Trina Green on October 14th, 2015

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Another year, another Culture Collide festival. The music event with a distinct international flair survived its sixth year over the weekend, inhabiting the familiar grounds of the Echo, Echoplex, Taix, the Echo Park United Methodist Church and Lot 1 Café. Yes, the festival is still undergoing some growing pains since originator Filter Magazine split into two entities, and there were times when streets of Echo Park felt more like a ghost town than the scene of a music festival. The fact that Los Angeles had (once again) turned off its air conditioning just in time for Culture Collide may have also been a factor (holy 97-degree heat, Batman!). Outside of a few headliners — Ladyhawke, Ash, Vieux Farka Toure, the Juan Maclean and the Mynabirds held up their end of the deal — and the L.A. locals, there wasn’t a ton of name recognition, still there was plenty of music check out.

A few to remember:

Harts (Photo by Kristen Coveleskie)

Harts

On stage, Australian 22-year old Darren Hart is something of a one-man funk-rock wrecking crew with him slinging vocals, keys and guitar and a drummer bringing up the rear. In recorded form, he’s pretty much the same sans the drummer because he does all of the instrumental heavy lifting himself. The almighty Purple One, Prince, has reflected that he could see Hart in himself when he was 22, undoubtedly due to Hart’s possession of and constant and flagrant display of that very same air of pure performance confidence and cockiness. For better or for worse, it’s all there as is the guy’s undeniable guitar dexterity and musical prowess. While the post-guitar lick hand to heaven, the skinny jean strut, and that crouching thing that he does that almost guarantees knee replacement surgery within the next 10 years or so may wear thin by the sixth song, Hart is no joke. The vocal notes are sexy and high (yes, very Prince-like), the music is glossy, electrified and funked up and the urge to head bang in between the groove is never far away.

Dark Waves (Photo by Trina Green)

Dark Waves

There are two things that we’d like to say to Nick Long aka Dark Waves. First: Even though you probably had nothing to do with it, thank you so much for performing in the cool and comfort of the Echoplex. Seriously. Second, great to see you on stage with fellow musicians instead of just your laptop. And even though one of your mates was a last minute replacement and there were a few timing hiccups during the set, we’ll take it because we’re into your dark and synthy electro … waves.

Empra

While not 100% sure of what Empra is, they were 100% a surprise, considering that British India were supposed to occupy this time slot in the Taix Champagne Room. Instead, the Melbourne, Australia, trio of vocalist and guitarist Sanny Veloo, bassist Matt Agius and drummer Georgia Flipo performed their fairly throwback, made-for-arenas rock (think Cheap Trick and Foo Fighters) with the unabashed enthusiasm of that high school band (they literally look high school age) itching to blow down the walls of the garage that they rehearse in. The trio brings power, sound hooks and melodies that invite you to investigate further as well some obvious love of the art of performance. No, Veloo, we don’t mind at all if you, your guitar and your microphone relocate to the middle of the floor in order to conduct a sing-along. FYI, Flipo could be a female version of Taylor Hawkins back there with her mighty impressive drum rolls and surprisingly powerful voice that alternates with Veloos’.

Bad Bad Hats

There’s something so folksy about people from Minnesota especially when one of them has a southern accent the way singer/guitarist and Alabama native Kerry Alexander does, but along with Chris Hode and Noah Bowsell, they are also capable of bits of bite as Bad Bad Hats. Aside from a very questionable moniker, the indie-rock trio took to the Echo stage as polite and efficient as all get out and doled out a stream of indie rock, ripe with pure and clean melodies as Alexander’s charmingly pleasant voice (think Metric’s Emily Haines, if you will) gave voice to surprisingly sharp and astute lyrics.