Love is hard. So is creating anything original that touches upon a subject Shakespeare, Beethoven and Elliott Smith all emptied their hearts for. But people keep trying to successfully send up life’s most vexing problem, and to varying degrees of success and originality. more ›

Legendary vocalist Etta James will undergo a medical evaluation based on an order issued today by a Riverside County Superior Court judge, according to the LA Times. James, who has dementia and leukemia, has been living at home and receiving 24-hour care, but questions arose in court as to how reliable that care may be: more ›

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The Grammy Museum welcomes blues great Buddy Guy tonight at 8 pm. Guy will be interviewed by museum’s Executive Director Robert Santelli to discuss his career and his upcoming new album Living Proof. There will be a Q&A with the audience before Guy takes to the stage for a couple of songs. Tickets: $20 (general public), 2 for 1 (Museum members only special). more ›

For the 3rd installment in Summer and Music concert series, locals were treated to "Roots and Blues" music on the streets of Long Beach on Saturday. Pocket harp prodigy James Harman represented the "Blues" genre with a scathing set reminiscent of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Legendary local showman King Cotton represented the "Roots" portion of the festivities with his own brand of throwback funk that had the entire street bopping to the infectious grooves. Long Beach's own The Dibs got the crowd warmed up with their interpretation of folk roots music. more ›

Don't let Grace Potter's good looks or age fool you. This woman has a pair of pipes that would knock over a steam engine and a soul of a woman three times her age. I saw her on a whim at the Roxy last year, and the show was carved onto the stone walls of my memory as one of the best shows of 2008. (The only other competition being Sigur Ros. Yes, I'm serious.) And hands down the best show that I have ever seen grace the Roxy's stage. more ›

"What the Devil wants, believe the Devil's going to get. He's going to stretch her out, like the tape in a cassette," Swaby croons menacingly on The Heavy's latest single "Sixteen." A lyric that is both incredibly dirty and radio appropriate. You've got to appreciate that. Big, bad, jungle blues is coming your way from across the pond, people. Prepare, yourselves. The kind that slowly crawls down your spine into your hips and makes you feel evil. You know, the good kind. more ›

Sometimes music comes from the least likely of places, but 'lo and behold, three siblings have recorded an album that would make Fats Domino smile. Kitty (16) Daisy (21) and Lewis (18) have made an album that includes playing 40’s/50’s R&B and country, western and swing, Hawaiian and rock ‘n’ roll...basically anything that your grandparents danced to...and made it fresh again. And who doesn't like to groove to oldies (even if they're really newies?) more ›

If you enjoy the bluesy garage rock of the White Stripes, have I got a band for you. Their hard hitting lyrics, wild woman drumming, and savage guitar licks have been winning them praise up and down the west coast.Hailing from the wild frontier town that is Vancouver, The Pack A.D. are descending upon Los Angeles this Friday to play at the Redwood Bar. If their music is anything to judge by, they probably chew glass for lunch, drink whiskey as a chaser for gasoline shots and are the kind of ladies you would want on your side in a bar fight. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know, Becky and Maya nonetheless took some time to call us from the road yesterday. Here is some of what was said. more ›

If you find yourself on a street corner singing "Maybe God is God. Maybe the Devil is me!" like some crazed Hollywood and Highland street preacher, chances are good that Matthew Vasquez had something to do with it. Like the sensation of a raw nerve pulsing deep down in your ear, his voice reaches into your skull, takes command of your vocal chords, and orders them to sing along, with or without you. more ›

The talented soul man Raphael Saadiq headlined at the House of Blues on Monday night, and I arrived determined to dance until there were holes in my shoes. His latest The Way I See It had been on repeat in my car for most of 2008. Call it neo-Motown, retro boogie, soul revival, whatever, Saadiq had created one of the best albums of the year and I was thrilled to be able to review the show. Then I got to the box office. more ›

For those of us still sad about the Black Crowes' disappointing last album, or wishing that Creedence Clearwater Revival was still making records, San Francisco's The Stone Foxes might just save you from the mountain of booze, you've been saving up in these hard times. A pack of cherubic youngsters that sound like men twice their age who've lived twice as hard, (and recipients of Blues Brother Dan Akroyd's approval, by the way), the Stone Foxes are doing their damnedest to bring the dirty blues back to Los Angeles more ›

Born the son of a professional guitarist who played with Bo Diddley, Rocco Deluca had blues in his soul since he was a boy. Inspired by the classic Delta bluesmen, Muddy Waters, Son House, and Robert Johnson, Rocco Deluca has created a blues/rock sound that pays homage to these late greats. The kind of blues that make you want to rip off your shirt and howl. more ›

Photos and post by Matt Cohen more ›

Big Business, Red Fang, The Cops @ Spaceland (Tho Cops reviewed on LAist, 3/20/06) more ›

Our brain is going to explode with all the great choices tonight. From friggin' amazing jazz (see, we're not swearing) at UCLA to folk-punk sensibilities of The Hackensaw Boys at Tangier in Los Feliz (video after the jump), tonight is a bounty of gold. Also, Jim Bianco will be at Amoeba and it's the first night for Wednesday night March residencies. more ›

Tuesdays are usually slow nights in LA for music and as bands prep to head Texas-way for SXSW, we'll probably see even fewer choices like tonight. But fewer doesn't mean worse. Mountain Goats and Jeffrey Lewis (great video below) play at the Troubadour tonight (and tomorrow), Working For A Nuclear Free City is back with another concert, this time at Cinespace (though it's a private premier party. Crash?) and LA Weekly says to head over to Glendale and check out The Scene. more ›

Holy Fuck, A Place to Bury Strangers, In Waves @ Spaceland (Silver Lake) more ›

Use Last.Fm? Thanks to LAist reader, thecoloured, you can join our new LAist Last.Fm group! If you're staying Westside tonight, check out the hybrid jazz-alt-folk band, 1921a, at McCabe's Guitar Shop. They'll be there with Matt Taylor and his Laurels. more ›

Earlier this month, San Diego-based singer/songwriter Tristan Prettyman (MySpace) and G. Love & Special Sauce (MySpace) performed a two-night stint at the House of Blues in West Hollywood as part of their current tour. The duo collaborated on the song "Beautiful", from G. Love's album . more ›

Tomorrow is the finish up the AMGEN Tour of California in Pasadena. But before hitting the old money city, they're headed towards Santa Clarita this afternoon (where Six Flags Magic Mountain has decided to stay put). From 4 to 10 p.m. tonight “Rock the Bike,” a free outdoor cycling expo and music festival, will bring together an array of people following the stage 6 finish. Various bands will be playing and headlining act, the Gin Blossoms, will be on stage around 8 p.m. (of course, if it rains, who knows what will happen, this is an outdoor event). The tour itself is aired on the cable channel, VERSUS, at 2 p.m. today and tomorrow. For more check our TV weekend listings. more ›

More What Made Milwaukee Famous? Yes, more of that! more ›

DJ Craze, Klever, Treasure Fingers, Villains @ Henry Fonda more ›

Ducks 2, Avalanche 1 - Teemu Selanne isn't back in hockey shape, but he did hit the back of the net for the first time this season. Anaheim is 5-0 since he returned from a lengthy personal debate over whether or not he should retire. The five wins balanced out a nine game road trip that started with three losses and a tie. more ›

For a band of two 16-year-olds and one 17-year-old, Din Caliber has a huge sound that's quite exciting. And Linda Perry, record label owner/producer (credits include Gwen Stefani, Pink, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilara), has her eye on them. The home schooled trio practices four to five nights a week for four hours and has played the House of Blues and a few shows at the Whiskey A Go Go. Tonight they play the Knitting Factory on the Main Stage. Also of note tonight is the North Mississippi Allstars who mix punk, rock and down-home blues (it's quite lovely). They'll be sharing the stage tonight with the Drive-By Truckers at the Avalon. more ›

Sometimes Monday nights lead to tough choices. For Jax at Rock Insider, it's between The Pity Party (who we interviewed this morning) and The Henry Clay People. Luckily, both bands are playing all month. Still, there are many choices. If you like your music Folk, your drinks cheap and have never been to Joe's Great American Bar & Grill in Burbank, it's a pretty sweet place to catch music seven days a week -- tonight is Dafni. more ›

On Friday we interviewed Jay Babcock of Arthur Magazine -- he books a series on Sunday nights at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. More Eastwardly, Alex & Sam will play their second show of the Sunday residency spot at Tangier in Los Feliz (for all February residencies in LA, check out our guide). Last week we checked them out while others detoxed from their Super Bowl Sunday and we can say the band of eight or so musicians is an excellent way to end your weekend with. And if you're down in the Long Beach area, how about some George Clinton? more ›

It's a quality night in Echo Park with Super Furry Animals and Holy Fuck are at the Echoplex and if you can swing it, right there at The Echo you'll find The Kooks and The Morning Benders. In Hollywood, Grammy award winning Dirty Vegas front man Steve Smith is slated to play acoustic tonight at the Hotel Cafe (but is not on the calendar anymore, so who knows). more ›

For those who joined us last night (thank you for coming!), we witnessed many hot and bothered moments with an excellent band we've never hard before -- The Makers (we can't find their website, help). They are in residency at Seven Grand every Tuesday and we highly recommend checking them out. For tonight, first night residencies for this month happen at the Viper Room, Hotel Cafe and the Silverlake Lounge (see our Guide to February Rock Music Residencies). We're feeling a bit rustic today, so we recommend Brian Wright & the Waco Tragedies at Hotel Cafe. more ›

It’s Super Tuesday and Mardi Gras. What other reason do you need to celebrate with LAist? Come to Seven Grand tonight to watch election returns. (Who knew that primaries would be this exciting?) You never know…people may start flashing for beads after a few Glenlivets. For questions or to RSVP: events@laist.com (Note: Seven Grand is a 21+ bar. We apologize for any inconveniences). more ›