Remember in grade school when your teacher would break out the Halloween records? In my class there would be a selection of about a dozen and we’d get to vote on which one we wanted to hear. Yes, this was before CDs and MP3s. I'd sit on the ground Indian-style and look at the Fruit of a Loom underwear bands peeping out from the boys' pants. The teacher would dim the lights and put... more ›

Who says there's anything we wouldn't do for our readers? Here we are in all of our glory and humiliation for your viewing pleasure. more ›

After putting together an insane line up of bands, and secruing the incredible Exposition Park in Downtown Los Angeles for the venue, The Neighborhood Festival hooked up with LAist's favorite locally-based photo sharing community, Buzznet in a ticket giveaway bonanza. more ›

Earlier this summer, LAist wrote about the dangerous intersection between Trader Joe's and Gelson's in Silver Lake. After numerous accidents involving pedestrians including the tragic death of Silver Lake resident Bill Winguard, progress to make the area safer is apparently underway with the installation of a new traffic signal. We spotted the stoplights in place at the Hyperion Blvd. and Monon St. crosswalk, but they had not been activated yet. The project was slated... more ›

As part of the 25th annual Outfest, director Pilar Prassas’ moving documentary debut In Sickness and In Health will screen tomorrow and Sunday. Taking an intimate look into the lives of Diane and Marilyn, the feature examines the battle for gay marriage rights as the couple must deal with Marilyn’s debilitating struggle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Prassas shot 250 hours of footage over five years to bring viewers this touching portrait of seven New... more ›

The Michael Bay-directed, gigantic budget, summer blockbuster comes out today, but some may remember the 1986 animated feature Transformers: The Movie. Released the same year the current film's star Shia LaBeouf was born, the animated classic cast the vocal talents of Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Idle, Judd Nelson and Casey Kasem. The movie also featured the song "The Touch" by Stan Bush. Director Paul Thomas Anderson gave a tongue-in-cheek nod to the anthem... more ›

A man in a Members Only jacket sits at the counter of the diner where Tony Soprano and his family have dinner. It's the very last scene of The Sopranos, and the stranger's presence is one of many theories that has developed from the show's controversial ending. In an attempt to shed some more light on this matter, we investigated the famous piece of outerware in earlier, more innocent times with General Hospital star... more ›

Photo © An Tran 2007 Last week we teased you with photos from the Let’s Go Sailing record release party at the Troubadour, now here’s an interview with singer/songwriter Shana Levy. Formerly of the band Irving, Levy has broken out on her own to deliver bittersweet melodies alongside gentle vocals. As a fan on the LGS message board aptly described, “I love how sweet and fresh your voice is, like conversations with a good... more ›

Back in town after a nationwide tour, Let's Go Sailing (LGS) of Los Angeles performed at the Troubadour last Thursday to celebrate the debut LP, "The Chaos in Order." Singer/songwriter Shana Levy delivers a slate of multi-faceted music, some say it's a kind of bittersweet dream pop comparable to Yo La Tengo or Belle and Sebastian. It's been a busy 2007 for LGS, and with four songs featured on recent episodes of Grey's Anatomy, an... more ›

Angela Boatwright and Patrick O’Dell are two New York-based photographers who are coming to LA for the new exhibit “200 Troubled Teenagers” opening tomorrow night at the Standard Downtown. As teenagers themselves, the two attended the same Columbus, Ohio high school and now they’ve joined forces for an exhibit examining two youth subcultures: skateboarding and heavy metal music. The title of the show isn’t so much about juvenile delinquency but an inspiration from the lyrics... more ›

This weekend is the launch for the new Sunday Tea event at The Standard in Hollywood (4-7 p.m). From the Cactus Lounge, lobby, or poolside, the hotel is offering a special menu of sandwiches, desserts, brewed teas and it wouldn’t be The Standard without cocktails. Called “mar'tea'ni's,” these drinks are booze infused with tea and herbal blends by La Mill, a nice change if you want some antioxidants with your buzz. There are five... more ›

The Red Hot Chili Pepper’s legendary bassist Flea, walks through the front door of the Silverlake Music Conservatory’s sun-filled lobby. He’s in the process of putting a shirt on over his tattooed torso and he looks like he’s still recovering from headlining Saturday's show at Coachella. Flea is back at the music school that he established in 2001 to talk about the upcoming fundraiser May 5 at the Henry Fonda Theater. Called the Hullabaloo, the... more ›

I’m in Burbank frequently and often find myself very preoccupied with finding a good lunch place. I’ve exhausted all the places on San Fernando near the Burbank Media Center and usually I just want a good sandwich that isn’t in sub form (although Santoro’s Italian Cold Cut is a favorite) or isn’t something from Porto’s (again, another frequently visited spot). Across from Porto’s I’ve found what seems to be an anomaly in Burbank: a... more ›

An article in the NY Times advises renters are better off paying that monthly check to the landlord than actually buying property. In “A Word of Advice During a Housing Slump: Rent” writer David Leonhardt takes data from every metropolitan area (including LA) to forecast the benefits of buying vs. renting. Leonhardt writes: “Over the next five years, which is about the average amount of time recent buyers have remained in their homes, prices... more ›

Looking to go to a music festival? Coachella is sold out, so instead, you should mosey out to Austin, Texas (Mar. 14-18) for this music spectacular, which features 1,300 acts from around the world. Walking from venue to venue is like putting your radio tuner on seek -- every style of music is represented. Besides performances, musicians like Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, David Byrne, Emmylou Harris, Gilberto Gil, and Booker T. Jones are giving... more ›