Adam Fleischman has not been shy about his wish to expand UMAMI Burger in a big way, but for his next L.A. foodventure, he's taking on the iconic deli with UMAMIcatessen. The 170-seat table-service restaurant located inside the historic Orpheum theatre will have a full bar, and five different kitchens executing food concepts from chefs from all around the country. 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 ›

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 ›

Your sleepless nights of anxiously awaiting an official announcement are over. After a plethora of postponements, swirling rumors and premature prattle, the 2009 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival roster is finally here. more ›

Tonight Chicago-based pop punk outfit Alkaline Trio will be coming through the Keyclub in Hollywood. The Hotel Café is hosting the final night of its "ho-ho-tel 2008" holiday extravaganza with singer-songwriter types like Brother Sal (LAist Review). The Eagle Rock Bowling & Drinking Club will be throwing a Holiday Party at All Star Lanes with a handful of great local acts, including Wait.Think.Fast. In a strained effort to make up for last night's botched bill, KROQ has booked an indie-centric line-up that would sate your average music lover. Night two of Almost Acoustic Christmas will be headlined by the Cure, Death Cab For Cutie (LAist Review), Franz Ferdinand and Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4). And, lastly, Lawrence-based experimental rockers Baby Birds Don't Drink Milk will be performing at Echo Curio. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echoplex for the Midnight Mission Benefit. Earlimart front man Aaron Espinoza will be joined by Rilo Kiley's Pierre De Reeder (LAist Review) for a great cause. more ›

After a great start to the festival with a outstanding first day filled with solid performances from REM and MIA, day two continued picked up right where it left off the night before, rain and all. Luckily the rain subsided just before the first acts of the started and gave way to some beautiful weather that lasted throughout the day. more ›

We're four months out from the official start of the 2008 Hollywood Bowl Season and the schedule is nearly complete. Single tickets won't go on sale for a couple months but the Bowl is offering 16 different series packages, each containing 3-5 genre-specific performances. more ›

KITSCH: The Charles Phoenix Holiday Jubilee returns to REDCAT for the next four evenings. LA kitsch expert Charles Phoenix brings together an evening of live comedy, including the Bob Baker Marionettes, roller rink organist Dominic Cangelosi and a few other surprises. The entertainment's all in combination with his "Retro Holiday Slide Show," comprised of slides he found at area thrift shops and flea markets. more ›

Artist: The Shout Out Louds Album: Tonight I Have To Leave It (EP) Release Date: July 2007 Label: Merge Records If you missed the Shout Out Louds at the El Rey during their whirlwind pass through LA in mid-July you should definitely check out the EP they were touring to support. Basically the release is a glorified CD single with 3 versions of 'Tonight I Have To Leave It' (including a Russian Futurists remix,... more ›

In honor of today's guest editor, here are some songs about trains. And one about a bus. And one about a bike. And one sung by Michelle Pfeiffer. Think of it as a musical love letter to all things transport. The Bees (U.S.) - Catch Yer Own Train &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://andysternberg.com/laist/06 Catch Yer Own Train.mp3"> Bob Dylan - It Takes a Lot to Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://andysternberg.com/laist/03 It Takes a Lot to... more ›

Further proving my theory that Swedish pop will eventually show us the way to world peace, every brand, make, and model of human being showed up for the Shout Out Louds at the El Rey on Thursday night. The stage looked fancy and nautical with clothesline-esque flags hanging about. Charming, though not big on banter, the heavily accented ensemble played straight through their set, stopping briefly to mention they were from Stockholm and that... more ›

LA's airwaves have been blessed with legendary personalities over the years - Chick Hearn, Vin Scully, Jim Ladd, and Rodney on the Roq just to name a few. Just as important was Richard Blade who for decades educated LA over KROQ's air by spreading the good news of Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Duran Duran, The Cure and so many of our favorites from the '80s when KROQ ruled the world. His "Flashback Lunch" hour... more ›

American Idol was only an hour and seven minutes tonight, which we think meant shorter songs clips and shorter packaged coaching segments with guest judge Gwen Stefani. And the shorter show was just fine with us because (1) most of these “Top 10” singers are good -- but they’re not great; (2) while the song choices were better than last week’s British Invasion, they were ripped right from the Adult Contemporary radio station playlists... more ›

An afternoon pick-me-up for your post-party let down… more ›

Master Slave, The High Violets, Black Tales, Lady Sinatra @ Silverlake Lounge
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We know there is real news going on like Gov. Schwarzeneggar's less than pleasant visit to Santa Monica College yesterday and that we're going to have another special election in the fall. There are also those pesky memos that keep showing up in British newspapers but we can't be bothered with such matters when Napster2Go has delivered their "He Beat It - Michael Jackson Gets Off" playlist. more ›

Okay, okay. So maybe it's time to stop listening to The Cure in a darkened room and move on. We lost, fair and square this time. Maybe we were too hopeful. Maybe we didn't work hard enough. Maybe it just wasn't supposed to be this time. Whatever the reason, we're all disappointed and we have to deal with it. more ›