Photo courtesy of Polyfoto via Flickr You know its officially summer when the Hollywood Bowl schedule is in full swing and your local Whole Foods boast empty shelves of wine and cheese. Yes, the sun is out later and perfect temperatures always serve as a pleasant compliment to any night of music, but that isn’t to say that there’s nothing going on in your favorite sweaty rock venue. July happens to be a jam-packed month,......

LAist has had a regular column about television for almost two years now - we're not saying it's a good column, but it's been very regular, which is something to think about as you get older. While Los Angeles has been a mecca of film for the last 75 years or so the migration of TV production to Los Angeles didn't really begin until 50 years ago. For the most part, TV, like radio, started......

The TV Junkie is in New York City and will be at the above SNL taping! Tonight 9:00pm Miss USA NBC - Donnie and Marie host the event, if only they would make out like in that SNL sketch 10:00pm Battlestar Galactica SCIFI - Nerds and those with inner nerds rejoice! [I count myself in both demographics]......

Last August, Aimee Mann, Joan Osborne, Rob Laufer, Ian Ball from Gomez, and Al Jorgensen joined Cheap Trick and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra to recreate Sgt. Peppers on it's 40th Anniversary. They'll do it again June 28th. We're four months out from the official start of the 2008 Hollywood Bowl Season and the schedule is nearly complete. Single tickets won't go on sale for a couple months but the Bowl is offering 16 different......

The LA Times reports that local indie stalwarts Dim Mak Records has made a deal with Downtown Music (Gnarls Barkley, Cold War Kids, Art Brut, Justice) in which Dim Mak will continue to discover and develop new artists, and Downtown will give them that boost in distribution and promotion that Dim Mak has never been fortunate enough to be able to offer. Sounds like a deal that could make everyone happy. Founded by well-known local......

Summer has passed and acts such as Suzanne Vega, Tegan and Sara, M.I.A., Spoon, and Rilo Kiley have reclaimed the spotlight after significant hiatuses, but the year is far from over. It’s now time to look forward to albums on the horizon that look like winners already: 21. In Our Bedroom After the War – Stars: The popular Canadian indie outfit is poised to take America by storm. (Release date: September 25) 20. As......

Here is a mix of tunes by bands that were mentioned in LAist in July of 2007: Powered by Podbean.com the Dwarves - Detention Girl (Anti interviewed Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves) Snoop Dogg - Beautiful (Anti reviewed Snoop's show) Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (Paul Dateh plays violin on 'Crazy' interviewed by Tony Pierce) Spoon - Infinite Pet (concert previewed by Michele Reverte and reviewed by Joey Maloney) Interpol - Slow Hands (CD review......

The Fresh - "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley Marina del Rey Summer Symphony @ Burton W. Chace Park Ten Years After @ The Canyon Bob Dylan @ Pacific Amphitheatre Lyle Lovett, k.d. lang @ Greek Theatre Chris Trapper, Craig Range, The Fresh @ Genghis Cohen Jesca Hoop, Laura Jansen, Lissie @ The Hotel Cafe Kiss or Kill @ Alex's Bar Bodies of Water @ Pershing Square The Whirling Dervish, Matador, Guppies @ Relax Bar Sea......

Paul Dateh & inka one We saw this video on several blogs last week and loved it. Militant Angeleno's blog was one place we saw it. So we had to find out more about Paul Dateh, because seriously, play that video for one full minute and tell us that you didn't want to learn more about him. From reading through his Myspace, we learned that Paul is from LA, he's been around for a......

At LAist we've had some pretty cool contests over the year. We have given away box seats to the 'Bowl (including parking and picnic baskets), we gave away New Year's Eve tickets to see the Flaming Lips and Gnarls Barkley, we gave away tickets to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers play at the Roxy, and last week we gave away hella cds and one lucky winner will get to see a Luscious Jackson......

Before the hand strikes twelve tonight, you might want to check out the current iTunes Free Download Single of the Week. The song, Herculean. The band, The Good, the Bad and the Queen. Their self-titled debut album released a week ago and while you may have not heard the band, you've heard the players. Blur's front man Damon Albarn leads the project and Danger Mouse produces (in real life, his name is Brian Joseph......

Beyonce continues to bully the charts. And far too many people think that buying Kenny G CDs is an appropriate use of money. I know we can do better than this. Here to make miserable your otherwise sunny day is a list of this week’s Billboard No.1s. Below is the short list. More good news after the jump... Billboard Charts Issue Date: January 27, 2007 The Billboard 200 - Dreamgirls:Soundtrack The Billboard Hot 100......

c l i c k__f o r__ v i d e o Another day, another do-wop. Beyonce continues to dominate, so this week I’ve gone ahead and given her a category of her own. Below, are the number ones for the week. Billboard Charts Issue Date: January 20, 2007 No. 1 - Beyonce The Billboard 200 - Dreamgirls:Soundtrack The Billboard Hot 100 - Irreplaceable:Beyonce Hot 100 Airplay - Irreplaceable:Beyonce Hot Digital Tracks - Irreplaceable......

LAist is proud to begin offering a weekly, chart roundup of Billboard Magazine’s most coveted rankings. Join us as we revel in the conventional standard of musical success. Let us cross our fingers, hoist our lighters, and dream together of the supreme resurrection of artist-driven recordings that will forever eclipse the dark cloud of big label greed, A&R sleaze and disposable audio. Amen. Here are this week’s chart toppers. Behold the #1’s. Billboard Charts......

How to celebrate the New Year? With sexy aliens and hyper Santa Clauses (including LisaNova as Dalmation Benjamin Franklin) sandwiching The Flaming Lips on stage. With Gnarls Barkley singing Crazy in a jumpsuit. With Cat Power. The balloons (see the video below), the space ship, the aural atmosphere. A good year to begin 2007.......

If there's one night you really have to dig down and pony up for the rock it's New Years Eve. Don't ask us why. So today we will put the ticket prices next to each event so you don't get sticker shock when you make your last minute plans. Although the best value appears to be down in the OC, factor in 1) you have to go behind the orange curtain 2) you better......

Why is this LAist reader smiling? Maybe it's because she's going to the Flaming Lips + Gnarls Barkley + Cat Power show tonight at the spanking brand new Galen Center at USC. And she won the sweet new dvd 40 Bands 80 Minutes about the punk rock fest that went down at Il Corral this year. And she won the hilarious new dvd of stand up comedy by Pablo Francisco "Ouch - Live From......

It's not really a dance video, but it's hilarious, and not only did LAist consider it a nominee, but the people came out en masse to help it win the contest in what can only be called a landslide. Joseph Thai, whoever you are, reply back to the email we sent you and claim your amazing prize for this hidden gem. Enjoy your bag! Time magazine totally wimped out by naming "you" the Person......

Didn't get everything you wanted over the holidays? We're having two contests with prizes that might tickle your fancy. First, we'd like to give you Goddess Gwen in the flesh, but we are keeping her for ourselves. Instead, we are giving away an entire bag full of Gwen goods - everything pictured above. For that contest, all you have to do is go to a site like YouTube, Google Video, or Buzznet and show......

The Delta Spirit @ Spaceland (free) Bright Light Fever @ Safari Sam's Ioma, Gabriel's Falling, Moxie Tribe, 4 Star Tribe @ Viper The Hellzaboppers @ Joe's Great American Bar & Grill Matu, The Elevaters, Shakespeare, Solomon Cole @ Temple Bar Digital Fridge, Echoes of a Boundless Life, Cat Fur @ The Scene Plastic Fate, How I Became Invisible, Natasha Lewis @ Cat Club Coming up... Wed: Los Lobos @ House of Blues Fri &......

Before we announce the new Flaming Lips / Gnarls Barkley (pictured) / Cat Power ticket giveaway concert for the Dec 31 show at the Galen Center at USC... we should congratulate the winners of the last giveaway. Congratulations Annie, Christina, and Helen! OK now we proudly present our newest contest - there will be one winner who will get two tickets to the Lips/Barkley/Power show, but this winner will also get a cd sixpack......

OK so last night's Colbert/Decembrist Green Screen thing wasn't such a great premise but the line-up was incredible. Due to non-existent new programming somebody here suggested that I occupy my time with porn, but this is the TV Junkie spot, not the Porn Junkie spot, I'm not sure that the LAist editorial staff want that to happen yet, and no one has stepped forward to start supplying me with said porn yet either --......

Just a little reminder, in case you don't scour our archives or come here every hour (for which we forgive you). We're having two contests right now. First, we'd like to give you Goddess Gwen in the flesh, but we are keeping her for ourselves. Instead, we are giving away an entire bag full of Gwen goods - everything pictured above. For that contest, all you have to do is link to a YouTube......

We think Morningwood's "Nth Degree" is a catchy song and we love the lead singer Chantal's attitude. Did you see her on Letterman? Man! She is part rock n' roller, part what-you-see-is-what-you-get, and a great live performer. Now, best of all, has left NYC to habitate with us in our fair city. So LAist is proud to present Chantal's top 10 CD's of 2006: 1. Morningwood, Morningwood (umm, do I need to explain why......

LAist has had a great year and we've tried to share some of that with you. We've given away box seats to some Hollywood Bowl shows that included picnic baskets and free parking, we've given away tickets to Vegoose, the Dixie Chicks, and we even got a bunch of people into that secret Red Hot Chili Peppers gig... and those were only some of our contests. Today we are giving away a super cool......

Because you really can't get too much of a good thing, the good people of Goldenvoice announced last night that this year's hugely successful Coachella music and arts festival will grow to a three-day-and-night affair on the sprawling polo fields in Indio outside Palm Springs. The Miracle Mile concert promoters also announced that the weekend after Coachella they will throw a two-day country festival that will include stages for alt-country, bluegrass, and even storytelling.......

From the LA based comedy band, The Fresh, that brought you the song - MySpace (video of that song after the jump) and The Craigslist Collection, Pt. 1. They played Hotel Cafe a week and a half ago and brought out this spectacular. Via Gothamist's Jen Carlson [Daily Refill]......

She's hot, she can sing, she can dance, and she's not married to KFed. Smartest move Christina Aguilera ever did was pull a full 180 on the trainwreck which once was her rival, Britney Spears, by doing something that Brit can't do right now: slink into a tight little dress and belt out classy hit after classy hit. On a double album... while still being a diva with that platinum 'do and those ridiculously......

1. Thom Yorke - Eraser 2. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations 3. Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers 4. Peaches - Impeach My Bush 5. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere 6. Wolfmother - Wolfmother 7. Sufjan Stevens - Avalanche - Outtakes 8. Johnny Cash - American V: Hundred Highways 9. Cut Chemist - Audience's Listening 10. Zero 7 - Garden 11. MSTRKRFT - Looks 12. Bronx - Bronx 13. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped......

Tonight: Tom Jones @ Hollywood Bowl Raconteurs @ Wiltern Brian Bell @ Whiskey Freedy Johnston @ McCabes PM Dawn @ The Joint Ninja Academy, XO @ CIA Saturday: Paul Oakenfold, The Crystal Method - Giant Village @ Downtown Slick Rick @ Viper Room Slayer @ Long Beach Arena Tom Jones @ Hollywood Bowl Blue Cheer @ Key Club Rusted Root @ House of Blues Imperial Teen @ Knitting Factory Velvet Revolver @ Pacific Amphitheatre......