Lenny Kravitz

Lee Daniels' The Butler Chronicles the Civil Rights Movement Through the Eyes of a White House Servant

Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey shine in a cast packed with talented actors

The Artist Currently Known as Prince

Party Pick of the Week: Wild West Hollywood Nights

On the Rox 9009 W. Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd., at., Aug. 3, 4-8 p.m. The Standard Hollywood 8300 Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd., Sat., Aug. 3, 10 p.m. The outdoor summer events just keep coming. This weekend, rockers young and old will head to the Strip for the Sunset Strip Music Festival. The festival wi ... More >>

Is It Ok to Buy Records at Urban Outfitters?

By Chris Chafin The other day, I found myself flipping through records in massive clothing chain Urban Outfitters. I know. I had certain expectations about what I'd find: Bob Marley, Dr. Dre, maybe some new dance records like Niki & The Dove, and not much else. Basically, the vinyl equivalent of a ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in L.A. This Week

Tuesday, December 4 The Starvations THE ECHO Sometimes you gotta amend "never again" to "just once more," especially when there's a good reason, and this completely unexpected reunion of L.A.'s Starvations didn't come easy. It's a benefit for writer Joseph Mattson, author of a much-acclaimed novel ... More >>

Music Picks: Lauryn Hill, Bad Brains, Shuggie Otis

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 >>

Ariel Pink Is the King of Whatever

Raised in Beverly Hills, he became the preeminent Eastside satirical musical madman

Adam Yauch is Dead: RIP Beastie Boy MCA

See also: Our Adam Yauch slide show Hip-hop pioneer Adam Yauch, better known as MCA of the Beastie Boys, died this morning of cancer, at age 47. The information was reported by Def Jam founder Russell Simmons. The Beasties' legacy spans three decades, crossing genres and mediums. The group had a k ... More >>

Top 20 Sexiest Male Musicians of All Time: The Complete List

See also: *Top 20 Worst Bands of All Time: The Complete List *Top 20 Greatest Musicians of All Time, in Any Genre: The Complete List *Top 20 Hair Metal Albums of All Time: The Complete List Physical appearance actually has little to do with sexiness. Sure, we've all been known to stare at a shirtle ... More >>

The Hunger Games Review

Top 20 Sexiest Male Musicians of All Time: #10-6

See also: *Top 20 Sexiest Male Musicians of All Time: #20-16 *Top 20 Sexiest Male Musicians of All Time: #15-11 10. Jared Leto Underneath all that guyliner we still see you, Jordan Catalano. You've ditched the shaggy hair and flannels for a pink mohawk and studded leather but it's OK. Every time y ... More >>

Lenny Kravitz - Nokia Theatre - 2/16/12

Lenny Kravitz Nokia Theatre 2/16/12 It's been nearly a decade since Lenny Kravitz's heyday. For those who don't remember, he was ubiquitous on rock radio and won four straight Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Grammys from 1999-2002, and sold practically as many albums as Nelly. Backed by a seven-pi ... More >>

Music Picks: Roberta Flack, Summer Twins, John Cage Centenary Festival

Also, Spindrift, Lenny Kravitz, Dorian Wood, Howlin Rain and others

Crate-Digging with Dam-Funk...at Best Buy

Rebecca Haithcoat​Dam-Funk always comes prepared. As L.A.'s ambassador to the funk gods, he's always equipped with the booty-rotation essentials he's acquired from years of digging in the crates. (You can bet his show tonight at the El Rey Theatre will be no exception.) The man reigns so sup ... More >>

Simon Reynolds' Retromania: Critic Talks About Pop's Obsession with the Past and the Digiculture of Tomorrow

Courtesy of Simon ReynoldsThe cover of Retromania, released in May​ Isn't it ridiculous that it's now fair game to recycle the nineties and call your product retro? We've entered a phase where mashing up the sixties and the seventies is overdone -- now, the recent decades are up for grabs in t ... More >>

Music Picks: Balkan Beat Box, Cake, Ted Leo, Vanessa Paradis

Also Red Cortez, Troy Walker, Bun B and others

Music Picks: Haroula Rose, Jimmy Webb, Adler's Appetite, Nikka Costa

Also, The Melvins, Graf Orlock, Dudamel/Mahler 9th, Lissie and others

This weekend: OK Go, Weezer, Bonobo, Pretty Lights, Lucero, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe

Day 19OK Go​Almost anything goes in the Theater of OK Go. The art-pop quartet's headlining tour, which concludes Saturday in Los Angeles, has included (according to various online reports): Enough confetti to drown an arena full of Flaming Lips fans; the guys decked out in primary colors; a 3 ... More >>

Music Picks: Plastic Ono Band, Ooh La LA Fest, Belle & Sebastian

Also, Marianne Dissard, Bad Company, Matador 21 and others

Who Cares About Bieber, Gaga, or the VMA's? You Do! Winner Recaps Past and Present

Who Really Cares About Bieber, Gaga, or the VMA's? You Do! Winner Recaps Past and Present

For Colored Girls: The Sapphire Interview

Deep Purple: Precious

The sad education of Precious Jones

"Jockin" is JV-The Lethargy of Post-Retirement Jay-Z

Music Picks: Black Heart Procession, Vandelles, Minnie Driver, Ronnie Mack

For the week of Jan. 11 - 17

Upcoming Shows

Ryan Adams - Royce Hall, Jan. 30 & 31 Dave Alvin - McCabe's Jan. 18 & 19 Autechre - Echo, April 4 Bad Religion - House of Blues, April 4 & 5 Big Sandy, Deke Dickerson - Safari Sam's, Dec. 28 Black Heart Procession - Spaceland, Jan. 11 Black Mountain - Troubadour, Feb. 5 Built to Spill, Meat P ... More >>

Tickled Pink!

Laser-Guided Melodies and a Boy Named George

E.L.O. Is for Lovers!

Hungry Like the Woof

Music Picks

For Feb. 17 - 23

Myspace Taste of the Week

I'd like to think that I'm way more popular in real life than I am on Myspace. I've only got like 50 friends, but that's probably because I only say yes to requests from peeps who truly are friends. Call me a weirdo. Anyway, the pals I do have, happen to have thousands of friends and way too much ... More >>

Race & Roll

Lenny Kravitz

Alchemical Reaction

All Tomorrow’s Parties Today

Matt Groening talks outsider music and party planning with a fellow gearhead

The Real Black Realness

The Kids Aren’t Alright . . . They’re Amazing

Why what was old and lost and a bit odd is young and new — and exciting — again

How Sweet It (Still) Is

Standing in the Shadows of Motown and Pleasure and Pain

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Scrutinizing One Hour Photo's lonely guy

Sexy Beast

Lizard Queens and Amazing Things

Mother Lode

Ismael Gardea

That Twilight Season

Return to Life

Ultra Naté: This time it’s for real

Darkness Audible

An interview with Me'Shell Ndegéocello

Summer of Spike

On Lee's First "White" Film, the Elusive "Black" Audience and Other Gray Areas

Sound + Vision

Music and the movies

Thunderbox

Power of Flower