Last weekend, the 24th Annual Abbot Kinney Festival took place in Venice. One longtime attendee noted that in past years, the quality of musical entertainment wasn't particularly memorable, so she was pleasantly surprised at the lineup this year, which included locals WAZ (MySpace), Buddy (MySpace), Laura Jansen (MySpace), Holly Conlan (MySpace) with Pedestrian (MySpace), Steve Reynolds (MySpace) with Cary Brothers (MySpace), Brian Wright (MySpace) with Sally Jaye (MySpace), Jesca Hoop (MySpace), Greg Laswell (MySpace),......

Oh, to have unlimited resources and $8,000 to blow. My perceptions of rock 'n' roll fantasy camps forever changed this morning when my eyes skimmed an e-mail touting the mother of all rock experiences. My skepticism led me to open the e-mail and I was genuinely shocked by the caliber of the special guests and "camp counselors," which include Brian Wilson, Nick Mason, Cliff Williams and more. The Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp will take place Feb. 15-18 at a recording studio in Los Angeles and will include an on-stage performance with Cliff Williams at the House of Blues. ...

Jean Paul Yamamoto @ outside Vroman's, Pasadena, 7/27/07 Social Distortion @ House of Blues (Hollywood) Nu-Tra, Jean Paul Yamamoto, Capitol Radio, The Fuxedos @ Safari Sam's Io Echo, Mighty Six Ninety, Jason Eldredge @ The Troubadour Castledoor, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra @ Boardner's Chanticleer @ Walt Disney Concert Hall Marvelous Toy, One Trick Pony, Sam and Alex @ Silverlake Lounge The Kris Special, Get Set Go, Stevenson Ranch Davidians @ The Echo Cousin Lovers......

Wyclef - "Sweetest Girl" Wyclef Jean @ Nissan Live Shout Out Louds @ Henry Fonda Paul F. Tompkins, Morgan Murphy @ Largo Casxio, Voxhaul Broadcast @ Silverlake Lounge The Airborne Toxic Event, The Western States Motel @ Detroit Bar Brand New, Thrice, mewithoutYou @ The Wiltern The Pity Party, Io Echo @ Viper Room Shannon Hurley, David Ryan Harris @ Hotel Cafe Resident Hero, Whitey @ Roxy......

Clutch, Year Long Disaster, Backyard Tire Fire, Warner Drive @ Roxy Michael Penn, Patton Oswalt @ Largo A Flock of Seagulls @ Hollywood Park Uncle Monk, String Theory, Groovy Rednecks @ Knitting Factory The Autumns, The Sugarplastic, The World Record, Veil Veil Vanish @ Spaceland The Mae Shi, Abe Vigoda, Anchors for Architects, Maria @ Pehrspace Nous Non Plus, Porterville, Pity Party @ Safari Sam's Malcolm Jamal Warner's Miles Long, David Ryan Harris, Dujeous......

The Skatalites @ The Knitting Factory Thomas Dolby & the Jazz Mafia Horns @ Henry Fonda Hatebreed, Ignite, Animosity, Oblige, The Hero Fails @ Avalon Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Hearts of Palm U.K., Daniel Ahern @ The Echo Diplo, Bonde Do Role, Edit @ Safari Sam's Fairmona, Bram, Thao Nguyen @ Silverlake Lounge David Ryan Harris, Keaton Simons, Richey Lam, Lindsey Troy @ The Hotel Cafe Ambrose, Tim, On the Surface @ Viper......

Christina Aguilera, The Pussycat Dolls, Danity Kane @ Staples Center Albert Hammond Jr., The Mooney Suzuki @ El Rey Shapes of Race Cars @ Key Club Lo Fink Fi, The Young Knives @ Safari Sam's Sam Phillips, Dave Palmer @ Spaceland Capitol Steps @ USC Zoe, Los Abandoned @ Knitting Factory Divisible, Family Tree Analog, Clark 8, Red Italy @ the Scene David Ryan Harris, Chris Pierce, Chris Joyner, Zach Brooke, Swanti @ The......

Sample these tracks and let us know what's in your iPod playlist this week. Greater California | Local Rock Missing Summer [download] A horns section and dreamy vocals make us lament the passing of summer, even if there is only one season here. You can hear the band at Spaceland on November 22 with the Clean Prophets. Ernie Halter | Local Soul Love in LA [free MP3 | download] Despite the title, the song......

Sample these tracks and let us know what's in your iPod playlist this week. The Shore | Local Rock Hard Road [download | watch video] Formed in Silverlake during 2002, The Shore's hard work paid off when they were signed to the Maverick label. Listen to "Hard Road" from their self-titled debut. If you like what you hear, you can see them at Spaceland on November 16. Judd and Maggie | Folk Perfectly [free......