Tonight in L.A. (November 3, 2012)

Its back to the weekend - and if you haven't done enough with your Halloween costume at this point...well, you could go to HARD Presents Day of The Dead at LA Historic State Park and rage out with Justice, Diplo, Major Lazer, Zeds Dead, Knife Party, Dillon Francis, Crookers, AraabMUZIK, Nadastrom, Destructo, Kill The Noise and so many more.  Hard to imagine there is better music lined up tomorrow....and there is not, but there are plenty of sonic quasi-substitutes.

Dustbowl Revival puts together some solid roots reggae bluegrass rock at El Cid, Metalachi goes wild at Whisky A Go Go, and for the O.C. residents - Blackbird Blackbird and Wildcat! Wildcat! at Detroit Bar is a good choice.  For a full list of tonight's shows in Los Angeles - see below.

• Woodkid, Pacific Air @ Luckman Center for the Arts

• Mark Eitzel @ McCabe’s Guitar Shop

• Kenny Burrell Quintet @ Catalina Bar & Grill

• Spires That in the Sunset Rise, Arrington de Dionyso, Daniel Higgs, Lucky Dragons @ The Smell

• Tandemoro @ The Virgil

• Sad Robot, Yellow Red Sparks, Dustbowl Revival @ El Cid

• Tom Brosseau, RT n the ‘44s, Jenny Luna and the Moondogs @ Echo Country Outpost

• Metalachi @ Whisky a Go Go

• Vise Versa @ Casey’s Downtown

• The Whispers @ City National Grove of Anaheim

• Nikka Costa, Brenda Harp @ Coach House

• David Lindley @ SLO Brew

• Bigbang @ Honda Center

• Gin Blossoms, Tonic @ Fox Performing Arts Center

• Joan Osborne @ Valley Performing Arts Center

• Divine Fits @ Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown

• Other Lives, Indians, Oren Lyons @ El Rey Theatre

• Yellowcard, The Wonder Years, We Are The In Crowd @ House of Blues – Sunset

• Hedwig & The Angry Inch @ The Roxy

• Red Again, Triple Dog Dare, Lotus Room, Peter Tvrznick @ On The Rox

• Bullet Boys, Catapult Fusxion, Little Caeser, Blacklist Union, US Angels, Kill The Innocence, Nightmare, Breaking The Law, Tonight Shall Rise, Catapult Fusixon @ Key Club

• Strangers Family Band, Shine Brothers & The Crooked Cowboy @ Space Temple

• HARD Day of the Dead w/ Justice (Live), Major Lazer, Zeds Dead, Diplo, Knife Party, Tommy Trash, Jack Beats, Kill The Noise, Dillon Francis, Crookers, AraabMUZIK, Zane Lowe, Destructo, Nadastrom + Many More @ Los Angeles Historic State Park
• Funky Sole @ Echo (FREE before 11)

• Bootie LA @ Echoplex

• Son Ark, Gypsy River Haunts, Scott Topic, Cop @ The Echo

• Black Flamingo @ Origami Vinyl

• Blackbird Blackbird, Wildcat! Wildcat!, Jeffrey Jerusalem, Union Line @ Detroit Bar

• Twerps, White Fence, Muzz @ The Satellite

• Chilly Gonzales (Solo Piano) @ Bootleg Theater

• Eric Church, Justin Moore, Kip Moore @ Nokia Theatre LA Live

• Tribal Seeds, Through The Roots, The Expanders, The SImpkin Project, DJ Carlos Culture @ Clb Nokia

• Shiavstep, Asymmetrical Head, Sigils, Dj Stephen R., Handsomest Drowned Man, Eras @ The Central SAPC

• Jimmy Lifton, The Tiger Club, Heaps N Heaps, Rosco Bandana @ The Mint

• Nneka @ The Hotel Café

• Alejandra Guzman @ Gibson Amphitheatre

• Steve Soto, Brian Coakley, Danny Walker, Jermey Popoff @ Slidebar

• Jake La Botz @ Redwood Bar

• All American Rejects, Boys Like Girls @ The Wiltern

• Gwar, DevilDriver, Cancer Bats, Legacy of Disorder @ The Observatory

• Saint Etienne, Maria Del Plair @ Fonda Theatre

• The Headlines, New Spell, The Absoulute, Modern Vintage, The Outer Sun Sets @ Good Hurt

• Professor Professor @ Del Monte Speakeasy

• Rome, HB Surround Sound, Kat, Ikaika Beamer @ Saint Rocke

• The Green @ House of Blues – Anaheim

• Cello Madness @ Silverlake Lounge
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• Ryan Darton and the Wildebeast, Dorian Holley, Shane Alexander, Dawn Mitschele, Sweet Talk Radio @ WitZend

• Texas Instruments, AmAEvolutioN, The Rubbish Zoo @ TRiP

Tonight in L.A. (November 1, 2012)

Cure your Halloween hangover with live music in Los Angeles tonight...

The top choices are Kid Koala, Dan The Automator, Money Mark and more at The Echoplex and The VS Party at The Central SAPC with Destructo and friends.  Both will feature well respected producers - The Echoplex just happens to be hosting the likes of individuals who worked with some of the best MCs of the 90s and a large part of the brains behind Handsome Boy Modeling School.  If you've never seen Dan The Automator or Kid Koala - tonight is a good night to correct that error.  On the westside, The VS Party is always the jam, but this week Destructo comes through and rumor has it lots of the HARD performers this weekend may be making appearances.  





If you like apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, or other pop-rap references - Flo Rida at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino might be worth your time.  If you just want rap straight up and sag your pants - Hopsin, Dizzy Wright and SwizZz at The Observatory would be my recommendation.



If you're not looking for recommendations from SUPERGOOD - peep the list below. 

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• Awol One, Deedub, 0x0, Haun Solo Project @ The Viper Room
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  The Green, Natural Vibrations, Billy Van @ House of Blues – Sunset
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  Hedwig & The Angry Inch @ The Roxy
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  Kevin M., Pieere Faze, Lil Miss Lady Bug, Deep Pink @ On The Rox
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  Raheem Cohen, Heaps N Heaps @ Harvard & Stone
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  Joaquuin Pastor of James Supercave, Trance Farmers, Danny Bobe (LA Font), Hobart W. Funk @ Lot 1 Café (FREE)
• 
  Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, SwizZz @ The Observatory
• 
  The Red Ties, Green Monkey, Asleep in Reality, Almight Grind @ House of Blues – Anaheim
• 
  The All American Rejects, Boys Like Girls @ City National Grove of Anaheim
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  Flo Rida @ San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino
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  Kirll Gliadkovsky @ CSUN
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  Rita @ Royce HALL UCLA
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  David & Devine, Luke Buckett, Jeremy Holloway @ El Cid
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  Maus Haus, Body Parts, Maston, Penny Dreadful @ The Smell
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  Greg Spero Trio @ Catalina Bar & Grill
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  Julia Fordham, Tim Booth, Jane Siberry @ Molly Malones
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  Gungor, Anna Nelson @El Rey Theatre
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  Kid Koala, Dan The Automator, Money Mark (Beastie Boys), David Choe, Adira Amram and The Experience @ The Echoplex
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  Pantha Du Prince, DJ Travis Holcombe (KCRW) @ The Echo
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  The Donkeys, Chamberlin, Buxton and Bart Davenport @ The Satellite
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  Dysryhtmia, Dog Shredder, Hurt Model @ Los Globos (Cancelled – Venue Closed)
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  Ringside, Jeremy Silver, May Stands Still, Honey Trees @ The Hotel Café
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  Rupa & The April Fishes, Jon Wayne & The Pain Bubbeleh @ The Mint
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  Craig Elkins, COLORS, Y @ Silverlake Lounge
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  Casey Abrams, Justin Hopkins, Graham Harper @ Saint Rocke
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  The Higgs, Poor Man’s Change, Loco Mesa @ Detroit Bar
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  Zammuto, Piney Gear  @ Bootleg
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  Fortunate Youth, Reeform, Solution, Low Budget @ Slidebar 
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• The VS Party feat. Destructo & Special Guests @ The Central SAPC

Hip Hop Dopeness At Echoplex (Tomorrow) and On Conan (Tonight)

As part of his promotional tour for the hugely acclaimed self produced "Cancer 4 Cure" album - El-P is making a stop at Echoplex on Thursday night for a special Check Yo Ponytail 2 performance that also includes MC's Killer Mike, Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire and Despot.

El-P - the MC, producer, co-owner of Def Jux, entrepreneur extraordinaire with plenty of skin in the game - really brought it with his latest release, which includes hard cuts like "The Full Retard" (see below).   You can sample the potential of his live show by tuning into Conan O'Brien tonight on TBS at 11 PM to see him perform "Works Every Time" with guest vocals from Zola Jesus.

SUPERGOOD strongly endorses just picking up tickets to the event because the line-up is pretty f'ing hot with Killer Mike, Exquire and Despot all hitting the stage as well.  Killer Mike's new record R.A.P. (also produced by El-P) features punishing, aggressive flows that are a departure from candy top 40 rap, Exquire was probably the second most buzzed about hip-hop artist at SXSW 2012 and Despot's show is nothing to shy away from either.  Get your tickets for the Echoplex show here - must be 18 or older.

Fool's Gold Clubhouse - Volume I

The summer party just got a little hotter and louder with the release of Fool's Gold Records Clubhouse Volume I.  A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs curated a pre-packaged booty shaking party session on vinyl (or stream or mp3 or CD or whatever format you consume) in Clubhouse Volume I.

Clubhouse Volume I is the alleged beginning of a series of albums and performance events slated to introduce the ever growing EDM community to some of the labels new friends and upstarts.  Enjoy this Tuesday treat that features His Majesty Andre & Elisa Bee, XXXChange, Meech, Peo De Pitte, Jay Robinson, Sammy Bananas, Donovans and more!  If you're headed to Camp Bisco in July - make sure to peep the debut of their Clubhouse stage, and if not, just wait for it come around to L.A. at Hard Festival!

HARD HAUNTED MANSION - LESS THAN 4 WEEKS AWAY!

The HARD Haunted Mansion returns to The Shrine on Friday October 28th and makes it its home for two nights of raucous electronic mayhem. You probably don't need us to tell you how nasty its going to be if you were at HARD Summer...but if you weren't, we promise, it will be the sauce.

The line-up is maxed out. With fierce competition for wearing the badge of dopest electronic music event of the year, Hard Haunted Mansion is making a strong play for the belt. Catching Skrillex on his Mothership Tour (along with his support act, 12th Planet) is key and with Rusko, Skream, Benga and more - dubstepping college children are guaranteed to have their faces melted.

Fatboy Slim, Soulwax, Major Lazer, Laidback Luke and 2Manydjs only make it more tempting - and then all the rising support cast, from SBTRKT to Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs to The Knocks will keep the concrete dance floor rocking from the second the doors open on Friday at 6 p.m.

Cop your tickets for both nights at Shrine Expo Hall here.

Event is from 6pm - 2am each night. 18+ event.

The full line-up is below:

Fatboy Slim
Soulwax
Rusko
Skrillex
Laidback Luke
2manydjs
Major Lazer
Skream + Benga
Tiga
Fake Blood
12th Planet
Switch
SBTRKT
L-Vis 1990
Annie Mac
Goose
Housemeister
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
Pearson Sound
Destructo
Paul Chambers
The Magician
Jackmaster
Beataucue
Kingdom
Oliver
Japanese Popstars
The Knocks
Clockwork

Fred The Raver Gets Grimey

Got to give a shout out to my man Clancy at Media Contender for reminding me of how hilariously awesome these Fred The Raver videos are. Wish he would have been at HARD!!!

HARD Weekend...

After jumping through some hoops to acquire the HARD press pass, I finally parked near the LA State Historical Park and waded through the sea of people that was the raver task force and potential concert attendees. Before I could even enter the event, the first "did I just see that?" experience occurred, when a pedestrian was struck by a car.

The police were certainly out in full force; the city made it quite clear that they were going to amp up their police presence with the raver task force and not tolerate a lot of the shenanigans that were routine at EDC (i.e. teenagers doing ecstasy). As a result of concentrating police efforts on eradicating drugs from the concert going experience (has that ever worked?) the city's boys in blue just weren't patrolling street traffic. Maybe if the cops spent more time doing what they had done at EDC (direct traffic) and less time fulfilling the calling of the raver task force (make drug related arrests), the victim of this accident wouldn't have been carried away on a stretcher. While I understand the motives for the city to make a strong showing against underage drinking and drug consumption in light of the death at EDC, I'd prefer to see the city direct the resources toward a problem they can actually control (traffic congestion and pedestrian foot traffic) than one that they cannot (drug consumption).

Once I finally got inside the venue, I b-lined to the alcohol area because it had been a good two hour ordeal just to do the damn thing and I felt like celebrating. I drowned my sadness over missing The Twelves and Breakbot with a little bit of hoppy nectar and sought to find some good photo subjects and a good vantage point for Diplo.

The alcohol control was admittedly a lot more under control than it had been at EDC, so props to the HARD organizers for keeping the tweener set away from the booze for the most part. Inside the tent, I had the pleasure of bumping into some cats from the Jungle Riddim and Media Contender camp. We chopped it up while indulging in Diplo at the main stage - who was creating some impressively hard dubstep that I did not expect from him.

As the sun faded down, I thought it would be wise to see what was up at the dubstep stage. Meandering through the sea of candy flippers, girls in yeti boots, rolling rollers and teenagers womp stepping, I stumbled into John, better known as the rising star 12th Planet.

A Rolling Roller

12th Planet (yellow & black plaid)

Benga

After kicking it over some drinks with 12th, Benga and the entourage, and absorbing the electro-dub-compositions of Flying Lotus (his set was spectacular and J Dilla inspired), I felt a bit of a need to get my dance on. Luckily for me - this girl in the pink had the same idea and we battled (check out my dougie!).

Boom D dance off

After turning heads with wicked dancing in the alcohol tent, I ventured out to the teenage zone to see if I might have other challengers or another b-boy-esque cypher to join. With attendees focused on the LED screens and the headlining acts, I didn't find the competition I was looking for. But, I made a handful of new friends, saw some shining faces and ended the night with some fantastic music (Soulwax).

Can only hope the rest of the tour goes off as it did on Saturday and that the next HARD LA event has as interesting of a line-up...

Hard L.A. - NOT HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND

Hard LA is no longer taking place this Saturday in Downtown Los Angeles and the news couldn't be more souring. Just days after M.I.A.'s third album, Maya, dropped, she will no longer be headlining L.A.'s version of the roaming electro party and not playing new bangers ("XXXO", "Teqkilla", "Born Free" & "Steppin Up") as well as old favorites ("Galang", "Paper Planes", "Come Around", "Sunshowers" and any Piracy Funds Terrorism mix up).

Although she remains as a headliner forHARD NYC taking place on July 24th in NYC, she will not be returning with the other HARD LA event taking place on August 7th. Not only does LA miss out on what certainly would have been a memorable M.I.A. performance, but other artists who were on the bill (like 12th Planet, Die Antwoord and N.E.R.D.) will not be at the event taking place on 7th.

For those of you that purchased tickets - your tickets are good for the August 7th event or you can learn about refund options here. As an additional consolation, there is now a Die Antwoord show at the El Rey; Destructo will also be playing.

HARD LA's website does not specifically state why the event was cancelled, but did explicitly mention that it was not amidst safety concerns - despite conflicting reports from many other websites. Other rumors have circulated that lackluster ticket sales and/or the recently established rave safety task force's concerns are reasons for the cancellation.