Stevie Wonder

Bernie Yeszin: Music Industry Legend Has Fallen on Hard Times

By Mike Gormley Bernie Yeszin designed the famous Motown Records logo, and did lots of covers for the label in the '60s. In fact, he was at the center of the industry back then, and did everything from playing poker with Marvin Gaye to letting an 11-year-old Stevie Wonder hang out in his office. ... More >>

The Best Concerts to See in L.A. This Week

Monday, April 8 Thao & the Get Down Stay Down THE TROUBADOUR Usually, when songwriters are as wickedly intelligent as Thao Nguyen, they tend to write morbidly gloomy and/or overly serious anthems of great meaning and purpose. That's not to say the Virginia native doesn't have her grand and heavy mo ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts in L.A. This Weekend

Friday, November 30 Nas, Lauryn Hill (also Dec 1) WILTERN On his new album, Nas insists that Life Is Good, even though he's been slammed with a massive tax bill from Uncle Sam and is still coming to terms with a painful divorce from soul-pop diva Kelis. The Brooklyn-born rapper is being sarcastic; ... More >>

Stevie Wonder - Outside Lands - August 12, 2012

Stevie Wonder, in theory, is an American artistic treasure. He's more than our Beatles or Rolling Stones; he's our Dickens or Dalí: a figure of impassable recognition, discussion, talent, love, and national pride. In theory. In practice, however, Stevie Wonder is an experience. Less than three m ... More >>

Trayvon Martin's Parents Are in L.A. for Justice Rally -- Along With Al Sharpton, Stevie Wonder

When black Florida teen Trayvon Martin was shot dead by apparently crazed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman earlier this year, his parents -- Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton -- took on the sudden responsibility, like it or not, of becoming justice fighters against the greater evil of racism in ... More >>

Dances in the Key of Life

Cityzen: Paralyzed From the Neck Down, Singer Toby Forrest Still Belts It Out

When Toby Forrest -- the vocalist for Los Angeles progressive funk rock band Cityzen -- was 22, his dream was to move from Arizona to Colorado to ski, make jewelry and play music. After college graduation, Forrest and his buddies went to the Grand Canyon, where he jumped off a cliff and did a swan ... More >>

5 Revelations About L.A. Music History at the Grammy Museum's Show 'Trouble In Paradise'

Becky Sapp​ For some, Los Angeles' musical history fits nicely into categories; there was bouncing beach pop, Laurel Canyon folk, West Coast rap and Sunset Strip rock. But behind this shroud of notable names and iconic acts, there is a richer, more diverse portrait of music in Los Angeles. Th ... More >>

Post-Valentine's Day Edition: Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You": 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: Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You" History: Stevie Wonder wrote it. Everyone went crazy. It won some awards. Later, some other guy that ... More >>

Top 20 Worst Bands of All Time: #20-16

See also: *Top 20 Worst Bands of All Time, #15-11 *Top 20 Worst Bands of All Time, #10-6 *Top 20 Worst Bands of All Time: #5-1 What makes a terrible band? Is it being prepared to do the wrong thing, whatever the price? That and a pair of testicles. Only, some of the below groups possess testicles ... More >>

Common - House of Blues - December 21, 2011

​Common House of Blues December 21, 2011 Attempting to get everyone in the mood last night, Power 106's DJ Reflex spun classics from folks like Souls of Mischief, A Tribe Called Quest, and Pete Rock & CL Smooth. He attempted to throw in some more recent, mainstream songs and played a few cuts ... More >>

Music Picks: The Descendents, Stones Throw 15th Anniversary Show,, Princess Pangolin, Brian Setzer

Also, Guns N' Roses, Weingart, Stevie Wonder's House Full of Toys, and others

Music Picks: Andrea Bocelli, Carina Round, A Hero A Fake

Also, Norma Jean, Jonathan Richman, Jay-Z and Kanye West and others

Kenny Burrell, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder - Royce Hall - 11-12-11

Reed Hutchinson​Kenny Burrell, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder and others Kenny Burrell: 80 Years Young UCLA's Royce Hall 11-12-11 Better than...working on my birthday. On Saturday night guitarist and UCLA jazz studies director Kenny Burrell celebrated his 80th birthday alongside his colleagues, hi ... More >>

The Rise and Stall of Pac Div

Kristofferson San Pablo​In the late aughts, the safe money was on L.A.-via-Palmdale trio Pac Div. They seemed poised to lead the burgeoning "New West" movement -- the pre-Odd Future crop of young rappers seeking to reclaim hip-hop for the Left Coast. They were the group everyone from industry ... More >>

Henry Rollins: The Column! Curtis Mayfield
 Songs in Haiti

​[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 have been curious about Haiti for many years. The history of the country is as fascina ... More >>

Eddie Murphy's 10 Comedy Bits To Avoid as Oscar Host

Flicker/wereswanEddie Murphy's head is about to get bigger as the upcoming Oscar host.​ What a wild idea: Eddie Murphy as Oscar host. On the bright side, it's a relief from James Franco and Anne Hathaway, whose chemistry last February rivaled that of a sasquatch and Kathie Lee Gifford. For t ... More >>

Meet OverDoz: L.A.'s Freakiest, Cheekiest Collective

CalmaticOverDoz's core four: Joon, Sleezy, Kent, and Creamie​The small army splayed around a table on the patio of Inglewood's Simply Wholesome is focused on the black Range Rover parked just outside the door. Stevie Wonder's in the passenger seat. The eight members of Los Angeles collective O ... More >>

Stevie Wonder, Rickey Minor & Friends at Hollywood Bowl, 7/24/11

Jeff Cowan​Stevie Wonder, Sharon Jones, Janelle Monae, Charles Bradley, et al. The Hollywood Bowl Sunday, July 24, 2011 Better than: Episode 2 of "Breaking Bad." Celebrating the 40-year anniversary of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," Global Soul Night at the Hollywood Bowl wrangled Stevie W ... More >>

Music Picks: Fucked Up, Dolly Parton, Ty Segal, Fitz & the Tantrums,

Also, Soundgarden, Iceage, Earth, Wu Lyf and others

Page Two: The Best of Mowest

Henry Rollins: The Column! Pop Goes the Henry: Henry's Favorite Pop Songs

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 >>

Nightmares on Wax: Top Ten Creepy Musician Wax Figures (which You Can Buy for Your Home)

Nightmares on Wax: 11 Creepy Musician Wax Figures

Page Two: Music Roundup

Nightranger: Tatted and Torn

Mega-Telethon Broadcasting From L.A., Elsewhere

CNNAnderson Cooper.​A Friday telethon to raise money for the victims of last week's earthquake in Haiti will be broadcast from Los Angeles, New York, London and Haiti, organizers announced Thursday. It will be everywhere: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Show ... More >>

Peace on Earth: Rare Marvin Gaye Xmas Song Still 100% Relevant

​Motown/Universal is commemorating the 2009 holidays with the double CD The Ultimate Motown Christmas Collection. UK's Mojo magazine has a very nice review of the album today. Thanks to the magic of digital downloads, you don't have to run to Sam Goody's or Tower (remember those days!) trying ... More >>

Not the Usual Haunts

Michael Jackson's Memorial Participants Announced: Kobe, Mariah, Stevie, Berry G., Brooke, John Mayer (?!), Jennifer Hudson, Magic, Rev. Al, Usher, More.

Okay, this is an odd list. Is this not an odd list? Most specifically, John Mayer. Right? That's a left-field pick. Is he not the Leonard Zelig of our time? And Shaheen Jafargholi? Hmm. The rest is fascinating and spot-on. The participants for Michael Jackson's memorial tomorrow have been announced, ... More >>

Theater Reviews: Yo Ho Ho! A Pirate's Christmas, It's a Stevie Wonderful Life!

Also, Inspecting Carol and Groundlings Holiday Show

It's a Stevie Wonderful Life

Stage Raw: Arts Freeze

ARTS FREEZE FOR THE HOLIDAYS In a cost-cutting measure, the Los Angeles Unified School District has frozen district funds until the state legislature returns to Sacramento in January to sort out the State budget gridlock. Arts for L.A. has been quick to point out that the freeze includes existin ... More >>

The 10 Songs/Albums That No One Should Ever Have Sex to Again

Because playing these albums in flagrante delicto is the only romantic gesture lamer than offering a woman a fish sandwich. 10. Cornball Stevie Wonder Songs (I.E. "You are the Sunshine of My Life." "I Just Called to Say I Love You") I'm not going to tell you that these songs don't serve a ... More >>

So X-Cited

X Games, Gibson guitars and Crash Mansion's woes

For Those Who Stand Long . . . A Led Zeppelin Reunion?

Checking out the rumors at the Sunset Marquis' Gibson Through the Lens reception

Bands and Brands

Your favorite band is playing the Roxy tonight — but you’re not invited

17th Annual Divas Simply Singing featuring Natalie Cole, Linda Hopkins, RuPaul and others

17th Annual Divas Simply Singing Wilshire Ebell Theater, October 6, 2007 By Ernest Hardy When former choir nun Darlene Koldenhoven let loose a piercing high note near the end of her performance, it may have been the only time in history that an opera singer’s rapturous crowd response was led by ... More >>

Rock Picks: Stevie Wonder, Lucinda Williams, The Frames

For the week of Aug 31 – Sept. 6

4Hero

Record Reviews: Aesop Rock and 4Hero

Aesop Rock, personal trainer? Believe it.

Happy Thanksgiving, Beautifuls!

Rock Picks

From October 13-19

Rawk Your Body!

L.A. club DJs mix indie rock and hip-hop; world does not explode

Live in LA

Love International

Ray Charles Hits the Road

The Jazz Singer

Nnenna Freelon’s soul call

Slow Start

Silver Screams

Music mutilates the movies

Radio Radar