by Chuck Clayton for LAist Toothpaste is good and so is orange juice, but it’s a goddamn tragedy every time you try to combine them. Like power-pop. Seems like a no-brainer on paper, you know — mixing Beatles melodic values with bigger guitars and drums — but, in practice, power pop nearly never works. It’s usually whiny and wimpy and often flabby, too, all the wrong Paul McCartney moves played by, well, Beatle nerds......

After having seen The Polyphonic Spree this week at the El Rey, I fear I am spoiled for seeing live bands from now on. I've been a fan of the Spree since their debut album, The Beginning Stages Of... was released to critical accalim in 2002, but confess that at times I found the album perplexingly unlistenable in its entirety, but in turn felt that to listen to individual tracks--or Sections, as they call......

American Idol was only an hour and seven minutes tonight, which we think meant shorter songs clips and shorter packaged coaching segments with guest judge Gwen Stefani. And the shorter show was just fine with us because (1) most of these “Top 10” singers are good -- but they’re not great; (2) while the song choices were better than last week’s British Invasion, they were ripped right from the Adult Contemporary radio station playlists......

In the six seasons of American Idol, LAist can't recall a more average group of singers -- in voice and personality. Tuesday nights so far have been two hours of tedium, except for one or two standout performances a night. Last night -- British Invasion Night -- was no different. The song choices were unappealing to those under 40, and it's a safe bet that many of the contestants never even heard of their......

Tonight - Wednesday Lakers @ Timberwolves (KCAL, 5:00 p.m.) "After Jesus - The First Christians" (CNN, 7:00 p.m.) Takes a look at the beginnings of Christianity, and let me tell you something, they didn't celebrate Christmas Raptors @ Clippers (PRIME, 7:30 p.m.) "A Christmas Carol" (TNT, 8:00 p.m.) This is a pretty darn good '99 version starring Patrick Stewart as Scrooge "America's Next Top Model: British Invasion 2" (the CW, 8:00 p.m.) Supposedly the......

Wednesday - Tonight Lakers @ Mavericks (ESPN, 6:30 p.m.) Jazz @ Clippers (PRIME, 7:30 p.m.) "King of Queens" (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) Double whammy - 2 new episodes. "The Next Top Model: British Invasion" (the CW, 8:00 p.m.) 2 Hour debut(!) "The Biggest Loser" (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) Season finale in mondo 2 hr. episode. "The Lost Room" (SciFi, 9:00 p.m.) Final episode of the miniseries. "One Punk Under God" (Sundance, 9:00 p.m.) If you pay......