Indie Rock and Indie Pop

The Five Must-See Shows in OC This Weekend

Friday, May 17 Sederra House of Blues Anaheim Anytime the punk shredders of Sederra come to the House of Blues Anaheim, they have a habit of bringing the entire Fullerton punk scene with them. Last time they played the Mouse House for free, they stuffed the place to capacity to the point where they ... More >>

Crystal Castles

Fox Theater

Matt & Kim

The Observatory

Ramona Falls

Constellation Room

The Five Best Concerts in OC This Week

Monday, February 18 DJ Hype The Observatory Pre-iPods, pre-laptops, pre-everyone's-a-DJ, DJ Hype was circling the globe, bringing his turn table skills to millions of party people. Born in Belgium, Kevin Ford began as a DJ on Fantasy FM, a pirate radio station in London. But he hit mainstream ... More >>

Ra Ra Riot

The Observatory

Cat Power

The Observatory

Highlands Pride Themselves On Keeping It Loud, Weird

The opening scene of Highland's music video for "Railroads" centers on singer/guitarist Scott Holmes' slow immersion in a dark beach cave in which moving shadows and other stoner hallucinations abound. Surrounded by the band's waves of slowly mutating soundscapes and washed-out distortion, subtle ha ... More >>

Ra Ra Riot at the Constellation Room, February 24, 2011

​VIEW OUR SLIDESHOWRa Ra Riot February 24, 2011 The Constellation Room I was a little confused on when to get to The Constellation Room last Friday. The website said that the doors were at 7 p.m., but the show didn't start until 9 p.m.! I guess they wanted to entice crowds to get there early to ... More >>

Five Great Indie Rock Albums for Autumn

Courtesy Atlantic Records​If there's anything hipsters like to do in autumn, it's to walk around breathing in their own melancholy, feigning solitude while trying to suss out meaning from their iPod earbuds while kicking around dead leaves. In their self-conscious sorrow, wearing earthy-toned card ... More >>

Phantogram at the Music Box Last Friday Night

Mary Carreon/OC Weekly​Phantogram Nov. 4, 2011 The Music Box A contagious energy spread through the Music Box as the electro-pop band Reptar (yes, like giant green dinosaur from the Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats) opened up the Phantogram show. The quartet, which sounds like an '80s ve ... More >>

Death Cab for Cutie in Awe of the Foo Fighters and Other Things You Didn't Know About DCFC

Jeremiah Garcia/KCRW​Last night we hiked up to Santa Monica in rush hour traffic to check out Death Cab for Cutie at probably the smallest venue we'll ever see them at--Apogee's Berkeley Street Studio, for a KCRW show that will broadcast on Morning Becomes Eclectic on November 1.

[UPDATED with Photos from Gibson Amphitheater] Bon Iver at the Shrine Auditorium Last Night

Chad Sengstock/OC WeeklyBon Iver at the Gibson Amphitheater​Bon IverSept. 19, 2011Shrine AuditoriumSee more images here!I've seen Bon Iver triple in size since Justin Vernon released his groundbreaking debut, For Emma, Forever Ago, from a three-piece consisting of a drummer who was also a childhoo ... More >>

10 Best Albums of the Year--So Far

Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly​Hey, the year's half over! Isn't that reason enough to count back through the albums that have been released thus far in 2011 and decide which ones we can safely say are great? Yes, it is.Check out our picks after the jump--and see which ones made it.

Five Reasons Why Kathleen Hanna is Wrong About Female Musicians Today

CNN Entertainment​ CNN Entertainment published an interview on Tuesday with iconic '90s riot grrl Kathleen Hanna. For those out of the loop, Hanna was a member of the seminal punk band Bikini Kill. A documentary co-produced by Hanna titled Who Took the Bomp? about her days touring with electro-pun ... More >>

J. Mascis is Playing at Alex's Bar Tonight; Watch His Cover of Edie Brickell's 'Circle'

jmascis.com​ J. Mascis performs at Alex's Bar tonight, solo! The Dinosaur Jr. founder (also: skier, golfer, songwriter, skateboarder, record producer, and musician) is touring to promote Several Shades of Why, his first solo studio record. On the album are a bunch of people who no doubt have been ... More >>

Happy Jawbreaker Day As Well!

​ In case you hadn't heard, today is Star Wars Day. And if you hadn't heard, I guess I should explain that today is Star Wars day because "May the fourth" sounds an awful lot like a lispy nerd who lives in his parents' basement saying "may the force" as in, "May the force be with you." But the dor ... More >>

Blag Dahlia

Tiki Bar

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Fox Theater Pomona

The Colourist

Detroit Bar

Pics of Michael Cera on Bass at Fox Theater, Pomona Last Saturday

Andrew Youssef/OC WeeklyFor more photos, check out the Passion Pit slideshow here​ So Michael Cera can play bass for real, and not just in movies. On Saturday, Cera played bass in Mister Heavenly, Passion Pit's opening band, at Fox Theater in Pomona. He didn't look much different from the characte ... More >>

Belle and Sebastian Want to Write About YOU

​Last Saturday, we (and by we, we mean Spencer Kornhaber, that quisling) witnessed Belle and Sebastian in action, nonchalantly chucking autographed green footballs into the audience and generally being charming. Now we hear from the Matablog that Belle and Sebastian are releasing a 7″ ... More >>

Local Natives Joins FYF Lineup

​It's official then: with the addition of Local Natives to the bill, FYF has the best festival lineup this summer (or, post-summer, since the show is on Labor Day weekend).

Built to Spill Milk Their History

Founder Doug Martsch's storied past comes out in the band's songs

Don't Pigeonhole the Dum Dum Girls

This all-girl noise rock band packs old-school melodies with sonic din

Minus The Bear with the Shout Out Louds at Fox Theater Tonight!

www.myspace/minusthebear/Ryan Russell                                                                           ... More >>

Last Night: Sea Wolf at Detroit Bar

Brandon Ferguson​The Hype: Playing nondescript but high-quality indie rock for the past ten years, Alex Brown Church, a.k.a. Sea Wolf, has produced two full-length albums. Last year, he released White Water, White Bloom. Their inoffensive brand of eclectic folk music was recently de ... More >>

Listen to This: Sage Francis' New Album on Myspace

​Spoken word artist Sage Francis is coming to Pomona's Glass House next week; better brush up on your Sage Francis knowledge by listening to his newest set, Li(f)e, now streaming on MySpace.

What You Missed: Coachella, Coachella Parties, America's Family Pet Expo, Anaheim Comic Con

Andrew YoussefClockwise from top left: Alison Mossheart of the Dead Weather, Jay-Z, Zooey Deschanel of She & Him, Matt Bellamy of Muse.​It's all over! Three long days of music, crowds, tents that smell like armpit and more--Coachella 2010! We hope you kept up with us throughout our up-to-date ... More >>

Live from Coachella: Yo La Tengo, Julian Casablancas, Jonsi

Andrew Youssef / OC WeeklyYo La Tengo: Charisma you can't see.What, exactly, were Yo La Tengo doing on the main stage?

Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio on Upcoming Tour and New Album 'This Addiction'

Doom pop purveyors Alkaline Trio will release their seventh studio album, This Addiction, Feb. 23. It will be the Chicago band's first release on their newly formed Heart & Skull Records--a joint venture, for this record at least, with Epitaph. This Addiction revisits Alkaline Trio's signature ... More >>

Vivian Girls

Detroit Bar

Cold War Kids Move Forward With Confidence and Camaraderie, Not Claustrophobia

[CD Review] Built to Spill, 'There Is No Enemy' (Warner Bros.)

Saturday Night: Azure Ray, Tim Kasher, Janu and the Whalesharks at the Glass House

Last Night: Azure Ray, Tim Kasher, Janu and the Whalesharks at the Glass House, Pomona; July 18, 2009.Better than: The quesadilla at nearby Juan Pollo (seriously, it's not very good).Snubbed song: "New Resolution," from Azure Ray's 2003 record Hold On Love.Brought back to life after nearly six years ... More >>

Last Night: Cursive at the Glass House

Last Night: Cursive, Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band and Box Elders at the Glass House.Better Than: Spending one more night sulking about Michael JacksonDownload: Cursive's latest album, Mama I'm Swollen (released March 10, 2009 on Saddle Creek Records)In the life of a mildly experienced music writer, ... More >>

KROQ's Weenie Roast

Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Weenie Roast Lineup Announced: Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Kings of Leon

Andrew YoussefThe full lineup for KROQ's annual Weenie Roast show was released today, a whopping TWELVE DAYS! before the show itself. Seems kinda quick, right? Oh well. It still looks like a pretty good show, headlined by Weezer and Jimmy Eat World (pictured)--they toured together in 2001!--Kings of ... More >>

Live(ish) from Coachella: Sunday Morning Coming Down

I'm in the Motel 6, a.k.a. the COMMAND CENTER, but my WiFi expired (24 hours) so I'm iPhoning it in. Pay another $2.99? Heck no! Let's talk about Saturday for a bit, no?- TV on the Radio were real good. I saw them a few years ago and was kind of "eh" on it, though I always dug their recorded materi ... More >>

(Not) Live from Coachella: The N00b Reflects

Spencer KornhaberThe "Hand of Man" crushes autos.While Albert's still sweating it out (literally! ha!) at some polo field in the desert, my Coachella experience -- my first Coachella experience -- is over. But it was fun. Why? Top things about Saturday from a neophyte:This is a good festival. Water ... More >>

Coachella: Paul McCartney; Morrissey; Leonard Cohen; My Bloody Valentine

Jenny Lewis

Cut Copy

The Glass House

Crystal Antlers Score EW Mention

Long Beach's Crystal Antlers, who this year already netted an 8.5 on Pitchfork for their self-released EP (which was subsequently sntached up by Touch and Go) and just last night played the Bowery Ballroom in NYC as part of the CMJ Music Marathon, saw their good buzz streak continue with a mention i ... More >>

Last Night: Santogold @ HOB, Anaheim

Last Night: Santogold at the House of Blues Anaheim October 13, 2008 Better Than: watching Austin Powers in Goldmember Download: Santogold's "Your Voice" An eclectic assortment of bands offered a little bit of something for everybody as Santogold, Mates of State, Alice Smith and Low Vs. Diamond ... More >>

Tegan and Sara's Subtly Subversive, Tart Pop Comes to the Glass House

Last Night: Cold War Kids at the Samueli Theater

Cold War Kids at Samueli Theater, March 26, 2008 A review by Andrew Youssef Better Than: Seeing the Cold War Kids open for the White Stripes at The Forum. Download: Heavy Boots from their long out of print Mulberry St. EP Cold War Kids dropped by the Samueli Theater for the third installment of t ... More >>

Adios, 
Victrolas

ForceField ON

All in All

Tilly and the Wall

Dinosaur Jr.'s Beyond: Curb Your Cynicism, Pt. 4

Dinosaur Jr. Beyond (Fat Possum) Release date: May 1, 2007 J Mascis and Lou Barlow settle their long-running beef and record a damned solid Dinosaur Jr. album with original drummer Murph... for Fat Possum Records? In 2007? Yeah, right. Put down the crackpipe, junior. Oh, shit, it's true. Reality ju ... More >>