Melissa Moore

Not 24 hours after the Twitterverse was abuzz with YΔCHT's stellar CMJ performance, the Portland, Oregon duo of Jona Bechtolt and Claire Evans could be found delivering their manifesto-driven laptop-pop to a sweaty crowd at last night's MFG-curated Discotheque party held at the newly opened Temporary Spaces Two....

The Echoplex, complete with its leather-couched cozy enclaves and dim lighting, was the perfect venue for Brooklyn-based A Place to Bury Strangers, LA's own Darker My Love (opening for White Lies' European shows as of tomorrow), and Atlanta's All the Saints (currently on tour with APTBS). After the openers primed the claustrophobic and moody atmosphere, APTBS took the darkened stage for their electronic noise rock. Murky projected images and an over-active fog machine accompanied the...

In a city with a penchant for dress up, it took a bit of time to realize that Wednesday night at the El Rey was in fact themed for the Junior Boys Halloween Tour. (The dude dressed as Jesus only confused the matter; it was the carved pumpkins that finally did it.) Vancouver duo Circlesquare took the eerily back lit stage first with their not-really-dance-music dance music, described on their album website as "opiated rave-ups,...

Even though the prevailing attitude is that it's impossible to be surprised in Los Angeles (been there, seen that, done it times three), it doesn't mean we've stopped searching for the unexpected. Enter multi-tasking creative Leila Fakouri and her newest endeavors to knock our socks off. Both her event planning outfit, Treetop Productions, and her design firm, Madera Design, are natural extensions of a varied and successful career that includes building an art- and music-centric...

In these fiscally responsible times, it's all about the size of the bang relative to the buck. While the days of blowing cash on the trendy, half-assed, and all-around mediocre are long gone, I'm inclined to see this as an opportunity for those who do more with less to garner our attention and our paychecks, because, quite frankly, it feels good to promote a thoroughly good time....

Photo by Rachael Porter via Flickr/used with permission I'm a sucker for the general reappropriation of sci-fi narratives by the big screen, and Magnolia Pictures' Mutant Chronicles fits that bill. If you're not a purist, you can freely enjoy the costumes, overacting, and all around ass kicking that often hallmarks these larger-than-life endeavors without feeling disparaged by directorial liberties and script deviations. On the other hand, if you were the original owner of the...

An ever-increasing workload, the recession’s effect on one’s monthly Amoeba habit, a rapidly approaching membership into the “mid-thirties” club - a million and one reasons to stop seeing live music as frequently as my liver could once withstand. But last year’s SXSW/Coachella springtime juggernaut left its indelible mark and a few bands moved to the top of the “must see again and again” list, Cut Copy’s electropop/dance rock eking out the top spot. Who doesn’t...

Photo by GarySe7en via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr With the recession in full swing, it's hard to reconcile our love of food and booze with our dwindling bank accounts. Suddenly, dinner out at our favorite pricey restaurant seems overindulgent amidst rising unemployment and falling stock prices. So what's a socially responsible foodie to do? Thankfully, the good people at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles have decided to continue their annual Food Fare,...

His lungs are unhappy, we promise. | Photo by Rachael Porter via Flickr/used with permission This month, the ScientIST has been focusing on how to make you better in 2009, whether it’s changing your eating habits or getting yourself to the doctor for a checkup, and this week’s column is no different. Face it kids, it’s finally time to quit smoking....

Photo by Rachael Porter via Flickr/used with permission When was the last time you had someone give your lady parts a good once-over? And by “someone,” I mean an individual with a medical degree from an accredited university. That’s right; it’s time for us ladies of Los Angeles to schedule our yearly gynecological appointment, affectionately known as “the Annual”. Since we’ve dubbed January “New Year’s Resolution Month”, it’s only fair we take week 2...