Max Bell

Thundercat, Moses Sumney, & Jonwayne Echoplex 12/5/13 The Echoplex sold out last night, on the basis of a button hammering beat junkie turned rapper, a soulful singer/songwriter, and a virtuosic electric bassist. The message here: Don't take L.A.'s inimitable musical eclecticism for granted. Stones Throw's Jonwayne kicked things off. Despite......

Saturday is the third annual Hip Hop for Humanity L.A. canned food drive, which goes down at The Originators clothing store on Melrose, from 10 am to 4 pm. As with the previous drives, those who donate five cans of food will receive hip hop goodie bags filled with CDs,......

Odd Future host their second annual Carnival this Saturday Saturday, November 9 at the L.A. Coliseum. Expect two stages, a skate park, food trucks, carnival rides and games, and performances from all of the Odd Future members, along with Schoolboy Q, Flying Lotus, Mac Miller, and Trash Talk. We talked......

Jonwayne dwarfs the plush lounge chair he sits in, on the back patio of his parents' large La Habra Heights home. He recently moved there in an effort to save money while touring. The 23-year-old white MC's official debut album, Rap Album 1, drops today on Stones Throw. The cover......

Sage the Gemini and Iamsu Echoplex 10/18/13 Better than... Complaining about the Dodgers. Friday night saw the HBK Gang (Heartbreak Kids Gang) at the Echoplex. They're a crew originally based in the Richmond, California area known for songs like "Function," (which features HBK founder Iamsu), and "Red Nose," by Sage......

Long Beach's Crystal Antlers have been on stage at the Fonda for ten minutes and the audience is confused. Their first of three nights opening for Gogol Bordello, the band speed through their high-octane set. Yet the crowd is stiff; it almost seems as if they don't know how to......

Jonwayne & Mount Kimbie Echoplex 9/24/13 Last night at the Echoplex, Stones Throw rapper/producer Jonwayne sauntered on stage with zero fanfare. In a t-shirt, basketball shorts and his now signature sandals, Wayne looked as though he'd just rolled out of bed, as though rapping on stage was a hobby in......

The Beach Ball: Reggae Fest Santa Monica Pier 9/22/2013 This past weekend marked the inaugural Beach Ball Soul Revue and Reggae Fest, held at Santa Monica Pier and hosted by L.A. radio station KCRW, Rum & Humble and Spaceland Presents. We weren't able to make it out for the Soul......

Rock the Bells Hip-Hop Festival San Manuel Amphitheater 9/7/13 - 9/8/13 This weekend was the 10th anniversary of hip-hop festival Rock the Bells. Anticipated for its reunions, game changing new artists, and ODB and Eazy-E holograms, it was two days for hip-hop fans and artists to connect. Still, we wish......

U.S. Air Guitar National Finals House of Blues 8/18/2013 Neon spandex, fake blood, dick bulges, and such luminaries as "Cold Steel Renegade" and Peter "Stiff" Dickens were all in effect at the U.S. Air Guitar National Finals on Saturday night. There was also plenty of head banging, jumping in the......