Photos and words by Ethan Shvartzman It was a gorgeous day on the Santa Monica Pier as crowds gathered to soak in the sun and tunes courtesy of Kisses, Yacht and Poolside, as well a number of DJs. Love was in the air as Poolside set the tone for the “romantics in the crowd” and [...]

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Photos and words by Brittany Kalaj Margulieux El Ten Eleven apologized to the crowd for their anti-climactic mid-show soundcheck, but there was no need. Adoring fans were willingly cramped into the you-can-barely-breathe sold out Central SAPC space for the chance to hear the local duo El Ten Eleven live. Once the band started playing, the [...]

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We should have made it a big baby shower because it was our very own Silversun Pickups’ Nikki Monninger’s last appearance on bass duties before she goes on maternity leave. Sarah Negahdari (The Happy Hollows) will be filling in for the remaining tour dates. Photos by Justin Wise

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Catching up with fairly new band Harriet on the Westside (yep) at Central SAPC was worth it. Harriet is fronted by Alex Casnoff, former member of Dawes and PAPA. Their debut EP, Tell the Right Story is available for download on their website http://harrietmusic.com/. Sound is tight and Casnoff made sure everything was in check [...]

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Download: Baby Dee “Lilacs” [Audio clip: view full post to listen] (from A Book Of Songs For Anne Marie out now on Drag City) BABY DEE WITH SIMONE WHITE ON SAT., MAY 1, AT McCABE’S GUITAR SHOP, 3101 PICO BLVD., SANTA MONICA. 8 PM / $15 / ALL AGES. MCCABES.COM. BABY DEE’S A BOOK OF [...]

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Billy Bragg has been mixing pop and politics and hoping to save the youth of America since he started out as ‘one-man Clash’ in 1977. After projects with Wilco and Woody Guthrie, he will present the U.S. premiere of his vocal version of Beethoven’s ‘Ode To Joy’ in Santa Monica. This interview by Dan Collins.

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The Mekons lived Leeds but dreamed Texas and Tennessee and after finding their feet in first-wave punk songs like “Where Were You,” they left the world of Rough Trade for the open range. They are working on a new album tentatively called 100 Years and singer-guitarist-activist Jon Langford speaks as he takes his dog to the vet. This interview by Chris Ziegler.

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Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple were (legendarily) the only people in North Carolina who bought Big Star albums the very first time around, and they’d team up most famously for the power-pop band the dB’s. (Stamey would also release Chris Bell’s 45 and Holsapple would go on to play with Hootie and the Blowfish!) They are now teamed up as a band with no official name. This interview by Dan Collins.

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