The Pixies with Flea on bass instead of Kim Deal?! Followed by The Pixies with Weird Al singing instead of Black Francis? No, it’s not a horrible nightmare followed by the greatest dream ever - It’s two of the “surprises” promised at tonight’s Winston Calling benefit at the Echo. more ›

LAist catches up with Michael J. Nelson, a former host of Mystery Science Theater 3000, as he talks about his latest project, RiffTrax. In the interview, he also gives us the scoop about political ads, bloopers and a possible live event in Los Angeles. more ›

MUSIC: CalTech isn’t just about nerdy rocket scientists. They have glee clubs, too! All kidding aside, tonight's concert will feature traditional holiday favorites as well as the Women's Club taking on Porpora’s Magnificat, written in the 1730s. 8 pm // Dabney Lounge at California Institute of Technology // 1200 East California Blvd., Pasadena // Free. DANCE: From CalTech, we’ll head over to CalArts in Valencia. The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance is holding its... more ›

Tell me this isn't the best single and video of the year 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 ›

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 ›

For the first 10 or 15 seconds you think this video will be a waste of time, and then he drops the beat, and gets all jiggy with it. It's like he's the son of Weird Al and Magic Johnson. Without any further ramblings, we present Paul Brogan!

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Hair High - The latest film from animator Bill Plympton is a gothic high-school comedy. When Spud, the new kid in town, accidentally offends Cherri and Rod, the high school power couple, he is forced to become Cheri's slave, and eventually Spud and Cheri fall for each other. They secretly decide to attend to the prom together, but Rod forces their car off the road and they sink to the bottom of the lake... 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 ›

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 ›

Beyonce continues to bully the charts. And far too many people think that buying Kenny G CDs is an appropriate use of money. I know we can do better than this. Here to make miserable your otherwise sunny day is a list of this week’s Billboard No.1s. Below is the short list. More good news after the jump... Billboard Charts Issue Date: January 27, 2007 The Billboard 200 - Dreamgirls:Soundtrack The Billboard Hot 100... 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 ›

think. It just made us wonder: if it were up to the -ist-a-verse, what would we be voting for? more ›

"Naked" (IFC, 7:45 p.m.) David Thewlis stars as a bitterly comedic rapist in Mike Leigh's vicious flick "Visiting... With Huell Howser" (KCET, 8:00 p.m.) Whoah! Huell delivers a "Griffith Observatory Special! - h/t LA Observed "Survivor: Cook Islands" (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) Someone passes out at the Reward Challenge and it gets stormy on Exile Island "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" (NBC, 8:00-9:00 p.m.) New episodes tonight! "Ugly Betty" (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) The... more ›

Today we celebrate the birthdays of: iPod, miracle device Keith Van Horn, NBA forward Kaleena Kiff, Santa Monica born actress Shawn Wooden, NFL free safety Daryl Price, NFL defensive end Brooke Theiss, California-born actress Al Leiter, MLB pitcher Doug Flutie, CFL/NFL quarterback Mike Tomczak, NFL quarterback "Weird Al" Yankovic, singer/songwriter Sam Raimi, writer/director - "Evil Dead II", "Spider-Man" (more after jump) Louann Fernald, Playboy Playmate '79 Dwight Yoakam, singer/songwriter Ang Lee, director - "Crouching... more ›

If you would have told us that in 2006 we would be praising the new Weird Al video we would have told you to put down the Cisco and pass us the rest of whatever was in that balloon you were bogarting. But sure enough the accordion kid from Cal Poly SLO has still got it. Yes, it's odd that he's talking about file-sharing, as if it's a relevant topic worthy of satirizing, but... more ›