If you’ve heard The Republic Tigers you’ve probably heard the song “Buildings and Mountains.” And you probably heard them on Grey’s Anatomy, which acted as their claim to mainstream fame. But their claim to fame SHOULD be the fact that they’re rad. And you SHOULD have heard of them because of their rockin live show. One I was lucky enough to witness at the ever fabulous Spaceland this last Friday. The glittering drapes and sparkling lights of Spaceland were the perfect backdrop to this band, who stepped onto the stage with an immediate and obvious force of energy. The crowd was adequately pumped (I give partial credit to the opening bands who put on quite a fantastic show themselves) and left no floor space untouched by the wonder of their excited and dance happy feet.

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Saturday night was the L.A. release party for JanSport’s new lines of backpacks and bags. In an effort to make the company hip again and make backpacks that don’t have to have a litany of pins and patches to look interesting, JanSport is releasing a line of “heritage bags” and a series of backpacks designed by two renowned street artists, Julie West and JoeX2. The artists have turned backpacks into canvasses for their art. The backpacks, some of which I really like the design of, are now available from JanSport.

Since the show was a promotion for a line of backpacks and bags, tickets were free and the show was open to all ages. I hadn’t been to an all-ages show in quite some time, and it’s a vibe I don’t especially miss. Despite the free admission and all-ages status of the show, it was sparsely attended, which was certainly disappointing for JanSport, but partly their own fault.

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Vintage LA by Jennifer Brandt Taylor (Harpers Collins) is one of those rare books you just know everyone would love. I mean everyone. I mean I’m getting a copy for all my peeps, from my retired Firefighter Father-in-law to my funky sculptor friend Roberto. It’s the perfect gift for hardened LA natives and for those who have just discovered our fair city. But, let me stop gushing and tell you why this is your next purchase.

I figured it would take me a week to read this thing, but instead devoured it in an evening. You can’t judge a book by its cover and blah blah blah but the cover of Vintage LA even made me excited. Excited. About LA? Yeah. The familiar depictions of The Beverly Hills Hotel and The Cineramadome share cover space with the Sunset Junction sign and Bob’s Frolic Room! This is not your average tourist book. Because I thought I already knew every cool spot in the city, it was refreshing to crack open this gorgeous book and actually learn things. (I mean, did you know Belushi was rumored to have his last meal at Dan Tana’s? Neither did I!!!) To get inspired about a city I thought I was growing bored of. To discover hidden treasures in your own hood. Yes!

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WARNING: The following article reveals several of The Dark Knight’s plot twists. If you have not yet seen the film and would like to maintain the element of surprise, please refer to our spoiler-free review.

We are living in anxious times. We have lost faith in our government, where the executive branch has scammed us repeatedly, and a new Congress has failed to bring the change we need. Add to the toll the crushing spike in gas prices and a new economic disaster each week, and our nation is quickly becoming desperate for good news. It seems that what we need now, more than ever, is a morale boost, a chance to escape into a better outlook for a while.

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Into The Sun Cover

I don’t like lines. I also don’t like generic rock bands. Most fall in the same category as Nickleback or something; not for me. So showing up to the Viper Room for Candlebox and seeing a line wrapped around the block was a little discouraging. However I figured I’d venture forth, particularly considering I didn’t completely despise what I had heard from Candlebox before. I forged through line, landed in a heavily dimmed and crowded Viper Room, and ended up shocked at the explosive show Candlebox performed.

The record release show for Candlebox’s celebrated the release of their new album “Into The Sun,” their first in 10 years. And like an exquisite wine, it’s clear these fellas and their impressive musical talents only grew finer with age. The Viper Room was as packed as I’ve ever seen it, full of every different type of person, young and old, all rocking out to the energetic performance. I was most impressed by the singers Kevin Martin’s vocal skills; the screeching, hollering, and harmonies all blended into one very appealing sound. It was music to my ears! And while they deem themselves grunge rock, elements of funk and an experimental sound were very evident, catapulting them from a simple “rock” band to something far more interesting and unique.

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The Secret Handshake Credit: Jack Margerison

With the amount of noise coming from Nonstop Riot HQ, you would have thought you were about to see a 10 piece band. Alas! It was The Secret Handshake aka Luis Dubuc. Making quite a bit of noise, and stirring up some fantastic energy on an otherwise quiet Sunday afternoon, Dubuc and drummer Dennis Wilson headed straight from Dallas to grace us with their presence. With black curtains shutting out the light and dimmed chandeliers hovering over the stage, the feel was of some sort of intimate occasion, one I wasn’t sure I signed up for.

Shockingly enough, however, I felt right at home as soon as Dubuc brought his charmingly real self up on stage and began to say how “awkward” he felt. See, The Secret Handshake was being recorded for Loopt.com, to be broadcast on the website and later be a part of a tour feature where you can get updates from them on the road. Apparently not used to such attention, The Secret Handshake still gave a great show. And any worry of awkwardness was surely squashed when they busted out with a cover of Skee Lo’s “I wish,” getting everyone grooving. “Midnight Movie” was a cute ode to a lost love, the new track “Saturday,” a shout out to those fantastic lazy days; the songs were relatable, enjoyable, and just plain fun.

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The Chronicals of Jeremiah Victory

The first time you meet Jeremy Vic (short for Jeremiah Victory), its not hard to figure out what he’s about. He doesn’t hide his passion or excitement for the music he makes whatsoever, and this type of honesty is almost disarming. Observing him with his peers provides another peek into this passion; the support behind his debut album The Chronicles of Jeremiah Victory is astonishing, as friends new and old came to rally in support of his endeavor.

All of this, however, is secondary to the music, which was still waiting to be debuted at “South,” a hip Santa Monica sports bar, when I arrived. Playing mostly rock earlier in the night, there was a clear shift in the vibe as the lights dimmed, and “Light It Up,” one of the most club friendly tracks on the album, began pumping through the speakers. Without realizing that they were listening to an up and coming new artist, peoples’ heads began to nod, booties began to shake, and it was clear this was a success. The sentiment of one party goer accurately reflected my feelings about the track, “The more I listened to it the more I liked it!”

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The Chronicals of Jeremiah Victory

The first time you meet Jeremy Vic (short for Jeremiah Victory), its not hard to figure out what he’s about. He doesn’t hide his passion or excitement for the music he makes whatsoever, and this type of honesty is almost disarming. Observing him with his peers provides another peek into this passion; the support behind his debut album The Chronicles of Jeremiah Victory is astonishing, as friends new and old came to rally in support of his endeavor.

All of this, however, is secondary to the music, which was still waiting to be debuted at “South,” a hip Santa Monica sports bar, when I arrived. Playing mostly rock earlier in the night, there was a clear shift in the vibe as the lights dimmed, and “Light It Up,” one of the most club friendly tracks on the album, began pumping through the speakers. Without realizing that they were listening to an up and coming new artist, peoples’ heads began to nod, booties began to shake, and it was clear this was a success. The sentiment of one party goer accurately reflected my feelings about the track, “The more I listened to it the more I liked it!”

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The Sweet Hurt is Wendy Wang, and she sure is sweet. As an extension of herself, her EP, In the Shade of Dreams, is the ultimate and sentimental gift of sugar folk pop tunes. Yet, when I say sugar pop, I don’t mean a show my mid-drift, dance my choreographed moves, or crack bubblegum during an interview kind of sugar pop. The Sweet Hurt is the delectable combination of Nick Drake overwhelming surrealism, original Rilo Kiley country truth, and Weepies folk charm.

Wang opens up with the question, “Where Would You Go?” and eventually gives you her own answer with the album titled song, “In the Shade of Dreams.” However, in these short 15 minutes she encourages her listeners to join her on an enchanting expedition between point A – the question and point B – the answer. Weaving in and out of different canopies of sounds, she has also invited Evan Slamka of Majorie Fair and both Suzanne Santo and Ben Jaffe of HoneyHoney to help guide us.

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The Sweet Hurt is Wendy Wang, and she sure is sweet. As an extension of herself, her EP, In the Shade of Dreams, is the ultimate and sentimental gift of sugar folk pop tunes. Yet, when I say sugar pop, I don’t mean a show my mid-drift, dance my choreographed moves, or crack bubblegum during an interview kind of sugar pop. The Sweet Hurt is the delectable combination of Nick Drake overwhelming surrealism, original Rilo Kiley country truth, and Weepies folk charm.

Wang opens up with the question, “Where Would You Go?” and eventually gives you her own answer with the album titled song, “In the Shade of Dreams.” However, in these short 15 minutes she encourages her listeners to join her on an enchanting expedition between point A – the question and point B – the answer. Weaving in and out of different canopies of sounds, she has also invited Evan Slamka of Majorie Fair and both Suzanne Santo and Ben Jaffe of HoneyHoney to help guide us.

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Mick Hucknall, the former lead singer of Simply Red, released his first solo album in June, aptly titled “Tribute to Bobby.” The tribute consists twelve of Mick’s renditions of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s classic blues sounds.

Having known little about Bobby and nothing about Mick before getting my hands on this album, I listened to the tracks with an open mind as someone who loves all musical genres, and has a solid understanding of the blues. It’s not just the song; it’s that wail that makes the blues work, the one that pulls emotion from us when we hear it- a sorrow, an anger.

As a tribute, it’s nicely done. Hucknall has taken some of Bobby’s most well known songs and made them his own, and for that, the album could succeed on effort alone. Most of us wouldn’t dare butcher the songs of our favorite musicians, but most of us aren’t successful recording artists like Mick Hucknall.

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Mick Hucknall, the former lead singer of Simply Red, released his first solo album in June, aptly titled “Tribute to Bobby.” The tribute consists twelve of Mick’s renditions of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s classic blues sounds.

Having known little about Bobby and nothing about Mick before getting my hands on this album, I listened to the tracks with an open mind as someone who loves all musical genres, and has a solid understanding of the blues. It’s not just the song; it’s that wail that makes the blues work, the one that pulls emotion from us when we hear it- a sorrow, an anger.

As a tribute, it’s nicely done. Hucknall has taken some of Bobby’s most well known songs and made them his own, and for that, the album could succeed on effort alone. Most of us wouldn’t dare butcher the songs of our favorite musicians, but most of us aren’t successful recording artists like Mick Hucknall.

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