Right: The Afro Funke crowd at the Zanzibar in Santa Monica. Left: DJ Jeremy Sole | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist Sitting aside DJ Jeremy Sole spin records at last Thursday's weekly Afro Funke at Zanzibar in Santa Monica, I asked how he chooses what he plays next or if he has a set playlist. "Nah, it's all about reading the people dancing -- their body movements. See, I'm going to put this salsa on......

Sometimes, the most fun in life comes in surprises. Last night, that surprise came in the form of a random marching band appearing out of nowhere at the corner of 5th and Spring playing a hybrid of New Klezmer Afro-Brazilian Tango during last night's Downtown Art Walk. We followed the free-jazz, experimental, all-genres-equal Killsonic for about an hour throughout Gallery Row intruding upon art galleries and people's peace and quiet. At one point, we......

The Airborne Toxic Event at soundcheck (see more photos here) | Photo by Koga/LAist It's the fifth Thursday of the month and this is your last chance to see The Airborne Toxic Event in their January Spaceland residency. KROQ and Indie 103.1 both added their song "Sometime Around Midnight" to their rotations last week and Airborne hears this is the first time in about 15 years KROQ has done this with an unsigned band......

Cisco Adler protégé and collaborator, Shwayze (seen to the left), is hitting up Redondo Beach tonight with his happier sounding indie hip-hop. He grew up in a trailer park... a trailer park in Malibu that is. “To me, it was the nicest trailer of all time," the 22-year-old musician says. He and Adler play at the Venezia Italian Grill and you can start your night in Malibu, riding the bus down with the gang (RSVPs......

And who said culture doesn’t exist in Los Angeles? Check out these events for a little learning, a little entertainment – or both. THEATRE Joe Keyes, author of Bob's Holiday Office Party and Pete's Garage, brings us a new treat: Big Baby. The dramedy focuses on "a crazy Catholic mother living with her disturbed middle aged son who falls for the dominatrix next door and all hell breaks loose." It opens tonight. 8 pm //......

Love it or hate it, tonight's New Year's Eve. And while half of the city has vacated for NYE's in Vegas, there's plenty to do right here in LA to welcome '08. Fireworks Catch the midnight fireworks in Marina Del Rey. At 11:55 pm and 30-seconds, one firework will be shot into the air for each second, counting down to midnight--and then a few more into 2008. The show be seen from anywhere in the......

75. The Cave Singers - Invitation SongsAccording to Seattleist, guitarist Derek Fudesco makes "sammiches" during the day and strums hypnotic lines by night. The Cave Singers encapsulate all that I love about the Northwest. Invitation Songs is chocked full of cozy, folk-bluegrass-tinged battle songs. "Helen" is built upon one savory guitar line and handful of reverb. Think Mountain Goats meets Will Oldham.The Cave Singers - "Lena" &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://www.box.net/shared/static/7vw3ha90kk.mp3"> 76. Busdriver - RoadKillOvercoatThis madman put on one......

Artist:Da Cruz Album: Nova Estaçāo EP1&2 Label: Six Degrees Records Release Date: Fall 2007 Listen to the track "Intro (Sao Jorge)": Nova Estaçāo EP1&2 is another release in the "Emerging Artists" series from the label Six Degrees Records. This series is part of Six Degrees' efforts to get new and innovative artists out in front of people as quickly as possible and inexpensively as well - these are electronic releases that you can pick and......

Listen to the interview here: Deborah Harry is on her way to LA to play the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theater tomorrow, Friday the 7th. She's got her first new solo album in fourteen years out, Necessary Evil, and you can hear some samples of it at her MySpace. Unfortunately our conversation sounds like I'm contacting her by sat-phone somewhere in Tibet but these are the days of multiline patch-ins so it couldn't......

Artist: Dust Galaxy Album: Dust Galaxy Label: ESL Release Date: Fall '07 Listen to the track "River of Ever Changing Forms": If you missed Dust Galaxy at their Knitting Factory gig last Friday, have no fear, you can pick up their excellent self-titled CD. Dust Galaxy is the solo project of Rob Garza, co-founder of scenester label Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) but you won't be hearing any of the ESL's signature bossanova or other latin......

Never been to Zanzibar in Santa Monica. Definitely would never ever go if all 28 of those popups appeared. However, there's much to love about Zanzibar's sister, Temple Bar, namely Afro Beat and Brazilian nights. Screenshot by Zach Behrens/LAist......

Six Degrees Records recording artist CéU is on her way back to LA for one last show before heading home to Brazil. LAist reviewed her excellent self-titled album a few months ago and we've had a chance to listen to the Remix EP of several of those songs. Three of the best tunes from her eponymous album are featured in delightful new versions on the Remix EP. Go there and check out samples. CéU will......

Devendra Banhart Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon Release Date: 09/25/07 XL Recordings A lot of people hate Devendra Banhart. He's definitely one of the most polarizing artists that I listen to. I've explored innumerable avenues of elucidating this matter and nothing has come close to sating me. Within the indie community there are splintering factions of naysayers who say, "That's where I draw the line!" The line, of course, divides the obscure from the......

Show Date: Sunday 6/17/2007 Venue: the El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles $30 @ 8:00 p.m. Artist: Bebel Gilberto Album: Momento Label: Six Degrees Records I reviewed Bebel Gilberto's new CD, Momento, last month here on LAist and that CD review was supposed to coincide with her scheduled show at the El Rey but she broke her ankle in an accident and the show was rescheduled to this weekend. If her show is going to......

LA Pride booked 30 bands. None of them were to my liking. I know this for a fact. I live one block away and have heard every single alternative-style-rock-is-so-not-relevant-anymore note. Okay, maybe I'm being a little harsh. That isn't totally true. Regardless, having had enough, I'm off to the Henry Fonda Theater (6126 Hollywood Boulevard) to hear Cansei de ser sexy. They are like the Jem and the Holograms of my 1980s childhood, except......

According to my roommate anything west of La Brea is the Westside. If that's the case, then I only travel to the Westside for two reasons: my job and to get my Brazilian wax done. Sometimes I find it difficult to willingly drive anywhere that's more than a 10-mile radius from my home. With that said, my nether region deserves special attentive care, and that's why I don't hesitate to make the trek to......

LAist is experimenting with blogging dates from J-Date, but finds the best men are found offline. Some date vicariously online and that is one reason why porn is big -- really freaking big -- so they ask if they should cover XXX since the heart of it lays in the city's San Fernando Valley. A writer grapples with her food porn photography obsession, another gets censored on Flickr, one gets scooped by the LA......

Artist: Bebel Gilberto Album: Momento Label: Six Degrees Records Release Date: 04/27/2007 Queen of the bossa nova, Bebel Gilberto is on tour promoting her newly released album, Momento. She was supposed to play the El Rey last night and tonight but this hadto be rescheduled to a later date for some reason. With all the heat and fires and smoke, the smooth, soothing, and romantic tones of Bebel might be what the doctor ordered......

Show Date: Saturday 4/14/2007 Venue: Temple Bar, Santa Monica $15 @ 10:00 p.m. Artist: CéU Album: CéU Label: Six Degrees Records On April 14, CéU (pronounced “say-ew”), the talented young Brazilian singer/songwriter, debuts in Santa Monica at the Temple Bar to celebrate the release of her self-titled debut album, co-released by Six Degrees Records and Starbucks Entertainment. If you like or are interested in exploring contemporary Brazilian music this is a show that’s not......

- Robert Adler died this week at 93 years old. He invented the wireless tv remote a little over 50 years ago, finally giving men an important responsibility around the house - AP - When Britney Spears shaved off all her hair yesterday, did she do it because of all the constant attention from the paparazzi? And if so, why didn't she move back to Louisiana for a spell? - Celebrity Baby Blog -......

John Fogerty @ House of Blues Killola @ Safari Sam's She Wants Revenge, Brazilian Girls @ Avalon Stellastarr, Monsters Are Waiting, Minipop @ The Troubadour Chaka Khan @ Malibu Performance Arts Brant Bjork, El Paso Hot Button @ The Scene Elke Robitaille, Sam Shaber, Charissa Nicole @ The Gig The Marsh, By All Means Necessary, Absinthe Academy @ The Good Hurt The Mutaytor @ The Knitting Factory......

Every Friday, we at LAist will tell you whether or not you should wake up on Saturday to buy concert tickets. Tomorrow we think you should wake up because Coachella tickets go on sale. Who's playing at Coachella this year? April 27 - Björk / Interpol / the Jesus and Mary Chain / Arctic Monkeys / Sonic Youth / Brazilian Girls / Peaches / Comedians of Comedy / Gogol Bordello / Silversun Pickups /......

Like a presidential election, the information is trickling into the newsroom... Earlier today Andy let everyone know who most of the confirmed artists would be for this year's Coachella. Now we let you know who is playing on what days, etc. April 27 - Björk / Interpol / the Jesus and Mary Chain / Arctic Monkeys / Jarvis Cocker / Sonic Youth / Faithless / DJ Shadow / Peeping Tom / Brazilian Girls / Peaches......

Those are the headliners, other confirmed acts via the preliminary lineup ("subject to changes and additions") posted this morning at coachella.com: The Jesus and Mary Chain, Tiesto, the Arcade Fire, Interpol, Manu Chao, Willie Nelson, Air, Happy Mondays, Decemberists, Faithless, Gotan Project, the Good, the Bad and the Queen, Paul Van Dyk, Arctic Monkeys, Roots, Jarvis Cocker, Sonic Youth, Crowded House, Placebo, Satellite Party, Stephen Marley feat Jr. Gong, Kings of Leon, DJ Shadow,......

If you’ve never ventured to the Farmer’s Market at The Grove to try out Pampas Brazilian Churrascaria, then tonight is the night. Oh what, you were actually going to make your girlfriend watch Monk at your rat-hole apartment for the fifth Friday night in a row? On the real, Pampas has some top-quality grilled meats, including this writer’s favorites, the sirloin cap (alcatra) and the grilled lamb. The eatery is open and outdoor since......

Honky @ The Scene The Roots @ Avalon Vice @ Steve Allen Theatre Brazilian Girls @ The Wiltern Veruca Salt, 45 Grave @ Vault 350 Dios Malos, Future Pigeon @ The Echo My Chemical Romance @ House of Blues Ladytron, Midnight Movies @ El Rey Theater Devo, A Flock of Seagulls, Bow Wow Wow @ Greek The Horrors, The Cinematics, The Deadly Syndrome @ Safari Sam's......

Hollywood's favorite record store lists its top 25... see the top ten after the jump 11. Leslie Hall - Door Man's Daughter 12. Brazilian Girls - Talk to La Boys 13. Thom Yorke - Eraser 14. Cat Power - Greatest 15. Ratatat - Classics 16. Silversun Pickups - Carnavas 17. Mastodon - Blood Mountain 18. Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye 19. Roots - Game Theory 20. R.E.M. - Best: IRS Years 82-87......

Rock is back in a real way, including old school rock from some classic rock legends as well as Nicole Richie's dad! May we recommend the Black Keys, Catfish Haven, Everclear, Hella, Roger Manning Jr. (from Beck's band and Jellyfish), The Mars Volta, Los Lobos, (Santa Barbara's) Sugarcult, TV on the Radio, and yes even JT Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio (XL Recordings) Bettie Serveert - Bare Stripped Naked (with DVD; Minty Fresh)......

If the theatrics of this summer's Copa Mundial have you hooked, three movies playing this week serve up enough passion, pique and soccer-inspired drama to put the fake-foul antics of today's players to shame. On Tuesday July 4th, the enthusiasts at the Hollywood Football Association put on a special InterFootball Day at the Egyptian Theatre. They'll screen Goal! World Cup 1966, which tells of the glorious — if you're a English football fan —......

Grab a jacket, some friends and get out of the house. There are plenty of free gigs to keep you occupied. SATURDAY, 10/8 Catch Hot Club Quartette at Cafe Z in the Skirball Cultural Center followed by a free screening of Algeria in a Smile. The show starts at noon. Call (310) 440-4500. DJs Michael Stock and Benjamin White of Part Time Punks continue their residency at MOCA. The show starts at 6pm. It's......