Oh, hello there. At this time (4:36pm PST; 6:36pm CST; 12:36am January 1, 2009 GMT), the annual Losanjealous “BEST OF READER PICKS” polls have all been turned off. 2008 is done for. It is time for all humans – and robots – to stop voting and begin thinking about 2009. So what’s everybody doing tonight? I’m in New Orleans, people. I’ll be toasting 2009 a full two hours ahead of you. Assuming I survive the festivities, expect to see the official results of your 2008 polls surface on this space early next year.

Item: Back at HQ, intern “G” has apparently received a tip that some of you – no naming names here – may be plotting an alcohol-fueled run on the Hollywood sign this evening, with the hopes that we all wake ‘neath a great big LOSANJEALOUS hillside in 2009. Bully for you guys if you pull it off, but be warned: A few of those cameras actually work. Also, we’re not affiliated. On your own. Good luck.

Again I say: What’s everybody doing tonight? Talk to me. Have fun!

HEADS UP
Thorns of Life @ Center for The Arts, Eagle Rock Fri Jan 23

Blake Schwarzenbach (Jawbreaker, Jets to Brazil) teams up with Aaron “Cometbus” Elliot (Crimpshrine, Pinhead Gunpowder) and Daniela Sea (that one chick from ‘The “L” Word’ on Showtime) for a hot Friday night in yon Eagle Rock late January. Maybe you enjoyed Elliot’s scribbly Green Day tour diaries back in the early 90s. Maybe, like me, you consider most ‘zine writers some type of brilliant monster, predating all bloggers, fully driven to self-publish, distribute and sell – affordably – something that is of interest to them; fuck-all if it’s of no interest to you…

Why publish a zine?
I publish because I don’t know anything else. I grew up with it, and I don’t know how you stay sane without some kind of creative outlet and connection with other people. (source)

And then again maybe you just want to hear what the hell this assemblage will sound like. Should be quite fun. Keep eyes peeled for Billie Joe crashing the party. Tickets are a very reasonable $8 and going fast. From the F Yeah Fest gang:

THORNS OF LIFE FIRST LA SHOW ANNOUNCED FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 23rd.
We are very excited to announce that we are putting on the Thorns of Life first LA show. Members from a few very influential bands play in this band. Check this link for more information on which bands they played in- http://www.punknews.org/article/31727. Trust me, it will make you smile.

Friday, January 23rd
The Thorns of Life
Underground Railroad to Candyland
Audacity
@ the Center for Arts, Eagle Rock
All Ages. $8. 8:00pm
Brought to you by the Fuck Yeah Fest

The online “ticket” allotment is already completely sold out, but you can still try for tickets at the door, or get your name on a list by purchasing tickets at Headline Records (Melrose) or Finger Prints Music (Long Beach). More details from Sean here. See you there.

PICK OF THE WEEK & TICKET GIVEAWAY

George Clinton
& Parliament Funkadelic
with The Greyboy Allstars
Friday January 2, 2009
Club Nokia
Info
[ENTER TO WIN TICKETS]
Contest closed.
 
 

WEDNESDAY (NEW YEAR’S EVE)
Bobby Lee & Ahmed Ahmed @ The Comedy Store (2 drink minimum)
Caress of Steel “Ultimate Tribute to Rush” @ Paladino’s
Cubensis “Ultimate Tribute to The Grateful Dead” @ The Mint
Led Zepagain “Ultimate Tribute to Led Zeppelin” @ Whisky A Go-Go
GIANT MAXIMUS @ Three Climate-Controlled Big Top Arenas in Downtown Los Angeles (Moby (DJ set), Oakenfold, Mark Farina, Marques Wyatt, Mickey Avalon & more)
Gipsy Kings @ The Conga Room
Henry Clay People w/ The Pity Party and The Happy Hollows w/ DJs Dia, Jennifer and Solid Todd @ Spaceland
Infected Mushroom, Flosstradamus, Hyphy Crunk @ The Palladium
Beachwood Sparks, Crystal Antlers, Port O’Brien, Restavrant, J Logic, Kutmah, Much More @ The Bank, 401Main Street, Downtown
LA Riots w/ DJ set by Mattie Safer of The Rapture @ Viper Room
New Year’s Nation Party w/ Travis Barker & DJ AM @ The Wiltern
Perry Ferrel, Kele Okereke (Bloc Party) DJ set, Andy Caldwell & more @ Hollywood Roosevelt
Pink Martini @ Disney Concert Hall (early show)
Pink Martini @ Disney Concert Hall (late show)
Ranking Joe backed by Echodelic Sound System @ Echoplex
Snoop Dogg @ House of Blues
Stone Temple Pilots @ Club Nokia
The Blood Arm & We are the World & DJ set Eddie Argos (Art Brut) & others
The Wailers @ The Roxy (performing EXODUS)
Together As One w/ Armin Van Buuren, DeadMau5, MANDY, Junior Sanchez & more @ LA Sports Arena
Viceroy New Years Party @ Viceroy Hotel (Jason Bentley, King Britt, J-Boogie, and Garth Trinidad)

FRIDAY
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic w/ The Greyboy Allstars @ Club Nokia (See PICK PICK OF THE WEEK & TICKET GIVEAWAY above)

SUNDAY
Neil Diamond @ Citizens Business Bank Arena

Right, then. Where were we? Christmas is over; Kwanzaa and Hannukah are in full tilt. Put down the chex mix, get that menorah lit, get that kinara lit, get yourself lit and get back to your keyboards, for you have but four days left to cast your votes in our annual world famous trendsetting unfathomably important “Best of” polls. Remember, people, if you don’t like the results of these polls, you have only yourself to blame. You’re the tastemakers here, so don’t fuck it up.

Top five concerts of 2008 at the time of this writing:

• Radiohead @ Hollywood Bowl, August 25: 303,488 votes (43%)
• Aziz Ansari @ Orpheum, May 30 (20-minute stand-up set opening for Flight of the Conchords): 254,222 votes (36%)
• Editors @ House of Blues, Anaheim: 62,134 votes (9%)
• Megapuss, Little Joy, & The Entrance Band @ The Troubadour Sept 25th: 31,060 votes (4%)
• James @ Spaceland, June 6: 19,923 votes (3%)
• HONORABLE MENTION (sixth place at press time): Andy Walo Trio Long Beach Blues Festival August 31: 16,655 votes (2%)

Looks like we have five different venues and one festival performance above. It is comforting, watching this statistically sound, analyst-approved poll back up my longstanding hypothesis that Los Angeles maintains a robust, healthy venue/venue booking diversity. Good job, venues. This next white-zin-and-bowl-of-chex-mix is on me.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

VOTE HERE, NOW, OFTEN, WITH VIGOR AND FURIOUS PASSION. VOTE WITH YOUR THIRD EYE. VOTE WITH A SEETHING HATRED. VOTE WITH AN OPEN, BROKEN HEART FOR THE WORLD. VOTE WITH AMBIVALENCE. VOTE WITH PURPOSE, DRIVE, AND SURETY. VOTE WITH OR WITHOUT CONFIDENCE. JUST FUCKING VOTE AND SOON HOPEFULLY I WILL STOP SHOUTING.

• Vote for the “Best Los Angeles Concert of 2008″ here
• Vote for the “Best Los Angeles/LA-Adjacent Festival 2008″ here
• Vote for the “Best Los Angeles Slice of Pizza 2008″ here
• Vote for the “Best Album Release of 2008″ here

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHEX MIX/ WHITE ZIN
» Reader Picks 2007: The Official Results
» Best Concert 2008: The Five-Day Recap
» Losanjealous End-of-Year Dept: Sung’s Picks, 2008

PICK OF THE WEEK

Princeton
w/ Bodies of Water (acoustic duo)
No Little Kindness
Saturday Dec. 27
Spaceland
Info
 

Chromeo @ Key Club Thu 1/22
The High Places @ The Echo Thu 1/22
New Maximum Donkey @ Knitting Factory Thu 1/22
Department of Eagles @ Troubadour Fri 1/23
Moving Units @ Glass House Sat 1/24
Molotov @ El Rey Sun 1/25
Brian Wilson @ The Wiltern (Peforming That Lucky Old Sun & greatest hits) Wed 1/28
Nickel Eye w/ Low Vs Diamond @ Troubadour Thu 1/29
Black Heart Procession @ Spaceland Sat 1/31
Eagles of Death Metal @ Henry Fonda Wed 2/4
Razorlight @ Troubadour Sat 2/7
Scott Weiland @ Henry Fonda Sat 2/7
Matt & Kim w/ The Mae Shi @ Troubadour Wed 2/4
Greg Dulli & Mark Lanegan @ Troubadour Tue 2/10
Don Caballero @ Spaceland Fri 2/13
Lykke Li @ Glass House Tue 2/17
Juana Molina @ Troubadour Tue 2/17
Murder City Devils @ Henry Fonda Tue 2/17
Mystery Jets @ Spaceland Wed 2/18
HEALTH w/ Captain Ahab @ The Echo Thu 2/26
Primal Scream @ Club Nokia Mon 3/16
Chad VanGaalen w/ Women @ Spaceland Sat 3/28
 

TUESDAY
Mike Stinson & Dave Gleason @ Redwood Bar

THURSDAY
Good for the Jews @ Echoplex

SATURDAY
Mike Watt & The Secondmen with Listing Ship @ Redwood Bar
Princeton w/ Bodies of Water (acoustic duo) & No Little Kindness @ Spaceland
Supersuckers @ House of Blues

SUNDAY
Neil Hamburger @ Spaceland
Supersuckers @ House of Blues

Few – if any of you – are witness to more live music on a weekly basis than our own Sung, official capturer of all things live in Los Angeles. Don’t believe me, hang out with the guy for a week and see if you can keep up. Here now are Sung’s favorite 10 albums, favorite 10 tracks and favorite 10 live acts of 2008…

Favorite Albums

1) Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
2) Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
3) Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
4) El Guincho – Alegranza!
5) Elbow – Seldom Seen Kid
6) MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
7) Mystery Jets – Twenty One
8) Sigur Ros – Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
9) Hot Club de Paris – Live at Dead Lake
10) Foals – Antidotes

»continue reading Losanjealous End-of-Year Dept: Sung’s Picks, 2008

We come now to the best long-playing album release category. We’re looking for long releases here, but basically if it was released in 2008, it’s fair game. “Albums!” You say. “DRM-free mp3 or nothing!” Believe us, we hear you. Still, we’re a vinyl camp over here in the Sandalwood Conference Room of the Marina Del Rey Courtyard Marriott – always have been – and we really don’t see the long-playing concept ever dying, at some level. Suck it up and vote for an artist that took the time to string together an entire, hopefully cohesive package, one short track at a time.

As always, scour the list carefully before adding a new selection. We won’t be consolidating votes cast for multiple identical entries.

UPDATE, 12/31/08: Polls closed as of New Years Eve.
Happy New Year! Who won?
Results will be posted early 2009. Check back.

HEADS UP

X, New York Dolls & Cracker @ Club Nokia Sat 12/20

Here’s a last minute shot to win tix to catch a great triple bill at Club Nokia this Saturday.

Maybe you missed X this past April, maybe you didn’t join DF in the desert to catch Cracker, maybe you have been just plain afraid of the New York Dolls in their wilder days.

[ENTER TO WIN TICKETS]

Contest closed–Tickets available at our link above.

Los Angeles continued its frantic scramble to catch Manhattan in terms of stellar slice availability during 2008. The debate shall rage well into 2009: Who’s got the best slice in town?

UPDATE, 12/31/08: Polls closed as of New Years Eve.
Happy New Year! Who won?
Results will be posted early 2009. Check back.
 
 

Presenting the Ham and Macaroni & Cheese rustic panini on BreadBar bread from Mendocino Farms. Let’s let the artisans describe it, in their own words:

Not Your Mom’s “Ham and Cheese”
$9.50
Macaroni and Cheese with Aged Chedder and Smoked Gouda, Prime Honey Ham, Roasted Tomatoes, Dijon Mustard, and Herb Aioli Panini Pressed on Rustic White

Highly
Recommended
From
Our
Camp

Mendicino Farms
300 South Grand Ave
213-620-1114
[email protected]
Hours 11:00am-3:00pm Mon-Fri

• Infamous annual poll launches Friday, midday. Aziz, The Mars Volta, Radiohead and Andy Walo become fast front-runners
• Walo takes the lead, gets chastized for yearlong residency, immediately jumps to forefront again with newly-added gig
• Aziz calls out Radiohead on his blog once, twice
• Team Megapuss springs to the forefront thanks to a double-billing with Little Joy at the Troubadour
• Aziz finds mysterious, suspect, improperly-spelled-Jonny’d hiring post in the “computer gigs” section of Craigslist Los Angeles
• The online entity or entities known simply as “robots” point to center field a la Babe Ruth, promising sure victory for Radiohead
• David Liebe Hart (pictured, right, with puppets “Chip The Black Boy” and “Doug The Dog”) springs to place within the top 11 listings

Got all that? Stick around. It’s only been five days. [ VOTE NOW ]