Jeremy Oberstein

In considering the Cold War Kids' latest offering, Loyalty to Loyalty, it is best to start from the beginning. On the strength of three incredibly energetic and raw EPs -- accompanied by live performances that kicked the doors down of Spaceland, the Echo, etc. -- the band rose from relative obscurity to headlining mid-major sites and spots on national television. Packed with soul and brimming with originality, the three mini albums seemed to be harbingers...

For a while we couldn't pay them to visit Los Angeles and now we can't get rid of them. Fresh off a visit by her father, Sen. John McCain, Meghan McCain will be showing off her newest ode to literature tomorrow when she reads, signs and talks about her recently penned children's book "My Dad, John McCain" at two exalted outposts of Republicanism: The Americana at Brand and then at USC. The first stop will...

Artist: Okkervil River CD: The Stand Ins Release Date: Sept. 9 Label: Jagjaguwar I was late to the Okkervil River party, having ignored the initial hype that accompanied the release of the band's 2007 breakout album, The Stage Names. Pitchfork's glowing review made me recoil in the face of money spent on albums from overhyped bands that so obviously do not deserve exalted praise. (Danielson? Really!?). But, I eventually did come around to lead singer...

The years have been kind to Tim Finn. The 56-year-old former lead singer of New Zealand art-pop group Split Enz is revered in his home land as a musical icon while still enjoying relative peace. Finn, who also worked with his brother Neil Finn for a period of time as a guitarist in the 1980's pop group Crowded House, is set to release a new album soon with his Split Enz bandmates but original material....

Were you also watching Grandpa McCain's speech last night wondering, what the hell is my middle school doing on a huge screen at the RNC during the coronation of their party's leader? I read my Walter Reed Middle School gazette like the rest of ya'all. How come no one told me that our school was going to be splayed behind McCain during one of his biggest speeches? Oh, wait. Apparently, that visual was a...

Five days ago, Republicans hammered out a draft of their 2008 convention platform that called for, among other Conservative ideals, "completing the border fence" between the United States and Mexico and curbing Iranian nuclear armament. (While they asked to work "diplomatically" with the Iranian "regime" -- presumably Ahmad Ahmadinejad and the Mullah's who actually the run the country -- they also call the leadership "aggressive and repressive." Smooth.) Missing from the platform was a call...

Sen. John McCain will appear in Los Angeles later today -- first mucking it up with Jay Leno in Burbank then at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills -- following persistent questions about his noticeable absence from the Southland. The 5:30 p.m. fundraiser is to be held at the Beverly Hills Hilton and will be met with sign-wielding demonstrators just as the Democratic convention gets under way in Denver, according to City News Service. The California...

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File) At 9:50 p.m. I looked at my phone and saw a text message waiting to unveil itself. It was a Friday night and speculation had been swirling like Fay for a week about Obama's partner in crime. Back on Aug. 11, Obama had assured us -- his supporters that turned over emails and phone numbers -- that we would be the first ones to know "the...

In an unprecedented move sure to keep us all (even more) glued to our cellphone and computer in the coming days, Sen. Barack Obama has promised to announce his vice-presidential candidate to supporters through a text message and/or via e-mail, his campaign announced Sunday night. The message, sent to campaign supporters through e-mail, said anyone can receive an instant alert to know "the moment Barack makes his decision," by signing up at http://my.barackobama.com/vp or by...

"batman", by kpe II via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Despite protests to the contrary, turns out a majority of Californians support gay marriage and would oppose a ban to limit marriage to one man and one woman. Put that in your Christian right pipe and smoke it. If you play for the New England Revolution MLS club, not only are you asked to know how to kick a ball and defend...