jaramillo and Kelvin Cerezo

In the United States, white supremacist and patriarchal ideologies create societal norms causing a struggle for survival among marginalized youth. Latinx kids from Los Angeles are currently trying to create their own space in order to openly perform their identities and ideas in an oppressive society. The punk genre is a loud and fast-paced form of music that speaks about the failures of society. Classism, Sexism, and Racism are all issues that limit the growth of marginalized youth. This genre encourages rebellious youth movements against oppressive social norms and government institutions. The punk scene is a form of spatial entitlement and sonic space among Latinx youth trying to survive in Los Angeles. The rebellious aspect of the punk scene is shown through Latinx fashion; their style is considered as nonconforming. The dark “edgy” clothes worn by these youth is critical in giving the space meaning and allows the representation of Latinx punk identities. Conservative adults look down upon Punk Latinx groups because they look intimidating and problematic. However, interacting with these Latinx Punks and hearing their stories it reveals how empowered they are by claiming a space that is rarely inclusive towards their identity.

The aggression and rebellion that is seen through Latinx Punk style is a product of marginalized kids’ creation of subcultures in order to help them survive discrimination and racism. Their styles showcase empowerment and unity among Latinx youth. They are able to separate themselves from mass culture to seek their own individuality. In the following photos, I will present some images from the OC Punk Fest of Latinx youth embodying the punk culture. At the fest, I asked them to introduce themselves, share their identities, and why the punk subculture is important to them. After hearing their stories, I learned that these Latinx punks are visionaries and want to present themselves through their fashion, ideas, and music. They are making an impact in today’s society by being themselves.

Left to Right: Jagger Age 16, Sydney Mendez Age 16, Rodrigo Hernandez Age 15, Daisy Gonzales Age 16, Andrew Hernandez Age 17 (Shot by Karina Jaramillo)

Sidney Mendez: “My name is Sidney, I'm 16 years old. I live in Placita. I’m Latina and Columbiana. Punk is something that has been a part of my life because it runs in my family. My mom was in a band when she was younger and so she taught me basically everything she knows about punk music. It’s basically something that I’ve been listening to my whole life and never got over it.  Punk music is more than just listening and liking how it sounds, it makes me feel alive because of how my adrenaline rises. It’s a contest feeling of happiness for me and it brings me and my friends closer because we share the same interest in music.”

Left to Right: Aurora Zavala Age 20, Karina Perez Age 20, Leslie Mayorga Age 19 (Shot by Karina Jaramillo)

Aurora Zavala: “My name is Aurora Zavala I'm 20 years old I'm latina. The way I dress is inspired by some of my favorite musicians from the '80s and of course, I incorporate my own taste into it. It's important to me because I feel like it represents everything that I like.” Karina Perez: “Well hi my name is Karina Perez I’m 20 years I live in South Central Los Angeles. I’m Latina. Well for me it’s a representation of who I am what I like and it’s important to me because I’m representing the punk scene in some way since we are underrepresented and not really paid attention to an extent. It also represents us female since it’s very dominated by males and shows that females do exist in the punk scene that were out here changing the scene and representing it. And also it is a part of me and my style and who I am as a person.” Leslie Mayorga: “My name is Leslie Mayorga I’m 19 years old and I’m from Los Angeles, I identify as Hispanic. My style varies a lot it’s usually lots of black 80s-esqué garments like dresses, trousers, blazers, etc. I love jewelry too! I’ve made earrings and stuff like that. I feel like the reason I like to dress the way I do has a lot to do with how I express myself and want to physically project myself to others, a lot of times people stare at me and mad dog me and I know the reason for that is because of how I look (dress, hairstyle, makeup) and in a way making people angry or uncomfortable in that sense can be liberating because it’s obvious that if someone feels threatened it’s because they are looking at something they don’t know or even bother to understand/respect and I find it kinda funny and kinda sad how people can be so judgmental. Part of it too is that I just love putting outfits together and adding little details. Fashion and style can be very empowering.”

Far Right: Ramon Torres Age 19 (Shot by Karina Jaramillo) Ramon Torres: “Ramon Torres (19) Hispanic. My style is a mix of 90s grunge/punk/hipster style. It’s just a combination of all the things I enjoy listening to or things I find appealing to wear. Usually set myself apart from the general population that wears the new high-end brands while I just thrift most my stuff to save money and mix it up. My style is significant to me because it gives a satisfaction that I don’t look like everyone else and it gives me confidence. This is basically saying to everyone else “This is me, I dress weird and that’s okay.” I always had a sense of style, however, my current style was influenced by OC punk scene going on right now where punk is still seen as abnormal and crazy!”

Anai Mata, Age 19 wearing a distress Black Flag Police Story shirt and a cheetah print skirt (Shot by Karina Jaramillo) Anai Mata: “Anai Mata, age 19, born Chula Vista raised Moreno Valley, I am Mexican American, first language Spanish. My style has a lot of rock and roll roots, my dad was a metal head and I would see pictures of him; he'd talk about the music but in very little interest. When of course I was interested. He has the photo of him and his old friend and they're both in heavy leather jackets and hightop Nikes; I thought it looked badass. Anyway, music wise I started off listening to Rage Against the Machine when I was 5 years old and from there  I built up a style, you know. My first punk bands were The Adolescents, Conflict, The Casualties, The Clash, and Circle Jerks. I always thought about the punk scene/music was revolutionary. The style itself was fucking everyone off right and it was an outcast thing. That's goes with me. My parents didn't let me dress myself under up to 5th grade and I would dress casual. At the age of 12 through 15, I was making my own shit(jeans, cut shirts and shit like that). I started attending backyard shows at 13 because my brother had this band, so therefore I was exposed to the Moreno valley punk/ska/indie. It was all mixed in from what I remember. Throughout high school I had my docs and patches I shaved my hair into a tri-hawk and would wear it up every day. My dad has beat me up because of the way I would dress and stuff. It wasn't cool but it’s important because it shows the ones that want to see you "normal" or "una pinche niña adolescente" like it’s a big FUCK”

article and photographs by Baolinh Nguyen

A few months ago, my cousin, my roommate and I all tried to get tickets to see Joji together and surprisingly, I was the only successful one. I bought our three tickets and the show ended up selling out within minutes. If anything, this is a testament to the mainstream success that JOJI - real name George Miller and formerly Filthy Frank - and the rest of the 88 Rising, a collective of Asian artists, have attained.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect the days leading up to the show. I knew who Filthy Frank was and I knew the types of fans he had. I had also heard stories of Joji coming on stage performing drunk with a red Solo cup in hand. Knowing this, I prepared myself for an intense concert experience.

When our Uber dropped us off, I saw a sizable line wrapping around the El Rey. I was relieved to see that there was nobody wearing any pink guy suits or any other esoteric Filthy Frank related gear. We headed to the end of the line and waited outside for around 15-20 minutes before the doors opened and we began trickling in. As we walked in the staff handed us all electronic wristbands with the 88 Rising logo on them to be used later in the show.

The opener was a small artist named Rei Brown. His set was chill; his lo-fi aesthetic and ethereal-sounding vocals reminded me of Joji. (I even overheard someone new to me say “Wait, I thought this was Joji”) His performance, however, wasn’t very dynamic and at times, a lot of his songs sort of melded together and sounded like a single song that lasted 30 minutes.

The crowd became unengaged part of the way through Rei Brown’s set — you could hear a lot of talking and people were on their phones — but when Joji came on, the atmosphere completely changed.

He opened with “Will He” and the audience immediately began screaming as soon as the song began. It seemed like everyone knew the lyrics and compared to the studio version, the live version was much more exciting. One thing I noticed was the Joji was so good live. A lot of times, his studio versions were very lo-fi and the vocals sounded a bit muddy. But that night, I just kept thinking that his singing was so much better in person.

Some memorable moments were when he performed “Head in the Clouds” and his encore “Slow Dancing in the Dark”.

During “Head in the Clouds”, the wristbands we were initially given lit up in unison for the first time to accompany the song and the lights he had on stage. And honestly, even if it’s a bit cheesy, it really enhanced the concert experience.

During his encore, he performed two versions of “Slow Dancing in the Dark”, first an acoustic version and the original version. Both were incredible and really ended the night on a high note.

Overall, some of my favorite moments were those two, and also when he performed one of my favorite songs, “Yeah Right.”

article by Adrian Tapia

There were two lines: one for the smart people who reserved tickets and the other for the idiots waiting in standby. I was one of those idiots.

Both lines shared something in common though. The two were both eager and desperate to see the Indiana born and raised god himself, Omar Apollo.

I had only listened to Omar a couple of times, with most of them being with my die-hard fan girlfriend. I found his songs to be lovely in having the ability to get the listener in a very lustful mood. So, when I saw that he was going to be at UCLA, and FOR FREE, I knew I had to go. I just ended up waiting in a line with my fellow Bruins, unsure if we were going to get in.

After the reserved ticketholders all got in, taking all the good seats in the small Northwest Auditorium, us in standby practically ran in trying to get the seats closest to the sunken stage.

Alms was first to the stage. The 4-person band just walked on, announced themselves, and started playing. Right away the drummer took the lead. His quick and loud pounding took me in. He switched from rhythm to rhythm throughout individual songs. Changing his speed and aggression constantly. His drumming was different and not the same consistent repetitive drumming in songs that we have come to expect from those who play this instrument.

The other members, however, did not take me in. The singer had this no fucks attitude when singing, sort of like Kurt Cobain. The guitarist and bassist played well, but there was nothing unique or different in their style strumming or play.

Overall, was the band bad? No.

I did enjoy them actually. Alms’ mellow songs that slowly picked up speed and got louder were pleasant. It got me in a dancing mood. After their set was over, I pulled out my phone, looked them on Apple Music, the superior streaming service, and found that they weren’t there. So, then I went on Spotify, found them, and followed them. They have a new EP coming soon, so please check it out and support this band. You know I will.

After a short 15-minute intermission, the guitarist, bassist, and drummer of Omar’s band appeared on stage. They pick up their instruments and just started playing. Immediately, they started off with this synchronized hard, aggressive, fast-paced playing of their instruments that brought some fans to their feet. It hyped us up and got us instantly engaged. THEN HE RUSHED OUT. OMAR JUST RAN ON STAGE JUMPING AND SWERVING AND TURNING. Everyone just got up from their seats and started screaming. His stage presence was strong and filled with fun energy. He constantly encouraged the crowd to sing along and dance. He would talk to us between songs and respond to our “I LOVE YOU” comments. He told us stories, introduced us to parents, and brought forth Latinx pride. He wanted us to feel as if we were friends and I loved that.

And this man can sing. Omar was able to reach falsetto with ease numerous times, turning on everyone in that auditorium. No struggling, no croaking, this man is a straight fucking god. His low, rich, and beautiful voice, that accompanied the slow beats was something I had never heard live before. And it’s something that not everyone can so easily replicate.  

His band also deserves equal recognition too. They had this chemistry that made every song louder, more riveting, and straight sexy bro. The guitarist, who also doubled as the pianist, was an astonishing musician. I wished I hit the gardening club up before because he played these psychedelic guitar riffs that had me going.

I believe that Omar Apollo’s best attribute is his relationship with the audience. His dancing, moments of messing around, and engagement with the crowd make him an amazing, entertaining performer. Fans screamed for him to play his bass-heavy song “Heart” and Omar attempted to. He was going to alter his planned setlist just for the fans. But because of some technical difficulties, he couldn’t. But still, his attempt at it shows how much he loves and appreciates his fans.

Then in his final song, fans rushed the stage and jumped and danced with him. And you could see that he loved it. He enjoyed being with them in celebrating an amazing set with the people that love him. We love Omar Apollo and he loves us.

Well, the heads of the show freaked and ended it right there. The lights were turned on and people were being pulled off, BUT HIS BAND KEPT GOING. THEY STRAIGHT KEPT PLAYING WITH BEING EVEN LOUNDER AND MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN BEFORE. God, I fucking love them.

article and photographs Mahala Herron-Rutland

The line was laced around the corner with young people from diverse backgrounds. Doors opened at 10:45pm and what I love about NOVO is the first 50 or so visitors get to stand in the barricade. We all flock in and the concert begins on time. While doors opened at 10:45 Blueface wasn't scheduled to come on until 1, so the crowd did get a little impatient but we had openers such as Salah Baby, N.L.U., FT Hop Out, and so on. About half of the openers were from the Bay Area, which is something I admire about Blueface, how he shows love to NorCal being that he is an LA artist, he’s not strictly LA, he’s West Coast. 

He comes out to “Thottiana”, another banger that the crowd knows and loves. In his usually Burberry fit, girls are throwing their bras and underwear with their phone numbers drawn on, from the balcony. There were about 50 people on stage with him and while they didn’t serve as entertainment, I can say that they aided in keeping the show lively. As I imagine it being hot, eventually Blueface strips down to his pants and throws a whole case of water from bottles on stage at the crowd and all of those 50 people who got the pleasure of entering the barricade were delightfully drenched.

When I first heard of Blueface it was regarding his funny mannerisms and antics. I heard the song “Blow her Bacc” which genuinely made me laugh because of the lyrics, “That must be jelly cause jam don’t shake like that.” Blueface first got his co-sign from Drake, who said, “Next big thing and Dead Loccs so hardddd been my anthems I put mad people on.” These days in music, I’ve noticed stars such as Cardi B paving a way and setting a standard of a sparkling personality to accompany the music, and Blueface has that. During the entire show he was super interactive with the crowd, having the ability to reach even the balcony with his attention. 

article by Mark McGreal

The Much Much How How and I is the most recent album by Cosmo Sheldrake, a British instrumentalist. The album came out in April of 2018, so it isn’t exactly new, but I only recently became aware of it due to a new Apple commercial for the iPhone XR. In the commercial, hundreds of people dressed in different monochromatic jumpsuits run through city streets while Sheldrake’s “Come Along” plays in the background. Personally, it’s a very rare occasion for a commercial to catch my attention at all, but I enjoyed the song so much, that I found the song and discovered my new favorite artist.

First, a little background on the artist. Cosmo Sheldrake (yes that is his real name), was born in December, either in 1989 or 1991 depending on which website you use to look it up. He can play keyboard, guitar, drums, the banjo, and the sousaphone. He is the son of a renowned parapsychologist and a voice coach, and his brother Merlin (once again, that is his real name) is a biologist. His songs fall into the electronica and folkloric genres. His first single, titled “The Moss” was released in 2014, and he released an EP in 2015, but this album is his first full-length album.

An important thing about Sheldrake is that he is an independent currently. He is signed to no label, and he puts the music out himself. Without corporate intervention, Sheldrake can make any music that he wishes exactly the way he wants to make it. He should be commended for such a brave move.

The Much Much How How and I is a fantastical album. The song “Linger Longer”, the first song on the album, uses the instruments in such a way that conjures up images of a circus or a ballet. The tempo is quick, each instrument plays its notes quickly and then moves on to the next almost as if the songs are in constant motion. The drums are the strongest instrument; they create a consistent beat that keeps the songs moving. It keeps the albums from becoming bogged down. The sousaphone is used extensively in the album. It gives each song a nice beautiful and rich tone. It can also be used to create a beat like the drums, but it is not as harsh to the ear.  

The lyrics in the songs are arguably their most important aspects. The songs are each chock-full of references and allusions to literature. The name of 17th-century literary character Tom Thumb is in expressly said in “Wriggle”, and “Eggs and Soldier”make some not so subtle references to both Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack from Jack and Jill. These references to fairy tale characters further the whimsical nature of the album. It’s hard to discern a theme from the album because of the nonsense poem nature of each song. They all feel so disjointed, but Sheldrake’s style binds the songs together to create songs that flow, one right into the next.

article and photographs by Gomi Zhou

2016, back when I was still extremely confused about my sexuality and (to be fucking honest) just who I am as a person in general, Troye Sivan’s Suburbia Tour redefined the meaning of “home” for me. In that crowd full of glitter, rainbow and the best people, I felt safe and valid, despite the fact that 2016 ended up being an absolutely horrifying year for many marginalized communities.

Fast forward to 2018, Troye Sivan has transformed from being an emerging teenage alternative artist to a global pop sensation. For his long-time fans, his new album Bloom along with the singles such as “My My My!”, “Bloom” and “Dance To This” from earlier in the year are all surprisingly pop-oriented, and I was definitely among the worried group of fans. Based on my understanding of Troye Sivan’s musical style, it was really hard to imagine how he could possibly succeed in the current climate of pop. In addition, I had a fear that he had only chosen to opt for this mainstream genre simply because of the frenzy of pop rush within the young queer community that has emerged in recent years. His first album, Blue Neighbourhood, has such an important place in my heart and I would hate to once again lose a favorite artist to the meaningless chase of pop and fame.

Well, The Bloom Tour has proven me wrong.

Stepping off my ride, I saw several lines of young people wrapping around the Greek Theatre. “I like your jacket,” a boy with glitter makeup on his face said to me. Immediately I snapped back to 2016, a different time when I was still so afraid to express myself through styling my outfit. Yet everything felt so familiar, that this crowd of young queer people was still so kind and encouraging--just like how they were two years ago. Perhaps I expected a slightly different crowd, since Troye Sivan has completely switched up his musical genre and even his overarching style as an artist; instead, I was once again welcomed by the same loving energy but now from a slightly younger group of “lovely queer babies” (p.s. this is not to belittle any young queer people, I learned the phrase from a queer fashion show earlier this year referring to teenagers who had just came to terms their sexualities and it seems fitting to be used here).

Comforting. That’s how every Troye Sivan show feels like for both the artists and the audience. As the stage was being set up, people in the pit were already cheering for Carlie Hanson to come on as the first performer of the night. Only 18 years old, Carlie had already exceeded the expectations of many critics in the industry with her breakout synth-pop tracks such as “Only One” and “Mood”. Opening for a Greek Theatre show must be incredibly nerve-wracking for any teenage rising sensations, but Carlie’s performance was nothing but energetic and vibrant. As she struck up the stage, Carlie kept stepping over the speakers, running across the stage and leaning over to interact with fans from both sides--all without even skipping one beat. With zero shyness or hesitation, she kept her genuine smile and confident attitude from the start of her set all the way till she left the stage.

Kim Petras’ performance was definitely just as powerful as Carlie. Drenched in a bloody suit, Kim and her DJ walked out from the smokescreen. Performing her culty, mysterious Halloween EP and some of her classic pop tracks, the Greek turned into a giant party for the queer kids. Both Kim and Carlie’s interactions with the crowd were genuine and warming, despite the fact that most people came in to hear Troye. Supportive and loving, I was once again amazed by this young crowd of LGBTQ+ people.

By the time Troye got on stage, the show had officially sold out. As the lights went out, the theatre felt into a short second of silence before it was completely submerged by waves of screams. There he was, the pop prince of the gay community, dressed in his floaty, silk-like gown, walked out from the curtain. Accompanied by the calming intro of “Seventeen” and the dramatic spotlight shining upon him, Troye looked determined yet soothing. As the pre-chorus chimed in he headed toward backstage again, only to show up again standing on top of the twenty-feet tall platform when the first note of chorus dropped in the most dramatic way ever. Within just a few minutes, he had successfully proven to everybody inside the theatre that he is perfectly capable of illustrating his most original narrative through pop, that he had only bloomed to be better than ever.

My favorite part of any Troye Sivan show is still, the people. The supportive energy I had experienced from the two shows from both 2016 and 2018 has been unimaginable for both closeted me and the 19 years old me. Everyone was encouraged to be themselves, by some of the most hardworking and passionate young artists in today’s industry. Pop or alternative, it is important for all queer people to remember that as long as you stay true to yourself, the future can only get brighter from here