2018 in Review: Top 15 New Bands and Random Thoughts

Top 15 Favorite 2018 New Bands (new to me, but maybe not new to you - alphabetical):

15. Egrets on Ergot. I kept seeing photos posted of this band. I finally got to catch them at The Satellite at the start of the year. The most punk band on this list. I saw them again at Echo Park Rising and had to move away from the stage due to too many body slams to my back - by a fellow photographer!

Check out their song: Mangkukulam.

Side note: most seen photographer - Alyson Camus.

Egrets on Ergots at The Satellite

14. Emma Cole. She has those deep vocals that will drive you crazy mad. And she sings with passion. You can also find her backing other songstresses. And why wouldn't they want her backing them.

Check out her song: High Times

Side note: waiting for Kate Clover to hit the stage again
.

Emma Cole at Chinatown Summer Nights

13. The Entire Universe. That lead singer and his snarl while singing is enticing. They will grab you from the start.

Check out their song: Just Don't.

Also, being prideful, go to their Instagram page and see a 12 panel photo I took of the band at Zebulon.

Side note: waiting for Lauren Rocket to hit the stage again.

The Entire Universe at the Echoplex

12. Hawk Percival and Friends. Saw her set twice. I love how her vocals just punctuate the air.

Check out her song: One.

Side note: it was so awesome seeing Family of the Year again.

Hawk Percival and Friends at Little Joy Cocktails (shot for buzzbands)

11. Jimmy Sweet. I went to Harvard & Stone really to catch Jesse Jo Stark. As I walked in, Jimmy Sweet was playing his set. I was blown off my feet, “This is just amazing.”

Check out his song: When I Do Wrong

Side note: I saw the 13 of my Top 15 Favorite 2017 New Bands/Artists in 2018. I believe two of the artists I didn’t catch are no longer living in Los Angeles so that’s a good excuse for not seeing them in 2018.

Jimmy Sweet at Harvard & Stone

10. LIA. If you're looking for a singer songwriter who keeps it simple and yet is willing to give the middle finger to ex-lovers, she's your person. Caught her set at the Bootleg and was more than a bit regretful that I could only catch a couple of her songs at Echo Park Rising

Check out her song: That Should Be Me.

Side note: I really need to make sure I see Jenny O, Mara Connor and Pu$$y Cow at least once in 2019. It is a yearly tradition. If you know those artists/band, you know that’s a really strange combination. If not, you can probably tell by the names.

LIA at the Bootleg Theater

9. Mishcatt. It was a random night at the Bootleg Theater and out walks MishCatt with her face painted in purple and singing her whole set in a zebra patterned chair. The strangeness of it all, along with the fact that she had the biggest smile throughout her set, got me hooked.

Check out her song: Another Dimension

Side note: a venue needs to give Gypsum a residency in 2019. The Echo would seem to be the most obvious one, but Bootleg Theater, The Hi Hat, The Satellite . . .

Mishcatt at the Bootleg Theater

8. The No. 44. It was Happy Sundays in Long Beach. I went to Long Beach to catch some favorite bands: Draemings, Holy Wars, The Paranoyds, Ramonda Hammer, Spare Parts for Broken Hearts. I figured the venue that The Paranoyds were playing at would be packed so I got there early and ended up seeing The No. 44. That band is wild and rowdy.

Check out their song: Better Times in Higher Places

Side note: my most liked photo this year is a photo I took of Ramonda Hammer.

The No. 44 at Iguana Kelly's

7. Numb.er. So yeah, kill me, I’ve been a fan of Laena Geronimo for years (as well as Z Berg) due to The Like. If she’s in a band that I see for the first time, well, it’s making the list.

Check out their song: Fear.

Side note: Throwing out thanks to Rumblepak who helped me get inside a venue at the very last minute.

Numb.er at The Echo

6. Pinky Pinky. I first came across them at The Echo during FOMO Week. I actually had a birthday dinner to go to, but decided to catch their set before heading out. I'm so glad I did. And there is nothing more amusing than watching their bassist moving her tongue around the inside of her cheeks.

Check out their song: Margaret

Side note: thanks to all the bands/artists who used my photos on social media.

Pinky Pinky at The Echo

5. Stonefield. I've done this lists for years. I'm pretty exclusive to keeping this list to bands/artists who are based in Los Angeles for at least most of the year. But I saw this Led Zeppelin-influenced band from Australia 3 times during their Bootleg residency and so it would just be wrong for me not to include them on this list.

Check out their song: Visions.

Side note: this is embarrassing, but I’ve been doing concert photography for years and I went to the Alex Bar for the first time ever this year. Okay, so I hate driving more than 10 miles, but still . . .

Stonefield at the Bootleg Theater

4. tILLie. I came across her at Broke LA. I do believe she was the reason why folks came out on that day. The festival hit peak attendance for her set. There is just something fun about her music.

Check out her songs: Save Yourself and Hold On

Side note: it was a dream catching machineheart against for the first time since 2016.

tILLie at Broke LA

3. Vigil of War. Royal Distortion is calling it quits. If there is a band that has a chance to carry on the Sunset Strip tradition set by Barb Wire Dolls/Royal Distortion, it is Vigil of War.

Check out her song: Stitch me Up

Side note: The Fontaines called it quits in 2018. I got to shoot their last show. I had followed them for a number of years.

Vigil of War at the Viper Room

Top 2 -- Got to Highlight My Two Favorite

2. WILD. I have a thing for happy crisp vocals. I say this band is similar to Family of the Year, but with a female vocal lead. If you're a Family of the Year, Grouplove, The Mowgli's fan, I think you'll love WILD. I did this list in alphabetical order. However, I do have two favorites and that would be WILD and the upcoming band, which is mentioned below. I love both to an equal degree so the deciding factor in who is #1 versus #2 is that I saw WILD 3 times and the upcoming band 4 times.

Check out their song: Throw Me In The Water

Side note: one of the most fun bands to photograph (and not wanting to repeat bands/artists already mentioned in this series) -- Smoke Season.

WILD at School Night

1. The Paranoyds. They are my favorite new band of 2018. I first saw them at a warehouse show based on an Instagram suggestion. Well, I was hooked. I would have seen them way more than 4 times if I could have. I'd love to see them go on tour with my last year's top favorite new band, Potty Mouth. I know there is another photographer out there that totally agrees with me.

Check out their song: Heather Doubtfire

Side note: there better be some really awesome “new” bands in 2019.

The Paranoyds at Iguana Kelly's

Random 2018 Year End Mentions

1. Fond farewell to Royal Distortion. I've followed Royal Distortion/Barb Wire Dolls since 2011. Best in Greece.

Side note: Emery Becker. Unlike many, I wasn’t close to Emery Becker, but I did always figure he’d be photographing the same shows that I did.

Royal Distortion at Whisky A Go Go

2.  Here’s a reward for walking everywhere and being the most supportive musician during Echo Park Rising: Annabelle Maginnis of MetronOhm. I shot Echo Park Rising for Buzzbands (maybe they’ll let me do it next year, as well). My goal when doing photography at Echo Park Rising for Buzzbands is to see as many bands as possible. When I’m on the east side and see Annabelle and then I go to the west side and see Annabelle and then reverse course and see Annabelle, I really have to assume she walked more than any other musician.

Side note: it was really cool to see The Vim Dicta again after so many years.

MetronOhm at Gold-Diggers

3. Most supportive Los Angeles musician. No real competition. It has to be Lauren Ruth Ward. You see someone once every 3 months that's coincidence. You run into someone 1 - 3 times a month, that's called supporting the local music scene. As she said once, we both have good taste in music.

Side note: Glendale put on a solid local music festival. I've lived in Glendale for over a decade so I figure I have a right to find that amusing.

Lauren Ruth Ward at Chinatown Summer Nights

4. Runner up for most supportive Los Angeles musician has to be Andrew from Moon Honey. Okay, so you really can't miss him when he's around, but still he’s out and about all the time. The Hi Hat to The Satellite to The Echo . . . .

Side note: keep an eye on Wild Riot. They've been putting on mini-festivals all of 2018. Do they have bigger plans for 2019 or 2020?

Moon Honey at Levitt Pavilion

5. Most seen band in 2018: Livingmore at 6. If one wants to get technical it was 5.25 as I only caught a couple of their songs while running around during Echo Park Rising. Just love those vocals. Runner ups would be Ramonda Hammer/Spare Parts for Broken Hearts at 5 and Holy Wars/Royal Distortion/The Paranoyds at 4.

Side note: thanks to all the bands/artists who responded to my Q&As. Very appreciated. Hopefully, to followers, it makes this blog interesting.

Livingmore at the Echoplex