Did you know that if we stretched all of Downtown LA’s parking spaces across one lot, more than 80 percent of downtown would be reserved for cars? But while there’s ample space for our cars (for a price), two-thirds of the county's children don't have a park within walking distance of their homes. Tomorrow night, “Park City, L.A.” – a panel discussion hosted by the Center for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment –... [continue]

Maynard Keenan, frontman for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifier, loves the grape – especially the wine it produces. He’s taken his interest a step further by growing, harvesting and making his own wine. He's owner/part owner of a few vineyards in Arizona (Caduceus Cellars/Merkin Vineyards and Arizona Stronghold Vineyard), and this afternoon from 4:30-7:30 pm, he’ll be making an appearance at Whole Foods in Pasadena (465 S. Arroyo Pkway at Bellevue) to sign... [continue]

Today some LA Times staffers decided to tell owner Sam Zell what they think of his stewardship -- with a three-story banner. On the LA Times building. Which takes some kind of balls. The website at the bottom of the sign -- tellzell.com -- has been chronicling the paper's downsizing from the inside. This summer 250 jobs will be eliminated, 150 from the newsroom (that's editorial to you and me). Tell Zell's proprietor --... [continue]

You may remember Tim Hammer's -- (or should I say, a "blogger who calls himself Tim Hammer"?) recent post on "American Gladiators": "There are no cell phones, cameras, iPods or knives allowed inside [the arena]. These rules not only got in the way of my plans of shanking a Gladiator while listening to my workout mix on shuffle but also required us to walk all the way back to our car to drop off our... [continue]

It's a dream date for fans of Canadian songstress Feist and Austin's Spoon. Feist is just now making her break on the world stage, with a little help from Uncle Steve. But anyone with an ear to the Toronto indie rock scene could hear her coming ever since her solo debut, Monarch, was released on the heels of By Divine Right's "Bless This Mess" Tour (she was their rhythm guitarist). For most of this...... [continue]

Tunng visited The Echo last night for the second time this year. The band was enthused by the turnout this time, coming on the heels of their third full-length and first release for Thrill Jockey, Good Arrows. On the album, Tunng's music has an endearing balance of soft instrumentation over digital percussion and effects with occasional hand claps. Call it "folktronica" if you must. Live, however, it's a bit disconcerting to see three long-haired...... [continue]

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks of John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band every time I hear The Arcade Fire's "Keep the Car Running," off Neon Bible. I'm used to getting death threats for even suggesting that The Arcade Fire may be the most overrated band of the year but hey, it's not like I'm calling for Eddie and the Cruisers III. They ripped off a band that ripped off...... [continue]

This playlist of 45 songs was hand-picked to help you focus on your Wednesday Happenings while rockin' out to songs about fire and burning. This goes out to the thousands of firefighters who spent the past 72 hours on high alert, saving people, pets and property across Southern California. The tally according to the LA Times: 420,424 acres burned, 1,155 homes destroyed, 881,500 people evacuated. If you are where you'd normally be on a...... [continue]

Black Francis -- "Motorway to Roswell" -- Safari Sam's, 10/16/07...... [continue]

Charles Thompson hasn't recorded an album with the Pixies since 1991's Trompe le Monde, despite years of rumors. But Thompson, who led the trailblazing indie quartet under the pseudonym Black Francis (originally suggested by his father), recorded roughly one album per year since the Pixies' 1993 break up as Frank Black. This summer he put a cap on Frank Black with the 32-track 93-03 compilation. And now, Black Francis is back. Touring behind the edgy,...... [continue]

It's scary song season at LAist. Thanks to Finetune for getting things started with a playlist of spooky songs for All Hallow's month. This broad selection just cracks the surface of the zombie-sphere... we'll have to dig up even tastier Halloween gems later in the month....... [continue]

Honestly, I really don't need to write anything here. Guys and Dolls is a sufficiently fascinating documentary that can speak for itself. And that is probably a good thing, because I sure as hell don't know what to say about men who have intimate relationships with pseudo-women. A part of my brain thinks that the whole paradigm is really creepy in a Chucky from Child's Play kinda way, but at the same time, I... [continue]

A.C. Newman and Blaine Thurier of Vancouver's finest supergroup, The New Pornographers, have issued a challenge: Translation: Make a better video than the band can, put it on YouTube, and win an iPhone... or something. (We're wondering if that "something" might include signed Neko Case undergarments, as recent history reminds us that even her used corset is worth as much as an iPhone. The New Pornographers admit that they're not OK Go when it comes...... [continue]

As I try to do anything but labor on this Labor Day, I reflect on my nearly 10 years working in office jobs to support my freelance habit. So while I spend my 9 to 5s at work-work, I've held myself to certain standards. I believe I act with integrity. I've tried to treat people – regardless of my personal feelings for them – with dignity. And I've worked hard because (besides being a...... [continue]

I used to work in an extremely uptight government office. My one saving grace was my friend, Karen, who was the only normal person there. We ate lunch together every single day and went out together after work. One day we were talking about how everything men say leads to some sexual innuendo. So I told her about one of my favorite Lynda Barry cartoons where the men only speak in phallic symbols. She... [continue]

Suicide is a place we have all imagined, but it’s not a room any of us have really been in, other than a foot, a glance, a daydream. It’s no stranger to Los Angeles, a city with perhaps more than its fair share of broken dreams. But when not one, but two people die, when they have all that the city appears to offer – fame, success, beauty and each other, that’s when people...... [continue]

Dear Laist, I'm loving this warm weather (it reminds me of Phoenix, where I'm from) but OMG I HAVE BEES! What do you recommend? Help, Sun Devil Dear SD, We recommend that you don't email blogs about something like this. We recommend that you call a professional extermination company, like one who wears lab coats and will arrive in a truck filled with chemicals to throw at the problem. And we don't recommend that...... [continue]

For at least one major Hollywood hotspot last night, it was all smoke and no fire. And ironically enough, that molten mecca rockstar restaurant wanna-be of radness is named “Charcoal”. El Ocho de Mayo marked the much bally-hooed opening of the latest Place to be Scene, in the bare-ass belly of the underused ArcLight Cinema Center, a location screaming of great late-night possibilities. If you’re still wondering what the hell kind of place “Charcoal”... [continue]

Is this some sort of twisted, inside-Hollywood game? Celebs getting drunk somewhere together then and they all go out and drive around sloshed until one of them gets busted - and then the game is over for the night? Motorists, pedestrians, and innocent bystanders of Los Angeles are begging our celebs PLEASE STOP THIS RIDICULOUS GAME. Take a cab or something. Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover Home Edition caught drinking and driving in WeHo... [continue]

If you haven't seen some of your friends online today it might be because they're stuck at the Indio Greyhound station with dozens of fans trying to get home. KESQ is reporting that so many people tried to take buses home without first buying tickets that the scheduled buses became full, stranding many who have waited all day in the heat despite having tickets. "I've been been waiting to get to L.A. for like... [continue]