Joshua Pressman

As with last year, while you are waiting for the tape-delayed West Coast television feed of the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, LAist will be covering the awards show as it unfolds live at LA Live! This year a slew of LAist favorites, including Brooklyn-based indie pop duo MGMT (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4, #5), Parisian indie rock outfit Phoenix (LAist Review), local indie rockers Silversun Pickups (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6) and English indie pop duo the Ting Tings (LAist Review, #2, #3), have been nominated in various categories. They may be relatively diminutive in comparison to recording industry giants like Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas, Kings of Leon and Lady Gaga, but we are rooting for the underdogs. Stay tuned for frequent updates!

As mentioned previously, today San Diegan garage rockers the Soft Pack (LAist Interview) will be performing an unprecedented ten shows across Southern California with a slew of exemplary local acts. LA-based indie rock troubadours Nico Stai are poised to take on Spaceland with none other than Chief. And, lastly, local electro-infused indie pop act Letting Up Despite Great Faults will be performing at Cinespace with the Pity Party (LAist Interview, Review, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6), psych folk act Pocahaunted (LAist Review) and Morgan Nagler of Whispertown 2000 (LAist Review, #2) to benefit Haiti. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echo to catch Raleigh-based nu-folk trio Bowerbirds. LAist favorites, Canadian folk rock singer-songwriter Julie Doiron is slated to kick things off.

Tonight legendary Chicago-bred alternative rock singer-songwriter Patti Smith will be gracing the Hammer Museum. NY-based actor/MC Mos Def is poised to take on the Key Club in Hollyweird. And, lastly, local indie pop outfit the Parson Red Heads (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) will be performing at the Echo with none other than LA-based folk pop trio the Chapin Sisters. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch Portland-by-way-of-Chicago folk rock outfit Fruit Bats. LAist favorites, San Franciscan psych rockers Citay are slated to kick things off.

Tonight the Elected bassist Michael Runion will be headlining the Bootleg Theater with none other than the Like front woman Z Berg and Rilo Kiley drummer/singer-songwriter Jason Boesel. LA-bred pop singer-songwriter Lucy Schwartz is poised to ring in her latest EP, 2010's Help Me! Help Me! at the Hotel Café. And, lastly, Silver Lake's own all-female quintet Kissing Cousins will be gracing Echo Curio. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Troubadour to catch Los Feliz-bred Top 40 maestros the Airborne Toxic Event. LAist favorites Santa Ana-based indie rockers Aushua are slated to kick things off.

Tonight LA-based alt-rockers Olin & the Moon (LAist Interview) will be closing out their residency at the Echo with none other than local indie rockers the Henry Clay People (Review, #2, #3, #4). San Juan Capistrano-bred indie rock outfit the Union Line are poised to headline the Bootleg Theater with local indie rock act Voxhaul Broadcast and We Barbarians in tow. And, lastly, LA-bred uber psychedelic act Sun Araw will be gracing Echo Curio. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into Largo at the Coronet to catch the "Song Circle for Haiti Benefit." Local ruddy-haired songstress Jenny Lewis (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4), Nebraskan indie pop duo Azure Ray (LAist Interview), Lavender Diamond front woman Becky Stark and many, many others will be performing to benefit Haiti.

Tonight, as always, local multi-instrumentalist/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Interview, #2, Review) will be jamming with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. Akron-bred folk rock singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur is poised to kick off a two-night stint at the Troubadour with none other than the son of Paul Simon, Harper Simon. LAist favorite Jemina Pearl, lead singer of acclaimed Nashville-based garage rock outfit Be Your Own Pet, will be gracing the Echo. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Wiltern to catch Long Beach-bred indie rock stalwarts the Cold War Kids (LAist Review, #2). Clap Your Hands Say Yeah front man Alec Ounsworth is slated to kick things off.

Tonight Minnesota-bred genre-hopping, full-figured singer-songwriter Har Mar Superstar will be headlining Spaceland for this week's edition of Club NME. Nashville-by-way-of-Los Angeles garage rock outfit the Ettes are poised to grace the Echo with none other than the Blood Arm (LAist Interview, Review). And, lastly, Berkeley-bred hip hop producer and rapper Jel and labelmate Odd Nosdam will be taking on the Airliner in Lincoln Heights. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Good Hurt in Venice to catch Oxnard-based Grammy nominated DJ/multi-instrumentalist Madlib, who will be ringing in his latest endeavor, The Madlib Medicine Show Vol. 1—a once-a-month, twelve-CD, six-LP series.

Tonight Oxford-bred cover band the Hot Rats, formed by Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey as a side-project from their main band Supergrass, will be headlining Spaceland. LA-based alt-rockers Olin & the Moon (LAist Interview) are poised to take on the Echo with none other than Fullerton's own rock outfit Dusty Rhodes and the River Band. And, lastly, LAist favorites, Silver Lake-based indie pop act Pepper Rabbit will be gracing the Bootleg Theater. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Troubadour to catch two of Austin's most promising up-and-coming acts, Brazos and White Denim.

This week Austin-based indie rock mainstays Spoon will be performing to a sold-out crowd at El Cid, ringing in their latest endeavor—2010's Transference. Long Beach-bred indie rockers the Cold War Kids are poised to headline the Wiltern with none other than Clap Your Hands Say Yeah front man Alec Ounsworth. Long Island-bred folk/country singer-songwriter Mindy Smith will be gracing the Bootleg Theater. And, lastly, two of Austin's most promising up-and-coming acts, Brazos and White Denim, will be performing at the Troubadour.

Tonight Portland-by-way-of-San Diego Psych-infused folk outfit Castanets will be headlining the Bootleg Theater. Local rockers War Tapes are poised to take on the Dakota Live Music Lounge in Santa Monica with none other than Long Beach's own post-punk outfit Repeater and psych rock act Deep Sleep Ops. And, lastly, long-disbanded, acclaimed Glasgow-bred indie rock quartet the Yummy Furs will be gracing the Echo. But we strongly suggest heading over to Space 15 Twenty to partake in "Miracle: An Afternoon Acoustic Celebration." LAist favorites, local indie rock singer-songwriter Devon Williams, Lavender Diamond front woman Becky Stark and LA-based folk singer-songwriter Elvis Perkins—among many, many others of course—are all slated to perform as a part of the Mountains and Flowers, an exhibition by artist Susan Cianciolo.