Big City Forum Presents “Backyards, Front Porches & Other Living Spaces”
Washintongton/Adams Gallery – Los Angeles, CA
12/17/09

Big City Forum in conjunction with Washington/Adams gallery presents a panel discussion about community transformation and civic engagement. This presentation will be held during the opening reception to the exhibition “Backyards, Front Porches, and Other Living Spaces” an exhibition of art and design from LA’s new generation of teenage artists at Washington/Adams gallery. The discussion will engage the audience and participating young artists in a conversation that augments the themes of this show. Featured speakers are Ulises Diaz of Adobe LA, Karen Mack of LA Commons, Sara Harris of Youth Radio Los Angeles, and James Rojas of Latino Urban Forum →

Plug Research x VTech
The Echoplex – Echo Park, CA
12/22/09

VTech and Plug Research have teamed up to combine their amazing vision with their unbeatable audio artistry to bring you one of the dopest line ups of the year with “Plug Research TwentyTen.” The performers include Bilal, Exile & Dj Day ft. Blu, Milosh, Om’mas Keith, Shafiq Husayn, and special surprise guests. Can you handle it? If that isn’t enough, the show includes the hottest DJs which include Daedelus, J. Rocc, and Kutmah. The event itself will be hosted by Pharaohe Monch, the legendary hip hop lyricist. Don’t miss out on this opportunity and get your tickets now for $10 here, but hurry because these pre-sale tickets →

If you guys haven’t checked out the Ok Go music video for “WTF?”, it’s definitely a music video worth spending three minutes and 32 seconds of your life watching. The way the band came up with the unique effects and creativity used in the video as well as the details of where and how they created the trippy visual background effects are all explained in this short “How the F*ck?” video created by the members of Ok Go themselves. Take a look and see for yourself how Damian and Tim of Ok Go share with →

Inspired by the Minutemen song, Evil Monito’s “Tour Spiel” provides an intimate look into the musician’s tumultuous life on the road. Each week, we’ll check in with some of our favorite artists touring stateside or abroad and find out what it’s like to be packed in a van or waiting at the baggage claim for hours on end.  It’s ultimately the memorable experiences with friends that make life on the road rewarding, or at the very least interesting.  This week it’s Fort Knox Five who reveal their secret remedy to staying healthy on the road while touring the world over with the likes of Gwen Stefani, Beastie Boys and Jurassic Five. →

The Bloggomist: Acorn & Oak Tree
Fashion Opinion

It seems that, for a genre of often overlooked or under appreciated art objects, fashion is something that everyone’s got an opinion about. Whether it’s a divisive new trend or an essential idea, like my Long Island Dad always says, everybody’s got a rap. So when a fashion designer, or just an enthusiast, starts musing and it sounds like more than the usual rambling and, in fact, sounds a little like philosophy, I perk up. →

Two Epic Funk Parties Where the East Collides with the West
The Echo – Echo Park, CA
12/19/09

From the East to the West, these days there are DJs who cannot help but keep those old raw funky soul sounds embedded in tactile, plastic 7-inch records in the mix.  This Saturday, that’s just what’s going down on the east side of L.A. town! The 9 year running Funky Sole party is meeting up with Philadelphia’s Hot Peas & Butta party for one night of “I don’t know what that song is, but it’s sick!”  Funky Sole’s Music Man Miles & Clifton will be going record for record with Philly’s legendary funk DJs, Skeme Richards & Kon →

Check out this new video by our favorite local band, Princeton, for their song, “Calypso Gold” off their latest album, Cocoon of Love. The opening credits magically transforms Los Angeles into a 60s French New Wave film. In tinted, slightly overexposed scenes, the band mysteriously runs from some unknown menace into the arms of a beautiful girl under the waving fronds of LA’s transplanted palm trees.

Aside from their latest album, Princeton recently played a special Chanukkah themed show in Los Angeles with guests Parson Red Heads.  During their set, eight hand-picked Chanukkah gifts that were doled out to members of the audience in celebration of the holiday season. →

Work by Paul Morrison

In January, Philadelphia will host the inaugural year of Philagrafika 2010 (January 29 – April 11, 2010), an international festival that celebrates the role of print as a vital force in contemporary art.  Set to be one of the largest arts events in the United States, Philagrafika 2010 will showcase the work of more than 300 artists and will unite 88 Philadelphia art institutions, including Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Moore College of Art & Design, The Print Center, and Temple Gallery, Tyler School of Art, Temple University. →

Photography courtesy of Viktor Vauthier

Sickboy-Art Exhibit
The Rag Factory-East London
12/16/09

Following the success of his major solo exhibition, ‘Stay Free’ last year, which saw Sickboy transform a Victorian building into a themed playground, the artist returns with this one-off extravaganza, inviting art fans to dive once again into the extraordinary depths of his imagination. With ‘Logopop,’ Sickboy recreates the lysergic symbolism that underpins much of his work, and delivers it in his characteristically unexpected way. →

The Last Root Down Session Featuring Breakestra
El Cid – Silverlake, CA
12/17/09

Many who looked beyond the mainstream are well aware of the Rootdown Club’s impact on LA’s music scene. This underground spot has been part of LA’s rich and diverse musical tableaux; exploring and connecting the dots between hip-hop, soul, funk, roots reggae, and latin.  Now 12 years strong, the Rootdown club has made the decision of taking a brief hiatus from the scene.  To celebrate their final night on December 17th, the Rootdown founder, Music Man Miles will be bringing his band, Breakestra live onstage →