Fans of ‘cholo goth’ duo, Prayers, turned out in force at Back Bar SoFa to catch songs from San Diego group’s new, Travis Barker-produced EP, ‘Young Gods.’ The show—hosted by the San Jose-based alternative Latino music collective, Sonido Clash—also featured an opening set by Xuxa Santamaria, and DJ spots by Cutso and Chatos 1013. Check out our video interview with Prayers’ frontman Rafael Reyes (a.k.a. Seyer Leafar).

In the clip, Reyes discusses working with former Blink-182 drummer, Travis Barker, the support he feels from the chicano community in San Jose, and bringing his gangster swagger to goth music.

This is not the first time Prayers have played Back Bar SoFa. The duo came to San Jose in November of 2014. You can read our interview with them from last year here and check out photos from that show here. Photos from last Thursday’s show are below. Photos by Geoffrey Smith II:

San Jose’s own Anya Kvitka is back with a new video, “One Less,” featuring a more uptempo and pop sound than some of her more recent releases.

The track, produced by Marcus Daniels (snack|BOT) and Bobby Ozuna of Jake and the Phatman, was written and recorded in a whirlwind session last fall. Arriving at the studio, Daniels worked on the riff with one of Ozuna’s vintage keyboards while Kvitka wrote lyrics. Ozuna brought in a drummer, who knocked out the beat in one take, and the vocals were ready to record.

“I was just kind of irritated that day,” Kvitka says. “”All this is happening and I”m just writing this song, kind of pissed off at the world.”

In the end, she says the track is about more than the lovers’ squabble that the title suggests. “It’s really just about anybody doubting you or standing in the way and saying, ‘I’m going to do it and your going to be sorry in the end without me,'” Kvitka says.

The video is inspired by Kvitka’s Russian heritage—she was born there when it was still the USSR in 1987 before moving to the U.S. when she was seven year old—and Russian propaganda artwork, something that she has always been exposed to visiting family and friends.

“A big part of me is still in touch with that culture,” Kvitka says. “There is all this very poignant artwork and posters. I’ve always been drawn to that for the many things it represents—first because it’s Russian and also because it’s art.”

She says the imagery can also reflect current events and politics in the United States.

“People tend to sit back and watch what happens instead of being active in what they want to see or want to perceive,” she says. “I think propaganda is a good way to bring up a conversation about that, and I really wanted to pay homage to my roots.”

Kvitka says a new EP should be ready for release before the end of the year. Her next local performance on Sept. 29 opening for Black Milk at Pagoda Lounge as part of C2SV.

On the day where love conquered all in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Limousines declare “Love is a Dog From Hell” in the first video from their album Hush.

Released “In honor of today’s monumental achievements for gay rights,” the video features a few Suicide Girl types in their underwear, same-sex kissing and nude hula-hooping.

Singer Eric Victorino told us in May that “Love Is a Dog From Hell” describes the thrill of a first kiss but cautions that love is unpredictable and complex once the door is opened.

“We wanted to write songs that we could perform as adults for the rest of our lives,” Victorino says. “I can see being 45 years old and singing ‘Love Is a Dog From Hell.’ The old stuff had a short shelf life. I can’t see myself being 40 and singing a song about Tumblr.” Read more about the Limousines in the Metro Newspaper feature about the new album.

Last November, Latyrx broke a 15 year drought between studio releases with their Disconnection EP. They also have plans for a proper follow-up to 1997’s The Album, the literally-titled The Second Album, set to drop later this year.

For their latest, they give EP cut “Gorgeous Spirits (Aye, Let’s Go!)” the visual treatment. Local DJ/production crew the Bangerz are on the beat, crafting a track made for the dance floor. Their electro-infused, distorted kicks and massive synths set the tone, and Lateef the Truth Speaker and Lyrics Born match the energy lyrically.

The Latyrx story stretches back to the fabled halls of UC Davis in the mid to late 90s, where Lateef and Lyrics Born first linked up with DJ Shadow, Blackalicious and writer Jeff Chang (of Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop fame) while in the Aggies’ radio program. The crew formed the Solesides label, later renamed Quannum Projects in 1997.

Madonna has long since earned her title as the Queen of Pop, with an enduring legacy marked by constant reinvention and an uncanny ability to stay relevant—even in a music world that finds itself increasingly indefinable.

But she’s not without her fair share of controversy, often purposefully ignited by the singer’s conscious envelope-pushing antics. Below are the Top 5 most outrageous Madonna moments, culled from across the singer’s three decade-plus career, starting with her first television appearance to as recent as this past September. Madonna performs at HP Pavilion on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7

1. “Like A Virgin” First VMA Broadcast, 1984
Arguable the most iconic Madonna moment in the superstar’s entire oeuvre, the performance of “Like A Virgin” served as more than just an exciting opening for MTV’s first VMA Broadcast (ever), but a symbolic first example of the sort of button pushing she’d come to be known for. This wouldn’t be the last time we’d see the singer in a wedding dress, performing the song and causing a stir on MTV.

San Jose rapper Antwon has been getting a lot of attention lately. In February, he released his video “Helicopter,” which has becoming the subject of many blogs. The video mixes footage from Steve McQueen’s 1968 car chase flick Bullitt with shots of Antwon and his crew wandering around train tracks, drinking malt liquor and eating heaping platefuls of food (color-corrected, of course, to match the 1968 footage).

The video has received favorable writeups from several blogs, including on Spin’s website where Helicopter was called “an early candidate for video of the year.” Yes, the video is good, but it’s backed up by a killer song too. Antwon has a laid-back, easy flow reminiscent of Biggy Smalls. But he’s not taking himself seriously. He’ll string together a single sentence about smoking weed and eating too much food that is neither comedic nor pretentious. The driving, shuffling funk-beat and blaring dissonant organ loop sound like they were plucked right out of a 70s grindhouse movie. Keep your eye on Antwon. This is where rap is heading.

Asian Man Recording artists Andrew Jackson Jihad have always been known for fierce lyrics. They’re all about those uncomfortable blunt truths and the hyper-honest self-depreciating admissions, delivered with a lot of humor in an upbeat folk-punk style.

Up until recently they hadn’t shot a proper music video. So for their first, they chose the angry, punk rock song “The gift of the Magi 2: The return of the Magi” off of their 4th full length, Knife Man. It is likely to be just as polarizing as their lyrics.

The Arizona duo found a way to visually represent their biting, self-hating humor with such a simple yet perfect idea. In the video, they run behind a moving camera for the duration of the song along with a half dozen other random people, who toss eggs, garbage and other projectiles at them. It’s silly and stupid and of course shows that they are more than willing to take a hit for their fan’s amusement. But like their lyrics, it’s also insightful. Andrew Jackson Jihad are punk rock jesters, traveling the world serving a much needed function for thousands of people, bringing a big cathartic release to all that come to their shows.

Fan is short for fanatic, and to be a true fan you have to go above and beyond for your team. Sometimes this means painting yourself, or your car—or your infant. In the South Bay, there is much variety in expressing that fanatical passion; our fire engines have shark fins, for example. For a group of talented 49ers fans, this fanaticism turned into a rally song now on YouTube.

Produced by Ben Araiza, and featuring his vocal talents, alongside Marcus “Lel” Daniels, “Back in the Bay/49ers Faithful Anthem” harks back to the team’s prior glory days as it looks forward to hopes for this year’s Super Bowl. The video has been picking up quite a bit of steam and has been recognized by Brandon Tierney from Sports Radio 95.7 “The Game.” Tierney’s wise words to the fans were, “49er fans need to crank this up right now, and be heard … rock that cubicle, screw your boss!”

The production of the song has been a long road for Araiza’s crew. Even though he has put considerable time and money into the project, Araiza says, “I want to make it 100 percent free for the fans.” It was originally conceived to pump up the fans for last year’s season.

The first incarnation of “Faithful Anthem/Back in the Bay” featured Pfife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest, but after the less-than-spectacular beginning to the season, the Niners shelved the track. It was a blow to all fans, but especially to Araiza, who had invested his time, money and heart in the project. The new season erased bad memories, however, and brought a new fervor to the crew and an updated rally anthem for the faithful. As Araiza puts it, “You gotta live and die with your team.”

This incarnation of “Faithful Anthem/Back in the Bay” replaces Phife Dawg’s performance on the second verse with Araiza’s. Conflicts in scheduling forced Araiza to step to the mic. With the season heating up, the group decided to release the track for the benefit of the fans rather than not participate in their team’s drive to dominance. The video was shot in two days. Araiza’s cousin Marcus St. Marcus heard the track and decided to do the video immediately. The tailgate footage was pulled from Gabriel Masinas’ collection of fan videos. Araiza has never met Masinas, but it’s a great example of how two fans brought their passion together to create something all the team’s followers can appreciate.