Alice in Chains

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Was Ruined By Rush Fans

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony aired on HBO on Saturday. Hopefully you didn't watch it, because it was bad. But pity us: We actually attended the damn thing, at the Nokia Theatre last month. So, for the sake of catharsis, let's briefly run it down. It's the only way we can move o ... More >>

Fanatics! This Sunday's Show Will Go Long

See also: Henry Rollins: Why I'm Not Playing Music Anymore RADIO BROADCAST #216 05-19-13 Fanatics. I am sitting in a Starbucks in Washington D.C. in my old neighborhood. I am on my second pass of the last few singles the Buzzcocks recorded for United Artists. I don't know why I trip on them so oft ... More >>

Five More Iconic Key Club Shows

The Key Club's last day is today! Ever since West Coast Sound broke the story of its impending closure, local music fans have been mourning the place. Personally, we've been to the venue hundreds of times, and worked there as a DJ during Metal Skool's heyday for about two years. We believe the venue ... More >>

The Best Concerts in L.A. This Week

Monday, February 11 Hindu Pirates SILVERLAKE LOUNGE The days of oh-so-crude adjectives like "surf" and "garage" are well behind O.C.'s Hindu Pirates now. For while the Pirates are in fact darlings of the surf-skate industry, as evidenced by their clean and pristine session last year at Hurley's in- ... More >>

John Cale and Cass McCombs - The El Rey - 12-11-12

John Cale and Cass McCombs The El Rey 12-11-12 Better than... The absolutely sad shitshow that a Velvet Underground reunion tour would be. Legacy is probably one of those good problems. For John Cale, this means struggling to do something new when you'll always be the guy who propelled The Velvet ... More >>

What's Better, Fifty Shades of Grey or Staind's 14 Shades of Grey?

[Editor's note: Deathmatch pairs two things that have something in common, and determines who is better. It's a concept we sort-of ripped off from MTV, except that instead of claymation it's the printed word!] Released in 2003, 14 Shades of Grey is the fourth studio album from alt-bro / tough-guys- ... More >>

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Hollywood Bowl - 10/17/12

Neil Young Hollywood Bowl 10/17/12 Any number of incarnations of Neil Young & Crazy Horse could have shown up to play the Hollywood Bowl last night. They might have done the rock-soaked musical folklore of their most recent LP Americana or the slightly-campy concept rock opera that was 2003's Green ... More >>

Fanatics! Henry Rollins' KCRW Show Tomorrow Night: Original Songs Vs. Their Covers

KCRW Broadcast #169 for Saturday, June 16, 2012 See also: Henry Rollins: The Column! Joey Ramone's Legacy Is in Danger Fanatics! Take cover! If you check out our show for tonight, you will note we have a bit of a concept happening here. I have broken the two hours below, so you can quickly see wha ... More >>

Alice In Chains - Club Nokia - 5/31/12

Alice In Chains, Billy Idol, Heart and others Club Nokia 5/31/12 If the riffs are the same and the vocals sound strikingly familiar, is it still the same band? Last night at the Eighth Annual MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert benefit at Club Nokia, the reformed Alice In Chains put that question to ... More >>

Top Ten Best Replacement Singers in Rock and Metal

Dio-era Black Sabbath​See also: *Top Ten Worst Replacement Singers in Rock and Metal *Ozzy Osbourne vs. Ronnie James Dio: Who's Better? One of the biggest stories in metal this year is the revolving door for vocalists. Jesse Leach has returned to Killswitch Engage. Iced Earth played their fi ... More >>

Four Tet - Low End Theory - 12/21/11

Aaron FrankFour Tet​See Also: *Our oral history of Low End Theory *Teebs: Flying Lotus' Former Roomie Speaks On Loss And Art Four Tet Low End Theory 12/21/11 Better Than... John Wall and David Guetta's heralded Spotify Playlists. Let's face it: straight vinyl DJ sets can either be delight ... More >>

Henry Rollins, Scott Ian, Mike Watt, Corey Taylor, Dave Navarro - Avalon - 11/30/11

See also: Henry Rollins: The Column! The Time I Drank The Sweat From My Socks Onstage Drop in the Bucket benefit Henry Rollins, Scott Ian, Mike Watt, Corey Taylor, Dave Navarro and others Avalon 11/30/11 Last night handfuls of heavy musicians took the stage for a worthy cause, Drop In The Bucket, ... More >>

Updated: Polaroid Alive and Well in Patrick Hoelck's 'Polaroid Hotel'

Patrick Hoelck​ Would you listen to music on a Walkman? Today? Seems unlikely. But maybe if you found the Walkman way in the back of your closet, next to that Bangles or Alice in Chains cassette tape you once loved. There's a nostalgia factor that keeps us from shunning even the most antiquat ... More >>

William Shatner Reveals Song Lineup for His Upcoming "Metal Album"

​Back in February, we broke the news that William Shatner was working on a star-studded new album with some of LA's most prominent metal session musicians (Read "William Shatner Is Recording Star-Studded Metal Album in L.A.: We Got the Details"). Well, now WilliamShatner.com (of course there' ... More >>

R.I.P Former Alice in Chains Bassist Mike Starr

​ We are sad to report the death of former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr, whose body was found earlier today in a Salt Lake City home. Via TMZ: Police tell us Starr's body was found in a Salt Lake City home today. Cops say they were called to the house at 1:42PM. Formed in 1987 by ... More >>

Music Picks: SWANS, Sebadoh, Arbouretum, Cass McCombs

Also Meshell Ndegeocello, Kaki King, Local Natives and others

Down in a Hole: Chilean Miner Mix Tape 2010

Down in a Hole: Chilean Miner Mix Tape 2010

Tonight: Remy Zero, Macy Gray, Eels, the 88, Alice in Chains, Fran Healy, the Blakes

Cinjun Tate of Remy Zero​Remy Zero winds up a bittersweet reunion tour tonight, but it might not be the last fans have heard of the Alabama-bred, L.A.-based quintet. The band known best for the single "Save Me" (the theme for TV's Smallville) reunited earlier this year to play shows in memory ... More >>

Music Picks: Liz Phair, the Weepies, Tom Tom Club, Evan Voytas

Also, the Lee Boys, Klaxons, Macy Gray, Eels and others

Sunset Strip Festival: West Hollywood Declares August 26, 'SLASH DAY'

Alex DistefanoLast night, the focus was on Slash (focus not pictured)​On the eve of the third annual Sunset Strip Music Festival, Thursday night, the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip and the city of West Hollywood honored none other than hard rock guitar icon Slash, who rose to fame with Gu ... More >>

Rick Tramonto's New Steak Cookbook An A1 Style Steak Sauce Recipe

​Chicago Chef Rick Tramonto's latest cookbook, Steak With Friends: At Home With Rick Tramonto, is a study in contrasts. Yes, the book, out later this month, contains recipes for all the expected steakhouse classics: onion soup, creamed spinach, twice-baked potatoes and of course, a heck of a l ... More >>

Rock Picks: Van Dyke Parks, Chicago Underground Duo, Rickie Lee Jones

Also, Clipse, Imaad Wasif, Josh Charles and others

The Nightlife Before Christmas

KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas, Night Two: Vampire Weekend, White Rabbits, Slightly Stoopid, Muse and More

KROQ-FM's annual Almost Acoustic Christmas this year featured some of our favorite bands from the 90s, the decade in which we learned to play guitar just so we could jam the songs in some crappy all-ages venue. Revisiting Alice In Chains, Sublime and 311 reminded us why we liked them in the first pl ... More >>

Notes on the Grammy Nominations: Excuse Us While We Puke

​What follows are a few random notes on LA-based nominees for the 2009 Grammys, which were announced yesterday in downtown LA. If you're looking for thoughts on the big-ass pop categories, go elsewhere; we're going to try and wade through the rock and lesser known categories without throwing u ... More >>

Rock Picks: Rain Machine, Pearl Jam, Wallpaper, Bon Iver, Dodos

Also, Seasons, Brodinski, Autolux and others

SXSSXSW Day 4/Days Late (Pt. 1): On Rap/Rock, The Legacy of the Beasties, and Asher Roth Vs. The Knux

Other than freshman Delta Sigma Theta rushes at Cal-State Chico, no substrata of the American population has worse taste in rock than rappers. Sure, your little brother likes Fall Out Boy, but eventually, he's going to grow up and discover The Clash, then weed, then hopefully Junior Murvin and Lee ... More >>

The 50 Best Albums of the Year (#20-11) (Sponsored By Teen Wolf Too)

Some might say this was the finest work Jason Bateman would ever do. 20. Al Green-Lay It Down (Blue Note) What more did you want from Al Green? Did you want him to wear Levar Burton sunglasses and use auto-tune? Did you want him to do a ladies only tour? Did you want him to employ interplanet ... More >>

L.A. Dee Dallapalooza

Birth of a Nightranger

Super Tuesday

Ed Banging; Ponytail checks out; rock-star mash-up; Lemmy see that

Coming Up

Every week or so, we'll update a list on concerts announced, shows going on sale, and other things happening soon that you may want to know about. James Blunt - Wiltern, Feb. 7 with Sara Bareilles. Tickets go on sale Saturday Cave Singers - Echoplex, Dec. 3 Circle Jerks - Henry Fonda, Jan 4. On ... More >>

Pure Energy

The death and life of the beloved Laserium

Rock PIcks

For the week of Nov. 24 - 30

Bullshit! (But Thanks)

KROQ INLAND INVASION with Guns N’ Roses, Alice in Chains, Muse, Papa Roach, Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu at Hyundai Pavilion, September 23

Rock Picks

For September 21–28

Music Picks

For the week of May 18 - 24

Music Picks

For the week of May 11 - 18

Freaky Stylee

Wicked Games

On Deck With the Dealer to the Stars

The stakes aren’t as high, but the action’s still hot when Hollywood holds ’em

Sho' Nuff!

Big Primpin’ Bigmouth Strikes Again Sayonara, Suckas

Nether Bound

Danzig

Proxy Music

Bastard Power

Metallica, still the kings

Insane Clone Posse

Crush and Cuddle

The sheer heart failure of Ozzfest 2002

Reach for the Sun

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, April 27-28

Creation Myth

Drugs and musicians, together forever

Don't Read This Story

Listen to Brad Mehldau

Music Reviews:

Union, Fu Manchu, Sixteen Horsepower