Earlier this month, local band The Sweet Hurt (MySpace) celebrated the release of their In the Shade of Dreams EP with a release party at Pehrspace (MySpace) in Echo Park, with Evan Slamka from Marjorie Fair (MySpace), Liz Pappademas (MySpace), and Alex Lilly from Obi Best (MySpace), formerly known as Colorforms (MySpace). The recent amount of local music blogger press about The Sweet Hurt leading up to the show -- at LA-Underground, Rock Insider,......

Last Saturday, author Paul G. Maziar celebrated the release of his new sold-out book What It Is: What It Is (MySpace) with a West Coast book release party at {open} (MySpace) in Long Beach. In addition to a book reading, the night also featured live musical performances by Jessica Dobson (MySpace) from Deep Sea Diver (MySpace), Castledoor (MySpace), and Subrosa (MySpace). As mentioned previously, Castledoor is in the midst of their month-long Monday residency......

Two weeks ago, local bands Castledoor (MySpace) and The Watson Twins (MySpace) performed for First Fridays (MySpace) at The Natural History Museum in Exposition Park. Those in attendance were rewarded with several songs from The Watson Twins' upcoming album Fire Songs (which streets on June 24th), not to mention an energetic set (concluding with "Remember When") by Castledoor. Speaking of one of this year's bands to watch, they start their month-long residency on May......

Nobody better covers the LA indie music scene than the local blogs, which include LA-Underground, Radio Free Silver Lake, Rock Insider, You Set The Scene, Squaregirls, Aquarium Drunkard, Classical Geek Theatre, Amateur Chemist, and the now-defunct Buzz Bands. Besides spotlighting up-and-coming artists and posting concert photos, many of those blogs regularly present shows -- Radio Free Silverlake's Let's Independent! have included The Happy Hollows (MySpace), The Deadly Syndrome (MySpace), Castledoor (MySpace), and Everest (MySpace).......

Part of an ongoing series. Three weeks ago, The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace) concluded their January residency at Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake with a show that included The Deadly Syndrome (MySpace) and Castledoor (MySpace). It was a chance to see all three of Kevin Bronson's bands to watch on the same stage in a single night. So many people (including Kiefer Sutherland, who had recently completed his DUI prison sentence) descended to Spaceland......

Part of an ongoing series. Two weeks ago, locals The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace), declared one of three bands to watch by The LA Times' Kevin Bronson, performed the first of five shows for their January residency at Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake. The artists that are sharing the spotlight with them are a veritable who's who of rising stars on the indie music scene. Thus far, they have included Canon Blue (MySpace), The......

LA Times staffer and Buzz Bands blogger Kevin Bronson's story "Taking the L.A. indie rock scene personally" hit stands last Thursday. By means of an intimate portrayal, Bronson set forth his pick of indie rock up-and-comers for L.A.'s indie rock scene in 2008. While I completely admire that he would put his neck out there for three rather small, entirely worthy bands (The Airborne Toxic Event, Castledoor, and The Deadly Syndrome) at the forefront of......

Rockstar Supernova, The Panic Channel, Toby Rand & Juke Cartel, Dilana @ Long Beach Arena Money Mark @ Amoeba (free, 7pm) Mezzanine Owls, Black Palms @ El Cid The Exies @ Whisky A Gogo Tribal, Azur @ House of Blues Georgie James, Love of Diagrams, DJ Franki Chan @ Safari Sam's Tom Brosseau, Pedestrian, Ill Lit, Lenka @ The Hotel Cafe Le Rev, Northern, Castle Door, Locksley @ Key Club Nels Cline & Glenn......

NOFX @ House of Blues Justin Timberlake @ Honda Center Kevin Nealon @ Comedy & Magic Club, Hermosa The Deadly Syndrome, Philistine @ Safari Sam's Pompei, Kissing Tigers @ Spaceland Trophy Wives, Jack Dill, The Lift @ Viper Room The Procession, Castle Door, Carina Round @ El Cid Xu Xu Fang, Astra Heights, I Make This Sound @ Silverlake Lounge Peter Walker, Sidestory, We Are Lions, Minipop @ The Troubadour The Front, Fireworks Apart,......