It's the most KROQ-y time of the year, and this morning on Kevin and Bean the line up for the 21st Annual KROQ Almost Acoustic Chrismas was announced. The two-day, holiday-themed, rock and rollathon will take place December 11-12 at the Gibson Amphitheatre with long-time-listeners and first-time-callers taking the stage. more ›

Activision released the new Tony Hawk: Shred skateboarding and snowboarding video game into the retail-wild this week with a 64-song soundtrack to backdrop any and all motion-sensing, board-controlled antics. Included on the soundtrack are Los Angeles rockers The Happy Hollows and The Henry Clay People in the company of Sam & Dave, The Beach Boys, Iggy and the Stooges, Vampire Weekend and Devo. more ›

Tonight NY-bred indie pop outfit Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) will be headlining the Hollywood Bowl with Baltimore-bred dream pop duo Beach House and the Very Best, an eclectic musical amalgam comprised of London based production duo Radioclit and Malawi-bred crooner Esau Mwamwaya. LA-based experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda are slated to perform at this year's Abbot Kinney Festival with none other than Long Beach natives Crystal Antlers (LAist Review), Puro Instincto, LA-based alt-rockers Olin & the Moon (LAist Interview), Voxhaul Broadcast, Kenneth Pattengale and many more. Ex-Vivian Girls drummer Frankie Rose & the Outs will be ringing in their debut disc at the Echo with LA-by-way-of-Glasgow retro 50s/60s pop outfit Neverever for this week's edition of Part Time Punks. 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 ›

Just announced: Vampire Weekend will make their Hollywood Bowl debut on September 26th, headlining a show that will be opened by Beach House and The Very Best, both of which will also make their bow on the famed Bowl stage. Touring in support of their successful sophomore effort Contra, Vampire Weekend joins the ranks of several other high-profile alt-rock outfits who will make a stop at the Bowl this season. Tickets for this performance will go on sale on May 2nd online and at the Bowl Box Office, and will be available by phone on May 11th (if there's any left!). Post-Coachella, Twitter has been abuzz with people hoping Muse will land at the Bowl. Who would you like to see there this summer? more ›

Tonight LA-based rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, which is comprised of Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones and Alain Johannes, will be headlining Club Nokia before heading out to the desert to headline Coachella. NY-bred indie pop outfit Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) are poised to take on the Pomona Fox Theater with none other than LA-based experimental punk outfit Abe Vigoda. And, lastly, famed English singer-songwriter Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs will be gracing Spaceland with LA-by-way-of-North Carolina alt-country outfit the Hi-Hos. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echo to catch New Zealand's own indie pop outfit the Ruby Suns (LAist Review). LAist favorites, South Carolina-bred experimental electro pop maestro Chaz Budnick, who performs under the moniker Toro Y Moi, and Silver Lake-based indie pop act Pepper Rabbit are slated to kick things off. more ›

Tonight NY-bred indie pop outfit Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) will be performing to a sold-out crowd at the Henry Fonda Music Box. Local indie pop outfit the Parson Red Heads (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) are poised to grace the Bootleg Theater. And, lastly, LA-based alt-rockers Olin & the Moon (LAist Interview) will be performing at the Echo with local chanteuse Eleni Mandell. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch "fancy pop" songstress Obi Best (LAist Interview, Review, #2). more ›

This week NY-bred indie pop outfit Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) will be performing to a sold-out crowd at the Henry Fonda Music Box. LA-bred singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop will not only be gracing the Hotel Café once, but twice. Portland's own folk rockers the Builders and the Butchers (LAist Interview) will be taking on Spaceland. And, lastly, local indie pop singer-songwriter Evan Voytas is poised to perform at the Echo for this week's edition of Club Underground. more ›

Tonight NY-bred indie pop outfit Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) will be performing to a sold-out crowd at yet another unlikely venue, the Art Theater in Long Beach. Japanese all-female pop punk trio Shonen Knife are poised to headline the Echo with none other than Mike Watt & the Secondmen in tow. And, lastly, local indie rockers the Happy Hollows (LAist Review, #2, #3) will be kicking off a month-long residency at Spaceland with Dirt Dress and Pepper Rabbit. But we strongly suggest heading over to the El Rey Theatre to catch LAist favorites Local Natives (LAist Interview). NYC-based indie rock sextet White Rabbits are slated to headline. more ›

Ad spending in the US dropped by 2.6% in 2008, with only cable increasing ad revenue for the year. TV and cable still retained a leadership position as the preferred media, taking more than 60% of all ad dollars. 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. This year we asked some of the staffers what inspired them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008. 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 ›

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 ›

I'll be honest with you - Prior to seeing them live, I couldn't muster up enough emotion to form an opinion about Vampire Weekend. I didn't have anything against them, but they were firmly in the won't-turn-it-off-if-it-comes-on-the-radio/wouldn't-make-fun-if-they-were-on-a-friend's-iPod category - likable, definitely; terrible, definitely not, but I found them unremarkable, inoffensive and competently un-mind blowing. more ›

There will invariably be those tending to Vampire Weekend tonight because they missed out last night. If you find yourself in that position, then we strongly advise you to ditch the idea altogether. Why? Well, Brooklyn's best (Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson) will be headlining the Echo after what is presumed to have been a rollicking time at the Vermont House last night. But the best bang for your buck tonight is over at the El Rey, where you can count on a thorough ear bashing with LA locals HEALTH and Oxford's own Foals. more ›

The out-of-state Monolith Music Festival at Red Rocks was this past weekend (did you go?) and this year's lineup of Band of Horses, The Avett Brothers, Mickey Avalon, TV on the Radio, American Bang, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, among many others did not disappoint. Set up on five stages over two days at arguably the most scenic venue ever, Monolith brought indie-rock fanatics a mile-high in the air to celebrate all things music.
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Tough choices tonight in Los Angeles. We've got the battle between cataclysmic psych-infused pop and hair metal (MGMT, RTX) at Henry Fonda Theater, Brooklyn-based folk rocker Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson and Eagle Rock's fresh-fraced Princeton at the rather homely Vermont House and, of course, the opening night of Vampire Weekend's two-date stint at the Wiltern. We suggest hitting up Vampire Weekend and saving MGMT for the Hollywood Bowl spectacular later this week, but only because we're really excited for openers White Williams and Abe Vigoda. Does it get any better than that? more ›

Finally, after all the hubub and debate of the quality of this year's Coachella lineup, the festival got underway Friday afternoon. Featuring Jack Johnson at the top of the bill, the day featured outstanding performances from the Raconteurs who proved that they aren't just Jack White's side project but rather a band that is developing their own sound and identity. The Verve, playing for the first time in nearly a decade sounded like they hadn't even missed a step. The day also featured standout performances from indie darlings Vampire Weekend as well as Tegan and Sara among others. more ›

There is little doubt that by now you have seen them on MTV, heard them on KROQ or Indie or seen them on SNL, if you haven't then it must be dark in that cave. The ginormous hype machine known as Vampire Weekend came through LA Thursday night to play their first proper show in support of their debut self-titled album. With tickets reportedly going for upwards of $400 a pair on ebay, (!!) the mere curiosity factor of seeing whether this band could deliver would almost be enough to warrant attendance. Once the prep-rockers hit the stage and began their set it was clear that this band does indeed deserve the hype and praise they have been given. With their quirky blend of afro-pop and world influences they bring a refreshing vibe that is unlike anything out today. more ›

I’m not ashamed to admit that somewhere among my Jon Brion, Of Montreal and Vampire Weekend albums, you’ll find a bunch of Billy Joel CDs. Although I wasn’t even born when he first hit the airwaves, I’ve always had a soft spot for his music. Since I didn’t get to see him perform during the days when he was releasing and performing new music, I was excited for the opportunity to see him Saturday night in Anaheim. more ›

Despite it being Superbowl Sunday, February residencies got off to a great start last night with Alex & Sam at Tangier. Tonight is the first night of February residencies at Spaceland, Silverlake Lounge, Crash Mansion and The Echo/Echoplex. By last Thursday, The Airborne Toxic Event had gained so much popularity from their January residency, they had to reject 300 people from the door. Case in point, catch these bands in residency early on in the month. more ›

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... more ›

Vampire Weekend, decked out in polo shirts and loafers, played their blend of indie rock meets afro-pop to a packed house at The Echo last night. The show was sold out and the band did not disappoint despite singer Ezra Koenig’s ailing vocal chords. Armed with enhanced energy and a couple of new songs since the last time they were in LA, Vampire Weekend proved that they are very deserving of the buzz currently surrounding... more ›

You may have noticed a new button on our left-hand column with the title We See The Best Concerts. It dawned on us the other day that we really do go to the best concerts and we usually write about them the next day or a few days later. So here's a wrap up of all 37 shows we reviewed this month, with links to the posts just in case you missed it. Chris... more ›

Vampire Weekend rocked out two shows last week and it seems the hype is worth the, ahem, hype this time. The first at the Troubadour Monday night we heard was a blast. We managed to catch their second show at the Silverlake Lounge the following night and it was packed. Like really really packed. A William Morris agent friend of ours remarked that the Silverlake Lounge has never been so crowded. And after a... more ›

Weird Al - "Bob" Weird Al Yankovic @ Orange County Fair The Psychedelic Furs, The Fixx, The Alarm @ Pacific Amphitheatre Eastern Conference Champions, The Vampire Weekend, Faker @ Silverlake Lounge Spoon @ Cinespace Crowded House @ The Troubadour Puddle of Mudd @ Viper Room OK Stranger, She's your Sister, Shiloe @ Spaceland Adam Franklin, the Black Watch, Benni Hemm Hemm @ The Echo Maxeen, MS90, The Audio Club, The Kids of Widney High... more ›

Metal Skool, The Effects, Bandcamp, DC4 @ Key Club more ›