Members from Los Angeles’ most distinguished punk and roots rock bands, collectively called The Knitters, will play at Safari Sam’s this Saturday night. Vocalist Exene Cervenka, singer/bassist John Doe, and drummer D.J. Bonebrake of X, along with guitarist Dave Alvin of the roots-rock band The Blasters, and stand-up bassist Jonny Ray Bartel of the blues-rock band The Red Devils, we be blending country, rockabilly, and folk as their repertoire.

Formed in 1982, The Knitters are considered pioneers of country punk, cow punk, and folk punk, paving the way for bands playing what we now call alternative country. “Some folks might say our music has always been what you call ‘eclectic,’” notes Doe for the band’s website, “Well OK. As A.P. Carter used to say to me when we’d go song-hunting in the Clinch Mountains, ‘Buddy, it’s all music, y’ know.’”

The Knitters aren’t too, prolific in terms of the recording studio, however, only releasing two albums over the past 20 plus years. But 1985’s Poor Little Critter in the Road and 2005’s The Modern Sounds of the Knitters are definitely worth a listen.

The band will also perform in Solana Beach on Thursday and San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, if you happen to be down that way.

For more information check them out on their website at theknitters.net

Upcoming shows:
Thursday 12/13/2007 9:00PM
Belly Up Tavern
143 S. Cedros Ave.
Solana Beach, CA Map
(858) 481-8140
$22

Friday 12/14/2007 9:00PM
Safari Sam’s
5214 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA Map
(323) 666-7267
$25

Saturday 12/15/2007 8:00PM
Coach House
33157 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano Map
(949) 496-8930
$23

“Its gonna be a long hard walk, but I will walk hard.” John C. Reilly, who plays fictional rock legend Dewey Cox, delivers this line in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. This line inspires the writing of his signature song that eventually takes him to the top of the charts and leads to a life of debauchery and redemption.

He has been playing shows as his character Dewey Cox with a backing band called “The Hard Walkers.” It’s cross marketing at its finest. ‘Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’ is a parody on Hollywood’s recent obsession with chronicling the lives of legendary musicians and the pitfalls they encounter amid their rise to stardom. If you haven’t seen the film, its funny…real funny. The best part of the film is the music.

So go out and rock hard at Guitar Center with Dewey Cox and the Hard Walkers tonight, 7pm, at the Guitar Center on 7425 W. Sunset Blvd.
Map

Check out walkhard-movie.com for more information.

Blockhead
“Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book”
Ninja Tune
2007

Ah Ninja Tune, this little gem of a label that in my eyes can do no wrong. They’ve given us Cold Cut, Herbaliser, Kid Koala, Mr Scruff, a whole slew of others… And of course Blockhead.

While you might not be immediately familiar with his name, you’ve no doubt heard his sound behind a much bigger name: Aesop Rock.

Blockhead has provided the beats for all of the New York MC’s albums, but his solo work stands all on it’s own.

I was a huge fan of “Music By Cavelight,” (still highly recommended), but “Downtown Science” left me mostly indifferent. How does his new effort stack in comparison?

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A couple months ago, my friend sent me a text message asking me if I wanted to go to attend the Spice Girls Reunion Tour with her.

YES!!!

My inner thirteen year old rose from the depths of my subconscious, where I had furiously shoved her upon entering puberty. Well, as much as I wanted to forget her awkward clothes, frizzy hair, and braces, she was back in full force, causing me to geek out over the biggest act to hit the Staples Center this year.

Memories of riding in the backseat of my friends’ cars trying to sing along to the painfully poppy music rushed back. What self-respecting twenty-something girl doesn’t remember seeing Spice World in theaters, and then renting it for sleepovers just months later. I still remember the ridiculous Spice Girl dolls and can still taste their completely in-distinctive lollipops. Of course, every group of friends felt the need to label each other as one of the quintuplet. The girl who played soccer was dubbed Sporty, the blonde was Baby, and your friend who was remotely ethnic ended up as Scary Spice.

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What better way to spend an evening than to listen to jazz, sample wines and South African- and Chilean-inspired small plates, and chill out with friends? Hanging out at 626 Reserve downtown is a great way to recover from your weekend. At this wine bar located in the arts district downtown, you’ll see both after-work wine enthusiasts and hip loft dwellers relaxing in a warm, cozy environment surrounded by fine art from the gallery next door.

Each Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m., in particular, you can hear an exceptionally talented Japanese guitarist named Goh Kurosawa, accompanied by his brother Kai (a bassist and master of the Warr guitar), provide the musical backdrop to the scene. His interests stem from various genres, namely flamenco, classical, jazz, Brazilian, tango, North Indian, Balkan, free improvisation, rock, and Afro-Beat. Additionally, his style reflects the spirit of his homeland, Japan.

At the 626 Reserve gigs, Goh says the music is mainly in the “background,” although if you’re a music fan, he’s sure to capture your attention. Moreover, you’ll have several opportunities in 2008 to see him lead his band, Sharp Three, at venues throughout the area. Stay tuned….

626 Reserve is located at 626 South Spring Street in Los Angeles (213-627-9800).
Map

Visit Goh Kurosawa’s personal website or check out his MySpace page.

While it’s hard for most people to say they like the music of Stockhausen, his influence on modern music is undeniable.

The wacked out German musician / composer is one of the architects of modern electronic music.

Rather than see music as an exploration of melody and composition, he had a radically different conception, seeing it more as the relation between the different sounds, freeing him to essentially use any audible sound (as well as silence) to create music. Working primarily with synthesizers long before the Beatles used the Mellotron, he explored the full gamut of sound as music.

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The Temple Bar
1026 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica 90403
(Corner of Wilshire and 11th)
$10 all night
Doors @ 9

Soul Expressions, LA’s Premiere R&B Lounge will be presenting their show “Disturbing Tha Peace” tonight at the Temple bar, featuring Def Jam Records and DTP Sensation, Steph Jones live tonight. The show kicks off at 10:30 with The Signature featuring The Regiment on the horns. Followed by performances by Malcolm Harvest, spoken words by Paul M. Harris and hosted by Dean Ross. Followed by DJ Bad until 2am.

It has been 13 years since Nirvana Unplugged in New York was recorded. Finally, the band’s final performance is released on DVD, complete with interviews and rehearsal footage. This show that premiered on MTV in 1994 went from being an unexpected take on Nirvana’s music, and taste in music, to a masterpiece and one of the greatest live performances of all time.

Five months after he played the acoustic guitar in New York, Kurt Cobain took his own life, shocking the world, and gaining even more exposure to an already gigantic career. Nirvana’s albums boomed in sales, and they released the unplugged show on CD. The live album was highly acclaimed and is a personal favorite of my own.

MTV’s Unplugged series was a formatted show that had big names play their hits, but in the acoustic form. It was intriguing for everyone to see how Cobain would play his music with no yelling, no distortion, and no dirty guitar solos. How do they play hits like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or “In Bloom” without those elements? Simple, they don’t. Instead they will play 8 of their own, lighter, lesser known songs, and the rest are covers. Savvy choices like David Bowie, Lead Belly, and a few songs with the Meat Puppets.

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This weekend, take one of two opportunities to experience arguably one of the best guitarists on the circuit today. Bay Area seven-stringer Charlie Hunter, also a player of an augmented eight-string guitar with fanned frets, takes the stage this Friday and Saturday at the Mint with Erik Deutsch on keyboards and Bobby Previte on drums.

Highly regarded among jazz aficionados, Hunter also draws a rock-oriented crowd as well. He’s covered a song by Nirvana and toured as a member of the Disposable Heroes of Hypocrisy with U2 and Primus for the ZooTV Tour. “I think our music is an alternative to the suit-and-tie club that says you have to be well-to-do and super intellectual to understand music,” Hunter explains. “We don’t have that attitude. We play at places where people aren’t interested in pigeonholing instrumental music.” Kudos to Mr. Hunter for introducing those otherwise not too interested in the genre to jazz. The Charlie Hunter Trio’s latest album, entitled Mistico, is said to rock a little harder than past releases.

The Mint is located at 6010 Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles
(323-954-9400)
Tickets are $20 in advance
Hunter will play two sets, beginning at 8:30pm.