Koga

Part of an ongoing series. Last month, local band The Happy Hollows (MySpace) performed at The Echo (MySpace), opening for The Ruby Suns (MySpace) and Architecture in Helsinki (MySpace). On Sunday, The Happy Hollows' lead singer Sarah Negahdari performs a solo acoustic set at Pehrspace (MySpace) in Echo Park with The Physics of Meaning (MySpace), One Trick Pony (MySpace), and Rademacher (MySpace)'s Malcolm Sosa. Joe from Radio Free Silver Lake raves that "I'm really...

Last Wednesday, local band The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace) performed at Becker Amphitheatre on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. Even before their now-legendary January residency at Spaceland (MySpace), the band has enjoyed an astonishing surge of popularity -- performing at SXSW, Rockcycle, and a secret show during the Radars To The Sky (MySpace) residency at The Echo (MySpace) -- which culminated with their signing to Majordomo Records as well as an appearance on...

Part of an ongoing series. Last Friday, local band The Movies (MySpace) at Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake as part of The Parson Redheads' (MySpace) Owl & Timber EP release show. It was just last month that The Movies celebrated the release of their LP, Based on a True Story, with a show at Bordello alongside The Happy Hollows (MySpace) and The Savages (MySpace). As for The Parson Redheads, their next shows are on...

Last Saturday, author Paul G. Maziar celebrated the release of his new sold-out book What It Is: What It Is (MySpace) with a West Coast book release party at {open} (MySpace) in Long Beach. In addition to a book reading, the night also featured live musical performances by Jessica Dobson (MySpace) from Deep Sea Diver (MySpace), Castledoor (MySpace), and Subrosa (MySpace). As mentioned previously, Castledoor is in the midst of their month-long Monday residency...

This past weekend, the Green Apple Festival (MySpace), billed as "America's Largest Earth Day Celebration," was held in eight cities across the country (with the exception of Washington D.C., which was reportedly rained out), including here in Los Angeles. Performing live music on Sunday at the Santa Monica Pier were the Frequency (MySpace), School of Rock Hollywood All-Stars, Escalera (MySpace), Juliette and the Licks (MySpace), Ziggy Marley (MySpace), and Taj Majal (MySpace). Actress Amy...

Two weeks ago, local bands Castledoor (MySpace) and The Watson Twins (MySpace) performed for First Fridays (MySpace) at The Natural History Museum in Exposition Park. Those in attendance were rewarded with several songs from The Watson Twins' upcoming album Fire Songs (which streets on June 24th), not to mention an energetic set (concluding with "Remember When") by Castledoor. Speaking of one of this year's bands to watch, they start their month-long residency on May...

Part three of three. Tuesday: Greg Laswell, Priscilla Ahn, William Fitzsimmons, and Joshua Radin. Yesterday: Meiko, Jim Bianco, and Jessie Baylin. Today: Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers, and Jesca Hoop. Again -- last Saturday, Hotel Cafe Tour 2008 (MySpace)'s Greg Laswell (MySpace), Priscilla Ahn (MySpace), William Fitzsimmons (MySpace), Joshua Radin (MySpace), Meiko (MySpace), Jim Bianco (MySpace), Jessie Baylin (MySpace), Ingrid Michaelson (MySpace), Cary Brothers (MySpace), and Jesca Hoop (MySpace) performed a sold-out show at the...

Part two of three. Yesterday: Greg Laswell, Priscilla Ahn, William Fitzsimmons, and Joshua Radin. Today: Meiko, Jim Bianco, and Jessie Baylin. Tomorrow: Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers, and Jesca Hoop. Recapping -- last Saturday, Hotel Cafe Tour 2008 (MySpace)'s Greg Laswell (MySpace), Priscilla Ahn (MySpace), William Fitzsimmons (MySpace), Joshua Radin (MySpace), Meiko (MySpace), Jim Bianco (MySpace), Jessie Baylin (MySpace), Ingrid Michaelson (MySpace), Cary Brothers (MySpace), and Jesca Hoop (MySpace) performed a sold-out show at the...

Part one of three. Today: Greg Laswell, Priscilla Ahn, William Fitzsimmons, and Joshua Radin. Tomorrow: Meiko, Jim Bianco, and Jessie Baylin. Thursday: Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers, and Jesca Hoop. This past weekend, the 2008 installment of the Hotel Cafe Tour (MySpace) rolled back into town (last month it opened with stops in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Anaheim, and the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood) for the last of two sold-out shows during its domestic run...

Last Wednesday, Vivid-Alt (MySpace) head, director Eon McKai (MySpace), celebrated the release of his new movie The Doll Underground with a party at the Little Cave (MySpace) in Highland Park. As reviewed by Violet Blue, The Doll Underground "...is one of the best porn films I've ever seen, and it feels like anti-porn -- it's almost against the system it came from by being all that it is -- a deep investigation of culture...