The Jackson 5

The Ten Best Country Albums of 2012

By Alan Scherstuhl This list of the year's best country albums is assembled with two important premises in mind: First: If the people who record and listen to these records consider them country, than they're damn well country. Purists who argue that country should still sound like '68, '76, '84 o ... More >>

What Makes the Hollywood Bowl So Perfect?

Is the Hollywood Bowl southern California's most beloved performance space? Quite possibly. Where else do folks brag not just about seeing an act, but about attending a venue itself? Seating 17,376 patrons, it hosts shows six-out-of-seven nights a week --Tuesdays and Thursdays are classical, Wednesd ... More >>

Seven Ghostface Killah Songs Showing His Softer Side

​See also Ghostface Killah Changes Mind About Online Impersonator Ghostfase: 'Shout Out to My Mini Muse.... Funny Ass Ninja' Story by Reed Fischer Ghostface Killah has flirted with mainstream hip-hop, but has spent most of his career being the critics' favorite rapper -- for good reason. Tony St ... More >>

The Bizarre Michael Jackson Handprint Ceremony

See also: *Our preview of the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soliel Show *MJ Tribute Concert Rolls Toward Cancellation; Oh, And His Kids Are More Or Less Contractually Required To Attend There was a Michael-Jackson's-kids sighting on Hollywood Blvd, yesterday, as his estate had his hand and footprint ce ... More >>

The White-Glove Treatment

Know Your L.A. Hip-Hop Dances: Locking Is So Easy, Even Dom DeLuise Can Do It

[Editor's Note: Writer Jessica A. Koslow is a USC master's student writing her thesis on krumping. Know Your L.A. Hip-Hop Dances explores some of the most popular street dances in our city.] Locking Not to be confused with popping, locking is the signature move of Rerun from What's Happening!! T ... More >>

MMMHop: Hanson Make an IPA

The chart-topping reign of the three Hanson brothers with flowing blond locks was regrettably (for some) short-lived, and odds are you haven't had much of them in your life lately. But whether you remember their late '90s smash MMMBop as the brain-burrowing scourge of that decade or as a jam "remar ... More >>

Michael Jackson's Art and Studio, Revealed for the First Time

Shannon CottrellThe interior of Michael Jackson's art studio, which he shared with friend and artist Brett-Livingstone Strong​ See more photos in "Michael Jackson Art: An Exclusive Look at the Musician's Drawings and Paintings." Until now, Michael Jackson's art collection was shrouded in myst ... 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 >>

R.I.P. Alphonso "Fonce" Mizell

Alphonso "Fonce" Mizell​Alphonso "Fonce" Mizell, member of Motown hit-makers The Corporation and half of the production duo The Mizell Brothers, has passed away. He was 68 years old. The cause of death is unknown. Mizell was recruited by writer-producer Deke Richards to join The Corporation, ... More >>

Music Picks: Willie Nelson's Country Throwdown, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, Peter Murphy

Also, Erykah Badu, Andre Williams, Animals & Men and others

Page Two: The Best of Mowest

Last Night: Bruno Mars, Janelle Monáe and Mayer Hawthorne at the Gibson Ampitheatre

Sarah BennettBruno Mars​ Bruno Mars, Janelle Monáe, and Mayer Hawthorne June 12, 2011 Gibson AmpitheatreFresh off their smashing performance at this year's Grammys, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe linked up once again to tour. With the addition of Mayer Hawthorne, you've got three of the truest pu ... More >>

The House of Ella

Amanda Jo WIlliams, Simon Stokes, John Carpenter, and Feeding People at the Echo: Live Review

Daiana Feuer​WHAT: Amanda Jo WIlliams, Simon Stokes, John Carpenter, and Feeding People WHERE: The Echo WHEN: 4/4/11 Amanda Jo Williams' first Monday night residency show at the Echo set the bar high for this month's exploration of contemporary outlaw culture and family bands. John Carpenter ... More >>

DJ of the Week Nobody (Low End Theory, Alpha Pup) Talks Touring, Blank Blue, and Sampling!

Jacob Connelly​ Nobody is a humble genius, one of "extremely minor fame" from Soulmates, Pacific Drift, And Everything Else, Tree Colored See, and Blank Blue. His solo album, released last year on Alpha Pup, attracted rave reviews for its creative use of samples, beats, and Autotune vocals; ... More >>

THEATER REVIEW: ROCK WITH YOU: THE KING OF POP, LATIN STYLE

Stage Raw: Rock With You

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS NEW THEATER REVIEW (see below)STAGE FEATURE on Cormac McCarthy's The Sunset LimitedNEW REVIEW GO  ROCK WITH YOU: THE KING OF POP, LATIN STYLE For those of us brought up to giggle at Michael Jackson's foibles, from his holding his son over a balcony by his arms t ... More >>

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 >>

Music Picks: The Chapin Sisters, Pink Martini, Freestyle Fellowship, Mark Kozelek

Also Shonen Knife, the Vibrators, Karnivool and others

Live Review: Empire of the Sun at the Music Box

Debi del GrandeShogun club: Empire of the Sun​After finally hitting U.S. soil in Chicago for Lollapalooza and New York this month, outer space-via-Australia electro-rockers Empire of the Sun landed at the Music Box on Wednesday for the first of four nights, playing their 2008 Astralwerks debut ... More >>

There's No Time Like the Old Time Social and Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest

Daiana Feuer​Banjos and fiddles and washboards, oh my! The Old Time Social and Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest proved it's hip to be square-dancing. Taking over some of the most unique dusty locales around, these two events brought together promising practitioners of old-time music and colorful h ... More >>

West African Get Down with Polyrhythmic Songstress Wunmi

West African Get Down with Polyrhythmic Songstress Wunmi

Live Review: The Many Faces of Jamie Lidell

Live Review: The Many Faces of Jamie Lidell

Booty Central: Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America

New film documents America's funkiest TV dance show

The 10 Best L.A. Albums of the ’00s

From Beck and Dilla to Fiona, Jenny and Quasimoto, a mishmash decade of Southern California sounds

2009: The Year in Obsessions

L.A. Weekly’s music editor lists the 10 records he couldn’t get out of his head

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 >>

Hanukkah or Xmas? Who Cares -- Free Stuff Either Way from the Universal Music Truck & Fool's Gold

Fool's Gold, offering praise​We here at West Coast Sound like free stuff and assume you do too. And despite the fact that we have every reason to root for a well-fed music industry (well, at least the non-bloated part of it), we especially like pointing you in the direction of free (or near-fr ... More >>

The North Pole Melts with R&B, Funk, Soul-Jazz, and Boogaloo on 'In the Christmas Groove' [MP3]

By Daniel Siwek ​Not everyone dreams of a white Christmas, if I have to hear Bing Crosby one more time I swear I'll make Dan Aykroyd in Trading Places look like Kris Kringle in the Miracle On 34th Street. Luckily Strut Records offers a surefire way to get some mistletoe smooching this yuletid ... More >>

JACKSON 5 IN AFRICA

Memorial Day: Michael’s Staples Center Farewell

HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY AUCTIONS

Let the bidding begin

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 >>

Will the King of Pop Become the Voice of Dissent? Michael Jackson/Iran Protest Video Mash-Ups

In the days following Michael Jackson's passing, the King of Pop's music has turned into the soundtrack for daily life. From tributes on local radio stations like KJLH 102.3 FM and in virtually every club across Los Angeles to sound files transmitted from Blip.fm to Twitter to Facebook, both the big ... More >>

Michael Jackson’s Julien’s Auction Canceled

Marlon Jackson's Nigerian Shrine to Jackson 5 and/or Slavery. Um, what?

Continuing with the Jackson 5 family news: The Jacksons are a family that keeps on giving, at least for those in the tabloid and psychology professions, what with Michael Jackson's upcoming Neverland auction, and the recent news that older brother Marlon is working on a deal to erect a history of s ... More >>

Weiss' 25 Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2008

25. Prafit-"Nice Weather" The nice weather is long gone--the ostensibly immutable Los Angeles sun blotted by kidney colored clouds and cold rain. So Prafit's ode to the sizzle of July feels like an antique postcard documenting endless light, chicken breasts smothered in BBQ sauce, and basement ... More >>

Sissy

2007's Long Players You Might Have Missed

Eleven handcrafted gems

Rock Picks

For the week of July 5 - 11

Shower Power

While a few pals questioned the choice to have my co-ed baby shower bash at Boardner's in Hollywood, they soon saw that it wasn't quite what they expected. This place sure aint the rock dive of yore! First of all, owner Tricia Labelle has really classed it up, adding and revamping the art deco tou ... More >>

The Faint Endorsement

Antonio and Phil kiss and make up, but how deep is their love?

Gypsies, Vamps and Queens

Letters

Salad

And other womanly gifts