CD: Elefant – Black Magic Show

June 1, 2006 by

Rather than churning out an album that you would love to love, or even something that you would love to hate, 80s throwback gurus Elefant have crafted The Black Magic Show - a record that jumps betwee...
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Don’t Press Your Luck

May 25, 2006 by

It's no real surprise that Lindsay Lohan's latest identity-swapping adventure is cheesy - anyone forced to sit through the trailer could have deduced that much in about 30 seconds.
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Liars, Burritos and Robots… Oh My

May 18, 2006 by

As another year creeps toward its end, we here at Artsweek are feeling a wee bit overwhelmed. With pre-graduation jitters comes a slew of culminating performances, exhibits and screenings that attempt...
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The Sweet Smell of Freedom?

May 11, 2006 by

If the road to freedom truly is long and winding, the characters in "After Innocence" are the quintessential weary travelers. Scheduled snuggly in between last month's Actors' Gang performance of "The...
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Hot Desert Action

May 4, 2006 by , , and

There's nothing like two days of nonstop stage-hopping in 95-degree heat to satiate the need for a good live show. Once again, the big money masterminds behind the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Fest...
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Pinback @ The Hub

April 27, 2006 by

Rather than dwell on what went wrong with Pinback's Thursday night show in the Hub, I choose to chalk it up to an unappreciative audience and call it a night.
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Pinback’s “Fortress” of Solitude

April 20, 2006 by

Following the release of Pinback's full-length debut, Summer in Abaddon, the almighty twosome of Rob Crow and Zach Smith (formerly known as Armistead Burwell Smith IV) have been thrown aboard the one-...
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Gang Warfare

April 20, 2006 by

Tonight marks the final stop on a nationwide tour for Tim Robbins' prestigious ensemble troupe, the Actors' Gang. Since 2002 the cast has traveled the country with their performance of the true life t...
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L.A. Confidential

April 13, 2006 by

It's no wonder so many music fans hate L.A. With its congested freeways, overpriced concert tickets and pretentious, industry-driven scene, the setting seems bleak for anyone trying to make it big (un...
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The Boy Least Likely To | The Best Party Ever | Too Young To Die Records

April 13, 2006 by

While my inner judgmental music critic constantly warns me not to judge a book - or album - by its cover, my inner six-year-old sometimes gets the best of me. Such was the case when I caught sight of ...
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Live: KCRW’s A Sounds Eclectic Evening @ Gibson Amphitheatre

April 7, 2006 by

Once upon a time, NPR meant droning talk radio, hours of highbrow classical programming and the occasional hour of "world music" aimed at affluent middle-agers. Luckily, this age of pretentiousness ha...
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Show Your Bones | Interscope

April 7, 2006 by

“Sometimes I think that I’m bigger than the sound,” bemoans Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O throughout “Cheated Hearts.” The cut is just one of 11 decidedly personal d...
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She Wants Revenge | She Wants Revenge | Geffen

March 9, 2006 by

If Interpol is the mainstream musical brain fodder of mopey art students, then She Wants Revenge's self-titled debut acts as the melodramatic junior high schooler's equivalent. This is not to say that...
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Arctic Monkeys | Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

February 23, 2006 by

When a band like Arctic Monkeys comes along, all dirty, loud and English, surrounded by more buzz than a Smashing Pumpkins reunion, one can't help but wonder if the buildup will overshadow the talent,...
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Woman Warrior

February 16, 2006 by

A literary master of her time, Maxine Hong Kingston has spent her career in search of personal truth and social justice. The author of such canonical Asian-American texts as The Woman Warrior, China M...
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