Scorching heat and long line issues aside (shouldn't we be used to this for festivals anyway?), our friends at FYF did not disappoint in 2010. With an amazing lineup featuring an indie rock dream roster, the entire day was a chaotic party of three stages, VIP tents, food trucks, Sailor Jerry rum drinks, and all the bands you could want to see. Per usual, the photo pits were packed, the fans were rabid, and the beer was cold. Highlights included Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti killing "Round and Round" while the entire crowd sang back-up, Big Freedia with her Azz (literally) Everywhere, and !!! being !!!, short-shorts and all. A day so good it might just hold us over until FYF's next big show at SXSW 2011. more ›

Earlier this month, the seventh annual FYF Fest took place at the LA State Historic Park near Chinatown, and while the numbers -- 37 bands across three stages with 17 comedians and an estimated 20,000 attendees -- are impressive, the consensus among many was how disorganized the event was, as exemplified by tweets like "FYF = fuck you fans fest," "Almost 3 hours to get into @FYFFEST = FAIL," "@FYFFEST is like a hipster concentration camp," "Hey @fyffest maybe you wouldn't run out of water if you let us bring some inside. It's only 95 degrees. Jus sayin'," and "Fuck lines fest more like @FYFFEST." more ›

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Tonight English-born American singer-songwriter, actress, and former stand-up comedian Nellie McKay will be performing Doris Day's songbook at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Prolific San Franciscan experimental garage rockers Thee Oh Sees are poised to headline KSCR Fest at USC's E.F. Hutton/Founders Park with none other than Eagle Rock-bred indie rock outfit Princeton (LAist Interview), LA-bred psych rock trio the Entrance Band and local blues-infused indie rock duo Rumspringa (LAist Review, #2, #3), among many others. And, lastly, Oakland-by-way-of-D.C. indie pop label Slumberland Records will be ringing in twenty some-odd years of its existence at the Echo with Boston-bred trio Pants Yell!, Melbourne-based sextet Summer Cats and local singer-songwriter Devon Williams, among many other label mates of course. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Walt Disney Concert Hall to catch critically-acclaimed French duo Air. Tulsa-bred singer-songwriter AM is slated to kick things off. more ›

Tonight Mazzy Star front woman Hope Sandoval will be headlining the Mayan Theatre in Downtown. St. Louis-based singer-songwriter Jay Farrar, a veteran of not one, but two critically-acclaimed outfits—Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt—and Washington-bred indie rock god Benjamin Gibbard, who presumably needs no introduction, will be translating Jack Kerouac's prose into song and verse (?!) at Largo at the Coronet. And, lastly, Tennessee-based country/rockabilly trio Those Darlins are poised to grace the Silver Lake Lounge with none other than the exemplary Australian indie rock act known as the Grates. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echo to catch San Franciscan experimental garage rockers Thee Oh Sees. Equally prolific San Francisco-based pysch-infused pop outfit the Fresh & Onlys are slated to kick things off. 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 ›

Since you'll probably be at the Wiltern tomorrow night catching Vampire Weekend, you might not feel compelled to catch Airborne Toxic Event's largest gig on their home turf thus far. The Smell in Downtown boasts a stellar, albeit relatively noisy, psych-infused lineup of San Francisco natives. But if you're not too keen on the idea of the dingy locale, then we suggest you head on over to the swanky confines of Tangier in Los Feliz for some low-key indie rock. The night kicks off early (8:30 p.m.) with a solo set from Angela Correa of Correatown, followed by the excessively sweet pop antics of Franklin for Short and, finally, Marcus Very Ordinary. more ›