Birmingham (Alabama)

Los Angeles Has America's Most Polluted Air?

L.A is the capital of many things. Few of them are good things. At least not lately, it seems. A day after it was announced that Los Angeles is America's traffic-congestion Mecca once again (breaking news, that), we bring you the American Lung Association's annual "Most Polluted Cities" list:

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including a Mesmerizing Child's-Eye View of Grief, Walking the Tightrope

Child-like views delighted our critics this week, with Mike Kenney's Walking the Tightrope at the 24th Street Theatre taking Pick of the Week, and a nod to Albie Selznick's magic show Smoke and Mirrors at the Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood. There's also a recommendation for an adult comed ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Family Strife and Sexual Taboos in Machu Picchu, Texas

Family trauma drama Machu Picchu, Texas (pictured above) grabs our Pick of the Week this week. Good reviews also for Noel Coward's Fallen Angels at the Pasadena Playhouse and David Henry Hwang's Chinglish at South Coast Rep. For all New Theater Reviews, and this weekend's comprehensive listing ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Jane Kaczmarek in The Snake Can

Kathryn Graf's new comedy about women slipping into middle-age, The Snake Can, is this week's pick of the week. Also a nod for Cathy Rigby reprising her decades-long performance in Peter Pan. See below for all the latest New Theater Reviews, and this week's comprehensive stage listings. Also, two s ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground

Nods this week for Laguna Playhouse's production of Neil Simon's Chapter Two and Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground at Zombie Joe's Underground in North Hollywood. For the latest new reviews and comprehensive stage listings, see below. Tanna Frederick and Robert Standley star in N. Richard Nash's T ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including a Solo Show About Pioneering Actress Hattie McDaniel

Our critic Lovell Estell was entranced by Vickilyn Reynolds' performance in a show based on the life of Hattie McDaniel, Hattie -- What I Need You To Know. For all the latest New Theater Reviews, and comprehensive stage listings, see below.This week's Stage Feature takes a look a three shows th ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Jeff Goldblum as a Writing Teacher

Starting this week, we will now include our listings of all ongoing shows, below the new reviews, to help make it easier for you to decide which shows to see this week.The writing of neurologist Oliver Sacks has inspired a new work at Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena -- Kathryn Walat's Creation. S ... More >>

Begley/Huffman in November, Roger Robinson in Fraternity, Brushing up Our Shakespeare, Plus All the Latest New Theater Reviews

Our critics were brushing up their Shakespeare over the weekend, with reviews of CymbelineJulius Caeser and Henry VI, Part I Jeff Stetson's 1987 retrospective drama on the effects of church Bombing in Birmingham, Alabama is this week's Pick of the Week. For all the Latest New Theater Reviews, go to ... More >>

James Beard 2012 Award Winners

The James Beard awards are the food equivalent of the Oscars: prestigious golden whatsits, fancy dress event, silly acceptance speeches, requisite grouching about the whole thing being rigged. Oh, yes, and lots of highly talented people getting much-deserved recognition. This year's awards ceremony ... More >>

2012 James Beard Foundation Award Nominees Announced: The Mozza Edition

Yesterday the James Beard Foundation announced its 2012 nominations for book awards, journalism, design and graphics, broadcast and media, and restaurant and chefs. It is a very long list. There were also awards given for lifetime achievement (Wolfgang Puck!) and humanitarian of the year (Charlie Tr ... More >>

Henry Rollins: The Column! Rebelling in Sweet Home Alabama

[Look for your weekly fix from the one and only Henry Rollins right here on West Coast Sound every Thursday, and come back tomorrow for the awesomely annotated playlist for his Saturday KCRW broadcast.] If you are a fan of American history, Alabama is a very interesting place. To say that a lot has ... More >>

James Beard Awards 2012: Semifinalists Announced

Los Angeles chefs made a strong showing among the semifinalists for the 2012 James Beard Awards, which were announced today. Local nominees for the Best Chef, Pacific award include Josef Centeno (Lazy Ox Canteen), Michael Cimarusti (Providence), David Feau (The Royce at the Langham), Matt Molina (M ... More >>

Victoria Jackson's Excellent Tea Party Adventure

It's Here! The Worst Video of the Year

Big news: Birmingham, Alabama hard rock outfit Maylene and the Sons of Disaster have a new music video out, and it's also a disaster! The press release says the work, for the song "Open Your Eyes," is akin to a short film. But it's actually torture porn. Even worse: the plot is ridonkulous, and it m ... More >>

New Avi Buffalo MP3 Available For One Week Only!

Avi Buffalo, arguably Long Beach's most successful band to feature an animal in its name, is gearing up to release the new single "How Come" on Sub Pop in two weeks but interested parties can take an early listen by following this link--but beware! This is good for one short week only! (After that ... More >>

10 Places to Celebrate World Cocktail Day

Guzzle & NoshSo many cocktails to drink, so little time.​World Cocktail Day, the culmination of World Cocktail Week, is tomorrow, May 13th, but in true tippler fashion, we're starting the celebration today. Didn't even know you had an excuse to drink, did you? Why May 13th? Our pal at Thirsty ... More >>

Ricardo Zarate Wins Food & Wine Best New Chef The Rest of the Winners

Anne Fishbein​ Last night Food & Wine announced their awards for this year's Best New Chefs. The ten winners, picked from around the country, included one chef from Los Angeles: Ricardo Zarate of Mo-Chica, who can now add this award to his accolades, which include showing up on Coca-Cola billb ... More >>

Food & Wine Best New Chef 2011, The People's Edition: Ricardo Zarate Wins Pacific Region

​ The results are in for Food & Wine magazine's "The People's Best New Chefs" awards, and Ricardo Zarate has won for the Pacific region. Congratulations, chef. Hope you're back from Peru for the party. Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa in Boston is the overall winner. Zarate and the other finalists ... More >>

Stage Raw: James Gammon Memorial

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on Opus, at the Fountain Theatre MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR JAMES GAMMON: Sunday, August 22, 2 p.m. at the MET Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Avenue in Hollywood. RSVP here Check back Monday night for reviews of: BOY'S LIFE, Howard Korder's 1988 ba ... More >>

L.A. Troubadour Sea Wolf Sets Out on First Ever Solo Tour

L.A. Troubadour Sea Wolf Sets Out on First Ever Solo Tour

2010 James Beard Finalists Announed: Suzanne Goin, Matt Molina, Michael Cimarusti, Jonathan Gold, Patric Kuh Nominated

James Beard​Twitter is at it again. The 2010 James Beard Award Finalists were announced this morning via the foundation's Twitter account. L.A's Suzanne Goin, of Lucques, AOC Wine Bar, Hungry Cat and Tavern was nominated for Outstanding Chef, while Matt Molina of Mozza and Michael Cimarusti of ... More >>

James Beard Semifinalists Announced: The L.A. Edition

James Beard​This morning the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards. Judges will vote to determine the final 5 nominees in each category, which will be announced on March 22nd. The winners will be announced at the Foundation's award party, ... More >>

Today in Photographs: May 13, 1963

Black Muslim supporters picket L.A.'s County Courthouse in the wake of police brutality against Civil Rights marchers in Birmingham, Alabama.Bill Walker/LA Herald-Examiner/LAPL

Rock Picks: Holly Golightly, Sergio Mendes, Wu-Tang Clan

Also, the Hanson Brothers, Oasis, Azure Ray and others

F YEAH FEST Announces Summer Tour

The Yeah Fest formerly know as Fuck has announced its summer tour across the Eastern, Southern, and Middle United States, and a little bit of Canada. Bands touring are Matt & Kim, Circle Jerks, Dillinger Four, The Death Set, Monotonix, Dan Deacon, Paint it Black, Team Robespierre, Brother Reade, Cr ... More >>

Between the Lost and the Found

Daniel Alarcón and his novel of the disappeared

Colors of Optimism

The immigrants’-rights movement energizes a nation

Town Without Pity

A Deep South in the East Bay

Sketchers, Hair Wars and Courting Venus

Problems in Paradise

On the campaign trail with the three who would represent the ultimate NIMBY district

Not in My Neighborhood Council

What can save L.A.’s broken neighborhood councils?

Lab Coat Revolutionary

UCLA's William Cunningham takes a scholar's approach to overhauling public health — and getting condoms handed out in church

Operation Miscue

How legal problems, cultural shifts and internal turmoil muffled America’s radical anti-abortion movement, and why the battle isn’t over

A Scary Abundance of Water

Growing up with the San Fernando Valley

Psychedelobabble

Heliocentric World

Sun Ra’s cosmic tones for mental therapy

Mother's Milk

What’s the best gift for a Latina mom on Mother’s Day?

Radio Radar

Murder in a Santa Monica Squat

The death of 14-year-old Shevawn Geoghegan

Letters

Letters

Survival, Revivalle

Mutants, campers, martyrs . . .