October has been a month doused with some of the best shows LA and its surrounding areas have seen and The National’s extraordinary performance at the Fox Theatre Pomona last Saturday, October 16, was no exception. Of the many times I’ve seen The National take center stage and move us with their fascinating sound, this […]

Kicking off and extraordinary evening of music with The National being the main course, Owen Pallett (formerly Final Fantasy) was the aural appetizer that set our musical journey into play. This lil Canadian fellow is quite the genius when it comes to conjuring up some majestic sounds on the violin. From the traditional use of […]

Miike Snow returned to LA last Thursday, October 14, 2010 and played to a packed audience at Club Nokia. Most seasoned concert-goers know the tedious feeling of waiting through bad opening bands before the headliner plays. Both MNDR and Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. however, incited the exact opposite feeling. MNDR’s Amanda Warner performed […]

Another outstanding supporting act from Miike Snow’s amazing show last Thursday, October 14th at Club Nokia was Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. Kicking out the dance floor jams alongside supporting act MNDR, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.’s blend of hip-hop and electro pop really got the crowd moving. Guest rapper, Spank Rock, burst […]

MNDR was one of the lusciously bombastic openers at Miike Snow’s show last Thursday, October 14th at Club Nokia! Unlike most shows where concert-goers opt to skip out on the opener, MNDR was an opener not to miss!  Leading lady, Amanda Warner performed synth-laden, disco reminiscent pop songs in front of a colorful projection of […]

As part of Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival, The Besnard Lakes put on a hell of a show this past Friday, October 8th at the Echoplex. Unlike their Montreal cohorts Land of Talk, The Besnard Lakes were anything but boring. With front-man Jace Lasek, reviving everything that made the late 60s and early 70s so damn […]

We all have that friend that doesn’t have the best taste in music. And just because you may have incredible taste in music, doesn’t mean you dislike your friend any less. In fact, you probably hope that some of your selections will rub off on him or her. This past Friday, October 8th at the […]

The glowing afternoon light reflected off the skyscrapers of downtown Austin on Friday, October 8th. Day one of Austin City Limits was perfect festival weather, and the crowd was mellow and friendly. Five minutes in and some random stranger handed me a button that said “Austinite” on it. Given that I’d only moved there a […]

I’m not the biggest fan of the Klaxons and from the looks of the crowd reaction at the Echoplex this past Friday, October 8th for Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival, neither were too many of the people in the audience. Although the Klaxons seemed to have played a pretty good show (for that “nu-rave” style […]

After playing a sold out show at The Music Box, Brooklyn based duo Matt and Kim played a second show at The Glass House in Pomona. In celebration of their new album, “Sidewalks” (out Nov. 2), the album was played in its entirety before each show, giving early birds something to look forward to. Openers […]

The El Rey Theatre played host to a pair of spirited live quintets on Thursday, September 14th as breezy Brooklyn quintet, Suckers, who just released their debut “Wild Smile” longplayer via Frenchkiss, played appetizer to Portland-based Menomena’s entrée. Instrument diversity aside (both swap their tools and duties on stage), each band delivered a sound rooted […]

Kicking off the second leg of their current US tour, with planned crisscrossed dates between headlining and opening for alternative mainstays Stone Temple Pilots, LA-based revivalist rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club played The Glass House in Pomona last Wednesday, September 15th and as it was their only Southern California date of the trek, fans proved […]

The recently-reunited 90s Chicago punk act Cap’n Jazz played and epically memorable show at the Echoplex with Abe Vigoda and The Black Apples last Saturday, August 28th at the Echoplex. Check out the photos from their sold-out show below! Cap ‘N Jazz Abe Vigoda Click on the thumbnails below for more photos!

Words: Mike Pearl Photos: Matt Fisher Saturday was the big day at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, when that troublesome street closure would finally pay off for those of us in the mood for some rock. The auspicious name and location of the festival evoke visions of bedazzled, shirtless lead singers flinging blonde hair across […]

Every city has their hometown heroes. Long Beach has the Cold War Kids, Silver Lake has the Silversun Pickups and the city of Riverside had/has Spiderworks. Most of you probably don’t even know where Riverside is, or snarl when you say the word, but growing up in the IE (Inland Empire) myself, Riverside was just […]

Nevermind the amusing irony that a label called Brushfire Records threw an intimate record preview party in the woods of Coldwater Canyon Park last Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010 at the Mark Taper Foundation Amphitheater. Grimy Goods was invited to a gathering of friends, family and colleagues under the trees that gave the perfect setting for […]

Words: Sam Tiger Photos: Monique Hernandez I spent the majority of the three mile walk through the breathtaking Golden Gate Park in San Francisco talking to Tim, a Buddhist monk who came the first day of Outside Lands on Saturday, August 14 to try and spread the word of Buddha. Normally I would have shrugged […]

If you have yet to listen to the addictive melodies and enchanting orchestrations by the UK act, Wild Beasts, you’re seriously missing out. Front-man, Hayden Thorpe has some surreal vocals that will make you just want to sing along full throttle. But then you realize, oh shit, my voice is no where near as magnificent […]

Sexy Asian Banjo Night at the El Rey Words: Sara Bond The Yoshida Brothers took the stage in traditional Japanese garb on Saturday night, August 14 at the El Rey Theatre, carrying their weapon of choice: the shamisen. While the shamisen is a uniquely Japanese sound, Ryoichiro Yoshida, born 1977, and Kenichi Yoshida, born 1979, […]

We Are Scientists are just a straight up damn good band. They bring that addictive indie rock sound with a hard edge. Heavy on the guitars and textured sounds, seeing them live surpasses just listening to them on your iPod. Although you can easily listen to these guys on repeat for hours on end, you […]