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[Exene Says . . .] DIY Till I Die

Exene Cervenka is a writer, visual artist and punk-rock pioneer. The OC transplant is the lead singer for X, the Knitters and Original Sinners. Contact her via askexene@ocweekly.com. In 1976, Nancy Kaufman lent a friend money to rent a 125-square-foot store on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard ... More >>

Is the New Amnesty Bill Any Good?

[¡Ask a Mexican!] And what's a good book on ranchera music?

Become a Music Geek Using Four Simple Steps

By: Liz OhanesianI'm not going to begrudge anyone for not knowing who Coachella headliners The Stone Roses are. The simple fact is that their first album, (the only one that really matters), came out in 1989. If you're in college now, you most likely weren't even born then. Plus, The Stone Roses wer ... More >>

What You Need to Know From Sundance

The fest's best are the films to watch in the year ahead.

Death By China Screening and Special Panel Discussion Set For Anaheim on Sept. 28

Some critics have declared that Death By China is fueled by warmongering, anti-Chinese sentiment and others call the film/book another important wake up call to a looming disaster.You can make up your own mind Friday night in Anaheim when there will be a special showing of the controversial, 79-minu ... More >>

Justin Soileau Says That Despite This Photo, He is No Longer Depressed

Justin Soileau's been a running favorite of ours here at Heard Mentality ever since the native born Texan moved out to California and began recording and performing throughout the county and elsewhere.  He's just released his first full album, a self-titled effort, last week via Bandcamp, iTune ... More >>

Local Record Review: 'Four Steps in Corsets' by Yellow Red Sparks

Yellow Red Sparks Four Steps in Corsets ORG Musicwww.yellowredsparks.comThe pure poetry of singer-songwriter Josh Hanson is accentuated by tightly interwoven arrangement on Four Steps in Corsets, the debut EP from OC's premiere indie folk-rockers Yellow Red Sparks. Released by ORG Music, the reflect ... More >>

Local Record Review: 'Songs We All Are Singing' by the Devious Means

http://thedeviousmeans.com/The Devious MeansSongs We All Are SingingWe here at the Weekly have covered the Devious Means a few times -- here's a short introduction from a few months back -- though it seems we're a little late with an actual review of their second EP, which appeared back in ... More >>

Seven Sins: A True Crime Anthology from Village Voice Media is Out to Slay You

Every week, writers for OC Weekly and our parent company, Village Voice Media, produce elegant magazine-style feature writing--a gritty portion of which comes in the form of true-crime stories. Now VVM has collected some of its best recent true-crime yarns into an ebook: Seven Sins: A True Crime Ant ... More >>

Local Record Review: 'Southern Pines' by Cory Bishop

Beat Blvd. is Heard Mentality's weekly review of local releases. If you're an OC musician or band with something new to offer--vinyl single, full-length album, CD, cassette--we want to hear from you! Send copies, along with any photos and PR material, to Beat Blvd., c/o OC Weekly, 2975 Red Hill ... More >>

Munky Talks Smokeout Festival, Plus Five Songs Describing Korn's Career

​The Grammy-winning Nu Metal legends, Korn co-headlined with Sublime with Rome for this past weekend's Smokeout Festival at the NOS Events Center. We caught up with Korn's guitarist, James "Munky" Shaffer, about the Smokeout Festival and the future of the band.

Broadway Singer Susan Egan Talks About the OC High School of the Arts and Growing Up in Seal Beach

​When I hear the term "Broadway," I think of lots of things, but mostly I think of New York City, bright lights, people wearing pea coats, taxis and how bummed I am that I never got a chance to see those failed "Spider-Man" previews. However, thanks to Saturday's Long Beach Symphony POPS! concert, ... More >>

Scott Ibex Names Five Easy Steps to a Successful Indie Tour

​Scott Ibex--Costa Mesa resident, entertainment lawyer and national touring artist who has performed with members of Chicago, The Rastafarians, Pato Banton and other famous artists--just released Low Budget ROCKSTAR: The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Booking, Surviving and Making a Profit on ... More >>

Christina Pazsitzky Talks Sausages, Pooping, and How Gross It Is to Call Your Lover "Daddy"

​Christina Pazsitzky is pure comedy: honesty and a lot of outspokenness. She's been on Chelsea Lately, has a hysterical podcast along with her husband Tom Segura, headlines comedy clubs nationwide, has a new comedy CD, and is on the upcoming Showtime special filmed in Amsterdam, Red Light C ... More >>

Report: Best-Selling Video Games of Black Friday 2011

​Like watching football or having a nap after stuffing yourself with turkey, Black Friday shopping has become a Thanksgiving tradition for millions of Americans. If you're a smart shopper and a gamer, there's no doubt that you've saved many of your video game purchases for the weekend following Th ... More >>

Mid Year Music Sales Numbers Are In--and Up

​Nielsen Soundscan's mid-year numbers are in, and despite the economic doom and gloom being reported by news outlets across the land, it would seem Americans have a lot to be optimistic about. Soundscan is the music industry's data information service and tracks sales at the point of purchase. It' ... More >>

Five Shocking Excerpts From Jack Grisham's New Book, An American Demon

​As Lille pointed out earlier today, our cover story this week is on T.S.O.L. front man and author Jack Grisham and his journey exorcising An American Demon--himself. You can read the article in its entirety right here, but what we didn't have room for in the story you can get right here.In his ne ... More >>

MoveOn.org Comes to the Rescue of Taxes Today

​Taxes must be suffering from battered women's syndrome about now. We're all like, "Aw come on, baby. You know I loves ya," Then--BAM!--corporations and rich people rap taxes upside the head, saying they ain't returning to Clinton-era levels. Then we get all lovey-dovey again and--WHAM!--House Rep ... More >>

Gravure Idols Studio Hopes to Relieve Japanese Stress with Proceeds from Thai Relax and Other Racy Titles

​Studio Happy Chicken Pink is one of the leading producers of videos of Japanese gravure idols--models who pose in swimsuits, lingerie and schoolgirl uniforms and leave little to the imagination in doing so.In Japan, Studio Happy Chicken Pink and its gravure idols have a legion of fans, so to hono ... More >>

6 Reasons Why You May Want to Reconsider the Nintendo 3DS

Peter Mai/OC Weekly​Releasing in Japan in about a month, the much-hyped Nintendo 3DS has impressed the gaming world with its ability to push some impressive graphics and display 3D gaming without the need of those embarrassing glasses. Because the system is an update to the second-highest-selling ... More >>

Orange Bits: Young the Giant Recognized by Amazon, Jameson, Clint Black, and The New Limb

Jameson ​We're at the home stretch of 2010 and Christmas is rapidly approaching; local bands are also "winning best of 2010 contests" left and right. (See: Young the Giant and Walter Trout.) Also, several bands such as Jameson and Melanoid are getting in the Christmas spirit by playing ... More >>

Gettin' Made: Photo Albums and Stickers and a Giveaway, Oh My!

It's always fun to see new crafty supplies that are out there and share them with you, and it's even more fun to give them away. This week, thanks to the folks at the Xyron company we'll be taking a look at some fabulous new photo albums they've got available, along with a charitable take on on ... More >>

New Book Alleges Walt Disney Was A Gay Pedophile

​There's lots of bizarre lore surrounding the legend of Walt Disney. Just off the top of our heads, we've heard he's a Communist (despite him being a founding member of the anti-communist Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals), a Nazi, a fascist, a racist, a homosexual, a ... More >>

Muse Gets Lead Single On The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Soundtrack

www.myspace.com/muse​Muse's song, "Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)" is the lead single off The Twilight Saga: Eclipse's original motion picture soundtrack, due in stores June 8. The movie will be in theaters nationwide on June 30.

Five Nasty Treats For Your Ex's Easter Basket

parl @ flickr.com CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Don't give people you hate weapons they can use against you.​Every February, some snarky person writes an article about nasty Valentine's gifts you can send the person you've recently dumped (or been dumped by). It usually centers around those little colored sugar ... More >>

Weekend Forecast for Newport Beach: Very, Very, Very Conservative

Andrew Breitbart: From Fox News to Newport Beach​What would you do if you found out conservatives Andrew Breitbart, Jim Lacy, Tom Fuentes, Bruce Herschesohn, Sir Eldon Griffiths, Governor Tim Pawlenty, Meg Whitman, Chuck DeVore, Jeff Miller, Ralph Reed, Da ... More >>

Eight Questions with Katon W. De Pena of Hirax

Hirax with Katon De Pena, third from right.​Interviewing Hirax singer Katon W. De Pena is sort of a waste of time. You see, journalists (me) are supposed to find news and then announce said news to readers (you). But I shit you not when I say that everyone knows De Pena and De Pena knows everyone. ... More >>

Capistrano Unified Recall Leader Weighs In On Film, Is Mum About Excluded Journalist

City of Rancho Santa MargaritaTony BeallAs if to demonstrate why anyone would be interested in a movie about school districts, Capistrano Unified delivered some of its trademark drama at last night's premier of Not As Good As You Think (which we previewed here). Capistrano Dispatch editor Jonathan V ... More >>

OC Author Celebrated By NY TImes!

Wonders Her Hair's Role In Losing BIllWilliam Lobdell, the voice you regularly hear discussing Orange County issues with Steven Greenhut of the Register and our very own Gustavo Arellano on KPCC-FM, won a positive review of his book in today's New York Times. "There are many great books about findi ... More >>

Imagine Amusement Parks Before Knott's and Disneyland

Carousel News & Trader--A Sun Valley-based trade mag for the mighty carousel industry--previews a book about Orange County amusement parks that pre-date Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. Early Amusement Parks of Orange County trades on author and former Disney/Knott's ride operator Richard Harr ... More >>

[Special Screenings] Local Showings of 'The Magnificent Seven,' '1984,' 'West Side Story,' More

[Aural Reports] Garden Grove-Based Online Shop Smartpunk Serves the Savvy Punk/Metal Fan

Because You're Ugly: Parrot Minikit Review!

After coming to terms with the fact that I have to purchase some kind of hands-free device for the car, I weighed my options. Of course, you and I both know the majority of the gadgets work via Bluetooth—which can be a mystifying subject for some. Bluetooth, named after a 10th century Danish ki ... More >>

The Mars Volta Announce New Game, Album

Pretentious (but in a good way) purveyors of grandiose, prog-rock concept albums the Mars Volta return to the fray Jan. 29 with The Bedlam in Goliath. An online game based upon that album—called Goliath the Soothsayer—can be accessed at amazon.com/music from Jan. 2-29. You don't need to order t ... More >>

!Ask a Mexican!

Special book edicion

Bigger, Dirtier and Uncut

Trailer Park Boys: The Movie is funnier than whats playing in local cineplexes

Slow Day, But Good News!

Bikeride is BACK! New album, new shows, and an appearance on MOJO's March compilation (out in February). Let's check what the band has to say: Well, we're happy to say we'll be participating in a Beatles Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band covers record for MOJO magazine. It's to celebrate t ... More >>

Special Screenings

Movie of the Week: Palindromes

Healthy Inc.

Sidneys Cafe rides the resurgent health-food wave

Ironys Siren

Pat Boone grapples with his demons

More Guidebook Than Manifesto

The Motorcycle Diaries follows a young Che Guevara on a lengthy detour

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

Best Shopping and Porn

Death Watch

Skating By

411VM succeeds where others have eaten it

Diary of a Mad County

The Speed of Life

Dave Eggers returnsfinallywith another heartbreaking work

Seizures in the Middle East

Summer-Rama!

39 of the best things about the next 104 days

Welcome to Virtual U

Why is cyberspace sucking the college experience into a black hole? 'It all comes down to money'