In light of the impending April 20 holiday, we’re paying tribute to jazz great and marijuana-enthusiast Louis Armstrong by running an account in his own words. The setting is Los Angeles, 1931, and Armstrong’s has a run in with the cops while smoking a joint hanging out with top Hollywood drummer Vic Byrton.
There's a special quality to Evan Voytas' music that puts his pop songs in cosmic territory. Turns out the guy is well versed and practiced in meditation. That makes him a bit of an exception among most the musicians we know, so we asked him to explain a bit more about some readings that have influenced his transcendental lifestyle.
Priscilla Ahn was born in Pennsylvania and, like many of us, raised on Disney cartoons. But when she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, she became engrossed in the works of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, drawing some of her deepest inspiration from his compelling characters and vivid storytelling.
The unlikely result of this infatuation was Priscilla's musical contribution to When Marnie Was There, the final film by Miyazaki's production studio. How she got there is a fascinating journey fit for a Miyazki film itself.
For the last several months, Anthony Ferraro of Astronauts, etc. has been writing code, making algorithms for a new piece of music-generating software he's personally invented called Hypothetical Beats. In this time, the Oakland-based artist traveled the country working on this project with an outlandish crew he often has referred to as "hackers". Now, looking back, the journey he took to create it is just as interesting as the tool he designed.
In two and a half years, our friend Molly Ryan of Ninoshea has turned a casual interest in woodwork into a full-time business building minimalist lamp fixtures and furniture. We’ve watched her business take off and eagerly dropped by her new workspace in Glendale to check out her setup and scope some of her latest pieces.
When we heard the sad news that LA’s favorite smooth jam radio show, the Art Laboe Connection, was taken off the air just before Valentine’s Day as part of a programming change on Hot 92.3 it was a punch to the gut. We asked our friend Kyle Mooney — who first introduced us to the program to us nearly a decade ago — to weigh in on this crummy news.
Valentine's Day is just a week away, and since few things beat the gift of music we asked some of our friends to recommend their go-to albums to set the lovin’ mood. What we got was an eclectic mix ranging from Linda Ronstadt to Larry Heard — some familiar favorites and lots of new gems. So, whether its for that special someone or yourself, dig in and enjoy.
It’s a bit ironic that PAPA’s music feels so from-the-gut when the band’s lead songwriter — our friend Darren Weiss — is such a cogitator. In Darren’s poetry, he lets us into his psyche a little more, giving passage to intimate creative moments. It’s how we can know him better, as a friend and artist. The poems are thoughtful, sexy, fun, often just really fucking funny, and worth appreciation.
Since OB O'Brien's Drake-featuring "Schemin' Up" jumped on our radar earlier this month, it's been the subject of repeat listens, heated discussion, and — let's be honest — some pretty serious vibing. What started as a joke recently between Cameron and me — teased with a little bit of Twitter razzing for good measure — eventually became one of the most thoughtful text conversations the two of us have had in a long while.
Surfing has been part of the Hit City U.S.A. culture since we started. These items are part of our lives and come from years of early patrols at el Porto, day trips to San Diego, and recommendations from our most trusted surfer buddies. Take a look at some of our favorite things and pass them along to the pro surfer or kook in your life.
We love a weekend camping trip and make a point to spend a few days in the great outdoors at least once a month. Over the years, we've tried and tested almost every brand and type of camp gear in the market. The following are the best of the best—top of the line essential gear we use, love, and highly recommend for the new and avid campers alike.
This October Austen Lee—Hit City U.S.A. contributor and part time tour manager—hit the road with our friends Milo Greene for a month long tour of North America in support of their new album, Control. The following is a collection of autumn-time photographs snapped from passenger van windows, hotel balconies, highway rest stops and rock club dance floors.
