Here in LA, we’ve seen record store closures from the behemoth Tower chain to the local gem Sea Level Records as of late – a clear sign that the record business is edging closer to extinction with each new year. We are most likely heading towards a world where music is primarily consumed digitally, with physical product existing only for the die-hards who feel that they need to own something tangible along with their music.......

Friday night's "celebration" at Safari Sam's was testimony to the tremendous impact Sea Level Records has had upon the local Los Angeles music scene. As reported previously, the foremost indie record store decided to throw in the towel after their influential 5 1/2 year reign. So, party, celebration--any word used to connote remote contentment would simply be a misnomer. As friends of Sea Level sporadically graced the stage to eulogize, it became harder to......

Sea Level Records Going Away Party: Division Day, Switch @ Safari Sam's Gwen Stefani, Akon, Lady Sovereign @ Verizon Skinny Puppy @ Henry Fonda Lynda Carter @ Catalina Bar & Grill Missing Persons @ Malibu Inn John Butler Trio, Kaki King @ The Wiltern The Samples @ Hollywood Park Bobby "Blue" Bland @ Vault 350 Agent Orange @ Anarchy Library Carina Round @ Amoeba Greg Proops, Aimee Mann, Drew Carey @ Largo Angry Samoans,......

One of the more interesting bands to come out over the last few years is the British group Art Brut whose college radio hit "Moving to LA" is reason enough love this band. In a few months the group, pictured, above, at Sea Level Records, will come out with their sophomore album. But before they do we have some autographed posters to give away and some cd samplers of the new album, It's a......

The Wherehouse, Licorice Pizza, Rhino, Tower, Moby Disc, Aron's, Penny Lane, db Coopers... and now you can add Echo Park's Sea Level to the list of once-essential local record stores that have thrown in the towel. The LA Times Buzz Bands blog has the scoop: the independent outlet that in 5 1/2 years had become a locus for Los Angeles' Eastside music scene, will close June 30, owner Todd Clifford said. "It's not so......

My intuition is always right, except for when I was sure I would marry Kirk Cameron, but this time I’m predicting Los Angeles’s own The Western States Motel, as Indie Rock’s next darlings…or at least they should be. With beautiful harmonies, both mellow and upbeat songs, cool stage presence, and emo lyrics to boot, I don’t see how they aren’t on the cover of Filter already. They even have shaggy hair and a pretty CD......

Joe Fielder's Radio Free Silverlake, with support from KXLU and Sea Level Records, has been presenting a monthly, indie music night called Let's Independent at the lovely and historic Boardner’s in Hollywood. Last Tuesday’s unwashed-hair trifecta included local acts, Tigers Can Bite You, The Black Pine and Let’s Go Sailing. TCBY (heh) went on first and went on loud, but did not actually come to life until halfway through the set when they energized......

We love Echo Park's Sea Level Records for many reasons. It's easy to find parking near the historic Jensen Recreation Center Building in which it's housed, it's small enough so we don't get that overwhelmed "oh shit, what did I come in here to get?" brain erase that happens to us at Amoeba, and they regularly have great in-store performances. They also aren't afraid to take chances. Tonight they're hosting a visual art exhibition......

Mon 5/8 – The Submarines / Goldspot @ Viper Room ($10) – The Submarines debut album doesn’t come out until 6/20 but you can sample some tracks on their website or on Myspace. The album has call and response boy/girl lyrics about the two singers’ relationship (both the breakup and reunion). The electronic blips call to mind the Stars and some Folk Implosion. Her voice is in the neighborhood of the woman from Mates......

The Bellrays Have a Little Faith (Cheap Lullaby) – Local rock band with a powerful female soul singer. Catch them live at Sea Level Records on 5/2 at 7:00 PM and Safari Sam’s on 5/12. Listen to some tracks on their Myspace page. Pearl Jam Pearl Jam (J Records) – Critics are saying that this is Pearl Jam’s best record since Vitalogy. They even eponymously titled it. It seems like Clive Davis has once......

We hope everybody had a great time at Coachella. Really. Secret Machines is the pick of the week....... Mon 5/1 – Mark Olson & Gary Louris @ Troubadour ($25) – This should appeal to the y’Alternative / No Depression fans. The two main guys from the Jayhawks back together. Also at the Troubadour on Tuesday. Also on Mon - Sunset Rubdown @ the Echo. Tues 5/2 - The Brokedown / Tony Gilkyson @ Silverlake......

Fri 4/14 – The Greenhornes @ Troubadour ($12) – This Cincinnati three-piece plays quality retro rock’n’roll that’s heavily influenced by The Yardbirds. The band includes the rhythm section that played on Loretta Lynn’s great album, Van Lear Rose, and they're also members of the Raconteurs (along with Brendan Benson and Jack White). Download Pattern Skies Sat 4/15 – Kennedy @ The 4th Annual Rock Paper Scissors Rumble ($5) – A rare opportunity to watch......

The Beatles The Capitol Albums Vol. 2 (Capitol) – Four disc collection of the American versions of the early albums (The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help and Rubber Soul) in both stereo and mono. A tempting purchase, but unless you’re a completist it’s tough to justify. Built to Spill You in Reverse (Warner Bros.) – There aren’t any big surprises on the Boise, indie rockers’ sixth studio album. They still have long songs, strong......

With all the hand-wringing over the closures of Aron's and Rhino Records, you might think any non-Amoeba record store in Los Angeles is doomed. But that would mean you've never visited Sea Level Records in Echo Park. Dedicated music fanatic Todd Clifford opened the store in December 2001, and it's survived ever since selling CDs, vinyl and the occasional art piece. Sea Level's speciality is indie rock and local music; it's got listening stations......

TUESDAY • Sea Level Records presents Sinking! at the Bigfoot Lodge with DJs sealeveltodd, Crooner and DJ Rebel Yell (aka Going Away James). Things kick off at 9 PM; admission is free, so long as you are over 21. • At the Knitting Factory, show up around 8 PM to see Damien Jurado, Two Gallants and Sail On, Sailor! for $10. Click here to see a complete list of this week's events.......

TUESDAY • Sea Level Records presents Sinking! at the Bigfoot Lodge with DJs sealeveltodd and special guests DJs Chili & Sylvia. Admission is free; doors open at 9 PM. Call (323) 662-9227 for more information. • Show up early (and we mean early) if you want to find a good spot at Amoeba Music tonight, when the Drive-By Truckers will be giving a free in-store performance at 7 PM. LAist can vouch that they......

• At Largo, legendary LA punk John Doe will be performing with his band. Doors open at 8 PM. • Irving, Jens Lekman and the Impossible Shapes will be performing at Spaceland tonight. Doors open at 9 PM. (An entire Impossible Shapes album Tum is available for free download on the Secretly Canadian website for the duration of their tour with Jens Lekman.) • Catch Earlimart with Silversun Pickups and Richard Swift when Sea......

Tonight at The Echo, show up at 8:00 PM for an Extreme Wine Tasting, "The Hypothetical Curries of Vagina Tandoori: The Wines of Château Julien of Carmel." This event matches six hypothetical curries to six wines from Château Julien of Carmel; to counter the hypothetical curry, there will be "pertinent fromage from the Cheese Store of Silver Lake" and a DJ spinning wine-drinking music. There is only room for 60, so buy your tickets......

Today in the Daily Trojan there appeared the article "Record Penny-pinching," a profile of the best record stores in Los Angeles. While LAist can't fault the need for such a list—and the conclusion that Amoeba Music is the best in LA—there are some fairly notable omissions. Topping the list are Hear Music, Record Surplus, Virgin Megastore Hollywood, Aron's Records and Amoeba Music. Fine places, sure, but LAist finds fault with the skimpy selection. Los......