Google produced its second ever animated Google doodle (the first was for Charlie Chaplin) with an exuberant one-minute thirty-eight-second piece for Freddie Mercury. The Queen frontman would have been 65 today. more ›

16-year-old Natalie Innocenzi from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy became the 92nd Rose Queen, officials with Tournament of Roses announced this morning. 1,000 girls tried out with only seven making it to the Royal Court. Innocenzi will ride on the Macy's Float during the festivities on New Year's Day. more ›

In the past LAPD Chief William Bratton was rumored to be a top candidate to take over Scotland Yard. He denied that and he's still here serving Los Angeles today. However, today Her Majesty awarded him with the honorary title Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his work to promote cooperation between the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) police, both before and during his service with LAPD. more ›

"At one time, prom may have been a big popularity contest where the best-looking guy or girl were crowned king and queen. Things have changed and it's no longer just about who has the most friends or who wears the coolest clothes," said Sergio Garcia, who beat out girls to be this year's prom queen, in his campaign to become prom queen, something he said was more of a stunt in the first place. "Sure, I'm not your typical prom queen candidate. There's more to me than meets the eye." At the prom, he'll be wearing a suit. more ›

December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. But this year, just like the last, we took this opportunity to flip that tradition upside down, asking the artists that influenced us what influenced them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008. more ›

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Back in 1996, Mary J. Blige provided vocals to the hook of "Can't Knock the Hustle," the second single off of Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt. 12 years, 12 Grammys and 70 million records sold later, Jigga Man and MJB are back at it again, co-headlining 25 shows across North America. more ›

Okay, so Long Beach doesn't pack the same exotic pull as, oh, say, Rio, but they're going to put on a Carnaval and pull out all the stops. Get out your Carnaval costumes and get ready to samba the night away! This year’s theme is “Preservation of the Planet” featuring green and recycled decorations. At the heart of the 2008 celebration is renowned Bahiana Dandara, musicians performing vibrant and energetic Carnaval beats. Music and bare booties abound! more ›

Photo by Here in Van Nuys via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr more ›

You know you want to...so you may as well do it. Star Trek: The Tour has docked on the Queen Mary. Beam yourself up and get yourself to Long Beach to see exhibits from all five TV shows and each of the 10 movies, including Captain Kirk's chair. Bring your Vulcun ears and your Klingon-English dictionary and get into whatever character, or warp speed, you want. more ›

Forget the pageantry and regal demeanor of the Rose Parade, the 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is the ultimate antidote. Billed as being the loud and irreverent twister sister of the aforementioned annual march down Colorado Boulevard, the parade promises to "send up a woolly range of mischiefs, grounded superheroes, political pundits, homegrown satirists, art car inventors, and other bohemian frolickers." more ›

The Pasadena Star-News is looking for you. Or if there are problems to rant about in general throughout the SGV, then the San Gabriel Valley Tribune might be where you go. Or hey, same goes for Whittier and the Whittier Daily News. "It's a new year and we are on the lookout for letters to the editor. If you have a person that wants to write one, or is expressing an opinion on an article or photo, direct them to write a letter to editor..." That's Mickie of Mickie's Zoo talking. She's a professional belly dancer (swords are her specialty), a singer in a rock band and a full-time journalist. She also has been crowned the Queen of the 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade that will take place on January 20th. more ›

Here is a self-portrait of Watt braving the frigid January waters off of San Pedro in the 37th annual Cabrillo Beach Polar Bears Plunge on New Year's day. more ›

Don't forget to donate to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund this month, because you should, and for a chance to win their latest fun gift: a special, one of a kind silk-screened Clash T-shirt designed by bassist Paul Simonon (now of The Good, The Bad, and The Queen). The shirt goes to one lucky person who donates at least $20 to the charity between January 15th and February 26th. Simonon designed most of the band's look, and this is an original, 1977 era "Security" T-shirt. The shirt's cred is upped one further by the fact that its original owner was Patti Smith, who gave it to her drummer, Jay Dee Daugherty, who in turn donated it to Sweet Relief. Find out how to donate at Sweet Relief's website or myspace. more ›

Love it or hate it, tonight's New Year's Eve. And while half of the city has vacated for NYE's in Vegas, there's plenty to do right here in LA to welcome '08. more ›

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OOOwww! Good evening Los Angeles! Wooo! How you all fee-ull? more ›

I've always been intrigued by other "best of" lists, but this year I decided to take it to a whole new level. I e-mailed a handful of bands that I've seen this past year in order to unearth what exactly captivated them in '07. As music listeners, it is our duty to take a keen interest in our favorite musician's influences. After all, they rocked our little world, might as well see what rocked their little world. Therefore, this is an act of paying it forward to those hardworking, underpaid musicians who truly made a difference within the music scene this year. more ›

Whispertown 2000, Michael Runion, Franklin for Short @ Tangier more ›

New Jersey singer/songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs (MySpace), whose song "Fuck Was I" was on , is arguably best known for her connection with the controversial and self-described "Queen of All Media" Perez Hilton, whose championing of her music led to visits on her MySpace page reportedly leaping from 2,000 plays a day to a whopping 60,000. more ›

Natalia Fabia tackles the world’s oldest profession in her fun solo exhibit Hooker Safari: A Glamorous Jungle Pageant. Giving new meaning to the term “wildlife”, her oil on panel paintings depict frequently tatted babes in various scenarios alongside safari animals. more ›

Judges, Queen Hopefuls, and ALL the Doo Dah Parade Entries! more ›

SONICS - The Witch &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/16 The Witch.mp3"> CREAM - Strange Brew &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/Cream - Strange Brew.mp3"> DONOVAN - Season of the Witch &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/Donovan - Season Of The Witch.mp3"> KINKS - Wicked Annabella &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/Kinks - Wicked Annabella.mp3"> SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS - I Put A Spell On You &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/Screamin' Jay Hawkins_Choice Rock Cuts_09_I Put A Spell On You.mp3"> FUNKADELIC - March To The Witch's Castle &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/03 March to the Witch's Castle.mp3"> LEON REDBONE - Witch Queen of... more ›

Red Hen Press poets read their work 8pm @ Boston Court Main Stage, Pasadena more ›

These days, the Roosevelt Hotel is all about partying. After the painstaking restoration of its Spanish-Moorish lobby, with its hand painted beams, tiled floors and leaded glass windows, the hotel is home to the Tropicana Bar, where guests get in free till 9pm (How generous!) and long lines develop of the young and the beautiful. They don't hold a candle to the older residents of the hotel though. The Roosevelt is rumored to be haunted. Not just haunted either, but lousy with ghosts. more ›

Let's start over, shall we? Disney is investing $1.1 billion into California (Mis)adventure, the ghost town of an amusement park next to Disneyland. The Rose Queen for the Pasadena Rose Parade was announced this morning and her name is Dusty. We just love that name for a girl. Staring now, there is no excuse for anyone of any age to ever go "I don't get blogging." The world's oldest blogger celebrated her birthday this... more ›

Tomorrow morning at 10am, all these sweet concerts will go on sale except for Queen Latifah which will go on sale at noon. You're welcome Bjork, Ratatat @ Nokia Theater, 12/12 Ozzy, Rob Zombie @ Staples, 11/30 ZZ Top @ The Greek, 11/9 Queen Latifah @ Royce Hall, 11/21 Puffy AmiYumi @ House of Blues, Anaheim, 11/18 Deborah Harry @ Henry Fonda, 12/7 Lamb of God & Killswitch Engage @ Long Beach Arena, 12/15... more ›

It's a strong weekend for new releases. After a long break, Jim Gray is back in the director's chair with We Own the Night. Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix star as brothers on opposite sides of the law. Reviews have been 50/50, but critics were equally blase about Gray's last flick, The Yards, which I loved. Cate Blanchett is back as Queen Elizabeth in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Reviews have been weaker than those... more ›

So is anyone NOT buying Knocked Up this week? There's something like 5 different versions in Amazon's top 25 bestsellers right now. Wow. The TV Set is a great movie that about 400 people saw when it was in theaters. I had a near-private screening one afternoon at the Santa Monica Laemmle. Next is really only interesting if you're a Nicholas Cage hairpiece connoisseur (like myself). Evening has an incredibly raunchy nude scene with... more ›

There was an urban legend floating around after 9/11 that certain songs were banned from radio airplay, including the classic, "What a Wonderful World." Somehow the following song is not only eerily prophetic, but sums up the arc of my emotions. The opening riff seems relaxing, but is fraught with droning tension. The lyrics lead us into an awareness of the mass confusion and ennui that surround us all. The song builds to a crescendo of pain before demanding release. And that release can only come through love, as the tension slows to a heartbeat. more ›