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Broke L.A. descends this weekend in East L.A. for its seventh year. What started as a cheap alternative to Coachella (even going by the name Brokechella for a number of years) now presents itself as a local pre-cursor to the massive festival out in Indio. Organizers cARTel, Shifty Rhythms, and Brownies and Lemonade have curated a deep lineup of local bands, and they're all performing on Saturday for $25. Here's an introduction to some of the best musicians on deck for this weekend.
Brasstracks. (Photo via Facebook).
BRASSTRACKS
Brasstracks are a bit of an anomaly for this festival. Touring with NAO and making beats for Chance the Rapper doesn't exactly scream "up-and-coming," but their continued lack of name recognition keeps them on the cusp of obscurity. Their 2016 EP Good Love shows off their horn and percussion-heavy style. Each track is its own party, with features crossing from rap to dance music to the ubiquitous electronic R&B of our era. The three piece group considers themselves "future brass," so expect heavy beats and the profound cry of live horns.
James Supercave. (Photo via Facebook)
JAMES SUPERCAVE
James Supercave is a veteran of the L.A. music scene, having performed at the Echo, Non Plus Ultra (RIP), Resident, the Troubadour, and KCRW shows. They got together at UCLA before embedding themselves in the local scene, finally releasing their debut album Better Strange last year. Their melancholy psychedelic pop reflects a band that spent years crafting their sound and taking the plunge into the mystifying but hopeful world of creating art in Los Angeles. The five-piece group knows how to work a Los Angeles crowd, and with an LP at their disposal now, their set will likely represent the best of what Broke L.A. aims to provide.
Kid Wave. (Photo via Facebook)
KID WAVE
Kid Wave is the shoegaze-y pop arm of Swedish-via-U.K. songwriter Lea Emmery. Her 2015 album Wonderlust introduced her dreamy, guitar-heavy pop, and she's now moved to Los Angeles to develop her sound even more. Her latest single Everything Changes already has the influence of local surf and garage rock permeating her style. While her lyrics can veer a little to the vacant side, she's developed a strong sound with a potential for interesting intersections between her noise-heavy older material and this new L.A.-focused direction. She spent the spring touring with The Shins and is staying in L.A. for an all-ages show at the Echo next weekend.
Harris Cole. (Photo via Facebook)
HARRIS COLE
If your version of L.A. music is less Burger Records and more Brainfeeder, focus on seeing Harris Cole this weekend. This ambient/experimental artist has been pushing out exploratory, jazz-influenced electronic music for the past couple years and released his debut album Pause in 2016. While most of Broke L.A.'s electronic lineup features a rotating cast of uninspired EDM/hip hop knockoffs, Harris Cole sets himself apart as a burgeoning creator of musical environments to get lost in.
Broke L.A. will be held at 4560 Worth Street on Saturday, April 8 from 3 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $25.
