Since the coming weekend will be filled with parties and their attendant hammerings, here are some suggestions for your trip to the liquor store in case you find yourself allergic to nog. 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 little world. Therefore, this is an act of paying it forward to those hardworking, underpaid musicians who truly made a difference within the music scene this year. more ›

Mathieu Schreyer, the KCRW host of "On the Corner" was born in France. Maybe that explains why he didn't include Radiohead on his top ten list like most of his cohorts did. more ›

Yesterday we started our Best of 2007 list with choices from KCRW's Nic Harcourt and Tom Schnabel. But then we realized we weren't being gentlemen. The ladies of KCRW should have gone first! D'oh! So fasten your seatbelts for The Drop's host Liza Richardson's picks for 2007. Something tells us our comments will be buzzing. Will it be for the inclusion of M.I.A.? Let's hope. 1) Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon... more ›

Earlier today we got Nic Harcourt's Top 10 albums of 2007. Some of our more snarky commentors were put off that some of Nic's picks included artists who were signed to omg major labels. So as we continue this week to spotlight KCRW dj's favorite cds of 2007, we shift gears to the more exotic world of Tom Schnabel whose picks are a tad more off the beaten path which is probably something to... more ›

Various Artists Kurt Cobain About A Son Music From The Motion Picture Barsuk Records, released 9/11/07 The loud-quiet-LOUD bipolarity and creepy darkness of Kurt Cobain's music comes across loud-and-clear in this excellent collection of grunge, punk, and blues that make up the music of Kurt Cobain About A Son. The fact that no actual Cobain material is used in this makes it even weirder, and if you ask me, better. It makes you miss... more ›

OUT TODAY: Junior Senior - Hey Hey My My Yo Yo (Rykodisc) [MP3]: “We R The Handclaps” via Fluxblog Eisley - Combinations (Reprise / Wea) [MP3]: “Invasion” via Lullabyes Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart (Rounder) [MP3]: “Beauty (feat Antony)” via Homo Eclectic The Wildbirds - Golden Daze (Universal Republic) [MP3]: “Way Down Low” via Come Pick Me Up You Say Party! We Say Die! - Lose All Time (Paper Bag) [MP3]: “Giant Hands” via... more ›

Ever read the Shel Silverstein poem, True Story? That's why New Music Tuesday is on a Friday. Go forth into your weekends, and rock. OUT NOW: Bat for Lashes - Fur & Gold (Caroline) Common - Finding Forever (Geffen) Josh Rouse - Country Mouse City House (Bedroom Classics) Culver City Dub Collective - Dos (Everloving) 1990s - Cookies (Rough Trade) Dr. Hook - Greatest Hooks (Capitol/EMI) G. Love & Special Sauce - A Year... more ›

OUT TODAY: These and other new releases are conveniently located at your neighborhood record store (sigh) or online retailer… The Chemical Brothers - We Are the Night (Astralwerks) Suzanne Vega - Beauty and Crime (Blue Note) The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary Soundtrack - Trevor Jones (La-La Land) KT Tunstall - Hold On [SINGLE] (Relentless Records) Editors - An End Has a Start (Epic) Meat Puppets - Rise to Your Knees (Anodyne) The Cribs -... more ›

Sara Bareilles - Little Voice (Epic) Velvet Revolver - Libertad (RCA) Iron and Wine - Boy With A Coin [SINGLE] (Subpop) Various Artists - Transformers: The Movie Soundtrack (Warner Bros.) 2 Many DJs - 50 Million Soulwax Fans Can't Be Wrong [LIMITED EDITION] [IMPORT] (Waxed Soul) Rilo Kiley - The Moneymaker [SINGLE] (Warner Bros.) Queensryche - Mindcrime at the Moore [LIVE] (Rhino) Face the Music - 2007 Encores! Cast Recording (Drg) Widespread Panic- Capricorn... more ›

Oh when the saints, go over there... Oh when the saints go over there... Bonde do Role - With Lasers (Domino) The Afghan Whigs - Unbreakable: A Retrospective (Rhino) Disco Deutschland Disco: Disco, Funk & Philly Anthems From Germany 1975-1980 (Marina) Rjd2 - Third Hand [Instrumental] [LIMITED EDITION](XL Recordings) Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full [Bonus CD] (Hear Music) The Aggrolites - Reggae Hit L.A. (Hellcat) Elvis Presley - Elvis at the Movies [REMASTERED](RCA)... more ›

New Releases May 15, 2007 Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch) Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars (Geffen) Pink Martini - Hey Eugene! (Heinz) Great Northern - Trading Twilight for Daylight (Eenie Meenie) The Horrors - Strange House [Bonus Tracks] (Stolen Transmission) The Fall - World Bewitched: Best of 1990 - 2000 (Artful) Blacktop Mourning - No Regret (Mega Force) Dungen - Tio Bitar (Kemado) Barry & the Remains - Remains [Epic/Legacy 2007] (Epic)... more ›

New Releases April 24, 2007 All Smiles - Ten Readings of a Warning (Dangerbird) Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino) Leonard Cohen - Songs from a Room [Remastered][Bonus Tracks] (Sony Legacy) The Detroit Cobras - Tried and True (Bloodshot) The Band - Best of a Musical History (Capitol) The Electric Soft Parade - No Need to be Down - Hearted (Better Looking) Fishbone - Still Stuck in Your Throat (Sound in Color) Front... more ›

New Releases - April 17, 2007 Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero (Universal) Noisettes - What's the Time Mr. Wolf? (Universal) Original Soundtrack - Hot Fuzz [Cherry Tree] (Cherry Tree) Superdrag - Changin' Tires on the Road to Ruin (Arena Rock Recording) The Cowboy Junkies - At the End of Paths Taken (Zoe) AC/DC - Stiff Upper Lip [Reissue] (Sony) Breaking Benjamin - Phobia [CD/DVD] (Hollywood) Bucky Covington - Bucky Covington (Lyric Street) Clorox... more ›

LAist is proud to offer a weekly, chart roundup of Billboard Magazine’s most coveted rankings. Join us as we revel in the conventional standard of musical success. Let us cross our fingers, hoist our lighters, and dream together of the supreme resurrection of artist-driven recordings that will forever eclipse the dark cloud of big label greed, A&R sleaze and disposable audio. Amen. Here are this week’s chart toppers. Behold the #1s. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Billboard Charts... more ›

New Music Tuesday has matzofied, seder’d out and re-opened for business on this fine Thursday eve. Please use caution while perusing the list -- these brand-spankin’, ultra-smokin’, bootie-shakin’, earth-movin’, mind-blowin’ new releases might just melt your face off. Especially the Hip Hop Tribute To Bon Jovi. Phenomenal. Well, theoretically phenomenal. You understand. Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis (Rough Trade) Mother Hips - Kiss the Crystal Flake (Mega Force) Brandi Carlile - Story (Sony) The Field... more ›

Billboard has a lot of charts. And usually we just give you the No.1s. However, the line up for this week was rather uninspiring, and it seemed in everyone's best interest to instead list the top ten winners from just a few featured charts. So here they are. Issue Date : March 31, 2007 Top Independent Albums 1. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Merge) 2. Type O Negative - Dead Again (Steamhammer) 3. The... more ›

Out Today (The Baby List) Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum (Ryko)) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (Capitol) Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Living with the Living (Touch & Go) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Sony) I'm from Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends [US Bonus Tracks] (Mute U.S.) Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Junk Culture (Caroline) El-P - I'll Sleep When You're... more ›

OUT TODAY The Little List Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (Universal) -- Vintage sounds, modern frankness, and a smoky songstress who lays out her vices like a sexy Randy Newman (minus the funny). Prepare to have your brain rewired with dead-on 60’s soul and epidemically contagious tunes. The Fratellis - Costello Music [2007] (Cherry Tree) -- If you like bouncy, brit-pop and hanging out in your garage, this should be your record of... more ›

Air - Pocket Symphony (Astralwerks) Albert Hammond, Jr. - Yours to Keep [US] (New Line) Antibalas - Security (Anti) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Merge) !!! - Myth Takes [Bonus Disc] (Warp) Joss Stone - Tell Me ‘Bout It [SINGLE] (Virgin) KMFDM - Nihil [Bonus Track] (Metropolis) Mary Chapin Carpenter - Calling (Zoe) My Brighest Diamond - Tear It Down (Asthmatic Kitty) Ry Cooder - My Name Is Buddy (Nonesuch) Son Volt - Search... more ›

LAist is proud to offerer a weekly, chart roundup of Billboard Magazine’s most coveted rankings. Join us as we revel in the conventional standard of musical success. Let us cross our fingers, hoist our lighters, and dream together of the supreme resurrection of artist-driven recordings that will forever eclipse the dark cloud of big label greed, A&R sleaze and disposable audio. Amen. Here are this week’s chart toppers. Behold the #1s. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Billboard Charts... more ›

OUT TODAY: Aereogramme - My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go (Sonic Unyon) Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Men Belinda Carlisle - Voila [Bonus Disc] (Rykodisc) Bloc Party - Weekend in the City (Vice) Chicken Shack - Complete Blue Horizon Sessions (Blue Horizon) Deerhunter - Cryptograms (Kranky) Dexys Midnight Runners - Projected Passion Revue (Umvd Import) Eleni Mandell - Miracle of Five (Zedtone) Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High... more ›

LAist is proud to offerer a weekly, chart roundup of Billboard Magazine’s most coveted rankings. Join us as we revel in the conventional standard of musical success. Let us cross our fingers, hoist our lighters, and dream together of the supreme resurrection of artist-driven recordings that will forever eclipse the dark cloud of big label greed, A&R sleaze and disposable audio. Amen. Here are this week’s chart toppers. Behold the #1s. __________________________________________________________________________________________ A selection... more ›

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together in the sight of Rock and in the face of Roll, to join together you, dear LAist reader, and this New Music Tuesday in holy Matrimony. This mystical union is not to be entered into lightly, or unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly (ha), and in the fear of the reaper. More cowbell. L'chaim. OUT TODAY: .38 Special - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: (A&M)... more ›

New releases! Now newer every week!! We begin this installment with a boatload of terrifying and perplexing tribute records, followed by noteables in every genre, including some promising rock offerings, a vault of soundtracks, fancy cello-ing, and more Frankie Valli than you can shake a stick at. Tribute Various Artists - Bluegrass Tribute to Modest Mouse (CMH) Various Artists - Bluegrass Tribute to the Shins (CMH) Various Artists - Can You Bring It? Sing... more ›

LAist is proud to begin offering a weekly, chart roundup of Billboard Magazine’s most coveted rankings. Join us as we revel in the conventional standard of musical success. Let us cross our fingers, hoist our lighters, and dream together of the supreme resurrection of artist-driven recordings that will forever eclipse the dark cloud of big label greed, A&R sleaze and disposable audio. Amen. Here are this week’s chart toppers. Behold the #1’s. Billboard Charts... more ›

You know how it is... rockin' and rollin' and whatnot... Below is this week's hearty list of new releases. Try to consume at least two servings of new music a week as part of balanced diet. Please send all thank-you notes, fruit baskets and cookie platters to the fine people at AllMusic for providing such wonderous data. Blues Roger "Hurricane" Wilson - Way I Am Celtic Iona - Circling Hour (Open Sky UK) Childrens’... more ›

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A Love Ends Suicide - In the Disaster (Metal Blade) Alice Donut - Fuzz (Howler) Audioslave - Revelations (Epic) Beyoncé - B'Day (Columbia) Goatwhore - A Haunting Curse (Metal Blade) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (Warp) Hem - Funnel Crowd (Nettwerk) Honkytonk Homeslice - Honkytonk Homeslice (digipak; Sci Fidelity) Horse the Band - Pizza (EP; Koch) Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death (EMI) Jars of Clay - Good Monsters (Essential) Jucifer... more ›

Various Artists - "Miami Vice" Soundtrack more ›