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......

Kid Sister - "Pro Nails" Got my toes done up with my fingernails matchin Kid Sister, A-Trak & DJ Mehdi, Kavinsky, Cool Kids @ The Roxy Sunset Rubdown @ El Rey J.Lo & Marc Anthony @ Staples Dios Malos, The Movies, The Submarines, The Henry Clay People @ Little Radio Youth Brigade, Career Soldiers @ Safari Sam's Video Games Live @ Nokia Theater Rick Springfield @ House of Blues Anaheim Southern Culture on the......

Here's a Music Medley of some tunes from bands reviewed or highlighted here over the last couple months (some lyrics NSFW BTW): No Age - Every Artist Needs a Tragedy Caribou - Irene Five O' Clock Heroes - Head Games Bitter:sweet - Dirty Laundry (Skeewiff Remix) CINEMATIC: Classic Film Music Remixed - The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3 Main Title (Phillip Charles' Signs in Mallorca Rewerk) Shocking Pinks - Victims Sunset Rubdown - Colt......

Artist: Caribou Album: Andorra Label: Merge Records Release Date: August 21, 2007 Hey lookie folks, it's another solo project by a brilliant Canadian. Dan Snaith originally released his work as Manitoba until he ran afoul of the Dictators frontman, Handsome "Dick" Manitoba, and had to change his stage name to...... Caribou. While some of Caribou's first release, The Milk of Human Kindness, sounded somewhat electronica-light, Andorra certainly does not: this is raging full-on psychedelica. Is......

Artist: Sunset Rubdown Album: Random Spirit Lover Label: Jagjaguwar Release Date: October 9th, 2007 Sunset Rubdown is the brainchild of Spencer Krug, member of major indie band Wolf Parade, and seemingly half a dozen other outfits. Instead of the pseudo-dance rock of Wolf Parade, we have a much more lyrically-driven product in Sunset Rubdown. Krug's curious copious screeds are lengthy and complex, and run the gamut of fable-telling ("The Mending of the Gown") to nearly......

Sean Lennon @ The Roxy The Blood Brothers @ The El Rey The Nightwatchman, Buddy @ The Hotel Cafe Xiu Xiu, Sunset Rubdown @ The Troubadour The Prix, Radars to the Sky, Eagle & Talon @ Boardner's HDR, Anathema, Melotia, Conner, The Wandering Sons @ Viper Room Sasquatch, Smash Fashion, Dark Ages, Sweet Evil @ Silverlake Lounge 8mm, Wait Think Fast, Ezra Reich @ Spaceland Adult, Erase Eratta, @ Safari Sam's......

We hope everybody had a great time at Coachella. Really. Secret Machines is the pick of the week....... Mon 5/1 – Mark Olson & Gary Louris @ Troubadour ($25) – This should appeal to the y’Alternative / No Depression fans. The two main guys from the Jayhawks back together. Also at the Troubadour on Tuesday. Also on Mon - Sunset Rubdown @ the Echo. Tues 5/2 - The Brokedown / Tony Gilkyson @ Silverlake......