New Kids on the Block

In Advance of his 12-Hour 12/12/12 Extravaganza, Peanut Butter Wolf Picks His Top 12 12" Inch Singles He Bought at Age 12

Since unleashing his metal-themed 666 mix and DJ set on June 6, 2006, Stones Throw chief Peanut Butter Wolf has spent the last half-dozen years watching the signs of the beat. July 7, 2007 brought forth his 777 spiritual podcast mix, following by performances on seven consecutive nights in seven c ... More >>

Ten Things We Learned About New Kids on the Block From Their New Biography

Like any girl who came of age in the early 90s, we knew some basic facts on the New Kids on the Block. We knew Donnie was the leader; Joey and Jordan, the cute ones, and the lead singers; Jon, the shy, sensitive one; Danny, the one who looked like a monkey. We knew that our best friend in grade sc ... More >>

Rock of Ages Review: Why Hair Metal Is 'Bone Stupid, Creatively Bankrupt, Morally Debased Pop Trash'

Rock of Ages, a new star-clogged pop-musical diversion, is a cinematic event. It's not every day, after all, that you get to see two great American traditions--guitar/bass/drums rock music and Tin Pan Alley musical theater--so thoroughly, mutually degraded. This mess originated as a stage productio ... More >>

Hot Chelle Rae's "I Like It Like That," Featuring New Boyz: 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: Hot Chelle Rae's "I Like It Like That," featuring New Boyz History:"I Like It Like That" is the second single from Hot Chelle Rae's sophomore album, Whate ... More >>

LFO Lyrical Dissection: Girls Who Wear Abercrombie and Fitch Must Be Young and Dumb

See also: *What The Hell Is Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" About? UPDATE: Mind-blowing Shit Has Come To Light *Color Me Badd Lyrical Dissection: What Does "We Can Do It 'til We Both Wake Up" Mean? It's truly impossible to tally the changes the record industry has undergone in the past decade ... More >>

Afrika Bambaataa Plays Tomorrow, Inspires Our Top Five Electro Anthems Of All Time

Afrika Bambaataa​Along with Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa is a card-carrying member of hip-hop's holy trinity. Back in the genre's baby years, Bam helped bring competing Bronx streets gangs together in the name of musical unity, and cut the seminal electro track, 1982's "Pl ... More >>

Music Picks: NKOTBSB, Mixed Message, Earthless

Also, Catwalk, Holly Miranda, Darwin Dees, and others

Backstreet Boys, New Kids On The Block Announce More New Tour Dates ("LOL")

​ No, This is not next season's cast for Jersey Shore. Remember New Kids on the Block? You know--Donnie Wahlberg's band, which sold eighty million records worldwide? (This was in the late '80s and early '90s, when people still deigned to purchase music.) And who won two American Music Awards ... More >>

Digital Music Pioneers Topspin Throw Parking Lot Party with Kogi BBQ, Pre-Viper Room Performance by Get Busy Committee

Erin BroadleyGet Busy Committee​Hip-hop group Get Busy Committee has no shortage of back-up these days. At yesterday's pre-party to hype tonight's May 12 Viper Room gig, the trio had major support from digital music pioneers Topspin Media, original game-changers MySpace Music, big man on camp ... More >>

East Meets East Los

Victoria Kraus at L.A. Eastside has a charming piece about East L.A. kids' current fixation with all things Japanese. The self-described "Jewpanese" Krause notes how, when she grew up in Boyle Heights, all Asian families, including hers, were routinely lumped as Chinese. Kraus writes that "20 years ... More >>

Rock Picks: Mark Eitzel, Wanda Jackson, Dan Deacon, Heartless Bastards

Plus, Hecuba, James Pants, Angus & Julia Stone and others

Everybody Skate!

What to do this week

Rock Picks: Detour Music Festival, Dandy Warhols, David Byrne, Die Rockers Die

Also, Henry Butler, Deerhoof, Eagle Rock Music Festival, Global Drum Project

Nightranger: A Club Called Rhonda and a Moonlight Rollerway Jubilee

Antifashionist Tendencies

Dressing down; Akbar weekends; you gotta Lavitt

Outisde Looking In

Letters

Loving and Leaving the Phonograph

Why Napster, extraterrestrials, Southern hillbillies and Dick Clark mean more to the future of music than copyright and the Recording Industry Association of America

Cooler Than Cool

A guide to the low-alcohol refresher