While USC may have been getting plenty of negative press as of late, it didn’t stop the Trojans from celebrating over the weekend when Flying Lotus came to the campus as part of this yea's KXSC Fest, a free outdoor concert put on by USC’s independent student-run radio station. Students and friends gathered at the small grassy knoll in Founders Park to watch eight acts including sets by Dublab and KXSC DJs. more ›

First Fridays at the Natural History Museum have been running 8 years strong, and the folks in charge continue to keep programming fresh and interesting every time, even for the regulars. This month, Dr. Janet Kubler conducted a lecture on biomimicry and explained how it can give humans ideas for improvements of our daily life. For example, the inspiration for velcro came from burrs sticking to a man’s socks. Hopefully in the future we can harness the organizational skills of a swarm of locusts to clear up some traffic on the 405. more ›

We strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Autry National Center to catch Los Angeles-by-way-of-Michigan singer-songwriter Benji Schneider, otherwise known as Lord Huron, who will be performing with the famed string quartet Calder Quartet for Brand X’s inaugural L.A. Unheard concert. LAist favorites, local experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda and indie folk act Gamble House are slated to kick things off. Check out all of our picks for live music tonight in Los Angeles. more ›

Scorching heat and long line issues aside (shouldn't we be used to this for festivals anyway?), our friends at FYF did not disappoint in 2010. With an amazing lineup featuring an indie rock dream roster, the entire day was a chaotic party of three stages, VIP tents, food trucks, Sailor Jerry rum drinks, and all the bands you could want to see. Per usual, the photo pits were packed, the fans were rabid, and the beer was cold. Highlights included Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti killing "Round and Round" while the entire crowd sang back-up, Big Freedia with her Azz (literally) Everywhere, and !!! being !!!, short-shorts and all. A day so good it might just hold us over until FYF's next big show at SXSW 2011. more ›

Tonight NY-bred indie pop outfit Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) will be headlining the Hollywood Bowl with Baltimore-bred dream pop duo Beach House and the Very Best, an eclectic musical amalgam comprised of London based production duo Radioclit and Malawi-bred crooner Esau Mwamwaya. LA-based experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda are slated to perform at this year's Abbot Kinney Festival with none other than Long Beach natives Crystal Antlers (LAist Review), Puro Instincto, LA-based alt-rockers Olin & the Moon (LAist Interview), Voxhaul Broadcast, Kenneth Pattengale and many more. Ex-Vivian Girls drummer Frankie Rose & the Outs will be ringing in their debut disc at the Echo with LA-by-way-of-Glasgow retro 50s/60s pop outfit Neverever for this week's edition of Part Time Punks. more ›

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Tonight Highland Park experimental indie rock sextet Fol Chen (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4), who recently released their sophomore studio-album—2010's Part II: The New December will be continuing their residency at the Echo with San Diegan garage rockers Crocodiles (LAist Inteview). Local indie rockers White Arrows are poised to do the same at Spaceland with local blues-infused indie rock duo Rumspringa (LAist Review, #2) in town. And, lastly, LA-based experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda will be gracing the Smell in Downtown. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Bootleg Theater to catch British soul singer Alice Russell. more ›

Tonight English alternative rockers Athlete will be headlining the Troubadour, touring in support of their fourth studio-album—2009's Black Swan. Echo Park's own electro dance duo Rainbow Arabia are poised take on the Echo yet again, with LA-based experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda in tow. And, lastly, Long Beach-based indie rockers We Barbarians will be performing with local indie rockers Red Cortez (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) and Pacific Hurt, formerly known as Santa Ana-based indie rockers Aushua at Spaceland. But we strongly suggest heading over to Bardot to catch our dear friend, local singer-songwriter Kenneth Pattengale, who will be performing for this week's edition of School Night. more ›

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Tonight former Nickel Creek member, virtuosic Oceanside-bred mandolin player Chris Thile will be gracing Largo at the Coronet. LA-based experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda are poised to take on Bardot for the free, RSVP-only 'It's a School Night.' And, lastly, local rockers War Tapes will be continuing their... more ›

Tonight LA-based rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, which is comprised of Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones and Alain Johannes, will be headlining Club Nokia before heading out to the desert to headline Coachella. NY-bred indie pop outfit Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) are poised to take on the Pomona Fox Theater with none other than LA-based experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda. And, lastly, famed English singer-songwriter Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs will be gracing Spaceland with LA-by-way-of-North Carolina alt-country outfit the Hi-Hos. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echo to catch New Zealand's own indie pop outfit the Ruby Suns (LAist Review). LAist favorites, South Carolina-bred experimental electro pop maestro Chaz Budnick, who performs under the moniker Toro Y Moi, and Silver Lake-based indie pop act Pepper Rabbit are slated to kick things off. more ›

Tonight Scottish rock outfit Biffy Clyro (LAist Interview) will be concluding a two-night stint at the Troubadour, warming up the stage for headlining act, Atlanta-based indie rockers Manchester Orchestra. English electro-pop songstress Little Boots... more ›

Tonight legendary British alternative rock singer-songwriter Morrissey will be headlining at the Gibson Amphitheatre. Local singer-songwriter Kenneth Pattengale is poised to grace the Hotel Café. And, lastly, LA-based experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda will be taking on R Bar. But we strongly suggest heading over to Synchronicity to catch local lo-fi pop trio Pearl Harbor. more ›

Tonight Fran Healy and Andy Dunlop of Scottish alternative rock outfit Travis will be taking on the penultimate night a sold-out four-show stint at Largo at the Coronet. Thes One and Double K, the self-proclaimed B-boys of People Under The Stairs, are poised to headline the Key Club in Hollywood. And, lastly, the Raincoats, Crystal Stilts, Abe Vigoda and WEAVE!, among many, many others, will be commandeering the Echo and the Echoplex for this year's Part Time Punks Festival. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Henry Fonda Music Box to catch Seattle-based indie rock progenitors Sunny Day Real Estate. LAist favorites, local indie rockers the Jealous Sound are slated to kick things off. more ›

Tonight local alt-rockers Dawes will be taking on their second residency of the week (their first takes place at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa every Monday) at the Echo with Slang Chickens in tow. Experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda are poised to take on the Smell. And, lastly, Echo Park-bred indie rock quartet Wait.Think.Fast. will be gracing La Cita. But we strongly suggest heading over to Pershing Square in Downtown to catch LAist favorite, LA-via-Tel Aviv transplant Luke Top—who may also be recognized as the front man of local afro-centric indie pop outfit Fool's Gold. Fullerton's own garage rockers My Pet Saddle are slated to kick things off. more ›

Tonight Toronto-based electronica musician Peaches will be taking on a two-night stint at the Henry Fonda Music Box. And speaking of Toronto, electronica band Holy Fuck are poised to rock the Troubadour with LAist favorites Crocodiles (LAist Interview) in tow. And, lastly, LA-based afro-centric indie pop act Fool's Gold will be performing at 3 Clubs with Abe Vigoda and Thee Makeout Party in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to the hole-and-corner Pehrspace to catch local experimental instrumental outfit Signal Hill (LAist Review), who will be ringing in their debut full-length More After We're Gone. LA-based rockers Beware of Safety are slated to kick things off. And please, for the love of Pehrspace, keep the noise to a minimum! more ›

Tonight ambient rockers Voices Voices will be performing at the Viper Room with Pop Noir. The football helmet-clad experimental electro outfit known as Anavan will be rocking out at the Echo for this week's edition of Part Time Punks. And, lastly, LA-based indie rockers Divisadero are playing with Daniel Brummel (of Ozma) at All Star Lanes in Eagle Rock for the Bowling & Drinking Club. But we strongly suggest spending the day in the Downtown Area. Around mid-day, in what will be touted as one of its best shows of the year, the Smell is hosting a prominent array of noisy locals, such as No Age (LAist Review, #2, #3), Mika Miko (LAist Review) and Abe Vigoda. And later on in the evening, funk and soul maestros Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (LAist Review, #2) will be headlining Club Nokia. Neither event should be missed! more ›

Tonight the legendary punk rock outfit known as the Misfits will be stopping through the House of Blues Sunset. Brooklyn-based Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu is set to headline Club Nokia with Flobots and Chester French. The Hotel Café Tour, which features Meiko (LAist Review) and Rachael Yamagata (LAist Review), will be coming through the Henry Fonda Music Box. Experimental locals Abe Vigoda are slated to rock the dingy confines of the Smell. And, lastly, Radio Free Silver Lake's Let's Independent Night is taking over Boardner's in Hollywood with the Broken Remotes in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echoplex to catch LAist's favorite alt-rock group Everest (LAist Review, #2). Glendale's own the Henry Clay People are opening and it's free if you're old enough to buy drinks. more ›

Tonight LA will pause for the election. However, dj/producer Diplo and LA rockers Abe Vigoda will be playing at the Echoplex. Dead Ponies will be playing at Spaceland for free! HoneyHoney (LAist Review, #2) will be performing at the Hotel Café. And, lastly, St. Albans own electro-pop sensation Friendly Fires will be gracing Cinespace in Hollyweird. But we suggest you take the night off to vote and watch the results of the election. more ›

There are far too many good shows in LA tonight for any one music enthusiast. First and foremost, Bay Area indie rockers Facing New York and Orange-based Local Natives will be playing at the Troubadour. Sweden's own Graveyard will be performing at Spaceland with LA-based singer-songwriter Imaad Wasif. And Brooklyn-bred experimental rockers High Places will bring life to the drab interior of the Smell with LA locals Abe Vigoda and Baltimore-based Ponytail. It will be a night filled with endless sonic curiosity. But the hole-and-corner Pehrspace will play host to a loose-knit Durham-based collective, Daniel Hart's the Physics of Meaning. The violin virtuoso has lent his skills to St. Vincent, John Vanderslice and the Polyphonic Spree in times past. Now, Hart has a forthcoming sophomore effort, 2008's Snake Charmer & Destiny At The Stroke Of Midnight, to call his own. Don't miss out! more ›

Tonight we suggest you take a walk on the wild side. Start things off at Amoeba Records, where LA locals Abe Vigoda will be performing songs from 2008's Skeleton. The band's third album to date is an eye-opening, punk-infused tour de force. Then we recommend heading over to the Knitting Factory for what will undoubtedly be referred to as the noisiest lineup to come through town in some time. NY-based Ghengis Tron, Florida-based Yip Tip, LA's own Clipd Beaks and, of course, hometown noise heroes HEALTH are slated to take turns raping and pillaging your eardrums without restraint. more ›

Tonight LA will be seized by festivals. Now in its third year, the LA Weekly's Detour Festival will be taking over the area around City Hall in Downtown. We're excited for Aussie electro-pop sensation Cut Copy, epic LA-based prog-rockers the Mars Volta, English folk rockers Noah and the Whale and DFA Records's latest and greatest, Hercules and Love Affair. The lineup is enticing, but certainly not for everyone. We had a rather traumatic experience last year involving Justice and drunken buffoons. It did not go over well. The 10th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival, which takes place on Colorado Blvd. between Eagle Rock Blvd. and Argus St., boasts some 74 acts on 16 stages—the most comprehensive bill of local bands we've ever seen. We're excited for Abe Vigoda, Mika Miko (LAist Review), the Antarcticans, Gangi (LAist Review), and the Ship Collective's mainstay Earlimart. Need we mention that it's still free? And although it will be our festival pick of the night, we'd like to suggest a show for those who aren't interested in crowds. Head on over to Spaceland to catch Brooklyn-based folk songstress Rio en Medio. Tonight will serve as the record release party for her second full-length, Frontier. It will be the start of what promises to be a very successful career. more ›

Tonight will be relatively low-key with regards to the music scene. We've got Laura Marling's second night of a two-date stint at the Hotel Cafe. Brian of the Movies will be playing with his band Very at Echo Curio, opening for Thailand. And Abe Vigoda and Moonrats will be playing for free at USC's Ground Zero. You can't beat that lineup. But we suggest you pay the Echo a visit to sample the relatively eclectic indie rock bill. LA-based Voxhaul Broadcast, who pretty much serve as the West Coast's answer to the Walkmen, will be opening for the roisterous and bluesy Rumspringa. more ›

UPDATE, 12:10 P.M.: We forgot to remind you that Sia is playing this afternoon in Santa Monica for free. 2:00 p.m., Starbucks, random (see first bullet in Extra, Extra list). more ›

I've always been intrigued by other "best of" lists, but this year I decided to take it to a whole new level. I e-mailed a handful of bands that I've seen this past year in order to unearth what exactly captivated them in '07. As music listeners, it is our duty to take a keen interest in our favorite musician's influences. After all, they rocked our little world, might as well see what rocked their... more ›

Sea Wolf - "You're a Wolf", UCLA, 11/29/07 Sea Wolf @ Rhythm Lounge The Lemonheads, Racoon, The New Rivals @ The Troubadour Adolescents, Agent Orange @ Galaxy Theater Slightly Stoopid, Fishbone @ Wiltern Youssou N'Dour @ Royce Hall Too $hort @ House of Blues Jewmongous @ Tangier Steve Forbert @ McCabe's Ojos Rojos, Chuck Dukowski Sextet, The Sundowners @ Knitting Factory Big City Rock, Everybody Else, The Hanks, Girl in a Coma @ Roxy... more ›

I've always been intrigued by other "best of" lists, but this year I decided to take it to a whole new level. I e-mailed a handful of bands that I've seen this past year in order to unearth what exactly captivated them in '07. As music listeners, it is our duty to take a keen interest in our favorite musician's influences. After all, they rocked our little world, might as well see what rocked their... more ›

Kennedy - "Your Mama" more ›

Abe Vigoda, Screamin' Cyn Cyn & the Pons, Gay Beast, Bad Dudes @ The Smell more ›

PB&J playing their hit @ Red Eye Fly, SXSW 3/14 Peter Bjorn & John, Cass McCombs @ Henry Fonda Godsmack @ The Wiltern MIA @ Echoplex Michael Penn, Patton Oswalt @ Largo Oliver Future, The Gray Kid, Astra Heights @ The Troubadour The Last Town Chorus @ Amoeba (6pm) Maxeen, The Mercy Kiss, Acute @ Key Club Mower, Lords of Rock & Roll Thunder & Lightning @ Viper Room Bat For Lashes, Tara Busch,... more ›