Chris Martins

Last night, Odd Future swagged The Echo out mightily with a homecoming of sorts -- the rising L.A. rap crew's first big in-town show following sold-out gigs in New York and London. This one too was at (or beyond) capacity with a mix of true fans and lookie-loos, but all......

In a brand new video for the buoyant tropical-tinged single "Impact," L.A. pop chanteuse Juliette Commagere dons some fancy frills and dances around in a room full of rainbows. There's something hypnotizing about the whole experience -- that beguiling voice matched with those made-up eyes, the luminescent tones accompanied by......

We like Fort Lowell Records. They aren't based in L.A., but we don't hold that against 'em. The year-old Tuscon seven-inch label has a commitment to both purty packaging and top tuneage, and they've tapped local scene star Jacob Safari for a new remix. The (deep breath) former Wavves and......

The audio-visual work of L.A. resident Walter Gross isn't something you should expect to love immediately. It's not water cooler fodder, or something to sneak a glimpse at while the boss is in the other room. (Though it's decidedly NSFW.) It's better than that. The Baltimore transplant's inimitable mixture of......

Shoegaze + Chillwave = Sneakerbreaker? You heard it hear first. And if you haven't yet heard anything from L.A.'s Speculator, a.k.a. Nick Ray, listen up. The dude's got an excellent new tape out on local cassette label of note, Leaving Records. That's the cover of Lifestyle up above, and you'll......

You'll remember the Masses as the film collective that helped launch Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and also as the film collective that Heath Ledger helped launch. (Read about that in Randall Roberts' fantastic piece, "A Port in the Storm.") And you'll hopefully recall 60 Watt Kid from our......

MC who? Odd Future fan (read on) and international swag ambassador Soulja Boy Tell'em has brought the word "hammer" back to hip-hop. In what might be the word's first non-derogatory use since the early '90s, he's titled his most recent swagged-out single "Speakers Going Hammer." (As in, "Bammer! Bammer! Bammer!")......

Two L.A. music institutions will come together during Saturday's USC home game vs. Notre Dame. During halftime, Latin rap/pop/rock nine-piece Ozomatli will perform with the 315-piece the Spirit of Troy marching band. As rare of an honor as this is -- other USC band collaborators include Fleetwood Mac ("Tusk") and......

KIT likes to thrash. KIT likes to party. KIT likes 'em short and sweet, heavy and melodic, fun and furious. This L.A. four-piece recently released its second album Invocation, produced by Phil Elverum (Microphones, Mt. Eeerie), on U.K. indie Upset the Rhythm. They're celebrating that fact with an awesome star-studded/friend-packed......

The Hit City USA boys are on a roll. First, they introduced us to hooky garage punks the Franks. Then they delivered boy-girl bedroom pop heroes Superhumanoids. Now, they're onto Lord Huron, a Michigan-to-L.A. transplant who's been wowing with a beautiful blend of folk purtiness and tropical shimmer, plus a......