Thursday Dec. 27 Spaceland On Ice @ Pershing Square - every thursday this past month Spaceland has presented live indie music on the ice rink in Pershing Square. This weeks bands are still to be announced.
Friday Dec. 28 Digital Underground @ Viper Room So Bad It's Good Presents "Mommy Dearest" @ Vista theatre- So Bad It's Good Film Fest presents the 1981 camp classic "Mommie Dearest." Also, the audience member with the best Joan Crawdord costume wins dinner for two at Saddle Ranch Chop House and a guest appearance on Fox TV's "That's So Hollywood." Saturday Dec. 29 Mars Volta @ Echo-plex
Crystal Method @ Vanguard
Sunday Dec. 30 Celtics @ Lakers - the NBA's best comes to LA to renew one of sport's most historic rivalries
Rhino Records Pop-up Store Dec.1-31st 8032 West Third Street temporary shop opening up for the month of December selling vinyl, DVD's, limited edition posters etc.
Saturday Dec. 22 RRIICCEE @ Jensen Rec Center - spontaneous collective between the two musicians (Vincent gallo and Eric Erlandsen) and exhibits the creation of composition within a live performance. For all appearances, the outfit does not perform pre-written music and is not limited to the boundaries of one specific musical genre. Shiny Toy Guns, War Tapes, Moving Units @ Wiltern
Sunday Dec. 23 Wu Tang Clan @ House of Blues (Sunset)
Long-Running Events Rhino Records Pop-up Store Dec.1-31st 8032 West Third Street temporary shop opening up for the month of December selling vinyl, DVD's, limited edition posters etc.
Persepolis Screening @ Arclight (Sherman Oaks) - Q&A to follow screening with directors Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Parronaud
Tuesday Dec. 11 The Last Gimme Shelter Benefit @ The Roxy - Featuring Pete Yorn, Matthew Sweet & Suzanna Hoffs, Phantom Planet, Donavan Frankenreiter, Peter Himmelman, Jesca Hoop, Mandy Moore, Megan Jacobs and more. Oliver Future, J*Davey @ Viper Room
Sweeney Todd Screening @ Hammer (FREE)- Filter magazine and the Hammer are presenting this late night happening featuring music by guest DJ's in the courtyard and a special early screening of Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"RSVP required for entry- rsvpla@filtermmm.com . Box office opens at 6pm the day of to take first 250 people.
Fold Presents - Christmas Sweater Party @ Crash Mansion- The Deadly Syndrome, Ekimohunter, The Mae-Shi, The Pity Party, Happy Hollows
Saturday Dec. 15 Mellowdrone @ Echoplex Angel City Drive-In Movie Night - A Christmas Story - Angel City Drive-In is a twice a month movie night in a parking lot in downtown LA at 240 west 4th st. (2nd floor) , Los Angeles CA. 90013
Sunday Dec. 16 The Night of Union Rumi Festival @ 7 Dudley Cinema in the Sponto Gallery (Venice Beach)- 800 year anniversary of the beloved sufi poet. Open-mic followed by a screening of the documentary "Rumi: Turning Ecstatic" followed by a Q&A and discussioin with director Tina Petrova
Long-Running Events Rhino Records Pop-up Store Dec.1-31st 8032 West Third Street temporary shop opening up for the month of December selling vinyl, DVD's, limited edition posters etc.
Comment: Track has been edited to form intro. for our December mix as a mock of the advert for the iphone (see below), which will be the most sought after holiday gift of the '07 season...the mixtape that is ; )
Comment: With comparisons to an electro-version of Phoenix, Fortune is leaving listeners wanting more.
Track 5 - The Mole Man - SchwaB Album: The Moleman Single (Sample/Purchase) Label: Self-Release Release Date: 11/19/07 Founder: Dan Wilcox - KCRW
Comment: Unsigned retro-soul funk five piece from East London. John Peel played their song "dj's in a row" in his last show ever.
Track 6 - Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show Album: The King Khan & BBQ Show (Sample/Purchase) Label: In the Red Release Date: 11/20/07 Founder: Other Music
Comment: Long awaited reissue of the Canadian garage rock duo and former members of the Spaceshits
Comment: New single from the active local artist from Los Scandalous!
Track 8 - Music Is Ruling My World - Kutiman Album: Kutiman (Sample/Purchase) Label: Melting Pot Music Release Date: 10/26/07 Founder: Jeremy Sole - KCRW
Comment: Psychedelic spacey afro-funk from Israel. Ophir "Kutiman" Kutiel believe it or not was just introduced to the music of James Brown and Fela Kuti just four years ago yet it seems this home assembled album speaks from the soul of these deceased legends.
Track 9 - Boa Sorte/Good Luck - Vanessa Da Mata Album: Sim (Sample/Purchase) Label: Sony BMG Europe Release Date: 8/06/07 (IMPORT) Founder: Anne Litt - KCRW
Comment: The Brazilian singer-songwriter has commissioned Ben Harper to lay vocals on "Boa Sorte"
Comment: "Contrasting IDM styled cut-ups with childlike arrangements from the 30's and 40's, Daedelus has refined a style that has no imitators. Exactly the kind of music you’d expect from a scarily well-connected hip hop nut who happens to dress in Edwardian clothing and names himself after an Ancient Greek Legend." -ninjatune
Comment: New project with Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals and Boom Bip. The album Stainless Style (FEB 2008) is themed around the life of John Delorean, and features Spank Rock, Yo Majesty and Fat Lip. Oh and if you didn't know, John Delorean is the genius engineer who gave you the time machine in Back to the Future. Speaking of Time Machine, Boom Bip has just put together a 35-minute mixtape which would have been suitable in the cassette player of the delorean. Do yourself a favor and get a hold of this at Pitchfork while it lasts...it even beats an episode of alex p's Family Ties.
Track 12 - Punch Out - Statik Selektah Album: Spell My Name Right (Sample/Purchase) Label: Showoff/Brick Release Date: 11/06/07 Founder: Gorillavsbear.net
Comment: For those of you who were deprived from your Nintendo power, this track features the music from the classic boxing video game, Mike Tyson's Punch Out. Statik is obviously a genius as a Selektah of samples. Doc Louis must have put this track in Little Mac's walkman if he was going to have a shot at getting past Mr. Sandman and Soda Popinski .
Comment: I guess the torch has been passed from Justice and the Ed Banger crew to a new line of french new-rave. Danger names all of his songs after times and dates. "11h30" would have to signify for how long i would have to listen to this song before it loses its appeal.
Track 14 - Tyrants - Black Mountain Album: In the Future (Sample/Purchase) Label: Jagjaguwar Release Date: 1/21/08 Founder: Pitchfork Media
Comment: If this is any indication of Black Mountain's In the Future, it's already secured a spot on my top albums of 2008 list. The name of the album is ironic as the Canadian band have clearly been influenced by Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Neil Young to name a few. But listening to this epic masterpiece is like hearing them all play on stage at once. This song has been made available as a free download available on the Jagjaguwar website.
Track 15 - Gole Yakh - Olivier Bernet and guests Album: Persepolis Original Soundtrack (Sample/Purchase) Label: Caroline/EMI Release Date: 1/15/08 Founder: NPR's All things Considered
Comment: "Persepolis began life as a French-language graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi. It described her childhood in Iran and her life in Vienna and Paris after the Iranian revolution. Now Satrapi has a hand in re-creating her story as an animated movie.
In May, Persepolis won the grand-jury award at the Cannes film festival. It will be France's submission at the Oscars for best foreign-language film.
Satrapi is pleased, but the Iranian government is not. It denounced the film and got it dropped from the Bangkok International Film Festival. "
I highly recommend the film as well as the soundtrack, which is already available for digital purchase on itunes. The music has been beautifully arranged by Olivier Bernet. The film is in French and "Gole Yakh" (Frozen Flower), which wasn't featured in the film is sung in Farsi and carries a traditional and classic Iranian fabric of sound.
Comment: This haunting song was my first introduction to the experimental brooklyn band Grizzly Bear's debut "Horn of Plenty" in 2004. They've included an alternate version here on their new Friend EP, in which they also revisit the Phil Spector's "He Hit Me".
Track 17 - December Will Be Magic Again - Kate Bush Album: This Woman's Work Anthology (Sample/Purchase) Label: EMI Release Date: 10/20/98 Founder: Amoeba Music
Comment: "December Will Be Magic Again" was a between-album single by Kate Bush. It was released for the holiday season on 17th November1980 and peaked at number 29 in the UK Singles Chart. -Wiki
Here is the video for her christmas special in 1979
Track 18 - Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches Album: The Moldy Peaches (Sample/Purchase) Label: Rough Trade Release Date: 9/11/01 Founder: Pitchfork Media
Comment: Music plays a big role in the upcoming highly anticipated indie flick Juno and we can thank lead actress Ellen Page for helping select the songs her character would listen to. Juno has a soundtrack comprised of tunes by the Kinks, Belle & Sebastian, Sonic Youth, Cat Power, Mott the Hoople, and Kimya Dawson in various guises (solo and as part of the Moldy Peaches and Antsy Pants).
For full tracklisting of soundtrack and how it was curated, read Page's phone interview with Pitchfork here.
Comment: Sufjan is now the most featured artist on the Foundtrack and rightfully so. I highly suggest inclusion in every christmas compilation. Last winter, Stevens released this box set of five separate EP's of Christmas related songs and carols. The box set includes a poster of Sufjan Stevens, an animated short for "Put the Lights on the Tree" by Tom Eaton, an essay by Rick Moody, two original short stories by Stevens, stickers, comics and a sing-a-long book for all five discs. although a year old, this timeless piece would make for a great gift especially since i've been underwelmed by this season's christmas releases thus far.
Track 20 - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Casiotone for the Painfully Alone Album: Peace on Earth- A Holiday Album (Sample/Purchase) Label: Non-Profit Charity Album Release Date: 11/13/07 Founder: Caleb Palma - hardtofindafriend.blogspot.com
Comment: I heard this track on Caleb Palma's holiday mixtape which he's selling from his blog. 100% of the proceeds benefit Toys For Tots. For track listing and more details check out his blog.
Track 21- At the Top of the World - Amiina feat. Lee Hazelwood Album: (Sample/Purchase) Label: Ever Release Date: 12/18/07 Founder: Pitchfork Media
Comment: This short story was the last recording of Lee Hazelwood's before his passing in August. The incredible thing is that it seems as if he wrote this piece after his passing. Amiina, Sigur Ros' backing band offered their "hilli" track to appropriately follow Lee's great spoken word. The song is great but the video is even better (see below).
Ask A Ninja @ El Rey - Live Stage debut of the award-winning series of comedy videos about Ninjas in pop culture. Performing with Hard n' Phirm and Patton Oswalt. Thursday Dec. 6 Eyedea & Abilities @ Knitting Factory
Five-Four ClothingSample Sale (Men's Clothing) - 10am-5pm at 2444 Porter St. LA, CA. 90021 . Take care of your Chirstmas shopping early for once. Sunday Dec. 9 Five-Four ClothingSample Sale (Men's Clothing) - See details above
Long-Running Events Rhino Records Pop-up Store Dec.1-31st 8032 West Third Street temporary shop opening up for the month of December selling vinyl, DVD's, limited edition posters etc.
