Jimi Hendrix

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 >>

The Best Concerts to See in Los Angeles This Weekend

Friday, April 20 The Call THE TROUBADOUR The Call couldn't have imagined its rousing song "Let the Day Begin" would be the rally cry for not one (Al Gore) but two (Tom Vilsack) presidential campaigns. The Northern California group, who came into their own in the 1980s, haven't had a release since 2 ... More >>

Don Was on Running Blue Note Records

Don Was is a frequent sight at shows around L.A. He's hard to miss: all hair, hat, sunglasses, and smiles. He made a name for himself as a bass player with Was (Not Was) as well as a producer for the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt. Last year, he became the president of Blue Note Records. ... More >>

Why Are There so Few African-Americans in Metal?

Long Beach-based metal band Hirax has a unique sound, blending the galloping beats of the new wave of British heavy metal with the intensity of thrash. Katon W. De Pena's operatic and aggressive vocals lead the way. Since 1984 De Pena, who is 49, has fronted the legendary thrashers. See also: Top 2 ... More >>

The Shrine Used to Host the Oscars. Now it Hosts Steve Aoki Parties

The Shrine Auditorium, once home to the Academy Awards, hosted countless landmark concerts in its prime, but now is less in the spotlight than its rival up Figueroa -- LA Live. Still, the Shrine has found a second life as a hub for L.A,'s rave scene. See also: *Jack White at The Shrine, 8/10/12 *St ... More >>

Dublab 13th Anniversary Party - Echoplex - 9/22/12

Dublab 13th Anniversary Party Echoplex 9-22-12 Better than...waiting in a Wendy's drive-through congested with D.U.I. candidates at 2 a.m. At the 13th anniversary party for Dublab -- L.A.'s beloved nonprofit web radio collective -- there were nine DJs on one stage in roughly five hours. The party ... More >>

Plath

Chicano Batman, Caped Crusader

[Editor's note: Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. Be sure to also check out the archives.] With the July 20 release of The Dark Knight Rises, the iconic Batman franchise returns for its seventh summer with the usual panoply of "pows," "bangs" and Chri ... 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 >>

Henry Rollins: The Column! Japanese Guitar Freaks From Outer Space

[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.] I am off the road for a few days, from the tour that never ends. One of the upsides is that I g ... More >>

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Is One Meandering Interview

See also: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Is a Real Bastard Our music feature this week focuses on Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, a giant of the progressive rock and post-hardcore scenes who seemingly wants nothing to do with them. The mastermind behind Mars Volta and At the Drive-In tries to tell us he's not a musi ... More >>

Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something": Why This Song Sucks

[Editor's note: Why This Song Sucks determines why particular tracks blow using science. It appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday.] Song: Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something" History: "Wanna Be Startin' Something" is the fourth single from Michael Jackson's album Thriller (said Th ... 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 >>

Music Picks: Overdoz, The Cure, Lucinda Williams

Also, K. Flay, The Civil Wars, Bob Mould tribute

Death, Drugs and Rock n' Roll- "Don't Knock The Rock's" Timely Glimpse into Musicians' Triumphs and Tragedies

Lina LecaroAllison Anders and Patty Schemel​There is a segment in the riveting new documentary Hit So Hard- The Life and Near Death Story of Patty Schemel that explores the concept of "Saturn Returns" (the astrogical phenomenon which is said to influence and test a person's life development be ... More >>

Bob Dylan's L.A. Weekly Birthday Cake: Tangled Up in Frosting

Henry Rollins: The Column! Henry on Why Music Makes Us Lusty

Timothy Norris​[The one and only Henry Rollins contributes a weekly column and far-reaching reportage to the music section of the LA Weekly. Look for your weekly Henry Rollins fix right here on West Coast Sound every week and make sure to tune in to Henry's KCRW radio show every Saturday eveni ... More >>

Tonight: Concrete Blonde, We Barbarians, Tame Impala, Frank Fairfield, Diego Garcia

Amber BoggsConcrete Blonde​If only there were movies and TV shows about vampires for songs like the ones on Bloodletting. Oh, wait. There are. Few, though, are as truly dark and compelling as Concrete Blonde's seminal (so to speak) 1990 album, which gave the band its biggest hit in "Joey" and ... More >>

Mugshots and Tequila Shots: Rocking out at Pete Wentz Angels & Kings Bar

Not a Pete Wentz fan, let's get that out of the way up front. He may be a nice guy and we've got nothing against guyliner or fellas who know their way around a flat-iron (or even his lip-synching wifey), but having to endure his band Fall Out Boy's pop-"punk" schmaltz once for an assigned live revi ... More >>

Live Review: Corinne Bailey Rae @ KCRW Benefit

Jonathan Kalan for KCRW​[Ed's Note: Today KCRW is airing last Tuesday's very exclusive concert benefit at Vibiana by Corinne Bailey Rae. Here's our eyewitness review of the show.] There wasn't a lot of between-song banter last night as Corinne Bailey Rae kicked off her North American tour at ... More >>

Six-String Heroes: Iconic Photographer Neil Zlozower Talks New Book, Mr. Musichead Launch Party, and Making Friends with Rock Stars

Neil ZlozowerEddie Van Halen​"Talking rock n' roll with Zloz is like discussing tan lines with Hugh Hefner or escort services with Charlie Sheen," boasts the Van Halen fans in the David Lee Roth Army (yeah, that's right, army). Not like we'd want to pick a fight with Diamond Dave's soldiers an ... More >>

Villains w/Lykke Li at Echoplex Tonight AND Villains' EXCLUSIVE 5 Decade Remix Wishlist Free Remix MP3's

Villains w/Lykke Li at Echoplex Tonight! Villains' EXCLUSIVE 5 Decade Remix Wishlist Free Remix MP3's

Bob Dylan at the Palladium, Night One: A Change is Gonna Come

By Falling James "For years, they had me locked in a cage/Then they threw me onto the stage," Bob Dylan once sang/confessed/bragged/warned. "Some things just last longer than you thought they would." It's impressive that Bob Dylan is still touring heavily at the age of 68, but what's really amazin ... More >>

Rock Picks: Steve Earle, Polvo, These Arms Are Snakes, Correatown

Also, Bob Dylan & His Band, Motorhead, John Doe & Exene Cervenka and others

Top 5 Topless Groupies: Women Who Bared It All For Music (NSFW)

​Rock-n-roll and breasts often go (tee-hee) hand in hand. In fact, Motley Crue drummer and groupie magnet, Tommy Lee, has this rule about coming into his dressing room: "You're not allowed in unless you remove an article of clothing. And I'm not talking about your socks. It's pretty f***ing c ... More >>

It Might Get Loud: Davis Guggenheim’s Guitar Heroes

In director’s new documentary tribute, Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White talk axes, licks and other euphemisms

GOOD JOB, GRAMMY MUSEUM PRESS DEPT.!

Was Disney a Spaniard? Did Beck Used to Use a Leafblower?

25 Years of 'Double Nickels on the Dime': Celebrating Los Angeles, 1984

The 25th Anniversary of the Summer of LA Post-Punk is upon us. It was a quarter-century ago this month that San Pedro's best, the Minutemen, with a simple, defiant declaration -- "Take That, Huskers!" -- unleashed Double Nickels on the Dime, a double-album response to SST labelmate Husker Du's equal ... More >>

Ten Great Cover Songs from Coachella 2009 (and a few extras)

Timothy NorrisEven the machinery was flashing the horns. Nothing says "I love you" like a cover song. Artists at Coachella like to acknowledge their influences, love to thrill the crowd with a surprise singalong. This year bands drew from music of many genres, from ragtime to post punk to hip hop. ... More >>

Five Hours of Hot and Cool With Prince at L.A. Live

The Artist: "If you fix the sound, I'll be here every night - and I'll do it for free"

The Leon Hendrix Experience: Jimi's Brother, Working for Some Respect and a Little Bit of Cash

new issue of Seattle Weekly has a long piece on the life and times of Leon Hendrix, Jimi's younger brother. The story, written by Mike Seely, addresses the legacy of the famous Hendrix, his lesser-known guitar-playing brother, Beverly Hills lawyer Craig Dieffenbach, and the massive Hendrix estate ... More >>

Rocking the Rhetoric at the DNC: Coachella for C-Span Junkies

With notes on Harry Reid — the unknown poet of the political speechwriting?

The Lennon Year: Mr. Fish Anticipates 40

Theater Reviews: Cirque du Soleil's Corteo, The Hasty Heart

Also A Doll's House, Confessions of a Catholic Child and more

Rock Picks: Detroit Cobras, Gore Gore Girls, MF Doom, Squeeze

For the week of August 9 – 16

Moon Men

Echo Park psych-rockers feel connected to it all

Pearl Jam, as Hot as the Devil’s Asshole

All in the Jamily

Da Camera and Dim Sum

Melody of China performs at Empress Pavilion

Rock Picks

For the week of Jan 12 – 18

Theater Reviews

Including Doubt, Beehive and this week's pick, Rocks in my Salsa

The Devendra Detail

FEATHERS, ENTRANCE, JANA HUNTER, WHITE WHITE QUILT, ERIC ERNEST JOHNSON at El Cid, July 18

Lewis Taylor’s Stoned

One of the year’s finest albums you never heard

The New Originals!

Gang of Four reunite — again — to show how it’s really done

Dare To Be Square

Feeling in the Dark

The uncontrollable energies of Z’ev

Dead Serious

Darkness Audible

An interview with Me'Shell Ndegéocello

Home of the Brave

Alone together with P.M. Dawn

Power of Flower