The murder of 17-year-old high schooler and football player Jamiel Shaw made headlines and had reverberations not only in his community, but city-wide. Now rapper Ice Cube has voiced his heartbreak over the death of a young man with a promising future--a death caused by senseless violence. His video for "Why Me?" uses the Shaw case a reference point for this kind of tragedy. The Daily News explains that "Cube says the Shaws are......

The first sign should have been the earplugs being handed out at the door... 17 years ago My Bloody Valentine delivered what is considered not only their greatest achievement but a classic album by any measure. Loveless was the climax of the My Bloody Valentine sound as well as epitomizing the entire shoegaze movement. Since the release of that landmark album the band faded and disbanded. There was no wall of sound to be heard......

Founding member of the folk group Kingston Trio Nick Reynolds died Wednesday in San Diego of acute respiratory disease and other illnesses. The band is credited with jump-starting "the revival folk scene of the late 1950s and paved the way for artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez," according to the Associated Press. One of the groups more popular songs--M.T.A.--which is about the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, interestingly enough still rings true with Los......

With the remarkable infusion of whimsical melodies and cutting lyrics, Stars has created a long history of fiercely bright pop. The kind of pop songs that lift you up with the beauty of their melodies and then crushes your heart with the tortured elegance that leaves you hungry for more. Touring to support their latest EP, Sad Robots, Stars frontman, Torquil Campbell was kind enough to grant an interview with the LAist from Oklahoma City.......

To promote the release of MURS for President, which hit stores today, the LA native will be signing copies and performing at Amoeba tonight at 6:30 pm. MTV viewers might recognize him as that guy with the crazy hair who has been popping up in between episodes of “The Hills.” However, fans of the local hip-hop scene, which LA Weekly recently declared, “for the first time in over a decade, its vital signs are stable,”......

Over the weekend, art patrons around Los Angeles received the 08/09 season mailer for the new Broad Stage in Santa Monica as part of Santa Monica Community College's Madison Campus. It's an interesting season of over twenty-five performances including some that caught our eye like the Grammy-winning all-male A Capella ensemble Chanticleer, the Cirque de Solei-esque Diavolo dance company, the cutting edge new music series Jacaranda, the baroque orchestra Musica Angelica, and well-known jazz man......

"The Hives have rocked stadiums of 40,000 or more! You 1200 people should present no problem...," bombastically declared Hives' frontman Howlin' Pelle Almqvist to the Mayan Theatre crowd last Thursday night (9/25/08). While the statement is both egotistical and brash, Almqvist was entirely correct (and with names like Dr. Matt Destruction, Nicolaus Arson, Vigilante Carstroem, Chris Dangerous and the aforementioned Howlin' Pelle, you'd better be able to back it up). The Swedish imports rocked the......

Photo via festival website Some 40 concerts and hundreds of musicians later, The World Festival of Sacred Music ends today with a free concert on the beach featuring over 300 performers such as The Pasadena Scottish Pipes and Drums ensemble, Agape Choir, a REMO Drum Circle facilitated by Christine Stevens, Viver Brasil, Capoeira Batueque, Swing Brazil and Banda Juvenil Solaga from Oaxaca. The event, called Honoring the Sea, takes place on the beach at......

TOP CHEF: Well not exactly, but the Covenant House in Hollywood seeks guest chefs to share their love of cooking and baking with 18-21 year old homeless youth on Sunday evenings. The Covenant House provides food, shelter and counseling as well as education, job skills training, and employment placement to youth living on the street in hopes of forging a brighter future for each individual. They offer mentoring opportunities as well. Contact their volunteer coordinator......

Photo by GarySe7en via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr COOL OFF AT GRIFFITH PARK Summer may be over but the temperature is still high, that's why you should attend The Great Los Angeles Ice Cream Party. Meet at the old merry-go-round at 2 p.m. for free ice cream and fun for all ages. Optional donations go to LA Commons, a non-profit organization bringing public art to LA neighborhoods. JUMP ON THE APATOW......

Silver Jews is coming to town. On just the second tour of a 20-year career, DC Berman and his familial touring band will visit LA tonight behind its sixth recording, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. Berman answered a handful of questions from the road, via e-mail. How do you write songs? I build their walls and then lay siege to them for weeks. It's a dialectic between the artistic voice and the critical voice in......

Tomorrow, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra will celebrate 40 years with their season concert opener, which is LAist's classical pick of the week. KPCC put together a very nice report on the group starting off with the city's mural dedicated to classical music that shows off Alan Vogel and ten others over the 110 Freeway near the Staples center. &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/145/510211/95084607/KPCC_95084607.mp3"> Photo via the LA Chamber Orch's website......

Imagine yourself gliding down the PCH with the warm summer breeze blowing through your hair in a red convertible (preferably with fins). This is the vibe that emanates from the Western States Motel's classic Californian sound. Originally a one man band, Carl Jordan formed, wrote, and produced this first album himself in his home in Los Angeles. With his new work hailed by critics as an intelligent, poppy disk Jordan was compared to Jeff......

Some bands are simply meant to be seen live. While many artists boast consistent and impressive catalog recordings, often it’s the eccentric and vibrant live performance experience that ultimately outshines the archive. Such is the case with My Morning Jacket, as evidenced by their ambitious and protracted Greek Theatre stop in Los Angeles on Sunday night.......

Last year L.A. LIVE opened the first phase of its massive project with the NOKIA Theatre, accommodating 7,100 people per show (The Emmys were there on Sunday). This year on November 10 Club NOKIA will open its doors for the first time to 2,300 fans of Beck (tickets go on sale Saturday). Their line-up, which includes Matisyahu, Usher and B.B. King has only been announced through February. Also in December, the GRAMMY Museum located next......

This Sunday's free festival on Abbot Kinney in Venice is always a popular community event. What's nice this year is that Hotel Cafe, who is prepping to launch their own record label with its debut "Live from The Hotel Cafe" on iTunes next month, is booking on of the three stages at the festival. Part of their line-up includes recognizable names such as Jesca Hoop, Greg Laswell and Laura Jansen. Also, War Tapes will be......

Investigators look over the debris left by the Learjet on the outskirts of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick) The Van Nuys-bound Learjet carrying DJ AM and former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker that crashed Saturday morning killing four others has sad twist. One of the victims, Chris Baker who was Barker's personal assistant, lost his brother last month. "Baker's death was the second tragedy to hit the family. Last month, Baker's 24-year-old......

Today, former LA Times music columnist Kevin Bronson began blogging at his new website, buzzbands.la: "Here I am, digging Buzz Bands out of the trash bin at 2nd and Broadway, where my former employer, the Los Angeles Times, deposited it a few months ago," he wrote in his second introduction to the site. "Either out of obstinacy, or passion, or vanity, or a weird cocktail of the three, I will undertake sharing my thoughts and......

The LACO has been a major contributor to the music scene in Los Angeles for 40 years. You've probably heard their musicians in many movies, music recordings, and seen them (the mural of an orchestra on the 110? The LACO). How about seeing them live? LAist has covered them several times before, and this year is a good year to check them out for yourself. The LACO is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and bringing......

Photo by GarySe7en via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. CULTURE EXPLOSION Cultures collide tonight at the Hollywood Bowl. KCRW presents it's World Festival. The L.A. Phil helps celebrate Hispanic heritage by backing up some multi-cultural bands including Ozomatli, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Lila Downs, Nortec Collective presents Bostich + Fussible. JOIN THE FAMILY The Arclight screens the inarguable classics, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II in its Cinerama Dome. The screenings......

Day 2 of the out-of-state Monolith Music Festival at Red Rocks this past weekend consisted of American Bang, Tokyo Police Club, The Avett Brothers, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Band of Horses, TVOTR, and Airborne Toxic Event who got their album torn apart on Pitchfork but rebutted. (Thanks a million to BetweenLoveandLike aka Erica for the ATE pics!)......

The cradle of love was definitely rocking as I took a trip back to Sunset Blvd. circa 1984 in my DeLorean as Billy Idol opened the House Of Billy, the first of a three night stand at the House Of Blues Sunset. The 80's icon (now in his early 50's) came full force with the snarl and full fist pumping punk rock attitude that made him one of the most recognizable artists of the time.......

In anticipation of their "Imaginary" EP release on October 21st, local indie band The Happy Hollows, who we most recently caught at Sunset Junction, have released this strangely addicting video. The band claims this is proof that lead singer Sarah is not going insane.......

In addition to our My Morning Jacket contest (which ends Friday), we are giving away a pair of tickets to The Raconteurs' concert on Tuesday, September 23 at The Greek Theatre (tickets). The band also plays on Monday, September 22 (tickets). This concert tour is in support of their "Consolers Of The Lonely" album. The Raconteurs describe themselves as “a new band made up of old friends.” So let's say an old friend of yours......

LA Weekly is letting you choose one of the bands that will play at their Detour Festival on October 4th (Eagle Rock Music Festival is the same day). A few indie scene mainstays are listed such as Light FM, The Parson Red Heads and The Monolators. And it is The Monolators who are currently ahead and deservedly so, but they're neck and neck with The Press Fire! who we've never heard of until now. Whoever......

The out-of-state Monolith Music Festival at Red Rocks was this past weekend (did you go?) and this year's lineup of Band of Horses, The Avett Brothers, Mickey Avalon, TV on the Radio, American Bang, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, among many others did not disappoint. Set up on five stages over two days at arguably the most scenic venue ever, Monolith brought indie-rock fanatics a mile-high in the air to celebrate all things music.......

It was a sad day back in July when Buzz Bands columnist Kevin Bronson was let go from his near six-year LA Times post amid massive cutbacks. He wrote one of the LA Times' more notable blogs called Buzz Bands before it was folded into the paper's Soundboard blog. Today, we stumbled upon his new venture -- a website called Buzz Bands (obviously) at www.buzzbands.la. It's not fully operational yet, but it does act as......

The Black Crowes announced today that five concerts, including the ones at the Greek Theatre, The Bowl in Santa Barbara and at San Diego's Street Scene, have been canceled due to illness. "Despite our efforts, it is not possible to reschedule the canceled shows at this time. However, efforts are being made to reschedule these markets in early 2009. Fans are encouraged to obtain refunds from their original place of purchase," The Black Crowes wrote......

If you haven't read LA Times columnist Steve Lopez' book, The Soloist, it comes with a high recommendation. And if you're a fan of reading books before the movie version comes out, then you've got to November 21st. Robert Downey Jr. plays Steve Lopez and Jamie Foxx plays Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, the street musician Lopez discovered in Pershing Square before writing a series of amazing columns that led to the book. Related: LA Times'......

A deal is a deal. Goldstar where you can usually find tickets for half price shows around Los Angeles is selling tickets to tonight's Fratellis and Airborne Toxic Event show at the Wiltern for free. But you know how that goes--free does come with a price and that will cost you a simple $4 service fee (the sale price is $25). Okay, so now the tickets are $4. So it's about the next best thing......