Did you catch the 2 minute animated "commercial" for Chipotle, starring some happy pigs, rainbows, and Wille Nelson covering "The Scientist"? more ›

Do yourself a favor and watch as many of these video lunch rarities as your Saturday will allow. The long running Willie Neslon 4th of July Picnic had to start somewhere and on the second year of its existence, this film was created. Some time between 1974 and today, it fell into a a series of rights-related quicksand pits and has yet to see an official distribution. Check out IMDB for at least one version of the debacle. Or just get mellow and enjoy the show. Happy Birthday, Willie. more ›

Willie's weed charges have been knocked down to a misdemeanor following last week's Texas bus raid. Originally Nelson was charged with carrying six ounces -- a felony that carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $10,000 fine -- however the amount was re-calibrated to four ounces which knocks down the penalty to a misdemeanor and a max penalty of one year and $4,000 (according to NORML'S website), reports Rolling Stone. Other outlets claim Nelson cannot be jailed at all on a misdemeanor charge. more ›

The bitchin' and braided Willie Nelson, was arrested on the road. Again. The legendary country singer was busted for marijuana possession in Texas when his tour bus was stopped at a checkpoint in Sierra Blanca. U.S. Border Patrol spokeman says an officer smelled pot when a door was opened, reports ABC Local. A search turned up 6 ounces of marijuana. Nelson was taken to jail and released on $2,500 bail. more ›

I'm a sucker for holiday-themed slashers, and none come as blood-red, white & blue as Uncle Sam! In today's hyper-partisan climate, Uncle Sam appeals to Americans of all stars, bars & stripes. A Gulf War vet (pro-troops!) is killed by friendly fire (anti-war!), only to be resurrected by flag-burning teens... more ›

On Monday night, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and Spirits in the Sky -- germinated from the recent Sky Saxon tribute at The Echoplex, whose lineup includes guitarist Dave Navarro and 19 year old drummer Mike Byrne -- performed the final show of their mini tour at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. more ›

Willie Nelson is in great shape for a man in his 70's. How does he do it? In the new issue of Rolling Stone Willie Nelson says, "I've heard that lots of senior-citizens are getting Wiis, because it really does work." Willie plays Wii on his tour bus with his teenage sons. He adds, "You know most 75 year olds already decided to hang it up a long time ago. I would never be in that mind-set because I enjoy what I am doing." more ›

It's hard to beat Elvis Costello singing from inside of a bear's stomache, but this clip comes pretty darn close. Happy holidays everybody! more ›

Paul Roberts discusses The End of Food with Lisa Brenneis & Bill Fujimoto 7pm @ Central Library more ›

Willie Nelson may be playing downtown tonight, but if you want some folk rock that's local and amazingly fresh, go hear Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies. We heard them last week at their first show of their Hotel Cafe February residency and it was in-your-face and beautiful. But you've got a tough choice if you like this kind of music because when it rains, it pours -- Canadian acoustic folk soul-grass band, The Duhks, will be at the Knitting Factory. more ›

Conor Oberst and friends were lucky to have one of the finest backing bands of all time Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl -- the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Suzie Katayama's arrangements made even Bright Eyes' small songs sound huge, leaving us wondering who picked the setlist -- Katayama or Oberst? (Correction: (Thanks commenter) Bright Eyes multi-instrumentalist (and third permanent member) Nate Walcott arranged, Katayama only conducted.) In recent Hollywood Bowl history the Phil has teamed... more ›

Jimmy Buffett @ Irvine Meadows more ›

So is anyone NOT buying Knocked Up this week? There's something like 5 different versions in Amazon's top 25 bestsellers right now. Wow. The TV Set is a great movie that about 400 people saw when it was in theaters. I had a near-private screening one afternoon at the Santa Monica Laemmle. Next is really only interesting if you're a Nicholas Cage hairpiece connoisseur (like myself). Evening has an incredibly raunchy nude scene with... more ›

Jesse Harris, New York based singer/songwriter’s new album Feel, definitely has one doing just that. Not only is Feel his 7th album to date, he just recently wrote and composed, but not performed the entire soundtrack to Ethan Hawke’s film The Hottest State. While the soundtrack for the film has Harris performing just two of the songs and the likes of Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, M.Ward, Norah Jones and Cat Power taking hold of the others, Feel is entirely Harris from beginning to end, and that’s a good thing. more ›

Remember being young and in total desperate I’m going to die without you love? That exact and exquisite pain is what The Hottest State, Ethan Hawke’s film based on his first novel (out in the 1990’s) is all about. Hawke produced and directed the film that meanders its way through present day, 1970’s flashbacks, music sequences, and hot sex scenes through the eyes of William Harding, a sensitive and emotional twenty-one year old actor trying to make his mark in New York City. The film follows the weeks, that’s right only weeks, that William meets and fall in love with beautiful if not slightly frigid singer/songwriter Sarah and hence has his heart broken. I’m not spoiling anything here- Hawke gives it away in the first minutes of the film - “within a year I would be left heartbroken” a narration tells us. Despite knowing this, we still go on William’s journey through mad, crazy, all-consuming lust and love to all-consuming sadness, anger, and heartbreak. Easily recognizable. more ›

Photo via Midnight Movies' website I managed to make it to the very last Also I Like To Rock event at the Hammer Museum last night in Westwood. But my camera died when we got there. Despite rumors that there would be a massive line to get in and no parking, showing up at 7:30 yielded a nice un-metered spot on Wilshire about a block away, and plenty of time to go to an... more ›

Last night, alt-country hero Ryan Adams and his backing band, The Cardinals, played his only Los Angeles show on his tour for his 9th album, Easy Tiger, at the Wilshire Theater to a sold out audience. more ›

Maria McKee fronting Lone Justice - "Don't Toss Us Away" more ›

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eddie Vedder, Ditty Bops (above), Woody Harrelson, others @ Henry Fonda Willie Nelson, George Strait, Lucinda Williams, many more @ Stagecoach Cypress Hill @ Vault 350 The Jerry Garcia Band @ Fais Do-Do Manic Hispanic @ Galaxy Theatre Rosanne Cash @ Disney Hall One+One (James Zabiela & Nic Fanciulli) @ Vanguard David Grier @ Boulevard Music Victor Wooten @ El Rey Suzanne Somers @ La Mirada Theater for Performance Arts... more ›

Coachella has spawned a lilttle 'un called Stagecoach - a country version of the successful festival that attracted 60,000 people to the polo fields in Indio. One of our favorite local country-folk bands, The Hollow Trees, has been invited to bring their delightful tunes to the two day affair that will include the likes of George Strait, Kenny Chesney, and Willie Nelson. We were lucky to catch the big tree himself, Gregory Tree for... more ›

Sunday there are lots of great bands, culminating with the reunion of one of the best groups ever, Rage Against the Machine. Here's how we're probably going to do it, thanks to the magic of the Coachooser which, if you leave a little early from shows will show you how you too can see 17 bands. Mika: 1 - 1:30 Anathallo: 1:30 - 2 Mando Diao: 2:15 - 2:35 Tapes 'n Tapes: 2:35 -... 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 ›

Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne @ Gibson Amphitheatre Flogging Molly @ Henry Fonda Theater Cold War Kids, Delta Spirit, Matt Death & the Intellectuals @ The Troubadour Lamb of God @ Grove of Anaheim Big Head Todd & the Monsters @ House of Blues The Shakes, The Prix, The New Fidelity, Velvet Ratio @ Safari Sam's (bring a can of food) Michael Franti, Blackalicious @ Wiltern Boy Hits Car, Rama Duke, Porcelain, Malea McGuiness, 40... more ›

Every Friday, we at LAist will tell you whether or not you should wake up on Saturday to buy concert tickets. Tomorrow we think you should wake up because Coachella tickets go on sale. Who's playing at Coachella this year? April 27 - Björk / Interpol / the Jesus and Mary Chain / Arctic Monkeys / Sonic Youth / Brazilian Girls / Peaches / Comedians of Comedy / Gogol Bordello / Silversun Pickups /... more ›

Like a presidential election, the information is trickling into the newsroom... Earlier today Andy let everyone know who most of the confirmed artists would be for this year's Coachella. Now we let you know who is playing on what days, etc. April 27 - Björk / Interpol / the Jesus and Mary Chain / Arctic Monkeys / Jarvis Cocker / Sonic Youth / Faithless / DJ Shadow / Peeping Tom / Brazilian Girls / Peaches... more ›

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Tiesto, the Arcade Fire, Interpol, Manu Chao, Willie Nelson, Air, Happy Mondays, Decemberists, Faithless, Gotan Project, the Good, the Bad and the Queen, Paul Van Dyk, Arctic Monkeys, Roots, Jarvis Cocker, Sonic Youth, Crowded House, Placebo, Satellite Party, Stephen Marley feat Jr. Gong, Kings of Leon, DJ Shadow, Kaiser Chiefs, Kokono No. 1, LCD Soundsystem, Nickel Creek, Travis, Damien Rice, Black Keys, Blonde Redhead, Infected Mushroom, New Pornographers, Peeping Tom, Placebo, Rufus Wainwright, the Rapture, Explosions in the Sky, Richie Hawtin, !!!, Benny Benassy, Felix Da Housecat, Hot Chip, Jacks Mannequin, Julieta Venegas, Lily Allen, Lupe Fiasco, Ozomatli, Peaches, Ghostface Killah, Jose Gonzales, Amos Lee, Brazilian Girls, Fountains of Wayne, Regina Spektor, VNV Nation, Coco Rosie, Cornelius, Gillian Welch, Junior Boys, Pharaohe Monche, Roky Erickson and the Explosives, Soulwax, Sparklehorse, the Kooks, Tilly and the Wall, Andrew Bird, Peter, Bjorn & John, the Frames, Gogol Bordello, Comedians of Comedy, Justice, MSTRKRFT, We Are Scientists, Yeva, Grizzly Bear, Amy Winehouse, Avett Brothers, Circa Survive, the Coup, the Cribs, CSS, Digitalism, Erol Alkan, Evil Nine, Girl Talk, Klaxons, the Noisettes, Spank Rock, Tapes 'n Tapes, Fields, Tokyo Police Club, Rodrigo Y Gabriella, DJ Heather, the Feeling, Fratellis, Mike Relm, Silversun Pickups, Busdriver, Brother Ali, Nightwatchman, Bojones, Mika, Pop Levi, Anathallo and Fair to Midland.

The password for Goldenvoice's presale is... roxanne. Could there possibly be any more of a hint at a Police reunion? Also allegedly reuniting -- Rage Against the Machine, The Stooges (again)... Not a whole lot is confirmed but all we can say is THREE DAYS -- can you handle it? Presale ends at 8 PM for the 3 Day pass @ $199. April 27-29. UPDATE: Kevin at the Times' Buzz Bands blog sez: Damon... more ›

Is Indio the new Austin? Over two back-to-back weekends this spring, scores of the best indie, rock, pop, electronic, and country music will play to tens of thousands outside Palm Springs. The last weekend of April will bring three days of Coachella, and the following weekend will see the first Stagecoach country festival. Voici: Saturday, May 5, 2007: George Strait, Alan Jackson, Sara Evans, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Neko Case,... more ›

Because you really can't get too much of a good thing, the good people of Goldenvoice announced last night that this year's hugely successful Coachella music and arts festival will grow to a three-day-and-night affair on the sprawling polo fields in Indio outside Palm Springs. The Miracle Mile concert promoters also announced that the weekend after Coachella they will throw a two-day country festival that will include stages for alt-country, bluegrass, and even storytelling.... more ›