Sunday Sounds, presented by Green Tea Studios and That Good Sh*t, is the greatest, most genuinely dope underground music event that occurs in Los Angeles. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Having now attended four installments of the music fest myself, I can tell you that Sunday Sounds gets bigger and better every time. This round’s wicked lineup included Pookie Favorites like Frank Sativa, GLOVER (aka Tommy Richman and mynameisntjmack), and Selina, and introduced us to some new mega-talented names like hollo, Rubber, and Casso. Every Sunday Sounds also hosts a marketplace full of dope local LA creative vendors and small businesses. And as per usual, there is an endless supply of tacos and booze. If you haven’t made it to a Sunday Sounds yet, what are you waiting for?
Last Sunday, at the Hazy LA space in Lincoln Heights, the 8th official Sunday Sounds went down. For those who don't know, Hazy LA is an independent production studio & event venue run by three OGs named Kolin, Audrey, and Adam, they works with a number of independent music labels to put on really dope events. The all-day music festival, sponsored by RedBull, drew in hundreds of Angelenos and kept the vibes going for nearly 8 hours as LA’s best underground performers took the stage. As Pookie entered the venue, the party was already in full swing, and DJs Selfish Money and Kawai were maintaining the energy during a break in-between performances. I grabbed a few tacos (shoutout Pobres Tacos LA, possibly the best birria tacos I’ve ever had) and made my way into the creative vendor marketplace.
Photo by Nascar Yaqui
Here I discovered a bunch of LA’s dopest small businesses. I was introduced to Ashloud, a high quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a built-in ashtray on the top. This speaker has a great aesthetic, the sleek all black design and octagonal shape set it apart from typical speakers, totally perfect for any stoner. Then Pookie came across Outstruct, an LA-based clothing brand that also hosts really sick art shows; they were displaying hoodies and tees from their current collection. Next we ran into our friend Darius Graves, founder of DazeInBlue, and I got myself an awesome new Kloudy Kumo patch. I then followed my trusty nose over to Humo, a Latino-led cannabis company hailing from Salinas. They were giving out hefty bong rips so naturally Pookie indulged, then I proceeded back into the music.
hollo, a musician I had never heard of before Sunday Sounds, took the stage and unleashed his incredible falsetto upon the audience. His vocal agility and impassioned performance won over the crowd instantly, and in this moment we all knew that hollo was something special. He performed his singles “Tears Dry”, “Romeo”, amongst a few other songs that were all terrific. If you haven’t heard of hollo before, you have now, so check his music out here.
Photo by Nascar Yaqui
Next up was Rubber, a writing/producing duo that truly blew me away. From their unique, genre-ambiguous sound to their stage persona, Rubber is 10/10. They performed a few unreleased songs, including one track called “Bag” that Pookie really enjoyed, and their performance of “Fries & Wings” was equally dope. Their sound is a fusion of alt. R&B, funk, and jazz, their musicality is undeniably great. Check out Rubber’s discography here.
Photo by Nascar Yaqui
Just as the sun went down Pookie Favorite Selina returned to the Sunday Sounds stage, blessing us all once again. Selina has been a staple on the Sunday Sounds lineup, and it’s clear why. Every time she steps on stage, an immediate sense of warmness and comfortability fills the air. The Portland native performed fan favorites “Pretty in Pink” and “16”; the crowd knew all the lyrics and it was genuinely beautiful to witness. Pookie was front row for the whole set, do yourself a favor and listen to Selina for yourself here if you missed her at Sunday Sounds.
Photo by Nascar Yaqui
Now, it’s time to talk about GLOVER’s performance at Sunday Sounds. Tommy Richman & mynameisntjmack. Man oh man, this was something next level. First off, it’s always an awesome experience to see two incredibly dope artists come together. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that GLOVER was possibly my favorite name to see on the lineup. They completely rocked it, each artist performed one of their own respective tracks before performing their joint works. “WHO U FOOLIN” raised pulses, and “BUNKER/PREROLL” practically stopped hearts with how intense the energy was. The mosh was moshing through GLOVER’s whole set. They ended with an encore of “BUNKER/PREROLL”, it was truly a spectacle. Find Tommy Richman's and mynameisntjmack's music here.
Photo by Nascar Yaqui
Underground superstar Frank Sativa closed out the 8th official Sunday Sounds show in true style. I’ve been a fan of Frank’s music for some time now, and seeing him perform live cemented my support for his work. His spirit on stage was authentic and refreshing, the crowd was totally in-sync with his entire set, singing all the lyrics. He performed some unreleased works from his upcoming album, before bringing Asha Imuno on stage to perform their collab record “Open Up”, which was one of the greatest moments of the festival. Sunday Sounds was a day of incredible underground music, and Frank Sativa was the perfect cherry on top. Check out his discography here, now.
Photo by Nascar Yaqui
Photo by Lars Eilers
The 8th official Sunday Sounds festival was brought to us by Green Tea Studios, ran by Barry Rosenblum, and That Good Sh*t, led by Annabelle Kline. These two individuals are the most genuine, hardworking, and inspirational people currently uplifting LA’s underground music scene. They are dedicated to highlighting the dopest artists, putting community first, and showing us that major label’s no longer hold all the power. Without Annabelle and Barry, Sunday Sounds wouldn’t be the top underground music showcase event in Los Angeles. If you haven’t attended a Sunday Sounds festival for yourself, get familiar with That Good Sh*t and Green Tea Studios to make sure you’re in the loop for the next one. Sunday Sounds Forever.
Photo by Nascar Yaqui
01/29/2023
Sunday Sounds
by That Good Sh*t & Green Tea Studios
Pookie Los Angeles
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