Music Festivals

SXSW Sucks. Here's Why

Over the past few weeks, if you work in and around the so-called music biz, you've received hundreds of incessant emails about the shit show down in Austin called South-by-Southwest. As tens of thousands of people descend upon the city, everyone and their sister are going to try to check out as many ... More >>

OC Creator of Vela App Preps For a Coming Out Party at SXSW

On a warm, sunny day in Aliso Viejo, things are looking just the way Justin Mason had always envisioned. The soft-spoken, former Air Force Intelligence Officer--now a group administrator at a Santa Ana dialysis center--has never been one to be told what he can and can't accomplish. After the opportu ... More >>

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour - Segerstrom Center - January 13, 2013

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour Segerstrom Concert Hall 1-13-13 Sometimes people forget that jazz gigs can be fun. The musical knowledge required by some jazzbos leaves just enough room for the graduate students while everybody else goes somewhere warm and unobtrusive. Yesterday, the Monterey Jazz ... More >>

30 Facts About Ke$ha We Learned From Her New Book 'My Crazy Beautiful Life'

By: Brian McManusIf you listen closely to Ke$ha's songs (and is there any other way to listen to Ke$ha? ), you already know quite a bit about her. She wakes up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy. She uses a bottle of Jack to brush her teeth (which sounds dangerous). Etc. Etc. So on. So forth. ANYW ... More >>

The Saints and Sinners

House of Blues

Vans Warped Tour Goes Green(er), Partners With Online Carpooling Company

Last week we mentioned that the Irvine City Council brought up some collective beef over the Vans Warped Tour's Irvine stop at the Great Park on Thursday--and all the troublesome, traffic-making punks that will come with it. Well, even though the fest will certainly foil any dog walking, kite flying ... More >>

Bassnectar Rumbles Through Lightning In a Bottle Festival

Freeform artist Lorin Ashton reflects on the release of 'Vava Boom' and his journey in EDM

Nero on EDM Naysayers, Clubbing and the Possibility of Another Track With Skrillex

Nero members Dan Stephens and Joe Ray have been making music together since 2004. They recently premiered their "Second Reality" live show with singer Alana Watson in the United States at Club Nokia in L.A. in between gigs at Coachella Valley Music Festival. Alana is on all of their single ... More >>

StellaR: "I don't have a bias to any style. I just love to make people dance."

In the past four years, StellaR has played at some of the biggest parties in the US, from Ultra Music Festival to residencies at Nikki Beach Cabo, Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto at Rain, Artisan Afterhours, and Haze Nightclub in Las Vegas. Born David Garcia, StellaR has loved the EDM scene since he was 1 ... More >>

Vans Warped Tour's Kevin Lyman: "I think the brand new bands like Matt Toka, Hyro Da Hero, Tomorrows Bad Seeds, and this great little band Cherry Bomb are the ones to look out for"

At the Vans Warped Tour official kick-off party and press conference at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles last week, creator Kevin Lyman marveled, "It's really cool--18 years and people still care!" Back in 1995, Lyman started the Warped Tour and showcased bands like No Doubt and Sublime. Today the ... More >>

The Worst Moments from SXSW 2012

The last few days, Village Voice Media's indefatigable music staff has been regaling you with stories of the best from SXSW 2012. In the midst of these discoveries, we've been culling another list: the worst shit. The acts that ranged from huge bore-fests to downright lame. Below, you'll find our cr ... More >>

SXSW: Ten Things Your Outfit Says About You

​Some folks attend South by Southwest to look at bands, but a good many passing through the 2012 edition seem to enjoy the added benefits of being looked at, as well. Even without haute couture, music fans and opportunists on the streets of Austin send a wealth of subliminal messages to each other ... More >>

12th Planet, Flinch at Dubtroit's 3 Year Anniversary at the Constellation Room, Feb. 28, 2012

​Dubtroit's 3rd AnniversaryConstellation Room, Santa AnaFeb. 28, 2012Dubtroit celebrated its third birthday last night at the Constellation Room with The End is Near Tour, featuring local favorite 12th Planet plus guests. Filled with (mostly) a bro-type demographic, the event was predictably high ... More >>

Camille Bloom Wants to Get Intimate With You (But Not at a Women's Festival)

​Vocalist Camille Bloom is a one-woman show. In between working on her new album, Never Out of Time, which drops in November, and prepping for her fall tour (which is her favorite season), the artist has found time to run a rock camp every summer and promote her work. Though Bloom refuses to adher ... More >>

The Bad Rabbits Talk Origins and How Touring Makes You Gay at the Warped Tour

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyAt the Warped Tour in Ventura​Join the Urban Nomad as he profiles old friends and rising stars Bad Rabbits on Vans Warped Tour in Pomona. They discuss their origins, how to take control of an indie music career, working with Teddy Riley and Chino Moreno of the Deft ... More >>

Free Song from Jane's Addiction's First Studio Set in Eight Years

​Even if you're not that psyched about a Jane's Addiction reunion, you're still curious about what The Great Escape Artist, their first new studio album in eight years, sounds like. Frontman Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Stephen Perkins are giving away a free download of ''End ... More >>

Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day is April 12!

​Yep, it's been a whole year: Ben & Jerry's free cone day is coming up on Tuesday, April 12. And as much as we love classics like Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia, why not try one of four new (or newish) flavors? There's even one that contains chocolate-covered potato chips. And it's tastier th ... More >>

Missives from SXSW: Exene Cervenka (of X) Sings With Old 97s, Thinks of Japan

Most famous as a punk rock icon and artist, Exene Cervenka (front woman for X, Knitters and Original Sinners) is documenting her adventures for Heard Mentality on the way to Austin's South By Southwest, the country's biggest music festival. Check out her complete tour diary archive here.Raven Lo ... More >>

Circa Survive's Guitarist Colin Frangicetto Shows off His Ink

Emily ShurColin Frangicetto, far left​Circa Survive is co-headlining at tattoo and music festival MusINK, at the OC Fairgrounds this Saturday (along with Thrice, interviewed in this week's print edition). In keeping with the theme,  guitarist Colin Frangicetto sent over a couple of photos of ... More >>

Love It Or Hate It? Six Qualities Of The NorCal Music Fest

www.harmonyfestival.com​I've been to music festivals in Southern California, in the Midwest, Northern California and the East Coast, but I had an epiphany at the Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa (about an hour north of San Francisco) last weekend. There, I realized that for some reason, NorCal mu ... More >>

Snoop Dogg at SXSW, Lady Gaga Strikes Back, Justin Bieber (WTF?), Mr. Rachael Ray (Ha!)

Some unknown from Long Beach called Snoop Dogg helps close out SXSW.Lady Gaga strikes back--legally speaking--at her ex, who is suing her for $30.5 million.Ah, who is this kid Justin Bieber and why does anyone care if he'd date a fan?Mr. Rachael Ray--a wannabe rock star--makes fool of himself at SXS ... More >>

Today in Music News: Red Hot Chili Peppers Robbed, Pearl Jam Headlines NOLA Jazz Fest, New Oasis Record

Red Hot Chili Peppers robbed! The Stooges, Jimmy Cliff, Hollies, Genesis and ABBA to join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm just glad KISS--a band I loathe more than any other--didn't make the cut. Speaking of the Peppers, has guitar hero John Frusciante quit again?New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fe ... More >>

Show Announcement: Coachella 2010 Dates Confirmed

Beth StirnamanCoachella 2009: Day Two​The 2010 Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival will take place Friday, April 16, Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 2010 at the Empire Polo Club, Indio, Calif. Pre-sale and layaway plans go on sale today at coachella.com. Three-day passes start at $ ... More >>

Second Annual Longhair Illuminati Art & Music Festival

The Glass House

Thrice's Sixth Studio Album Announced for October, Get Ready for Warped Tour

Dustin RabinThrice prepare for the summer's Warped Tour (poorly).Irvine's favorite sons (other than Will Ferrell, maybe, but post-Land of the Lost that's questionable at best) Thrice have announced that their sixth album, the follow-up to 2007 (and 2008's!) four-disc, dual release The Alchemy Index ... More >>

Stagecoach Festival: Reba; Kenny Chesney; Brad Paisley; Kid Rock and more

To Do This Weekend 4/17-4/19

Long Beach Grand Prix- All Weekend!Watch downtown Long Beach transform into a race track with drifting, indy cars, and celebrity races.Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA; 562-436-3636Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, All Weekend!Featuring pe ... More >>

OMGzerz! 'High School Musical 3' Opens Tonight!

Coachella, Stagecoach Dates Announced

Goldenvoice announced today that next year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival - the world famous annual haven of indie rock, electronic music and sweating at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio - will take place Friday, April 17, Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. Yes, that's the third we ... More >>

The Long Beach Blues Festival Is the Anti-Warped/Anti-Coachella Experience

Radiohead's N. American Tour Dates Announced

Closest the British mope-rock kings come to OC is a two-date run at Hollywood Bowl, Aug. 24 and 25. Pre-sale tix are available April 9 and general on-sale April 12. Grizzly Bear support Aug. 3-15, Liars Aug. 19-28. Radiohead have good taste. August 1 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL August 3 - Verizo ... More >>

T-Shirt of the Year

Could've used this at SXSW.

Norwegians Do It Better

Austin, Texas - First day of SXSW is always stressful. So are the second, third and fourth days. No matter where you are at this huge musical clusterfuck, you're always haunted by the thought that something better is happening somewhere else. Unless you've mastered the ability to be in five places ... More >>

A Thousand Knives At Detroit 3/5

Review by Jeff Phifer A Thousand Knives is the band that you haven't heard yet, but you will. The group’s very first show in LA resulted in an offer to play a party at the prestigious South By Southwest festival this coming week. A Thousand Knives brings a new sound that captures what's happeni ... More >>

OC Weekly's SXSW Concert Lineup Announced

LA's HEALTH bring their beneficial noise to SXSW. If you're down in Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest conference/festival, please check out this outstanding bill and mingle with the VVM music editors (you will never encounter so much charisma in one room). The Black Keys Health The Cribs S ... More >>

Dio Vs. Ozzy Vs. . . . Lordi Cola?

Ozzfest is free this year, but there's still doom for improvement

From Hunter to Hunted

In his quest to free slaves around the world, Aaron Cohen thought hed seen it all. Then he went to Myanmar

Endless Music Vs. Endless Promotion

Recapping South by Southwest

South By Southwest, Part 1

Well, it's 8:35 Austin time and I've finally got my room, internet access, and festival badge. Haven't had a chance to see any actual music yet, but I've certainly seen plenty of jaded industry types, giddy young music writers, and desperate publicists. I'm headed out into the evening to actually fi ... More >>

Name Dropping

Be Your Own Pet

Post-warped tour notes

Stupor-Sized!

Rendered by Verse

Summer music haiku-o-rama!

Dance Disaster Movement

We are from nowhere

Spinning on Spins Punk Memoirs

Oregon Bound

Rage Against the Machine's Machine

My Superzero

Our Annual South by Southwest Report

Vacation, Baby