The first sign should have been the earplugs being handed out at the door... 17 years ago My Bloody Valentine delivered what is considered not only their greatest achievement but a classic album by any measure. Loveless was the climax of the My Bloody Valentine sound as well as epitomizing the entire shoegaze movement. Since the release of that landmark album the band faded and disbanded. There was no wall of sound to be heard......

"The Hives have rocked stadiums of 40,000 or more! You 1200 people should present no problem...," bombastically declared Hives' frontman Howlin' Pelle Almqvist to the Mayan Theatre crowd last Thursday night (9/25/08). While the statement is both egotistical and brash, Almqvist was entirely correct (and with names like Dr. Matt Destruction, Nicolaus Arson, Vigilante Carstroem, Chris Dangerous and the aforementioned Howlin' Pelle, you'd better be able to back it up). The Swedish imports rocked the......

Some bands are simply meant to be seen live. While many artists boast consistent and impressive catalog recordings, often it’s the eccentric and vibrant live performance experience that ultimately outshines the archive. Such is the case with My Morning Jacket, as evidenced by their ambitious and protracted Greek Theatre stop in Los Angeles on Sunday night.......

Silver Lake's favorite son, Beck Hansen, returned to Los Angeles on Saturday night for a one night engagement at the Hollywood Bowl (9/20/08). In his largest, hometown-headlining gig, Beck took a decidedly different approach to his performance -- rather than relying on the gimmicks and theatrics of previous tours, he put the music on display.......

The cradle of love was definitely rocking as I took a trip back to Sunset Blvd. circa 1984 in my DeLorean as Billy Idol opened the House Of Billy, the first of a three night stand at the House Of Blues Sunset. The 80's icon (now in his early 50's) came full force with the snarl and full fist pumping punk rock attitude that made him one of the most recognizable artists of the time.......

Saint Motel plays at Spaceland tonight | Photo by skampy via Flickr It is not often you see a gaming trophy being hoisted onto the stage of the Viper Room. Staring deep into the eyes of a dead deer, I asked the young man standing in front of me again, "You said you shot this yourself?" Lead singer A/J Jackson just smiled at me and joined his band mates, lugging some small trees on......

There is so much hyperbole and exaggeration that can be attached to the live performance of Radiohead. In their 15 or so years on the music scene their rise has been one of steady incline and pure consistency. A first time attendance of a Radiohead show generally yields responses like “Worth every bit of hype” “Awe- inspiring” and “Life changing.” As a first time attendee Monday night at the Bowl, let me tell you the......

Pop songstress Gwen Stefani can deliver the goods...and an 8lb 5oz baby boy. Zuma Nesta Rossdale was born yesterday afternoon here in Los Angeles at Cedars Sinai Hospital, according to CNN.com. Mom Stefani and baby are reportedly doing well. Zuma joins big brother Kingston, 2, and former Bush frontman and rocker Gavin Rossdale to make one more in the growing family of music and fashion movers and shakers.......

Since they burst on the scene a few years ago, there is one thing that has remained constant in the many live performances from UK imports Bloc Party and that is their ability to constantly deliver a stand-out performance. While their catalog consists of only two LPs and a few singles here and there, their sound still feels fresh and live their tracks are almost all crowd pleasers.......

If you noticed the faint smell of burning plastic mixed with dust and Rockstar energy drink this past Sunday, then you were probably hanging around San Bernardino where metal gala Mayhem Fest was in full swing. Gearing towards the Hot Topic and KROQ generation, thousands of oppressed youth and the seemingly browbeaten citizens of the Inland Empire gathered to take part in the manufactured anger fest to support bands like Walls of Jericho, Suicide Silence,......

No, you're not hallucinating, that's Charlie Hunter and his 8-string guitar. | Photo by imacuckoo2 via flickr. Check out live music -- FREE -- after work this evening. LA's Earlimart plays a set at Amoeba at 7, and Charlie Hunter visits Hollywood & Highland's Wine and Jazz Tuesdays from 7-9. For more of what's going on in rock music this month, check out our This Month in Rock guide. Earlimart @ Amoeba Charlie Hunter......

Photo courtesy of Polyfoto via Flickr You know its officially summer when the Hollywood Bowl schedule is in full swing and your local Whole Foods boast empty shelves of wine and cheese. Yes, the sun is out later and perfect temperatures always serve as a pleasant compliment to any night of music, but that isn’t to say that there’s nothing going on in your favorite sweaty rock venue. July happens to be a jam-packed month,......

Los Angeles really can be an amazing place sometimes. Where else will an artist the stature and as experienced as Elvis Costello decide to play a secret, free midnight show? Very, very few places. Luckily, we are in Los Angeles and this exact thing did happen Wednesday night. Announcing the show at 7pm on Indie 103.1, Costello came straight from his performance in support of the Police, and proceeded to rock the El Rey for......

After a great start to the festival with a outstanding first day filled with solid performances from REM and MIA, day two continued picked up right where it left off the night before, rain and all. Luckily the rain subsided just before the first acts of the started and gave way to some beautiful weather that lasted throughout the day.......

The 2008 installment of KROQ's Annual Weenie Roast Y Fiesta was decidedly nostalgic this year with sets from punk legends Bad Religion, Orange County rockers the Offspring and the biggest force in metal in its history, Metallica. It was a return to force for the latter band as they finally broke out of a touring holding pattern and "escaped" from the studio to show why they are one of the loudest and most commanding bands......

British rockers, The Heavy, rocks the Rabbit at Bordello in Downtown Los Angeles....

There were nearly as many people on stage as in the crowd at the Echo last night to witness the phenomenon that was a 35-minute set from Dark Meat, the 17-piece psychedelic rock collective from Athens, Georgia. Dark Meat has been tearing up small venues in the South for a few years. Now signed to Vice Records, this orgiastic cacophony of punk vocals, horns, gospel, double drums, and manic prancing on the dance floor made......

In the previous installations of Coachella there have been some huge headliners. Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead, Bjork, The Beastie Boys but none quite on the level of day two's headliner, the Purple One, Prince. From the moment he hit the stage with Morris Day and Shelia E. it was apparent that the audience was in for a lesson in musicianship and showmanship. As he played through a set mixed of standards and the cover......

Finally, after all the hubub and debate of the quality of this year's Coachella lineup, the festival got underway Friday afternoon. Featuring Jack Johnson at the top of the bill, the day featured outstanding performances from the Raconteurs who proved that they aren't just Jack White's side project but rather a band that is developing their own sound and identity. The Verve, playing for the first time in nearly a decade sounded like they hadn't......

Sunset boulevard swelled today in front of guitar center where Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin were honored with an induction into the RockWalk, which is apparently some sort of street gallery rock/blues/jazz thing....

If you live in Los Angeles or know anything about punk rock circa 1977 then you know about X. If you don't, Perry Farrell will tell you in the clip on the right. Farrell introduced X last month at SXSW, headliners of Spin's day party at Stubb's BBQ. The place was only two-thirds full after a mass exodus of sweater vests following a short set by Vampire Weekend. But all four original members of......

It was a homecoming of sorts for Alison Sudol, AKA A Fine Frenzy, as she returned to the place where she played one of her first shows, the Roxy on Sunset. The ever-adorable Sudol charmed the packed house with her piano driven melodies and effervescent voice.......

There is a song called "The March" in Astra Heights' infectious debut album, Good Problems, that is so insanely catchy that you can't help but wonder why radio stations don't play songs like it any more, and you would also think that a record company would have no problem hawking the song. But I suppose it speaks volumes of the current woeful state of the record business that Astra Heights was dropped by its......

There is little doubt that by now you have seen them on MTV, heard them on KROQ or Indie or seen them on SNL, if you haven't then it must be dark in that cave. The ginormous hype machine known as Vampire Weekend came through LA Thursday night to play their first proper show in support of their debut self-titled album. With tickets reportedly going for upwards of $400 a pair on ebay, (!!) the......

It was quite an amazing scene Monday night at the Wiltern, the place was completely packed for a band that had no singer, no lyrics of any kind and was basically just guitars and drums. While some would think this wouldn't be an exciting concert to see or it would be inspiring or emotional as seeing a band with a singer at the front they would be wrong, very wrong. Emotional and inspiring are......

If you haven't heard their infectious single "That's Not My Name" burning up LA radio stations, you will soon enough. The Ting Tings, the latest UK import, brought their carefree blend of electro/dance/pop duo to Echo Park's Rec Center Studio in what was their first (and most likely of many) "proper" show in Los Angeles Tuesday night. The Rec Center was packed to see the Tings, a band that at this point really only......

When you read something you like on LAist, we love it when you hit the "recommend" button, and we love it even more if you put your two cents' worth in the comments. Getting a dialog going with our readers and making sure we're giving you content you can use are top priorities for us. So here's this week's top posts, as endorsed by you via the recommend feature, or as indicated by the level......

...or you could hit up Swingers for a late-night bite (LAist did!) | Photo by Stephanie Asher via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr DOCUMENTARY & DISCUSSION Non-profit mentoring group WriteGirl is putting on a screening of Girls Rock! which is a documentary about a rock n' roll girls' camp, and hosting a panel discussion after the film. Scheduled panelists include WriteGirl's founder and executive director, singer-songwriter Keren Taylor; Grammy-award winning songwriter and......

"This is our Homecoming show," an always energetic Dave Grohl yelled at a stopping point in the Foo Fighters two+ hour long set Wednesday night, as expected the sold-out Forum crowd lit up with cheers and screams of approval. With good reason too as the Foos have become the torch-bearers for this generations version of bold and bombastic, arena rock.(with Muse hot on their heels) There are very few bands touring today that can......

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......