This past Saturday, the Third Annual Manimal Festival was held at Pappy and Harriet's Palace in Pioneertown near Yucca Valley, with performances by Diva (BlackBlack, Pocahaunted), Halloween Swim Team, Religious Girls, Gangi, Kenneth Pattengale, Sister Crayon, Dreamtapes, Love Grenades, Dante vs. Zombies, Afghan Raiders, Papercranes, Swahili Blonde, Aska (Moonrats), The Like, Amanda Jo Williams, Juliette Commagere, St. Clair Board, TEARIST, and Jeffertiti's Nile. more ›

Last night, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, supported by Fool's Gold and Las Cafeteras, headlined a sold-out show at The Mayan, capping a memorable year for the local band that included performances at the Hammer Museum, the El Rey Theatre, the Abbot Kinney and Manimal Festivals, as well as KCRW's Halloween Masquerade Ball, and even . Though the set was marred by technical difficulties, frontman Alexander Ebert quickly MacGyvered solutions and several times jumped with wild abandon into the all-ages crowd. more ›

Earlier this month, local record label Manimal Vinyl (see our interview last year with its founder) held its 2nd Annual Manimal Festival at Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace. "In its second year, the two-day event showcases bands on Paul Beahan's record label... alongside musically bohemian peers," described Daiana Feuer from Papermag. "Manimal's experimental pop catalog -- which began most notably by releasing Bat For Lashes' record two years ago -- lends a unified voice to freak folk and its close cousins, many which are collected on yearly tribute albums to Madonna, The Cure, and in 2010, David Bowie. Manimal's focus mainly follows two streams: The ethereal, spooky soloist tradition [and] the dance beat, taking pop to strange outer space." more ›

On Friday night, The Damn Sons (MySpace), BlackBlack (MySpace), and The Like (MySpace) performed at the 6th St. Warehouse in Downtown LA. more ›

On Saturday night, local bands Xu Xu Fang (MySpace) and Film School (MySpace) performed at the Henry Fonda Theater, opening for the reunited Swervedriver (MySpace). more ›