Public Enemy

Joan Jett Is the Sunset Strip Music Festival 2013 Honoree

She don't give a damn 'bout her bad reputation, which is why Joan Jett is the official honoree at the Sunset Strip Music Festival this year, West Coast Sound can exclusively announce. The fest takes place August 1-3 and Linkin Park, the headliner, is the only other announced performer so far. Past ... More >>

Xzibit Carries the Weight

Post–Pimp My Ride, the rapper strides forward

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 >>

Music Picks: Neil Young, Aimee Mann, Low End Theory Anniversary

Lil' Kim - Key Club - 6/13/12

Sean Healy Presents Lil' Kim Key Club 6/13/12 We have all been unfair to Lil' Kim. Try to imagine how scary it must have been to be the first female rapper to lay bare her sexual proclivities for the entire world to examine. Even if Notorious B.I.G. ghostwrote her words (as has been alleged) it' ... More >>

Assessor Probe: D.A. Investigators Search Homes of John Noguez and Ramin Salari

Updated below with more details from yesterday's raid.Investigators from the L.A. County district attorney's office served search warrants at 12 locations this morning as part of an investigation of alleged corruption at the county assessor's office.The D.A. is investigating allegations of bribery a ... More >>

Megadeth - Gibson Amphitheatre - 2-24-11

Timothy Norris​See also: Dave Mustaine's Advice for Starving Women in Africa: "Put a Plug in It" Megadeth Gibson Amphitheatre 2-24-12 Better than...putting a plug in it. Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has gone on a tear making controversial statements in interviews recently. At least he has ... More >>

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

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

Umar Hakim's Muslim Faith Inspires His Fight for Social Justice -- and a Responsible Banking Ordinance

The offices of L.A. Voice, where Umar Hakim is in residency, are on the third floor of the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles. So when it comes time for Hakim to offer his daily prayers, he finds a quiet room, faces Mecca and turns his thoughts to God. "Most people don't object to prayer," he says ... More >>

Archie Comics Getting Hip? They've Brought in Gay Marriage, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and KISS

What do gay marriage, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the band KISS have in common? In the crazy world of comics, everything. Newer, edgier titles have been known to push the boundaries of expectation or mesh disparate imagery and pop culture references, but it's a particular nostalgic title that's r ... More >>

J. Edgar Review

Clint Eastwood's inspired take on a giant of the 20th Century

Dennis Coffey's Show Was Canceled; Who Cares? He's Still Amazing

Doug Coombe​By Craig D. Lindsey Detroit soul/funk guitarist Dennis Coffey was supposed to do a show at the Troubadour this week. Unfortunately, it was canceled. But considering how fascinating the man is, we decided to profile him anyway. After all, Coffey brought a new form of funk to Motow ... More >>

The Ettes, Sade, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Benefit for Nick Curran

Also, Kendrick Lamar, the Punk Rock BBQ, Katy B and others

Crate Digging With Z-Trip

Kelly Brown​Z-Trip is lost. We're standing in the middle of Rockaway Records in Silver Lake, in the rock section's "G-H" area, and the DJ -- born Zach Sciacca -- is in his own world. We were discussing the golden age of DJ culture when he got sidetracked, his fingers flipping madly through vin ... More >>

Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax Play Coachella April 23

Arcadia Highlands' Oak Protesters Face Trial

As DA Cooley prosecutes four activists, a war to save SoCal old growth gets nasty

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

Also Red Cortez, Troy Walker, Bun B and others

Henry Rollins Column: How to Talk to Right Wing Talk Show Callers

Maura LanahanOur eminent columnist, Mr. Henry Rollins!​[The one and only Henry Rollins will be contributing 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 Friday and make sure to tune ... More >>

Our Man in Pyongyang: Our Intrepid Reporter Henry Rollins Ventures Into North Korea

Maura LanahanOur eminent columnist, Mr. Henry Rollins!​[The one and only Henry Rollins will be contributing 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 Friday and make sure to tune ... More >>

Music Picks: Evelyn Evelyn, Booker T. Jones, Kaki King, Pete Rock

Also, the National, Entrance Band, Noodles, Bunbury and others

Sneak Peek inside The Surly Goat: West Hollywood Beer Bar to Open on Monday

It wasn't the first beer-soaked lie a drunkard ever told, but it's certainly one of the most enduring. As the story goes, two German nobelmen were drinking when one fell off his beer barrel. Rather than admit he was drunk, he insisted that a nearby billy goat (known as a "bock" in German) had charge ... More >>

Soul of the Samurai: Afro Samurai Creator Takashi Okazaki Shares the Tunes Behind His Characters

Takashi Okazaki always liked the idea of being a DJ. In fact, he apparently has a pretty hefty collection of hip-hop, funk and soul on vinyl that needs to upload to his computer. But, as Okazaki said through a translator during our interview at Anime Expo, he thought that all DJs "were really cool ... More >>

Justice Tour: Tom Morello with Wayne Kramer, Slash, Lemmy Kilmister, Jerry Cantrell & more at Henry Fonda, March 28

View more photos in the Justice Tour slideshow. Timothy NorrisTom Morello backstage at the Henry Fonda for the Justice TourDo-gooders are easy to pick on, especially rock 'n' roll martyrs like Tom Morello who are damned if they don't and even more damned if they do. But rock's most incendiary axem ... More >>

Wendell Harris Jr. Returns With His Chameleon Street

Back in sight

Paul Dateh: Hip-Hop Violinist Superhero by Night, Mild-Mannered Bookstore Clerk by Day

In life and in music, he knows how to improvise

Henry Rollins: This Is Radio Clash

After years of musical aggro, some harmony

Ozomatli, Weapon of Choice at HOB, 12/20/07

Ozomatli, Weapon of Choice House of Blues, 12/20 I know it’s been said before but I’ll say it again: If heaven had to spit out a party band, it would be Ozomatli. They are the reigning kings of feel-good L.A. roots music. Aside from one lady in a black halter top and spike heels who was thro ... More >>

Awesome Music

What might the classical music establishment learn from pop?

The Fil-Am Invasion

Embedded with the hip-hop movement that’s taking over Hollywood

Pimp My Geo

Xzibit: Chrome wheels, platinum records, silver screens (and the dirt behind)

Born in the USA

Killers summon their inner Springsteens

The Contender

Elia Kazan, with a smile

Rock & Pop Listings

For January 27 - February 2, 2006 Country listings follow.

Goldberg Flies Air America

Music-biz biggie pilots a new radio hit

More Music Lists

Sweat, Semen and a Scream

With the Lights Out takes us through the past, starkly

Eazy Does It

Gangsta rap hits L.A.

The Real Black Realness

A Man Out of Time

The disturbing legacy of Irv Rubin

Sam & Dave

The politics of mixology

Burning Love

System of a Down in a toxic new world

Om Nia Merican

Letters

How It Could Be

Soul rebels Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek

Junkman’s Journey

Beck at the crossroads

Between the Lines

Filling in the rap gap

Mitnick Speaks

Computer-hacking guru Kevin Mitnick says he's no cyberbogeyman

Still D.R.E.

Golly!

David Lynch's The Straight Story

Full FemiNazi Jacket