I am thankful for… Thanksgiving - even though I think it’s a stupid holiday, and I pretty much hate all the food associated with it - for giving me the opportunity to spend the day with family that I love and actually enjoy being around. I am thankful every day that I am able to make a living being creative and doing something I love. (Except for when I’m on strike) I am thankful......

Black Francis -- "Motorway to Roswell" -- Safari Sam's, 10/16/07......

On the last night of a short west coast tour to promote his ridiculously great new record Bluefinger, (review here) Charles Thompson the Third aka Frank Black aka Black Francis hit Safari Sam’s last night with a blistering hour-plus set comprised of the entire Bluefinger “rock opera”, and just a very few extra songs thrown in for good measure. The set was loose and blissfully raw. Like any good maestro, Black was talkative, and......

Charles Thompson hasn't recorded an album with the Pixies since 1991's Trompe le Monde, despite years of rumors. But Thompson, who led the trailblazing indie quartet under the pseudonym Black Francis (originally suggested by his father), recorded roughly one album per year since the Pixies' 1993 break up as Frank Black. This summer he put a cap on Frank Black with the 32-track 93-03 compilation. And now, Black Francis is back. Touring behind the edgy,......

Artist: Black Francis Album: Bluefinger Label: Cooking Vinyl Release Date: September 11, 2007 Earlier this year Frank Black went into the studio to record one new song for a best of retrospective. Possessed by the spirit of Dutch junkie/artist/pianist Herman Brood, he emerged with an entire album, and a name change. For those of you who have been keeping your fingers crossed waiting for a new Pixies album, this is the record you’ve been......

As a music collector, I’ve always salivated over the concept of The Lost Album. I’ve scoured endless record stores searching for that elusive bootleg of Homegrown - the scrapped Neil Young album, or the lost Brian Eno-produced Television demos, or the abandoned Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan album. (they laid down 15 songs in 2 days back in 1969) Volumes have been written documenting the almost-creation of never-to-be masterpieces such as The Who’s Lifehouse or The......

It's closing time all around the city. Just a few hours ago LAist wrapped up its monthly meeting and so much was accomplished, so many pitchers of Stella were drained, so many cheese fries and chicken wings, and Ye Rustic revelers satisfied. So since we're winding down and settling back into our homes and soon our beds, here are a few videos that mention our fair city to help you drift off to your......

"Danielson: A Family Movie" Laemmle Grande 4-Plex, 345 Figueroa Street, Downtown LA special engagement, showing thru Thursday You're doing ok when you've got Steve Albini inviting you to a rock festival that he's curating. You're doing ok when you're straightforwardly hurling your Christian agenda on a cynical young hipster crowd and they can only stand and watch and smile, in awe, and think of David Byrne and Frank Black, and how the Polyphonic Spree......

Tenacious D @ Gibson Frank Black @ House of Blues Sepultura @ Vault 350 Julieta Venegas @ Wiltern The Slits @ The Troubadour MF Doom, Madlib @ El Rey The Mutaytor, Stolen Babies @ Henry Fonda Midnight Movies, The Willowz @ Spaceland Jon Brion @ Largo The Fucking Ocean @ El Cid Golden State, Scissors for Lefty @ Viper Silent Meow, Beatmo, Dollyrots, Last Action Heroes @ Lava Lounge Have Another Monkey, Jeremy Buck......

There are a lot of great musical choices today -- from George Benson and his buddy Al Jarreau at the Bowl, to the Foo Fighters with Frank Black at the Pantages, or the unforgetable Sally Kellerman at Genghis Cohen; but this Spring there was even more competition for your rocknroll attention and the mighthy and powerful Bellrays came out on top. 1,200 bands were in Austin and tonight's middle band at the Wiltern rocked......

Kill Hannah, Matt & Kim, Rocket @ Safari Sam's Jennifer Glass (pictured) @ Hotel Cafe Pete Yorn @ Roxy Leroy Powell @ Viper Room Go Betty Go, Northern, Pop Kids @ Key Club Solare 3, Drew Gasperini @ The Derby Stars of Track & Field @ Spaceland Jill Sobule, Julia Sweeney @ Largo Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower @ Troubadour The Triggers, Society's Parasites @ Echo False Containment, 2ND, Azrael's Bane @......

Dear LAist, OMG AMANDA FROM ROCKETBOOM IS MOVING HERE AND I KNOW WHERE TO SEND A ROAD TRIP CD MIX AND I KNOW WHAT TO PUT ON THE CD BUT I'M MISSING A KEY TRACK OR TWO CAN YOU HELP ME? signed, Jason Dear Jason, Frank Black's "Los Angeles", definitely. If you put "L.A. Woman" on there you're a douche. You may consider Jane's Addiction's "Pigs in Zen", but you will do yourself right......

If you like music and books, you may have noticed the 33 1/3 series. They're pocket-sized paperbacks that celebrate "much-loved" albums of the last 40 years. Each book is about one record, and they look at the people who make the music as much as musing on the music itself. On Saturday, local popculturenista Kim Cooper (Scram, the 1947 Project) will be joined by NYer Ben Sisario to read from their new 33 1/3......