After interviewing a member of the Teddybears camp, we knew we had to see their live show to become completely indoctrinated. more ›

The Echo and Echoplex are opening their doors this weekend to several bands originally slated to rock the cancelled Sunset Junction Festival. If you haven't heard by now, the L.A. Board of Public Works denied the festival's permit on Wednesday. more ›

Conor Oberst popped in to the Echo Wednesday night, to play a special/surprise opening set for tour mates the Felice Brothers. more ›

Rockers clad in black packed the Echo to the gills on Thursday night. Heavy mascaraed vamps in black stockings and dirty looking punks filled the room for the show emulating their idols on stage. If there was a king and queen of lo-fi drone-pop Kristen Gundred aka "Dee Dee" of the Dum Dum Girls and Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles would be it. This show celebrated the success of both of their debut albums which had met with such critical acclaim. more ›

Power pop is a tricky genre to do right. The line between a fist pumping anthem and grotesque, easy cheese is very, very thin. Fortunately a couple of Minnesotan guys living in Philly have been studying the greats and have put forth a deliciously catchy power pop album. In the vein of Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick, and T. Rex, Free Energy will make you want to cut off the sleeves of your t-shirts, soup up your Chevy Camaro, and cruise for babes. more ›

A.A. (Auguste Arthur) Bondy knows all about second chances. When his former band Verbena imploded just after signing to a major label in 2003, Bondy took off into the wilderness of the Catskills. Four years later he emerged back into the music scene with his lovely solo debut American Hearts which incorporated blues, folk, and a country twang,which he had recorded in his barn. This year, his second album When The Devil's Loose impressing critics and audiences a like with it's rough hewn edges and earthy melodies, influenced by music that came a time before rock n' roll was even a concept. We caught up with A.A. Bondy (or as he's known to his friends, Scott) before his show at the Echo. Here is some of what was said. more ›

It's that wonderful time of the year again. Door-busters, pant-busters, wallet-busters. We've included some ideas for some Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities. You know, so you feel less guilty after eating 14 pounds of stuffing or to prevent you from drinking all day and making things awkward at dinner. Or perhaps you want to take part out of the kindness of your heart, because you are thankful to live in the greatest place ever. This list isn't exhaustive, so leave other ideas in the comments! 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 ›

"If it's a million degrees and the world is on fire, where do we have a show? The desert," Kevin Richard, lead guitarist for the Mannequin Men, laughs from his van heading up Highway 5, "That's how we roll. If there was an epic snowstorm right now we'd be playing Quebec." Humor is what makes these Chicago garage rockers so much fun to watch. Their sound is meat and potatoes garage rock influenced heavily by the Stooges and the Replacements, but underneath the snotty vocals you can hear genuine discontent spiked with a dash of raunchy humor. Like the Black Lips, these guys write about a generation of kids who finished school to enter world to a world which has no employment for them. They write for those who are worn out and frustrated by working dead end jobs with no sign of things turning around. The Mannequin Men harness this rage and turn it into fuel for their songs with some sprinklings of sexual frustration just for kicks. more ›

Some bands are like those brilliant, glowing sparklers that you light on Independence Day. They burn really brightly for a couple minutes and then fizzle out. Promising Nashville rockers Be Your Own Pet did just that. They put out an album, toured for a couple years, and then imploded in on themselves. A year later, rising from the ashes of that band, former guitarist and bassist, Jake and Jamin Orrall have decided to get serious about their side band, Jeff the Brotherhood. Releasing their fifth reverb heavy, garage rock album (and first really serious foray as an independent group) the brothers will be opening for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Echo on Friday. more ›

Don't judge a pop band by it's cover. Yes okay, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, is a heartbreakingly silly name for a band (I mean I don't think they'll be tattooed on anybody's chest anytime soon) but man they've got a sparkly debut disk. Chock full of 80s inspired pop, the kind that would fit in the background of any John Hughes movie, the self-titled offering has already have generated some most impressive buzz. Lead singer, Kip Berman was kind enough to answer our questions while he was running around Pitchfork Festival this weekend. Here is some of what was said. more ›

It is always unnerving as a fan when an artist you like experiments with his genre. We always want them to ride that line between doing something new and different and changing their sound completely. We want something fresh, but also something we can recognize. So when an artist jumps genres, we get nervous. Don't get me wrong, experimentation is essential for any sort of artistic growth to occur. We don't want to hear the same song over and over again or even the same album twice, but at the same time we worry about the unknown. Will it be a successful leap like Nelly Furtado's foray into dance pop? Or will it crash and burn like Garth Brooks' disastrous attempt at reinvention as Chris Gaines? Her Space Holiday (otherwise known as Marc Bianchi) made the leap with his latest album XOXO, Panda and the New Kid Revival in which he changes his sound from the light synthetic, electronic pop of his previous five albums and ventures into the world of alt-country and folk. more ›

It was an old school funk showdown at the Echo on Thursday night. The age old west coast vs. east coast rivalry was in full effect. Not in any sort of negative way, but in a purely competitive spirit. What I wanted to know was which band could out groove the other. Would it be the hometown Boogaloo Assassins with their Latin boogaloo or the funky newcomers from New York supporting their second album with the legendary Daptone Records, Budos Band? more ›

Drummer and one half of the two man band the Voyeurs, Sean Johnson is shopping for a pilates DVD. Not for himself, but for his girlfriend so they can try it together. We're at a Target in Eagle Rock trying to decide between the core version or the one for weight loss. The other half of the Voyeurs, Jonathan Hylander is checking out the yoga balls. Not for yoga, but to bounce around the house. He thinks Sean should just buy a set of four DVDs and figure out which ones he likes best. more ›

John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard never intended to form the Submarines. They had met in Boston through mutual friends when they were both playing in separate bands. They became a couple, moved to LA, and promptly broke up. more ›

When Pablo Díaz-Reixa, or El Guincho, took the stage at the Echo last Thursday and asked the crowd “¿Habláis español?” he was answered with an enthusiastic “¡Sí!” I cursed myself for the umpteenth time for taking French in high school. So, if you’re looking for an in-depth analysis of El Guincho’s lyrical prowess or perhaps a recount of his witty repertoire with the crowd (I know it was witty because everybody laughed every time he spoke), you won’t find it here. Sorry. I will work on it. more ›

No one could accuse Bishop Allen of being a slothful band. In 2006 these New Yorkers pumped out 12 EPs, one for every month of the year. They're in Los Angeles tonight at the Echo in support of their latest album The Broken String. Their brainy pop (or as I like to call it brop) has been drawing admiration from far and wide. With their catchy hooks and thoughtful lyrics they're a pop band that you can embrace without the slightest twinge of guilt. These guys are going places. Founding member, Justin Rice was kind enough to talk to us yesterday. more ›

These New Puritans are back in town to play the Echo tonight. LAist reviewed their new CD, Beat Pyramid, and previewed their Roxy show back in March which was received with much acclaim. Now the band is on a full US tour and is swinging through town as they promised to. more ›

One week after mysteriously canceling his gig at the Echo, Beck and his brand new band appeared undercover and treated a full house of 300+ to an hour-long set of oldies, goodies, and tunes which remain unreleased. And no, Danger Mouse did not make an appearance.... more ›

Legend says that Echo Park got its name from workers building the original reservoir said their voices echoed off the canyon walls. However... more ›

Vampire Weekend, decked out in polo shirts and loafers, played their blend of indie rock meets afro-pop to a packed house at The Echo last night. The show was sold out and the band did not disappoint despite singer Ezra Koenig’s ailing vocal chords. Armed with enhanced energy and a couple of new songs since the last time they were in LA, Vampire Weekend proved that they are very deserving of the buzz currently surrounding... more ›

Beck - "Where It's At" If you were one of the lucky 700 who packed the Echoplex last night you were treated to Beck's only North American tour date before he head off to Europe to open for a little band called the Police. For the rest of you, here's a nice video of one of his biggest hits. Yes, you're welcome. If this doesn't quite quench your thirst, however, may we recommend checking... more ›

Artist: Foreign Born Album: On The Wing Now Label: Dim Mak Release Date: 8/21/07 Listen to the track "Letter of Inclusion" While all of Foreign Born's members may not be native sons of LA, they are emissaries of a Silver Lake music scene with their own, almost classic, West Coast flavor. "Almost classic" because the era of the Beach Boys, and the Mamas and the Poppas (and to a lesser extent the Eagles) is now... more ›

Layered in funk and schooled in rock'n'roll the bay area trio Honeycut will be busting out the jams at the Echo Wednesday night with Norwegian duo DATAROCK sharing the marquee. Honeycut are a unique band full of soulful lyrics and keyboard riffs, while being counter balanced by the loopy, hip-hoppy drums provided live via an MPC. And of course the rockin' presence they can't help but exude. And what do you get when you... more ›

How good is Oreskaband, the all-girl teenage Japanese ska band? They're so good that after two weeks of non-stop rocking blogging and partying at SXSW in Austin (highlighted by our first exposure to Oreskaband at their show at the Elysium), and after a stressful flight home, instead of taking a break from rock shows we landed in LA, unpacked, and hit the Knitting Factory to see our favorite new discovery play again at Japan... more ›

The first show sold out in a sneeze so if you're looking to spy a shake of the Sri Lankan sweetheart, you best be buying your tickets like nowsville. M.I.A. @ The Echo July 31, 2007 Buy tickets here.... more ›

Concert review in brief: The Ponys tore the roof off The Echo the other night. Photos by Tom Rippe for LAist: more photos of the Ponys and opening band Deerhunter, plus aural fulfillment after the jump...... more ›

We're being told that Beck is playing tonight at the Echo and it only cost $15. We are being told that if you follow this link that you will be able to get tickets. But every time we follow that link we are told that it's Sold Out. But then we are being told thru email, no there are tix, we swear. But then the door knocks and the pizza arrives and then we... more ›

Hey's its 4:20 which means... it's time for a video. PTBUTET plays tonight at the Echo in Echo Park, slowly becoming a weekly destination for fresh new music, of which this San Diego band is the epitome. Enjoy the jazz punk certain to irritate anyone over 23.... more ›