Tonight English-born American singer-songwriter, actress, and former stand-up comedian Nellie McKay will be performing Doris Day's songbook at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Prolific San Franciscan experimental garage rockers Thee Oh Sees are poised to headline KSCR Fest at USC's E.F. Hutton/Founders Park with none other than Eagle Rock-bred indie rock outfit Princeton (LAist Interview), LA-bred psych rock trio the Entrance Band and local blues-infused indie rock duo Rumspringa (LAist Review, #2, #3), among many others. And, lastly, Oakland-by-way-of-D.C. indie pop label Slumberland Records will be ringing in twenty some-odd years of its existence at the Echo with Boston-bred trio Pants Yell!, Melbourne-based sextet Summer Cats and local singer-songwriter Devon Williams, among many other label mates of course. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Walt Disney Concert Hall to catch critically-acclaimed French duo Air. Tulsa-bred singer-songwriter AM is slated to kick things off. more ›

As mentioned previously, earlier this month, over 50 singer-songwriters and bands participated in "Ho-Ho-tel" 2009, a three-night fundraiser with the proceeds benefiting the LAFD's "Spark of Love" Toy Drive, at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. more ›

Starting tomorrow, over 50 singer-songwriters and bands will participate in "Ho-Ho-tel" 2009, a three-night fundraiser with the proceeds benefiting the LAFD's "Spark of Love" Toy Drive, at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. more ›

Tonight legendary Portland-based Pavement front man Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks will be performing at the Echoplex. LA-by-way-of-Tulsa folk rock singer-songwriter AM is poised to grace the Hotel Café. And, lastly, local indie folk outfit Marvelous Toy will be performing with Highland Park's own experimental rockers Seasons at Echo Curio. But we strongly suggest heading over to Lot 613 in Downtown to catch LAist favorites, Portland-based Italo disco act Glass Candy. more ›

December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. This year we asked some of the staffers what inspired them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008. more ›

Earlier this month was "Ho-Ho-Tel 2008" at the Hotel Cafe (MySpace) in Hollywood. The three night fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting the LAFD's "Spark of Love" Toy Drive, featured a "very good" all-star lineup of singer-songwriters and bands that included The Abdomen (MySpace), Sweet Talk Radio (MySpace), Alvin Stewart (MySpace), Holly Conlan (MySpace), Laura Jansen (MySpace), AM (MySpace), The Paper Raincoat (MySpace), Meiko (MySpace), Buddy (MySpace), Gary Jules (MySpace), Brian Wright (MySpace), Joe Firstman (MySpace), Greg Laswell (MySpace), Cary Brothers (MySpace), and Butch Walker (MySpace) for Friday, while Sunday included Jenni Alpert (MySpace), Rob Giles (MySpace), Shane Alexander (MySpace), Charley Turner (MySpace), Lissie (MySpace), Austin Hartley-Leonard (MySpace), Jay Nash (MySpace), Brother Sal (MySpace), Chris Pierce (MySpace), Jim Bianco (MySpace), Pedestrian (MySpace), Andy Clockwise (MySpace), Foster Timms, Tim Jones (MySpace), and Truth and Salvage Co. (MySpace). more ›

As mentioned previously, on Saturday, Levitt Pavilions Free Music across America presented the inaugural edition of Make Music Pasadena (MySpace), with performances on six main stages and 24 other locations around the city. more ›

The heat was somehow trapped inside the darkened depths of the Hotel Cafe this Thursday night. Those fortunate enough to nab some of the few seats fell into two camps: The cautiously unmoving and the intent on revelry. Those left to stand shifted back and forth with an undeniable restlessness. The heat is what prompted AM to bring a stack of napkins to the stage that he attested came from Greco's, the pizza joint up the street. He wiped his brow and eased into his short solo set, a study in energy and focus as contrast to the obvious lethargy and distractions in the room. more ›

I've written e-mails, made phone calls, and pledged. I even wrote a two-page essay at their 3-hour (paid) market research session at the Hyatt. And still, every morning I'm summoned from my slumber by a soft voice announcing in code-like rhyme that my public radio station is having an orgy on the Web. Sixty-three degrees at seven-thirty-three, on eighty-nine-Point-three, KP-CC, I'm Steve Julian.... Online at K-P....C-C dot O-R-G. "Dot O-R-G?" You mean "dot org," I... more ›

Datarock, Honeycut, Foreign Born @ The Echo Mark Ronson @ El Rey They Might Be Giants @ Avalon Queensryche @ The Canyon Joe Frank @ Largo Nikhil Korula Band @ House of Blues Kid Creole & the Coconuts @ Key Club Bob Schneider, AM, John Neilson @ The Hotel Cafe Driveblind, Sink To See, Love Lies Sleeping @ Viper Room Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, Mozella, Curtis Peoples @ Knitting Factory Gruff Rhys, Her... more ›

Brother Ali @ Amoeba (free) Albert Hammond Jr., The Dead Trees @ House of Blues El-P @ El Rey Doug Benson, Andy Kindler @ Largo AM, Jim Bianco, Buddy, Kelly Dalton, Laura Jansen @ The Hotel Cafe Gliss, Meho Plaza, The Flesh, Casper @ Spaceland Metal Skool, Vertical Chain, 3 Against 1, L.A. Bonfire @ Key Club Bodies of Water, The Parson Redheads, Muso, Knifey Head @ The Echo The High Society, Bolero, Victor... more ›