A great intro to your weekend and your video lunch today: Sesame Street vs the Beastie Boys' "Sure Shot." One of the most fun facets to this video is how some of the Sesame Street footage matches up with the original video. At any rate, it's a blast, particularly with the intro by the Yip Yip aliens, have fun with it! more ›

The Beastie Boys continue their pre-release hijinx in anticipation of Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2 due to flood the streets on May 3. After floating a five minute 'Make Some Noise' teaser earlier this month, the 30-minute, full version of the Beasties new short film, Fight For Your Right Revisited, has been placed into the internet. Better than Where's Waldo, for today's video lunch see if you can spot... more ›

The Beastie Boys first non-instrumental full-length release "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 drops soon -- May 3rd -- and yeah we're pretty excited too. The latest album teaser comes in the form of this hilarious, cameo-filled trailer of a 30-minute video of the first single from the new album, titled "Fight For Your Right Revisited." Watch it below and check out the full version of the new single "Make Some Noise" in video form below that! more ›

Beastie Boys and Capitol Records have set a date for the trio's first full-length, non-instrumental record in seven years, Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. Announced this week, the long awaited return will spill out May 3, and to celebrate, we're serving a Beasties feastie for today's video lunch. more ›

In sad news today from the Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch has a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland which means the group will be canceling their current tour which includes the Hollywood Bowl on September 24th. In a video announcement--embedded below--Yauch expresses healthy optimism about his recovery, because the cancer is localized and will not affect his vocal chords. He's expected to have surgery next week, to be followed by radiation treatment. This will also delay the release of their next album. Those with tickets to the Hollywood Bowl show should check this website for details. more ›

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." If you have a suggestion for a future Seven Questions subject send us an email. more ›

slipped badly in its third weekend ($9.2M/$115.5M). more ›

Sooner or later Pixar has to release a dud, right? They can't just keep releasing great film after great film can they? Won't the odds eventually catch up to them? Maybe not. The early critical reception for Wall-E has been nothing short of ecstatic. If you thought the first ten, dialogue-free minutes of . more ›

Release Date: 01/29/2008 more ›

After reviewing a few dozen releases this year this is my top ten of reviewed albums plus a few select tracks of items that I went out and hunted down myself. These weren't easy to select out of the great stuff I received so it was a challenge. I'd like to thank the labels and their PR agencies for hunting me down and sending CDs to me. I reviewed everything that I received this year with just a couple of exceptions of items I felt I wasn't qualified to review. [Hint to labels and their agencies: LAist likes getting stuff to review, look for our contact info on the staff page]. In my Top Ten is a band (Tall Pony) that wasn't even signed when I posted the review and I had a few others like that this year but there should haver been more. Also, please note that there are 3 LA bands/groups in my Top Ten (Bitter:Sweet, No Age, The Deadly Syndrome). more ›

A long time ago, but right around this time of year, I was sitting in a living room with a record collector pal, poring through the bins of seasonal vinyl from the likes of Jethro Tull, Merle Haggard and Fear. My friend looked up from his fourth or so glass of nog and remarked, "What am I listening to all this Jesus stuff for? I should put on the Blue Oyster Cult Hanukkah album."... more ›

Layered in funk and schooled in rock'n'roll the bay area trio Honeycut will be busting out the jams at the Echo Wednesday night with Norwegian duo DATAROCK sharing the marquee. Honeycut are a unique band full of soulful lyrics and keyboard riffs, while being counter balanced by the loopy, hip-hoppy drums provided live via an MPC. And of course the rockin' presence they can't help but exude. And what do you get when you... more ›

Dear MCA, I would like to marry you and have 1000 of your Buddhist-rapper babies. While this may come across trite or ill conceived I assure you I am neither a crazy person nor a stalker fan. Of course I think you make great music, but what I’m saying is that I have not been harboring these feeling for two decades hoping that one day I’d have a chance to spring them on you.... more ›

Beastie Boys @ Wiltern (Gala Event) Earlimart, The String Dream Team @ Echo Park Rec Center Studios Echoplex Foreign Born, In Waves @ The Echo Peter Himmelman, Rebecca Pidgeon, Eric Himan @ The Mint The Mormons, Fuckass & the Grease Patrol @ Mr. T's Bowl The Watkins Family Hour @ Largo The Like @ Cinespace The Go, Apache, Thee Makeout Party, Sweet Evil @ The Knitting Factory Kissing Cousins, The Garden Angels, The Pete's,... more ›

Really, who doesn't love robot sounds and music about outer space? The 900 Number sample at 2:49 ain't bad either. This is clearly the Beastie Boys' world and we're just livin' in it. Ps: Adam Yauch is a dreamboat.... more ›

Beastie Boys @ Greek Theatre [two photo essays of last night's show here and here] Ted Nugent @ House of Blues Manic, Dead Ponies, Minutes til Midnight, Policy @ The Echo Low vs Diamond, Oliver Future, The Lonely H, The Scare @ Spaceland Metal Skool, Tattooed Millionaires, The Unwanted Guests, Ramonas LA @ Key Club Resident Hero, Rama Duke, Hello Vegas, Putnam Hall @ The Troubadour The Crash Kings, Birds & Batteries, Walker Young... more ›

more ›

When Licensed to Ill came out in 1986 I was selling car stereos at the Federated Group in West LA. I sold so many good speakers and subwoofers thanks to "Brass Monkey" and "Slow & Low" that oftentimes my favorite demo tape would go "missing". I bought at least six of those tapes within a year. Only a few had been stolen, the rest had gotten worn out. So when the Beasties played the... more ›

Buzzcocks, Hot Hot Heat, The O'Jays, The Bronx, Airborne Toxic Event, She Wants Revenge, Cheb I Sabbah, Millie Jackson, Thelma Jones & Arthur Adams, Rocky Dawuni, Conjunto Jardin, The Aggrolites, The Movies, Eskimohunter, others @ Sunset Junction Street Fair Beastie Boys @ The Greek Smokey Robinson @ Cerritos Center RX Bandits, The Fall of Troy @ The Troubadour Esthero, One Trick Pony @ Roxy 311 with Matisyahu, the Wailers, Pato Banton @ Verizon Bowling... more ›

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt, who has completely covered her house in mosaic tiles. more ›

The greatest surprise performance at the 24-hour Live Earth was not Kanye West and John Mayer joining the Police on "Message in a Bottle." Hell, no. It was Spinal Tap (reunited) with some help from Metallica (they actually laugh) bringing down London's Wembley Stadium with hits like "Stonehenge" and "Big Bottom." Madonna's gypsy-hobo-punk performance -- fully choreographed -- of "La Isla Bonita" with Eugene and Serge from Gogol Bordello was also surprisingly excellent (watch... more ›

- Telemundo puts Mayor Tony's corazon on a leave of absence so they can investigate her - AP - 70 year-old bicyclist killed by an SUV in Tarzana - Daily News - Sticky Fingaz' brother X1 found dead this morning in LA, may have committed suicide - HHNLive - A 13 year-old kid get four fingers blown off thanks to fireworks - LAFD - "L.A. now recycles about 60% of its trash, the highest... more ›

Rockers, we've got three pairs of tickets to see the Moving Units rock the Music Box this Saturday at the Henry Fonda, and this is how you can enter to win: more ›

Dude, the Beasties tickets go on sale tomorrow, and to celebrate we are having a contest today. Which rhymes with Horray! First the good news for all. The Beastie Boys will be at the Greek on August 20 playing those sweet jams from their new cd The Mix-Up that came out yesterday, a collection of instrumental jazzy funky tunes that harken back to The In Sound From Way Out!. Pre-sale happens tomorrow at 10am,... more ›

Beastie Boys - The Mix Up (Capitol) Bryan Ferry - Dylanesque (Virgin) Metric - Grow Up and Blow Away (Last Gang) Love - Blue Thumb Recordings (Hip-O) Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger (Lost Highway) Sinead O'Connor - Theology (Koch) Blondie - Eat To The Beat [REISSUE] (EMI) Chris and Thomas - Land of Sea (Defend Music) Bad Brains - Build A Nation (Megaforce) Nick Lowe - At My Age (Yep Rock) Taste the rainbow...... more ›

What a better way to enjoy the longest Monday of the year than to enjoy free ice cream while listening to the mellow funky goodness that is The Mix Up, the new album by the Beastie Boys? In a deliciously and deviously cool way to get you to listen to their new collection of all-instrumental jazzy grooves that come out tomorrow, the three bad brothers you know so well have arranged for two listening... more ›

- The Beastie Boys will play some mellow, intimate, laid back classy shows in support of their upcoming all-instrumental cd The Mix-Up (6/26). They will also do seven full on old school hip hop shows around the country and one of them is within an hour and a half drive of LA, up in the hills of Santa Barbara at the beautiful County Bowl (8/23) - Pitchfork - Frustrating 9-1-1 calls from King-Harbor showing... more ›

Ocean's Thirteen Music from the Motion Picture David Holmes Warner Bros./ WEA There's no way I thought I would like this cd. There's no way I wanted to like this cd. But it's good. I've been listening to it all day. And I hate myself for it. Clooney, Pitt, Damon... none of them need any more love. They're more handsome and rich than anyone deserves to be. And making a trilogy of films starring sharp-dressed... more ›

Let's face it, the last two Beastie Boys records were hugely disappointing. After a nice run starting with Licensed to Ill, thru Paul's Boutique and thru Ill Communication the Beasties had more hits than Sadaharu Oh. Hello Nasty was eh and To The Five Burroughs was something that we never thought was possible: a Beastie Boys cd that we barely played. Maybe it was because the drunken b-boy skateboarder bit was played out once... more ›