There is no denying that Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a rock god. If it hasn't been written in stone, let's do that right now. Ask anyone who was in the sold-out crowd on Thursday night, and they will tell you that she was mesmerizing. Granted she comes with a lot of props and costumes, but even if Ms. O had come out wearing a burlap sack and stood there doing nothing, every eye in the place would be on her. Sure there are singers with better voices. Sure there are lead singers who can dance better than her. Sure there are people who wear more outrageous clothes. But Karen O. has got "it" whatever that intangible thing may be. That certain something that makes a giant zebra striped headdress/hoodie adorned with a circle of green tape in the middle and blue striped tights, look badass rather than utterly ridiculous.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ The Greek Theater, 9/17/09
Tonight In Rock: Blink 182, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Airborne Toxic Event, Timber Timbre
Tonight legendary Poway-bred pop punk outfit Blink 182 will be headlining the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater with none other than Weezer, Taking Back Sunday and Asher Roth. NY-based alternative rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs (LAist Review) are poised to take on the Greek Theatre with Portland's own experimental electronic duo YACHT and celebrated alternative rockers the Breeders in tow. And, lastly, Los Feliz-bred Top 40 maestros the Airborne Toxic Event will be performing at the Pomona Fox Theater with none other than hometown heroes Red Cortez (LAist Review, #2) and the the Henry Clay People (Review, #2, #3, #4). But we strongly suggest heading over to the Silver Lake Lounge to catch Toronto-based folk rock outfit Timber Timbre. Local indie rock act the Minor Canon and Arizona-based rock quintet What Laura Says are slated to kick things off.
Tonight In Rock: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys, Fanfarlo, Nurses
Tonight NY-based alternative rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs (LAist Review) will be headlining the Pomona Fox Theater. English alternative rockers Arctic Monkeys are poised to take on the Hollywood Palladium with local pop rockers the Like. London's own indie pop act Fanfarlo will be gracing the Troubadour with Raleigh-bred lo-fi pop outfit Love Language. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echo to catch Portland-based indie rockers Nurses, who will be opening for none other than Seattle's own pop quartet Throw Me The Statue. One of New Zealand's finest acts the Brunettes and local singer-songwriter Devon Williams are slated to perform as well.
Tonight In Rock: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mogwai, Doves, O+S
Tonight NY-based alternative rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs (LAist Review), among many other prominent rockers including hometown heroes Silversun Pickups (LAist Review, #2) and the Airborne Toxic Event (LAist Interview, Review, #2, #3, #4, #5), will be performing at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater for this year's edition of KROQ's famed "Weenie Roast" (LAist Review). English indie rockers Doves are poised to headline the Wiltern with none other than Massachusetts-based buzz band Wild Light (LAist Review). And, lastly, Birmingham's own indie-pop duo O+S will be gracing the Bootleg Theater. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown to catch prolific Scottish post-rockers Mogwai. LAist favorites Dead Meadow are slated to kick things off.
For Those of You About to Rock Band: We Salute You
For many of you, this week is all about Turkey Day. For others, it's still all about The Strike. For me? This week will go down in history not because of the strike or Thanksgiving, but because the most awesome video game of all time, Rock Band, was released yesterday. I got my kit set up and ready to go within minutes, and began rocking out almost immediately. First impressions? The drumming element is...
Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ The Mayan Theatre, 8/22/07
It has been quite some time since we have seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in LA. Last night's show at the beautiful Mayan Theatre downtown was a reminder of why we need to see this band here more often. Full Review and Lots O' Pics of Karen O. and the boys after the jump......
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Rich"
If there's one show that I'm super jealous that I don't have tickets for, it's the Yeahs at the Mayan - tonight. Who is cooler than Karen O? Seriously? I was lucky enough to see her a few years back at the Greek opening for the White Stripes and they were the epitome of punk rock. Everything they did was about emotion, not details, not math rock, not market penetration. Earlier this summer I...
Tonight in Rock in LA - Yeahs, Brubeck, Brave Combo
Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ The Mayan Dave Brubeck @ Hollywood Bowl Brave Combo, Orchestra Super String @ Safari Sam's Jackshit @ The Baked Potato Aimee Mann @ Largo Air Supply @ Cerritos Center Stevenson Ranch Davidians @ The Echo Eskimo Joe, Versa Vice @ Spaceland Cary Brothers, Stars of Track & Field, William Fitzsimmons @ The photo by godknows via Buzznet...
New Music Tuesday - It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas: Tegan And Sara, Juliette And The Licks, UNKLE, Prince, Hanson, Manic Street Preachers, The Simpsons Soundtrack
OUT TODAY: Tegan and Sara - The Con (Sire) Juliette and the Licks - Four on the Floor (Hassle) UNKLE - War Stories (Surrender All) Mexican Institute Of Sound - Pinata (Nacional Records) Robbers on High Street - Grand Animals (New Line) Manu Chao - Rainin In Paradize [EP] (Nacional Records) Prince - Planet Earth (NPG) VHS or Beta - Bring On The Comets [Single] (Astralwerks) Hanson - The Walk (Cooking Vinyl) Manic Street...
Top 22 Songs of 2006 that made Bree Happy
Bree McGuire, one of Buzznet's Content Editors, is surrounded by new music all day long. Buzznet was at dozens of music fests and events last year and is super tight with the emo superstars Fall Out Boy, which is why we were stoked that she agreed to tune us in to what she was tuned in to last year...
Coachella Expands to 3 Days, followed by a 2-Day Country Fest
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....
Tonight in Rock in LA - The Grates @ Spaceland
Unfortunately tonight we're extremely biased. We know there's a lot of shows happening around town, but for us there's really only one, the Australian trio The Grates. Their debut album "Gravity Won't Get You High" will be in our Top 5 of Best CDs of 2006 list at the end of the year, we've raved over their shows, YouTubed a few songs from their last Spaceland show, and we've even interviewed them like fanboys....
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Live in Hollywood
Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Palladium, Hollywood October 1, 2006. I was lucky enough to catch the Yeah Yeah Yeahs last night as they headlined the first show of their two-night stopover in Los Angeles, which once again earned its reputation as an early-to-bed-early-to-rise town. Both opening acts -- Amad Wasif and The Blood Brothers -- had already completed their sets when I arrived around 9pm. I know it’s a Sunday, but come on! Shortly...
Tonight in Rock in LA - Yeahs, Rocket, Band of Horses
We'd like to congratulate Neil for winning The Stills contest. The Stills play tonight at the Henry Fonda with The Land of Talk. If you didn't win, stay tuned, LAist has contests every week for your ass. Here are some other options tonight, a night full of killer live music. Rocket (pictured) @ Spaceland (free) Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blood Brothers @ Hollywood Palladium Band of Horses @ Avalon Andrew's Bad Stuff, Fluffer, Rick Surveuor...
A Quick Minute: Last night's BET Awards Interscope Party
Who doesn't love BET? Who doesn't love Interscope? Who doesn't love afterparties and smoking and drinking on a Tuesday night?
Top Five New CD Releases
Be Your Own Pet Be Your Own Pet (Ecstatic Peace) – Thurston Moore signed this teenage band from Nashville. Critics like to compare the lead singer to Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Most critics think it’s a fun, infectious record but detractors criticize the lack of sophistication. The whole thing only lasts 33 minutes. Tickets are still available for their show at the Troubadour on June 27th.
Top Five New CD Releases
Cam’Ron Killa Season (Diplomatic Man) – He’s straight-up gangsta. In the last two years he’s hunted internet pedophiles, gotten shot and beefed with Jay-Z. Some critics complain that the beats on this album sound too much like the last one, but most agree that his lyrics make it an enjoyable listen. He’s even got a song about his battle with irritable bowel syndrome.
The week in -ist
Shanghaiist probably knows a little more about China than the Chicago Sun-Times. Giving them the benefit of the doubt on that one. The city does to have a music scene. Don't even front like they don't. They also have Dorito bananas and white guys shopping for wives. What they don't have is any more tolerance for jaywalkers.
Coachella - Sunday Preview
We have many fond memories from Coachellas past, but right now we're totally jealous of that Lollapalooza lineup. Sunday tickets are sold out. You'll either have to buy a two-day pass or take your chances in the secondary market.
Madonna at Coachella (Yes, You Read that Right)
We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw this: Madonna -- Midge, the Material Girl, Esther -- is playing Coachella's second night (April 30). The rumors turned out to be true. She's making her first appearance at a festival. Ever. That night (in the Dance Tent), she's joining the likes of Massive Attack, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Sleater-Kinney. LAist was a bit stunned. It's kind of like seeing Phish in a Wango Tango lineup.
Blasphemous rumors allayed: Coachella lineup announced
Coachella, the 100-plus-degree Woodstock of the West has announced its 2006 lineup. As rumors had predicted, Depeche Mode will perform in the unofficial "I love the 80s" slot. We're surprised that rumors of Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine reuniting haven't proved true. Maybe concert organizers are holding back a few "surprise guests" to goose ticket sales down the line.
Infectious Indie
LAist dutifully got decked out last night in our latest hipster gear to check out the Subways at Cinespace. It happened to coincide with DJ Steve Aoki’s birthday party. What did this mean? Mayhem at the door until the doormen had the brilliant idea to only have one line instead of the Hollywood Three that seems to form all the time (one for the every-man, one for the kinda-special and one for whom no rules apply). It didn’t help that Cinespace had a private party until 11pm and only started letting people in at 11:30. But once the line started really moving you could hear a collective sigh of relief from the scenesters as they shuffled their way to the door.

