Tonight Detroit-based soul singer Aretha Franklin, otherwise known as the "Queen of Soul," will be headlining the Hollywood Bowl. As always, local multi-instrumentalist/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Interview, #2, Review) is poised to jam with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. If you're into classic guitars used by legendary musicians (Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others), then head on out to Guitar Center in Hollywood to catch the Guitar Center Legends Collection & Vintage Road Show—open to the public for a mere two days. And, lastly, San Franciscan indie rockers Papercuts will be performing at the Echo with none other than Port O'Brien and Sam Champion guitarist Sean Bones (LAist Interview) in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Coliseum in Downtown to catch the 19th annual Electric Daisy Festival—the largest dance festival in North America, which could feature up to "200,000 dancing feet". LAist favorites Thievery Corporation are slated to headline day one. more ›

Tonight Grammy-nominated electro-pop act Shiny Toy Guns will be performing at Hard Rock Cafe at Universal City Walk for KROQ's Super Bowl Party. Local folk duo Alex & Sam (LAist Interview, Review) are slated to play Home Restaurant in Silver Lake. This week's edition of Part Time Punks at the Echo will be centralized around the Cure. And, lastly, Olympia's own underground rock king Calvin Johnson is set to rock out at the Smell with local singer-songwriter Devon Williams in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to see Highland Park-based indie-pop outfit Fol Chen, who will be accompanied by their contemporaries Light FM and Radars to the Sky (LAist Review, #2, #3). more ›

Now that the election is over with the show-going commences. Tonight we've got electro sensation-turned-dud the Faint playing at the Wiltern with LA-based noise rockers Mika Miko. And speaking of shoddy electro-pop, we've got Shiny Toy Guns performing a KROQ-related contest-only event at the Viper Room. And, lastly, Brooklyn-based rock quintet Apes & Androids will be stopping by Spaceland for CLUB NME. But Portland's own folk rockers Musee Mecanique will be playing at Bordello with LA locals EXITMUSIC, Xu Xu Fang and Voice On Tape. Go, go, go! more ›

The Venice Beach Drum Orchestra will play at the Spronto Gallery at 4 p.m. more ›

The Eagles, The Dixie Chicks @ Nokia Velvet Revolver @ Irvine Meadows (postponed due to wildfires. The show will take place Dec. 12 at the Gibson Amphitheatre. More info...) UNKLE @ Echoplex RBD @ Home Depot Center Cute Phase, Black Tie Dynasty @ Vertigos The Warlocks, The Meek, Magic Lantern @ Alex's Bar Babyland @ Spaceland Blonde Redhead @ House of Blues, Anaheim Uh Huh Her, X Ray Ok @ The Knitting Factory Monsters... more ›

6:45pm Track of the Cat (1954) TCM - Dear environmentalists, don't get your panties in a twist over this classic about some cattlemen tracking down a cougar that's been preying on their herd. Robert Mitchum is classically craggy, ooh, and there's a chance to see Alfalfa (from Our Gang) all growed up. 9:00pm Fat March ABC - I can't pass up a show called Fat March, especially since this week we get to watch... more ›

Tonight's a crazy night of rock. And yet, is there anything cooler than Morrissey playing the bowl tonight? Chris Cornell, Queens of the Stone Age, Sum 41, The Bravery, Plain White T's, Silversun Pickups, Shiny Toy Guns, Cold War Kids @ Seaside Park (Ventura) Grandmaster Melle Mel & Scorpio, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, Sugar Hill Gang, Stacey Q, Expose, Stevie B. @ Honda Center Morrissey @ The Hollywood Bowl Reverend Horton Heat,... more ›

We'll go ahead and use the obvious line here, because it's apt: the Stars were out on Tuesday night at The Roxy. While many were at The Roxy to see headliner Joseph Arthur, we were all hopped up to see our favorite not-yet-but-soon-to-be-big band that we saw a few years ago in Seattle and haven't been able to stop talking about since. The Stars of Track and Field woo you with their melodies, both... more ›

LAist thought it was going to be a cool night just seeing Shiny Toy Guns at Avalon on Thursday, but it turned out to be much more. more ›

We listen to a lot of music each week. Mostly new music because we have ADD and are bored by everything. Because we're saving the world we don't always have time to review all the new music we're listening to so on Fridays we do a brief summary of what's been booming from the iTunes. more ›

The best eurodisco tune to come out last year came from an LA band called Shiny Toy Guns. There's some guitar in there, keyboards, and a hot babe singer. The synthesizers and drum sound might make you think of 20 years ago, but don't ask Jeremy Dawson on keyboards if they're an '80s band.

Well, we’re not from the 80’s and we never got to experience that and have that as a reminiscent angle of songwriting. It’s a very common misconception that when you see or hear a synthesizer or technology in music, you call it 80’s or you call it dance music. That’s not the case at all. Our music is melodic, and during the decade of the 80’s melody was a very big deal. Now in this decade, melody again is a very big deal and bands are more and more going “okay, we’re a rock band, but it’s 2007, there’s all these machines, all this technology that we can take and implement into a four piece rock band”. - Anarchy Music

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... more ›

Bree McGuire, one of Buzznet's Content Editors, is surrounded by new music all day long. Buzznet was at dozens of music fests and events last year and is super tight with the emo superstars Fall Out Boy, which is why we were stoked that she agreed to tune us in to what she was tuned in to last year... more ›

Shiny Toy Guns are busy. The are rockstars by night, sure, but by day, they are embedded in the online community and blogosphere communicating with fans through MySpace (some argue their street cred here helped catapult them into a record deal with the Universal Music Group), Pure Volume and eMusic. This electronica/indie/dance band is a light show, a jump up and down with your friends, magic in the making type of experience. LAist had the opportunity to see them play at UCLA this past summer and have been following their growing success and popularity during 2006. They have been on the road incessantly, and even more impressive is to look at a list of where they're headed next. Talk about a never-ending road trip. more ›

Cat Power @ Orpheum Al Di Meola @ House of Blues Prodigy, Shiny Toy Guns, DJ Z-Trip, Sage Francis @ Orange Pavilion(3pm) T.S.O.L., Channel 3, The Crowd, Smut Peddlers @ Vault 350 Candye Kane @ Blue Cafe Billy Vera & the Beaters @ Cozy's Bar & Grill James Intveld @ Arcadia Blues Club Witchcraft, Green Jelly, Rosemary's Billygoat @ Safari Sam's Go Betty Go, The New Hotness, Dirty City Brothers @ The Scene The... more ›

Various - She Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool: A Tribute to Barbara Mandrell (BNA) more ›

FRIDAY more ›

• Spend a night out enjoying some Western Swing with Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys at Memories in Whittier. Dancing lessons begin at 7:30 PM and the band kicks off at 9 PM. Admission is $10 to see the band, or $13 if you want dancing lessons. more ›