N.W.A.- Express Yourself
This song is from the 1988 album Straight Outta Compton and is probably N.W.A.’s most radio friendly song. It also includes a lyric by Dr. Dre in which he claims to not do drugs, a position that had probably changed by 1992 when he released his solo album The Chronic. Tone Lōc, who had a number one album in 1989 (when this video was made) with singles Wild Thing and Funky Cold Medina, also makes an appearance in the video. Dr. Dre turned 50 this week, on 2/18.
Beck- Beercan
This song is off of Beck’s 1994 platinum album Mellow Gold and features samples from a Care Bears album and Melvins song “Hog Leg”.
Dengue Fever- Seeing Hands
Dengue Fever was formed by two brothers, Ethan and Zac Holtzman, along with saxophonist, David Ralicke, drummer Paul Dreux Smith, and bassist, Senon Williams in Los Angeles in 2002. They soon found Chhom Nimol, who is originally from Cambodia, to be their lead singer. The band’s earlier work contained lyrics that were entirely in Khmer and many of the songs were covers of 1960s Cambodian rock songs. This song is off their third album, Venus on Earth (2008), which was the first to include songs in English.
They are playing on Thursday (2/5) at the Echoplex
Bush- Letting the Cables Sleep
This song is from Bush’s 1999 album, The Science of Things. Bush disbanded in 2002, reformed in 2010, and have since released two albums, The Sea of Memories in 2010 and Man on the Run in 2014. The video for Letting the Cables Sleep was directed by Joel Schumacher, who also directed many feature films including The Lost Boys and St. Elmo’s Fire.
Bush is currently on tour and playing the Wiltern on Saturday (1/31).
Spandau Ballet- True
This song, from the album of the same name, was a number one hit on the UK singles chart for four weeks in 1983. The band’s name, according to Martin Kemp’s autobiography, came from graffiti of the slang term seen by friend Robert Elms in a bar in Berlin. The term is a reference to the Spandau Prison in Germany where prisoners were often hanged by the drop method which caused them to twitch and “dance”.
Lead singer Gary Kemp and his brother Martin, who plays bass guitar for the band, are both actors, and are perhaps most famous for playing twin English gangsters in The Krays.
Spandau Ballet are playing two shows in Los Angeles this weekend (1/24 and 1/25) at The Wiltern
The (English) Beat- Mirror in the Bathroom
This song is from The Beat’s (The English Beat in America) 1980 album, I Just Can’t Stop It. The band is now split into two touring bands- the US version led by Dave Wakeling and the UK version led by Ranking Roger, both members of the original 80’s group.
The US band are playing at The Roxy on Saturday 1/17.
Stevie Wonder- Superstition live on Sesame Street
This live-in-the studio version of Superstition was performed on Sesame Street in 1973.
Wonder will be playing at the Forum theater this Saturday, December 20th, for the 19th Annual House Full of Toys Benefit Concert.
The Smashing Pumpkins- Tonight, Tonight
This song is from The Smashing Pumpkins 1996 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The video was directed by husband and wife team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who also created the feature film Little Miss Sunshine. It was inspired by A Trip to The Moon, Georges Méliès’ famous silent movie. The couple in the video are also a couple in real life and are both voices for animated characters. Tom Kenny is the voice of Spongebob Squarepants (among many others) and Jill Talley is the voice of Karen, Plankton’s computer wife, on the same show.
The Smashing Pumpkins are touring with a new album (although not the other original members) and Billy Corgan has been getting a lot of press recently for his candid remarks about other bands and singers in an interview in The Independent and on the Howard Stern show.
The Smashing Pumpkins are one of the bands playing at the Forum Sunday (12/14) for KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas, which also features alt-J, Imagine Dragons, Interpol, Modest Mouse, Tears for Fears, Vance Joy, and Weezer.
Pretenders- 2000 Miles
This song was released in 1983 as a B-side for the song “Middle of the Road”. Because it is considered a Christmas song, it is played often around the holidays and is on several holiday compilations.
Chrissie Hynde will be playing music from both her new album Stockholm as well as Pretenders songs for her show at the Pantages Theatre on Saturday Dec. 6th.
Ariel Pink- Picture Me Gone
Things to do this weekend (11/28-11/30/14)-
Friday
Ariel Pink is at the Regent Theater playing songs from his new album pom pom
Alvvays is playing at the Echo
2001: A Space Odyssey is at the Egyptian Theater
Saturday
The Fourth Annual Eagle Rock Block Party is all about Small Business Saturday and getting people to shop locally-there will also be a wine tasting at MilkfarmLA (free)
The Craft & Folk Art Museum is having their Holiday Marketplace
Sunday
The Hollywood Christmas Parade is taking over the streets from Hollywood and Highland to Vine and back on Sunset- Stevie Wonder is the Grand Marshall
Connected Festival Black Sunday Holiday Market/Sample Sale is downtown and free with canned food donation
All Weekend–
SoCal Etsy is having an event for Small Business Weekend at the Arts District Flea Market– music, food, drinks, and workshops on business and making crafts, and more- free with RSVP- if you have original work to sell you could even get a booth