Jeff Weiss

The Coachella 2013 Awards

The brunette in the backward pink mesh trucker hat and booty shorts grabs a megaphone and addresses her fellow campers. "WECOME TO COOOOACHEELLLA." The congregation of twenty 20-somethings lustily applauds. It's Thursday night, a dozen hours before the festival officially begins, and the rules ar ... More >>

Matthewdavid's Psychedelic Soul Music Is Not Exactly That

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.] "All profoundly original art looks ugly at first," opined art critic Clement Greenberg. He was alluding to the abstract expressionism that he helped to p ... More >>

Bizarre Ride: Jeff's Humorous Predictions and Most Anticipated Albums for 2013

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.] Half of January has elapsed and we've survived. There was no collapse due to fiscal cliff, Central American apocalypse or dubstep deluge. A new year unfu ... More >>

Los Angeles Musicians Dominate Pazz and Jop

Pazz and Jop is here! The Village Voice's annual, venerated, logistically-nightmarish critics' poll has arrived, and there are shit tons of L.A. musicians who placed highly. Frank Ocean won the album poll, which was no big surprise; be sure to peep Eric Sunderman's quite-touching piece about him. ... More >>

Our Most Popular Stories of 2012

It was a great year for the L.A. Weekly music section and our West Coast Sound blog. On the print side, we specialized in well-reported profiles, news stories, and essays that helped our readers understand better the music they love. On the blog we churned out compulsively-readable pieces that start ... More >>

Readers Take on the Sheriff, Our Theater Critics -- and Our Treatment of Kristen Stewart

The Miracle That Is 
A Charlie Brown Christmas

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.] If you look outside while reading this, the odds are that it's sunny and mild. You might see green and red lights and tinseled pine trees glowing through ... More >>

Thavius Beck, Connoisseur of All Things Geeky

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.] Thavius Beck might be the least geeky self-proclaimed geek I've ever met. After all, we meet up on a Friday afternoon at Amoeba Records, right before the ... More >>

What the Hell Is Trap Music (and Why Is Dubstep Involved)?

You may have heard the term "trap music." You may even realize that what people are calling "trap music" today (which sounds a whole lot like dubstep) is not necessarily what people were calling "trap music" a few years ago. See also: Flying Lotus' Nocturnal Visions: Once believing himself destined ... More >>

We Write About More Than Bad Hipster Bands. No Seriously

The internet's stomach continues to churn over our Top 20 Worst Hipster Bands post, which -- as I noted in our "correction" -- inspired widespread anger and funny death threats involving oral sex from sharks. Someone even whined that it made him want to quit writing about music. Boo hoo! Folks too ... More >>

The Lions Give Roots Reggae New Life

[Editor's note: Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. Be sure to also check out the archives.] Reggae was spawned during one broiling Kingston, Jamaica, summer, spread to the world via the mesmerism of Bob Marley, and now serves as a dorm-room rite of pas ... More >>

Comments: Race to the Finish

We Open in Venice

L.A. Woman: Track List

Top 20 Musicians of All Time, in Any Genre: The Complete List

Yeah, yeah, we know. The top 20 greatest musicians of all time, in any genre. Where do we get off? Well, we'll tell you where we get off -- at Accuracy Station. Our team of writers listened to thousands and thousands of hours of music for this list, digging deep into the annals of history and explor ... More >>

Top 20 Musicians of All Time, in Any Genre: #15-11

See also: *Top 20 Musicians of All Time, In Any Genre: #20-16 *Top 20 Musicians of All Time, In Any Genre: #10-6 *Top 20 Musicians of All Time, In Any Genre: #5-1 15. Madonna When asked by Dick Clark on American Bandstand in 1983 what her dreams were, a young Madonna replied, "To rule the world." ... More >>

The Top Ten Los Angeles Albums Of 2011

​The best albums of 2011 from Los Angeles artists came from a suitably diverse Angeleno cast of characters; there are rappers and singers, legends and transplants, folks with great careers in front of them, and those who may have peaked this year. One thing's clear: it was unquestionably a gre ... More >>

Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums Of All Time: The Complete List

​Editor's note: In conjunction with our music issue we rolled out the top 20 L.A. rap albums of all time this week, as picked by Ian Cohen, Rebecca Haithcoat, Jeff Weiss and Ben Westhoff. But the list was broken up into four posts, which can get a bit unwieldy, so we've compiled the full list ... More >>

Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums Of All Time: 5-1

​See also Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums of All Time: 20-16 Editor's note: For our music issue, out on Thursday, Ian Cohen, Rebecca Haithcoat, Jeff Weiss and Ben Westhoff run down the top 20 L.A. rap albums of all time. We're unveiling the list all this week on West Coast Sound. 5. The Phar ... More >>

Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums Of All Time: 10-6

​See also Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums of All Time: 20-16 Editor's note: For our music issue, out on Thursday, Ian Cohen, Rebecca Haithcoat, Jeff Weiss and Ben Westhoff run down the top 20 L.A. rap albums of all time. We're unveiling the list all this week on West Coast Sound. 10. Freesty ... More >>

Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums Of All Time: 15-11

​ See also Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums of All Time: 20-16 Editor's note: For our music issue, out on Thursday, Ian Cohen, Rebecca Haithcoat, Jeff Weiss and Ben Westhoff run down the top 20 L.A. rap albums of all time. We're unveiling the list all this week on West Coast Sound. The party ... More >>

Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums Of All Time: 20-16

​Editor's note: For our music issue, out on Thursday, Ian Cohen, Rebecca Haithcoat, Jeff Weiss and Ben Westhoff run down the top 20 L.A. rap albums of all time. We're unveiling the list all this week on West Coast Sound. The party waits for no man. So while we watched the tubes for Detox, Los ... More >>

Free Download: Serengeti's "Tracks"

Page Two: Passion of the Live

FREE Snoop Dogg Anthem for L.A.: "El Lay" (Download, NSFW)

​LA Times blogger Jeff Weiss reports that Snoop Dogg has just released an anthem for L.A. called "El Lay." If Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" is as Broadway-ready and coked-up as a Manhattan evening, Snoop's paean to our fair city is, of course, much more blunted. "Unsurprisingly," writes Weis ... More >>

Avenged Sevenfold's Fans Push "Nightmare" to Top of the Charts, Begin Beef With LA Times

​Huntington Beach metal band Avenged Sevenfold's new album, Nightmare, shot this week to the top of the Billboard chart, pushing Eminem to the second slot. This is a really impressive achievement for the band, particularly as it comes so soon after the tragic death of drummer Jimmy "The Rev" ... More >>

Peanut Butter Wolf's 5 Favorite Stones Throw Releases

by Peanut Butter Wolf In honor of Jeff Weiss' "The Madlib Mystique," which graces the cover of the on-stand issue of L.A. Weekly, we asked Stones Throw Record head honcho Chris "Peanut Butter Wolf" Manak for his five favorite records he's released over the years. The renowned DJ put his own spin on ... More >>

On the Cover: The Elusive Madlib Gives His First U.S. Interview in Four Years

Star Foreman​For this week's L.A. Weekly cover story, writer Jeff Weiss pens an intimate piece on L.A.'s own oft-elusive living legend, Madlib. We visit the producer in his hallowed studio, "surrounded by samplers, CDs, cassette decks, 4- and 8-track recorders, keyboards and drum kits -- no c ... More >>

MP3 Exclusive: Pollyn Covers 'Tom's Diner,' Plays Spaceland with Freddie Gibbs

Pollyn on Pollyn​We're a little biased, but we've got to give it up to LA Weekly contributor Jeff Weiss. On Saturday night, Spaceland will play host to the second Passion of the Weiss event, and like the first, it's a hugely diverse night full of great music. This time around, former Weekly ... More >>

MP3 Exclusive: Nocando's 'Old Friend,' in Honor of Friday's Show with the Knux

Nocando raps better than you.​On Friday frequent LA Weekly contributor Jeff Weiss throws the first in a series of "Passion of the Weiss presents..." shows at Spaceland. The inaugural fete is headlined by L.A. via Nawlins garage-rap duo the Knux, with support from Philly noir-hoppers 5 O'Cloc ... More >>

Update on Story LA Weekly Broke: Google Amps Up Its Music Blog Deletions

Fred Noland​Almost a year ago, LA Weekly freelancer Jeff Weiss broke the story of Google's unilateral removal of music blogs who were accused of posting unauthorized MP3s on the company's Blogger software. Wrote Weiss on February 5, 2009: Google, the bloggers believe, has quietly changed t ... More >>

Passion of the Weiss Releases Ace Winter Mixtape [MP3]

​Our friend, colleague and LA Weekly feature scribe Jeff Weiss has posted an ace winter mixtape on his music blog, Passion of the Weiss, and it's a nice way to spend these oh-so-grueling winter days in Los Angeles. [It was downright chilly at the beach in Santa Monica the other day!] Mixed by ... More >>

Dam-Funk, Keytar Hero: Video Interview with an LA Original

If you don't know Dam-Funk, all you really need to know about him is embedded in the image below, taken of the artist last year during the shoot that delivered the already iconic shot for the cover of his new record, Toeachizown. ​ This week's print issue has a feature, Keytar Hero, on the ... More >>

The 10 Best L.A. Albums of the ’00s

From Beck and Dilla to Fiona, Jenny and Quasimoto, a mishmash decade of Southern California sounds

Flying Lotus Remixes Lil Wayne [MP3]

Here's something good for a Thursday afternoon: Lil Wayne tracks reimagined by LA beat king Flying Lotus. We snagged these from Jeff Weiss' great Passion of the Weiss blog yesterday -- four tracks, two vocals and two instrumentals -- and would highly recommend you do the same. For now, you can grab ... More >>

New Videos from Pink Dollaz and Comrade Bros.: Jerkin' to "Never Hungry"

LA Weekly freelancer Jeff Weiss, whose tome on the budding jerkin' scene we published last month, tipped us to the new Pink Dollaz video just posted on YouTube. Pink Dollaz, in Weiss' words are "further consolidating their stranglehold on the title of baddest bitches since Trina. According to my so ... More >>

Jerkin’ on the Crest of a Wave

'Now We Jerk': The Jerkin' Movement Documented on Video

During the three months that LA Weekly writer Jeff Weiss was researching and interviewing for this week's cover story, We're Jerkin', filmmakers Jeff Cowan and Henry Choi were trailing him, recording the scene and the interviews, putting the focus on the dance moves and sounds impossible to captur ... More >>

This Week in LA Weekly: Jerkin', Sunn 0))), Amanda Blank, LA Ladies Choir, More

This week's hard copy of the LA Weekly is packed with useful music information, news, profiles, and music picks (if we do say so ourselves). Haven't gotten around to grabbing one yet? Here's what you'll see: Star ForemanLA Ladies Choir​ Jeff Weiss has written an in-the-trenches feature on th ... More >>

Tonight at 826LA East: LA Music Writers Hold a "Seminar," Discuss Amazing Opportunities in Journalism

Tonight at the ever-inspiring 826LA East in Echo Park, directly behind the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a bunch of music writers will be discussing their, er, craft, no doubt addressing hot button issues in the ever-exciting world of music journalism, a profession that is growing by leaps and bound ... More >>

Pazz & Jop 2008: LA Shut Out of Top Ten

The critics apparently aren't feeling LA music this year; it's been twelve years since LA snagged the number one spot on the estimable Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll (for Beck's Odelay). All the city got in the top 20 of the album category this year was a #13 nod for No Age's Nouns, and She ... More >>

Weiss' 50 Best Albums of the Year (#40-31) (Sponsored By Crystal Pepsi)

If you're going to drink one clear cola this year, make it Crystal Pepsi. Please.40. No Age-Nouns (Sub Pop) Face it, *Nouns* is this decade's *Let it Be* (The Replacements, not The Beatles): A ragtag posse of scruffy dudes sonically illustrating their homes with spectacular tunes and pure passi ... More >>

The 25 Best Non Hip-Hop Songs of 2008 (M-Z)

Mezzanine Owls-"Snow Globe" Because it never snows in Los Angeles, we're forced to romanticize it. The first draft of "White Christmas," originally chided a spoiled Angeleno,"longing to be up North on December 24," surrounded by sunshine, green grass and swaying palms. The closest you get to w ... More >>

Weiss' 25 Best Non Hip-Hop Songs of 2008 (A-L)

Graffiti originally spotted on Bedford Ave., Williamsburg in 2002--soon followed by copycat crimes on Silverlake Blvd. and San Francisco's Mission District. Now playing at a Hot Topic near you. For spread-the-wealth reasons, this list was restricted to songs from albums that did not make the Top ... More >>

Weiss' 25 Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2008

25. Prafit-"Nice Weather" The nice weather is long gone--the ostensibly immutable Los Angeles sun blotted by kidney colored clouds and cold rain. So Prafit's ode to the sizzle of July feels like an antique postcard documenting endless light, chicken breasts smothered in BBQ sauce, and basement ... More >>

Over the Weekend: "For the Glory of Steel" Competition Gets Medieval, Of Montreal Performs Palladium, Doo Dah Parade Queen Tryouts

The countdown to the Thanksgiving holiday may have begun but that doesn't mean L.A. has slowed down one bit. From Medieval reenactments in parking lots to flamboyant concerts to costumed queen competitions, this weekend was all about extravagant performances. Here's what we did and what you might ha ... More >>

This Week in LA Music: New No Age MP3, Rossdale v. Yow, 2Pac Energy Drink, R.I.P. Jody Reynolds, Street Drum Corps, Flaming Lips, Adios Nic Harcourt

Raven Sings the Blues has an MP3 of the pretty, noisy, pretty/noisy new No Age track. The b-side of their new "Teen Creeps" 7" on Sub Pop is called "Intimate Descriptions, and you can find it here. (via gorillavsbear.) We can't be any clearer than this: GAVIN ROSSDALE HAS BEEN COLLABORATING WITH ... More >>

Writers Rock

Pitchfork Music Festival, Day 2: No Age, the Hold Steady, Fleet Foxes and Blunts the Size of Burritos

Pitchfork Music Festival, Day 2 By Jeff Weiss Tad Kubler of the Hold Steady (Photos by Nick Lucchesi) Sometimes, on your own, you arrive at the realization that "hey, it isn't so bad. I'm attending a music festival for free in a very beautiful city and even though I'm trying hard not to gawk at ... More >>

Weiss Muxtapes #7 and #8: I Can't Live Without My (Internet) Radio

Have you ever read this blog and wondered to yourself, hmm...this Jeff Weiss fellow has some self-righteous and ill-founded opinions, is it possible that he may be in the wrong medium? One would hope. Yet despite my repeated attempts to turn these misguided ideals into a viable run for the GOP nom ... More >>