Imagine a stadium full of knitters tonight! / Photo by Atwater Village Newbie via LAist's flickr pool. MUSIC CLASS The Ford Amphitheatre is holding class tonight. Its “J.A.M. Sessions” will teach singers and musicians of all levels (string and chord instruments) learn how to transform a pop tune into a modern classical arrangement. At the end of the session, all will perform the song together with musicians from the upcoming “Notes From The Edge”......

Luckily, since SXSW Music officially starts on Wednesday, tonight's massive line-up of residencies is hardly affected, save for The Voom Blooms who are replaced by We Barbarians and others at the Viper Room tonight (full list of tonight's residencies after the jump). However, the exodus of Los Angeles based bands is upon us. Also, ticket sales for 2008 Premiere Marquee Club have begun. The "club" has no membership fee and will host over 60 concerts......

Van Hunt plays the Temple Bar tonight, the third and last in a series of LA shows | Photo via his MySpace page The Guide to March Rock Music Residencies has been updated with a few more listings -- it seems as if residencies are catching on, which is a good thing. Meanwhile, Howlin Rain plays their last LA concert before a tour promoting their new album, Magnificent Fiend, that was released yesterday. Nicole......

The Hackensaw Boys | Photo via their MySpace Our brain is going to explode with all the great choices tonight. From friggin' amazing jazz (see, we're not swearing) at UCLA to folk-punk sensibilities of The Hackensaw Boys at Tangier in Los Feliz (video after the jump), tonight is a bounty of gold. Also, Jim Bianco will be at Amoeba and it's the first night for Wednesday night March residencies. Howlin' Rain @ Spaceland Jim......

Photo of Meiko, who plays at the Knitting Factory tonight, by Koga/LAist for 'Meiko & Priscilla Ahn @ Hotel Cafe, 1/23 & 1/24/08' What Made Milwaukee Famous finish up their Los Angeles tour playing along with Tulsa and the British Sea Power/Colourmusic bill moves over to Spaceland. On the Westside, there's only one choice to make and that is hip-hop violinist Paul Dateh at the Temple Bar (check out our interview with him including......

Julia Fordham | Photo by freefall 2007 via flickr If you cannot make it to hear the amazing jazz vocalist, Julia Fordham, at The Roxy tonight, opening up at Hotel Cafe tonight is Tiffany Randol, who we caught at one of strong>Alex & Sam's Tangier shows. The front woman of NYC based glam rock band, Valeze, has now gone solo singer/songwriter style, making Los Angeles her second home, and is bringing out a new......

West Indian Girl plays The Troubadour tonight | Photo by Ty Parker via their MySpace LA Weekly points us to some hot picks for tonight. About Girl in Coma: "Joan Jett knows a thing or two about rock & roll, and her latest protegees, Girl in a Coma, on her Blackheart label are one of the best and most interesting bands to come out of Texas in a long time," writes Falling James. They......

Jordan McConnell of The Duhks | Photo via thir Myspace page Willie Nelson may be playing downtown tonight, but if you want some folk rock that's local and amazingly fresh, go hear Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies. We heard them last week at their first show of their Hotel Cafe February residency and it was in-your-face and beautiful. But you've got a tough choice if you like this kind of music because when......

For a band of two 16-year-olds and one 17-year-old, Din Caliber has a huge sound that's quite exciting. And Linda Perry, record label owner/producer (credits include Gwen Stefani, Pink, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilara), has her eye on them. The home schooled trio practices four to five nights a week for four hours and has played the House of Blues and a few shows at the Whiskey A Go Go. Tonight they play the Knitting Factory......

For those who joined us last night (thank you for coming!), we witnessed many hot and bothered moments with an excellent band we've never hard before -- The Makers (we can't find their website, help). They are in residency at Seven Grand every Tuesday and we highly recommend checking them out. For tonight, first night residencies for this month happen at the Viper Room, Hotel Cafe and the Silverlake Lounge (see our Guide to February......

Portland based musician and known as "the Stephen King of Indie Pop," Chris Robley and his band -- Fear of Heights -- play at Mr. T's Bowl tonight in Highland Park. Plenty of MP3s to check out of this indie-pop folk band below. Mr. Lif & The Perceptionists @ The Knitting Factory Jessie Evans, Von Iva, Deadbeats @ Silverlake Lounge Chuck Berghofer Midnight Jazz Band @ Charlie O's (Valley jazz club, not downtown one) The......

Eric Krasno (Guitar), Neal Evans (Hammond Organ) and Alan Evans (drums, not pictured) Collectively Known as Soulive Moved the Knitting Factory Crowd Saturday Night Every January, organ trio, Soulive heads out to Southern California for The NAMM Show. While the trio of Eric Krasno, Neal Evans and Alan Evans take part in the gathering of music industry professionals, they also book themselves a few concerts in Anaheim and Los Angeles to give the SoCal......

Monday No bookish events on Mr. King's Day. Tuesday John Densmore of The Doors, Jim Henke and John McDermott present The Jim Morrison Scrapbook and Jimi Hendrix: An Illustrated Experience 7pm @ Book Soup Wednesday Sudhir Venkatesh presents Gang Leader for a Day 7pm @ Vroman's E. Duke Vincent presents Black Widow 7pm @ Book Soup Robert Novak presentsThe Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington 7pm @ Glendale Public Library Thursday Steve......

KRS ONE, one of the greatest rappers out there, will play The Roxy tonight | Photo from his MySpace Two highly recommended Hip-Hop shows take place tonight. Experience the powerful Gospel of Hip-Hop with KRS ONE at The Roxy or explore some electronic Hip-Hop with Sole and the Skyrider Band. And we mean no disrespect to Peanut Butter Wolf who is playing at El Rey with Chromeo, but we know for sure that show......

The Airborne Toxic Event is Spaceland's January Thursday night resident. | Promo photo The Short List Cornelius & Plaid @ Walt Disney Concert Hall (see yesterday's article) Sole @ The Glass House (see yesterday's article, they'll be at Knitting Factory tomorrow) Lenny Kravitz @ Santa Monica Civic Auditorium The Airborne Toxic Event, The Adored, Bloodcat Love, Sunday Drivers @ Spaceland Tower of Power @ Vault 350 (Long Beach) Minibar @ Temple Bar......

Sole pulls confidently on his hat while the Skyrider Band form a protective barrier Sole is a badass, a rapper, a visionary, and this Friday he will be the dopest show to check out in town. Sole is often best known for his solo work with Anticon, and did a killer interview with us back in July, but will be killing it with his new music-homies the Skyrider Band. So like they recorded this......

The Tangier is hosting Shark Aid and it has nothing to do with saving those sometimes nasty sea dogs. Aaron Finely, a local sound engineer and musician (Rexaquarium, Kennedy, Joe Lies) was attacked by a shark last October, losing a good chunk of his leg. The medical bill is quite steep, so his friends set up this benefit concert to help out (story via Metromix). Lucky for Finely, his friends play great music. Tonight:......

We Barbarians, the Long Beach locals who recently played on tour with the Cold War Kids, begin their Silverlake Lounge Residency tonight. And we fully approve. &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/zfiles/webarbarians1.mp3"> "Yesmen & Bumsuckers" - In The Doldrums EP &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/zfiles/03Doldrums.mp3"> "In The Doldrums" - In The Doldrums EP &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://aprodxn.com/laist/zfiles/04SpunOut.mp3"> "Spun Out" - In The Doldrums EP Tonight, they play with Aushua (Orange, CA) and Drew Grow (Portland, OR); next week with The Henry Clay People and Matt Death and......

Mars Volta - L'Via L'Viaquez Mars Volta @ The Echoplex The Young Dubliners, Elevaters, Eject, Sugarwall @ The Roxy The Aggrolites, Los Hooligans @ The Knitting Factory 9 Volt, Timbuk II, RVC, Jonathan Shue, Nuttie, Drea, Darcy, Sabri @ Tangier Dirty Sweet, Year Long Disaster, Get Back Loretta, Sea of Air @ Spaceland Mike Watt & the Missingmen @ La Conga Mexican Cantina Hello Astronaut, Goodbye Television, Black Black, Devon Williams, Maria, Her Girl......

The Wiggles Do The Humpty Dance. It's trippy! Digital Underground @ Viper Room Social Distortion @ House of Blues Sunset Reverend Horton Heat & Pato Banton @ House of Blues Anaheim Donovan Frankenreiter @ Canyon Club The Electric Prunes & Strawberry Alarm Clock @ Knitting Factory Mere Mortals & Seasons @ The Echo The Root Down @ Temple Bar The Germs & The Adolescents @ Key Club......

If tonight's slim pickings in the music scene had an official theme, it would fall into Western/Country. In mid-country, House of Blues, Sunset Strip, is hosting a night of insane Psychobilly (punk, meet rockabilly). The Southlands of Long Beach finds the baritone country rock sounds of Brad Johnson at Cowboy Country and to the north in the Valley, the straight ahead country rockabilly Jeffrey Michaels visits The Cowboy Palace Saloon. Of other interests and......

Metal Skool with Kelly Clarkson Wu-Tang Clan @ House of Blues The Signatures, DJ BAD @ Temple Bar Capt. Jeffrey & the Chumbuckets, The Phil Friendly Trio, Darren Stout @ Safari Sam's Devils Playground @ The Bordello LA Jones @ Blue Dog Happenin' Harry & the Hap Tones All Star Band @ The Cat Club The Big Manny Band @ Liquid KItty Metal Skool, Handsome Devil, Eject, Coda Vesta @ Key Club Sumitra @......

The Venice Beach Drum Orchestra will play at the Spronto Gallery at 4 p.m. The Curse, Sweetest Perfection, Anna Strafford String Quartet @ Roxy All Wrong and the Plans Change, Pedestrian, Chase Frank, Brutus Gets the Girl @ Spaceland Shiny Toy Guns, Moving Units, War Tapes @ The Wiltern Poncho Sanchez's Latin Jazz @ La Ve Lee Medusa @ Temple Bar The Vandals, Supernova, Hunter Revenge & A Kiss Could Be Deadly @ House......

"Imaginary Places" - Busdriver (and excellent vid filmed on the streets of LA and a great piece too) The Chuck Dukowski SEXTET, Ojos Rojos, Mythmaker @ The Knitting Factory Dave Aude, Noel Sanger, Jumpin’ Jack Frost, JO-S, Xenocide @ Crash Mansion L.A. Imajin, The Wylde Bunch, Mulatto @ Temple Bar Avenue in Oceana, Childhood Dilemma, The Aortas @ California Institute of Abnormal Arts (CIA) Ben Wendel Group @ Cafe Metropol Busdriver @ The Troubadour......

"La Gallina" - Ozomatli Los Pinguos @ La Ve Lee The Lilys @ Spaceland Pixelform @ Il Corral Rumspringa, Devil Makes 3, Chief, Army Navy @ The Echo Ozomatli & Chali 2na, Cut Chemist, Weapon of Choice @ House of Blues Pop Noir, Nude, On Blast, No One Goes Home @ The Knitting Factory Relax to Paris, That Was Then, Switch @ The Derby Count Basie Orchestra @ Walt Disney Concert Hall Ride On......

Jean Paul Yamamoto @ outside Vroman's, Pasadena, 7/27/07 Social Distortion @ House of Blues (Hollywood) Nu-Tra, Jean Paul Yamamoto, Capitol Radio, The Fuxedos @ Safari Sam's Io Echo, Mighty Six Ninety, Jason Eldredge @ The Troubadour Castledoor, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra @ Boardner's Chanticleer @ Walt Disney Concert Hall Marvelous Toy, One Trick Pony, Sam and Alex @ Silverlake Lounge The Kris Special, Get Set Go, Stevenson Ranch Davidians @ The Echo Cousin Lovers......

COMEDY: Good for the Jews brings their rock/comedy show to the Knitting Factory tonight. Check out their MySpace page for their hits like “Jews for Jesus,” “JDate” and “They Tried to Kill Us.” ...

"The ghost of Stephen Foster" - Squirrel Nut Zippers Flogging Molly, The Bouncing Souls, Dead to Me, Punk Rock Karaoke @ The Avalon Dead Sara @ Knitting Factory Fuel @ The Grove of Anaheim Squirrel Nut Zippers @ El Rey Theatre Blues Traveler @ Galaxy Concert Theater Eilen Jewell, Rich Wyman, Evan Stone & His Translucent Ham Sandwich Band @ The Mint Pete Yorn, Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs, Donavan Frankenreiter, Phantom Planet, Peter......

"The Perfect Me" - Deerhoof Sean McConnell, Amy Kuney, Kirkpatrick Project @ Genghis Cohen Barcelona, Big Moves, Knife Jockeys @ Knitting Factory Tool @ Nokia Theatre Goon Moon, Sun Trash @ The Troubadour One Flew South, Berko, Mark Macminn @ The Hotel Cafe The Binges,The Wildbirds, Codebreaker @ Spaceland Click Hear @ El Rey Theatre Deerhoof @ The Avalon Johnny Polanco y Su Orquesta Amistad @ El Floridita Chris Garneau, Rosewood Thieves @ The......

Artist: Dust Galaxy Album: Dust Galaxy Label: ESL Release Date: Fall '07 Listen to the track "River of Ever Changing Forms": If you missed Dust Galaxy at their Knitting Factory gig last Friday, have no fear, you can pick up their excellent self-titled CD. Dust Galaxy is the solo project of Rob Garza, co-founder of scenester label Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) but you won't be hearing any of the ESL's signature bossanova or other latin......