Chris Martins

The Best Five Concerts in L.A. This Week

Monday, July 16 Animal Raps LOS GLOBOS By day, Paul Prado is one of the brevity-obsessed comic geniuses at L.A.'s own 5 Second Films. He's their in-house Method actor -- a guy who takes what he does so seriously, he'll shave his head clean for a five-second spoof of Citizen Kane. He can occupy a ch ... More >>

Music Picks: Aesop Rock, Azealia Banks, Toots & the Maytals

Also, Mariachi El Bronx, Phil Ranelin, Spaceghostpurrp and others

Jimmy Cliff, Liars, Jesse Sykes

Also, New Edition, Kátia Moraes & Sambaguru, Milo Greene and others

Sun Araw, Eagles of Death Metal, Lil' Kim

Also, Harry Partch's Bitter Music, Jonneine Zapata, Alan Pasqua Trio and others

Kurt Vile, Santigold, Rusko

Also, Star & Dagger, Charli XCX, Church of Misery and others

The Roots, Hilary Hahn, The Urinals

Also, Barbara Lynn, Stalley, Active Child and others

Music Picks: Soweto Gospel Choir, Garbage, Neon Trees, Jennifer Leitham

Also, Kitty, Slaughterhouse, James, Chairlift and others

Music Picks: X, Lucinda Williams, Jackie DeShannon, Fujiya & Miyagi

Also, Dengue Fever, Jessie Baylin, Reigning Sound, Black Bananas and others

Music Picks: Matthew Sweet, Summer Darling, Billy Childs Quartet, Rusko,

Also, The Aggrolites, Kris Bowers, Chasing Kings, Asher Roth and others

Music Picks: Woody Allen & His New Orleans Jazz Band, Jane Monheit, Manhattan Murder Mystery

Also, Fishbone, Luciana Souza, Infected Mushroom and others

Music Picks: Matt & Kim, Partch, Booker T, Motley Crue,

Also, Spain, Civil Wars, Bruno Mars and others

Music Picks: Adele, Wanda Jackson, Bootsy Collins, Buffalo Springfield, Gayngs, Amor de Dias

Also, Cerebral Ballzy, Sea of Bees, Shabazz Palaces, Miasmal and others

Music Picks: The Undertones, Prince, Eternal Summers, Check Yo Ponytail 2

Also, Earth, Wind & Fire, Tinie Tempah, Arctic Monkeys, Woodsman and others

Music Picks: Stiff Little Fingers, CunninLynguists, The Nubians, System of a Down

Houses, Aloe Blacc, Krautrock Nite, The Radio Dept. and others

Music Picks: Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Prince, Ricky Martin, Carrie Rodriguez, The Low Anthem, Mogwai

Also, Gutbucket Chamber Orchestra, Pegi Young, Mike Stinson and others

Music Picks: Prince, Amanda Jo Williams, Kendrick Lamar, Xzibit, Civet,

Also, Miguel, L.A. Bluegrass Situation, Heidecker and Wood, the Ditty Bops and others

Music Picks: Coachella, Girls in Trouble, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Paul Simon

Also, Mary Anne Hobbs, Yoni Wolf, Emmylou Harris and others

Music Picks: Duran Duran, Jessie Evans, k.d. lang, The Dodos, Swahili Blonde,

Also, Janet Jackson, Greg Laswell, The Crystelles, Big Audio Dynamite and others

Music Picks: Talib Kweli, Pete Yorn, Lucy Schwartz

Also Rise Against, Piney Gir, Deradoorian and others

Music Picks: Liz Phair, DeVotchKa, Peter Murphy, Fergus & Geronimo

Also Whitechapel, Motorhead, Juanes and others

Music Picks: SWANS, Sebadoh, Arbouretum, Cass McCombs

Also Meshell Ndegeocello, Kaki King, Local Natives and others

Vinyl of the Week: From Stars of the Lid Emerges the Pretty Pop of Bell Gardens [MP3]

In the strange wake of music's digital rebirth, vinyl has experienced a modest boom in popularity, seen by many as a replacement for the awkward middleman that is the compact disc. INCHES reviews the output of L.A.'s healthy vinyl community, believing that good music deserves much more than a handfu ... More >>

Vinyl of the Week: Stones Throw Restocks Dâm-Funk's 5LP Box o' Funk [MP3]

In the strange wake of music's digital rebirth, vinyl has experienced a modest boom in popularity, seen by many as a replacement for the awkward middleman that is the compact disc. INCHES reviews the output of L.A.'s healthy vinyl community, believing that good music deserves much more than a handfu ... More >>

Vinyl of the Week: Found Sounds and Beat Music from Take and Matthewdavid [Mp3]

In the strange wake of music's digital rebirth, vinyl has experienced a modest boom in popularity, seen by many as a replacement for the awkward middleman that is the compact disc. INCHES reviews the output of L.A.'s healthy vinyl community, believing that good music deserves much more than a handfu ... More >>

Rock Picks: Prefuse 73, the Gaslamp Killer, VoicesVoices, Beyond the Pale

Also, Do Make Say Think, the Living Sisters, Wale and others

Rock Picks: GZA, the Ettes, A.A. Bondy, Mose Allison

Also, the Kris Special, Jesse Sykes, Mamak Khadem and others

Rock Picks: Al Kooper, Year Long Disaster, Steven Severin, the Phenomenal Handclap Band

Also, Kimya Dawson, the Cigarette Bums, Willi Williams and others

Rock Picks: Ozomatli, Harper Simon, Spain

Also, Tenacious D, Lady Gaga, Local Natives and others

J.ROCC, THE THRONES, BAND OF SKULLS, THE SLITS AND BRETT DENNEN

Also Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Espers, a Nicollete Larson Tribute, and others.

Rock Picks: Willie Nelson, Maude Maggart, Two Tears

Also, Cold Cave, Ceci Bastida, Califone, and others

Rock Picks: Amadou & Mariam, Manimal Festival, Marianne Faithfull, Gil Scott-Heron

Also, Kylie Minogue, the Joe Perry Project, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks and others

FYF Fest Founder Makes Good With Fans Left Waiting Outside For Hours, Gives Gifts

As previously reported, last weekend's FYF Fest was a success -- except for one pretty egregious scheduling error: festival organizers had apparently forgotten to figure out what to do with the thousands of attendees who'd purchased tickets in advance via TicketWeb. The line of pre-paid customers wa ... More >>

Rock Picks: Broken Nobles, Anny Celsi, Seu Jorge, the Killers

Rock Picks: Broken Nobles, Anny Celsi, Seu Jorge, the Killers

Also, Destroy L.A., Sunset Strip Music Festival, the Drones and others

Rock Picks: Camper Van Beethoven, Cass McCombs, AC/DC

Also, Twilight Circus Dub Sound System, Magda, Hedgehog, Mos Def and others

FYF Fest 2009: Parks and Inspiration

Event's new mission: Save Our State Parks (and deliver a mind-bending roster of punk, electronics and noise)

Rock Picks: Os Mutantes, Hall and Oates, Bat for Lashes, Davila 666, Maia Sharp

Also, the Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails, Gun Outfit, the Pretenders and others

Rock Picks: Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, Elvis Costello, Rock & Roll Summer Circus

Also, Flaming Lips, Clipse, Silk Flowers, the Muffs and others

ROCK PICKS: Black Francis, Bob Dylan, Caroline Weeks, Casiokids

Also, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, The Dodos, Buddy Guy and others

Rock Picks: Electric Daisy Carnival, Explosion in the Sky, Rodriguez

Also, DAT Politics, Mika Miko, Etta James and others

Rock Picks: The Kills, Lady Sovereign, Fischerspooner, the Dears

Also, Sun Kil Moon, St. Vincent, Alexandra Hope and others

Rock Picks: Doves, Ceci Bastida, Carina Round, New York Dolls

Also, The Detroit Cobras, the Aggrolites, Loney Dear and others

Rock Picks: Winifred E. Eye, Stagecoach, Marianne Dissard, Thao

Also, Franz Nicolay, Sweet, Tinted Windows and others

Rock Picks: Pelican, Herman Dune, Rasputina, Bill Frisell, Random Patterns

Also, the Rakes, Cold War Kids, Idan Raichel Project and others

Rock Picks: Thurston Moore, James Blackshaw, Lisa Hannigan, Modest Mouse

Plus, Scott Walker Night, Dead Confederate, A.C. Newman

Rock Picks: Don Caballero, Yo! Majesty, Joan Baez, Juana Molina

Also, Extreme Animals, Andrew Bird, Peach Fuzz, and others

Anticon's reunited Restiform Bodies play the Echo tonight

Though its constituent parts have continued to bless us with their solo forays into left-field beats, textures and raps, it's been over four years since Oakland's Restiform Bodies crew has played L.A. intact. The reunited trio — percussionist Bomarr, expert-in-ethereal Telephone Jim Jesus, and son ... More >>

Record Reviews: Koushik's Out My Window, Black Ghosts' self-titled debut

Also, Final Solution's Brotherman soundtrack, Look Daggers' Suffer in Style

Coachella, Day One: The National, the Sunset, and the Masses

The National at Coachella, Day One. By Chris Martins Photos by Timothy Norris The National were off to a strong start, but something wasn't right. The weather was just shy of idyllic; the band - expanded to seven with the addition of horns - was almost synced; the crowd was flirting with movement ... More >>