Tonight British alternative rockers the Charlatans will be performing for free, in-store at Amoeba Music in Hollywood (Canceled!). Los Feliz-bred Top 40 maestros the Airborne Toxic Event are poised to headline the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre with none other than the Calder Quartet. And, lastly, French/Finnish indie pop duo the Dø will be gracing the Bootleg Theater. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Hollywood Palladium to catch critically-acclaimed British indie rock outfit the XX. LAist favorites, local indie rockers Warpaint (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4, #5) and Phoenix-based goth-infused electro act Zola Jesus are slated to kick things off. more ›

This week critically-acclaimed British indie rock outfit the XX will be headlining the Hollywood Palladium with none other than local indie rockers Warpaint (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4, #5) and Phoenix-based goth-infused electro act Zola Jesus in tow. more ›

The second edition of last weekend's sold-out LA Street Food Fest (see previous LAist coverage) may be but a distant memory, but with many of the thousands of attendees wielding cameras, there is an abundance of content to wade through. Besides the vendors outside and inside the Rose Bowl, there was Unique LA's Marketplace as well as live performances from DJ Bryan Davidson and LAist favorites The Deadly Syndrome and Warpaint. more ›

This past weekend, Pasadena was not only host to the Annual Chalk Festival, but the 3rd annual Make Music Pasadena (see LAist's coverage of the inaugural edition). We checked out a sampling of the over 50 performances across town, with a focus on local artists: Big Whup at Vroman's Bookstore, Franki Chan and Warpaint at the Main Stage, and Eliza Rickman and Jessica Fichot at Alliance Française. more ›

The xx, one of the big hype bands of the year, made their second showing in SoCal in less than three months at the Wiltern Theater on June 6th. After a breakout Coachella (and every summer festival for that matter) performance, the band returned with, well - nearly the same set. Being that they only have one album, an album that has been met with nearly universal acclaim, it is hard to knock them for this. The interplay between singer Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim is a thing of beauty, their voices weaving in and out of each other. Lyrics filled with heartbreak, love, lost love and heartbreak again set against a minimalistic soundscape of guitar, bass and drum machine makes it all a very atmospheric and esoteric affair. more ›

Tonight Rhode Island-based rapper and spoke word artist Sage Francis will be taking on the El Rey Theatre in support of his fourth studio album and his first with ANTI- Records—2010's Li(fe). San Franciscan folk rockers Vetiver are poised to take on Spaceland. And, lastly, Danish electro-infused soul duo Quadron, who are touring in support of their self-titled debut, will be performing one last time here in Los Angeles at Amoeba Music in Hollyweird. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Wiltern to catch critically-acclaimed British indie rock outfit the XX. LAist favorites, NY's latest buzz band, electro-infused rock duo Phantogram (LAist Review) are slated to kick things off. more ›

Tonight British indie rock outfit the XX will be performing to a sold-out crowd at the Henry Fonda Music Box with none other than NY's latest buzz band, electro-infused rock duo Phantogram (LAist Review). Austin-based indie rock mainstays Spoon (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) are poised to take part in the 2010 KROQ Weenie Roast, which boasts a bevy of heavy hitters, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. And, lastly, Boston-bred heavy rock progenitors Isis (LAist Interview) will, unfortunately, be calling it quits after some thirteen consecutive years with their head to the grindstone. Their final West Coast show, which is completely sold-out, takes place tonight at the Troubadour in West Hollyweird. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Bootleg Theater to catch Silver Lake's own indie rock sensation Local Natives (LAist Interview, Review, #2). LAist favorites, local indie rock act Voxhaul Broadcast and indie folk outfit Marvelous Toy are slated to perform as well. more ›

With so many bands playing, the breadth of Coachella’s line-up can be a curse as well as a blessing. It forces the fans to make a choice between potentially up to 5 acts they may all love. Unfortunately, I have been faced with decisions such as Them Crooked Vultures or Grizzly Bear, Dead Weather/MGMT or Muse, and on Sunday Phoenix/Thom Yorke or Pavement/Gorillaz. Most of these decisions have essentially been an old favorite vs. a curious desire to see a different band. So far, the old favorites are up 2-0. more ›

Ok, party people. I've got two words for you: Superchunk (and) Hole. Showing the new kids how things are done, both bands rocked the house in their entirety. Even Courtney declaring, midway through her 1 am set, “Listen, folks. I’m an elderly person. It’s 1:30 in the morning. I just want to get my blow job on and go to bed,” couldn’t detract from her screaming through a ballsy rendition of a "Doll Parts." And Superchunk’s energy was so frenetic that it instantly brought me back to their three-night run at the Fillmore over 10 years ago, with Mac’s bounce as pogo-y as ever. As for bands I haven’t followed for a decade or more, French Miami, An Horse, Bear Hands, and Rumspringa all pulled me in from the street for an enjoyable listen. Surfer Blood, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and the xx all gave good performances and rounded out my Friday at SXSW - don’t forget to check out Molly Bergen’s recap for a more in-depth perusal of the good, the bad, and the downright ridiculous. As for me, I’ve got to get to GWAR. Pics to follow - if I survive it, that is. more ›

First of all, it’s more madness this time around than I remembered. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and lamer and my half-Irish liver can’t quite swing St. Patrick’s Day with as much gusto as it once did. Or maybe it’s because Molly and I, in an effort to bring recommendations, recap, and (SXSW) reality to those of you who couldn’t make it this year are trying to see as many bands as humanly possible each 24 hour period. more ›

Tonight Maine-bred folk singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne will be continuing a three-night stint at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown with LAist favorite, Illinois-based alternative country singer-songwriter Lissie. As mentioned previously, South Carolina-by-way-of-Seattle folk rockers Band of Horses are poised to headline the Avalon with none other than local indie rock outfit Sea Wolf (LAist Interview, Review, #2, #3), as well as a bevy of of other great musicians, to benefit the Pablove Foundation. And, lastly, Swedish indie rockers Peter Bjorn and John (LAist Review, #2) will be taking on Club Nokia in Downtown. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Henry Fonda Music Box to catch St. Albans-based dance pop outfit Friendly Fires (LAist Review). LAist favorites, acclaimed British indie rock outfit the XX are slated to kick things off. more ›

This week Maine-bred folk singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne will be taking on a three-night stint at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown with LAist favorite, Illinois-based alternative country singer-songwriter Lissie. The Swell Season, an indie folk duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová, are poised to grace the Wiltern with Idaho's own pop folk singer-songwriter Josh Ritter in tow. St. Albans-based dance pop outfit Friendly Fires (LAist Review) will be headlining the Henry Fonda Music Box with none other than acclaimed British indie rock outfit the XX. And, lastly, London-based electro-infused rock duo the Big Pink will be performing at the El Rey Theatre with Long Beach natives Crystal Antlers (LAist Review) and LA-bred goth/dance-infused rock duo IO Echo. more ›