Fires raged across Southern California for the second day in a row. Helicopters joined the effort as did a Boeing 747, according to NBC TV. Also, 250,000 San Diegans were told to evacuate their homes. LAist is on top of recent developments. Fires in the region always make me think of when NBC newscaster Chuck Henry reported on the forest fires in 2003. His news van caught on fire and he and his crew had......

Artist: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan + Gaudi Album: Dub Qawwali Label: Six Degrees Records Release Date: August 7th, 2007 I count myself incredibly fortunate to have seen Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan perform while he was still alive, this was back in 1990, at a little hamlet called Santa Barbara, a year or so after Martin Scorsese's Last Temptation of Christ came out, which featured Khan on the soundtrack. The essence of one......

New releases! Now newer every week!! We begin this installment with a boatload of terrifying and perplexing tribute records, followed by noteables in every genre, including some promising rock offerings, a vault of soundtracks, fancy cello-ing, and more Frankie Valli than you can shake a stick at. Tribute Various Artists - Bluegrass Tribute to Modest Mouse (CMH) Various Artists - Bluegrass Tribute to the Shins (CMH) Various Artists - Can You Bring It? Sing......

It might not always feel like it, but LAist loves its readers. We do this for you. So while we were t-p-ing your block, smashing pumpkins, changing the street signs, and defacing the letters on the Hollywood sign to spell "wood lol!", it dawned on us that we probably shouldn't still be doing liquid acid at our age on the dark hillsides of LA. And then we realized that we should be more "interactive"......

It never really feels like summer until I go to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. By that logic, summer begins tomorrow night, so pack your pic-a-nic basket and be there to usher in the new season with this bitchin’ bowl line-up. Tomorrow at the Bowl!! 7pm!! The legendary, electro retro future sounds of Massive Attack, and experimental, art rock, genre bending sweethearts, TV on the Radio (w/ Gang Gang Dance). Tickets are still......

You gotta admit that this summer LAist has held some pretty sweet contests. Right now we're iin the midst of a haiku contest for Vegoose in Vegas, and today we have something to offer you closer to home -- and close to the stage. How would you like four box seat tickets AND free parking AND four picnic baskets to one of the upcoming three shows at the world famous Hollywood Bowl? Just follow......

Did the 50 or so people, spread throughout the audience, plan this light saber spectacle for when John Williams brought out the Star Wars music at last night's Hollywood Bowl concert? It was especially funny when they started running through the aisles swinging those sabers. A few of the summer jobbing teenager aisle attendants were decapitated. Great show. John Williams is the man. But did anyone find it odd (yet, a little cute) that......

Concerts at the Hollywood Bowl have a way of becoming historic, if you ask us. Maybe it's the rich history, or the casual class of the whole place, or the handpicked and careful bookings that have pretty much only given us the best of the best of musical performers. One of the nicest charms of the Bowl is the freedom to bring your own picnic basket or small cooler, which makes up for the......

The Monday holiday makes it a very light week for new releases. Here are a few things that caught our eye.... Dave Alvin West of the West (Yep Roc) – This is a concept album about California from the former leader of the Blasters. All these songs were written by California songwriters (Alvin co-wrote one of the songs). He covers Merle Haggard, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Jerry Garcia, Tom Waits, The Beach Boys and......

We have many fond memories from Coachellas past, but right now we're totally jealous of that Lollapalooza lineup. Sunday tickets are sold out. You'll either have to buy a two-day pass or take your chances in the secondary market. Sunday 4/30 Tool (loads of pent up demand, but we haven’t thought about them in twelve years), Massive Attack (influential trip hop), Madonna (ugh), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (double ugh), Bloc Party (guilty pleasure, fun live......

The Flaming Lips At War with the Mystics (Warner Bros.) – As much as we loved The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots we're glad they're trying some new things on this one. While it's not as stylistically consistent as their other albums, there are enough quality songs to recommend it. Catch them live at the Hollywood Bowl on 7/23. Irving Death in the Garden, Blood on the Flowers (Eenie Meenie) –......

We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw this: Madonna -- Midge, the Material Girl, Esther -- is playing Coachella's second night (April 30). The rumors turned out to be true. She's making her first appearance at a festival. Ever. That night (in the Dance Tent), she's joining the likes of Massive Attack, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Sleater-Kinney. LAist was a bit stunned. It's kind of like seeing Phish in a Wango Tango lineup.......