12 Songs: Best of L.A.
Editor’s Note: Making sense of endless playlists can be overwhelming. I’ve been wanting to make a Monday morning playlists that you can slip into and rock all week, explore all the bands and discover new tunes. Short and sweet. So to get this going, we asked Jackson Todd of the band Repeater to curate a weekly 12 song playlist for you with that in mind. New stuff, old stuff, all genres. But just 12, short enough to really get to know it but well-curated. We'll toss a theme on them, but we hope they lead you to a lot of new music discoveries every week. The first theme: Best of L.A.—Travis
Nowadays, there is no distinct “L.A. Sound.” Unlike the raucous and anarchic sound of late 70’s Angeleno-punk legends The Weirdos, The Germs, and the Screamers, L.A.’s current musical underground is defined more by its sonic variety, eclecticism, and a close-knit collective of artists whose inner circles are tightly intertwined. Many mainstay acts of the scene share members, produce each other’s records, and act as support on each other’s tours (who said a little bit of nepotism can’t yield great results from time to time?). Meanwhile, small-scale indie labels like In The Red Records and Castleface continue to keep it real by churning out exciting and innovative new releases at breakneck speed, and venues like The Teragram Ballroom and Zebulon provide a platform for smaller, newer acts looking to break into the U.S. touring circuit to have their voices heard. It’s a creative atmosphere unlike any other that lends itself to some of the most original and compelling music being made in the world right now. Here are 12 tracks from L.A.’s latest and greatest, free from any algorithmic interference, handpicked for your listening pleasure.—Jackson Todd
