L.A. RECORD is happy to team up with the Academy, WESC and Crush Brothers to present this all-day-til-last-call event in downtown Long Beach at the Basement with L.A. RECORD alums like Dead Meadow, Rainbow Arabia, Restavrant, 60 Watt Kid, Scotty Coats and our superhuman Cha Cha buddy DJ Pubes plus many more! Stay tuned for more updates and info and hope to see you there!

When Long Beach’s Alex’s Bar opened, it filled a void left by the closure of the city’s only venues where touring bands could play. The re-establishment of a music scene began to flourish and has culminated with this compilation, the first to deal exclusively with the city’s currently burgeoning music scene. Put together by Long Beach locals, this comp features the hardworking, up-and-coming and best Long Beach bands. Trust Us captures a shared mindset of musicians who live in a place that is equal parts city, college town, suburbia, ghetto and beach oasis. The effects come through song after song ranging from loud and raucous (Tijuana Knife Fight) to dance-y (Slippers) to beautiful (The Year Zero). It’s a time capsule for this definitive time in  Long Beach’s music scene. Overall, there are only a few noticeable omissions, but with 23 tracks, from Crystal Antlers to The Valley Arena, you can’t really complain. A compilation like this was way past due, and fortunately when somebody decided to take on the task, it was done right.

— Alex Roman