Fighting your way into the center of the pit at a Mars Volta show is no easy task. Hoards of O.C. hipsters and prog-rock junkies found that out the hard way as the L.A.-based eight piece thrashed and howled on a stage erected atop a basketball court (of all places) at the UCI Bren Events Center on Wednesday night.

The energy in the crowd and in the stands was primed for an explosive two and half hours as every inch of the indoor stadium was quickly over run with clamoring shouts, fidgety clusters of mop-headed fans, pulsing house music and a gathering storm of chronic mist.

The band took the stage, horns blaring to their "Fist Full of Dollars" and there was a massive buffalo rush toward the stage. The black curtain that backed the stage dropped like a skirt, revealing a twenty foot tall naked woman bound at the wrists, a snake dressed as little red ridding hood and something that looked like a devilish muppet with a huge corn cob stuffed up its ass. . .yeah, that's what you call a real stage show. All told, there were four backdrop changes throughout the show, each backlight acid trip more insane-looking than the last.

Seconds after strapping on his guitar, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (guitar, musical composer) fired the first chords of "Roulette Dares (The Haunt of)" from their first album De-Loused in the Comatorium (2001).

With the crowd sparked and lit with frenzy, vocalist Cedric Bixler Zavala did his nastiest as the closest thing to a long-haired Latino James Brown you will probably ever find.

I just found out that Bill Cosby is making a hip hop CD. Which proves just one thing: Now anybody - and I mean anybody - can put out an album. If it's a good album is another matter. What is it with famous folk crossing out of their celebrity niches and into the music realm? This has been going on since William Shatner's did his version of "Rocket Man," which I'll admit, I loved. Hey, it might be a good thing. Who knows maybe Scarlett Johansson's new CD, "Anywhere I Lay My Head," will be brilliant. But I somehow doubt it.

Cosby's album, "State of Emergency," is supposed to harshly criticize drug abuse, black-on-black crimes and other issues in the black community. I don't know if Bill Cosby really understands the problems black youths face in our society, or, if he does, that anybody will listen. . .but I'll probably pick his CD up anyway.

P.S. I really just want to know if he can spit. It's been a long time since his pudding dayz. Eh, decide for yourself if he's a worthy MC:

Extraordinarily popular Santa Monica-based radio station KCRW 89.9 FM is introducing a new cutting-edge media player that, its publicist claims, “will empower online listeners to make KCRW their own.” (Does that mean we have to make the coffee, too?)

KCRW’s Director of New Media, Anil Dewan, explains that “The player allows [listeners] to access playlists, subscribe to podcasts, embed content on blogs, buy a CD from an artist or a book of the author being interviewed, and share links to their favorite programs with friends.” Rumors that, for a nominal fee, a KCRW intern will come to your home and alphabetize your CDs and LPs have not been confirmed. Yet.

But, seriously, this upgrade looks like it will be very beneficial. You can preview the media player here.

View the complete press release after the jump.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Paper Thin Walls. Their upbeat Indie-pop song "Light Bright" has received air time on both Indie 103.1 and KROQ. Or, you may have read about them in the OC Register. If not, well, that’s unfortunate. Not to worry, though. They have a few gigs coming up where they’ll be playing music from their current EP, “Wake Up.”

They did just that last night at the Detroit Bar and were met with enthusiasm - one guy, in particular, found it necessary to yell “I love you, Maya!” during the downtime in between nearly each and every song. It seemed strange at first. However, on second thought, such attention is probably common considering Maya's the drummer in an otherwise all-male band.

The four 20-somethings that make up PTW - Sergio Garcia, vocals; Adam Babashoff, bass; Adam Castilla, guitar; and Maya Tuttle, drums - can be found practicing most nights out of the week. Having completed their first EP, they've begun working on their next. As long as they stick to the lively sound and catchy guitar riffs that make "Wake Up" worth listening to, PTW should be set.

When it came time for their final song at Detroit last night, the drunk-on-PTW crowd was disappointed. Some guy, prolly that same Maya lover, demanded that the group “play on all night!” Sorry, mate. Said EP's only $5, take that home with ya.

For more info on the Orange County band and to check out up coming shows, go here.

Richard Devine is one of the most innovative electronic-music producers currently working. He's also one of those go-to guys whom gear manufacturers tap to demo their new products. So here is Devine at the latest NAMM in Anaheim, putting a few Livewire machines (the company's based in Pomona) through their wonky paces. Technology: it's inspirational. (Hey, I recognize those noises—it's how my brain sounds during deadline crunches...)

Ryan Adams performs at UCLA's Royce Hall tonight. We don't have to go north to know it'll kick ass. Weekly web photographer Christopher Victorio caught Adams and The Cardinals at San Diego's Spreckles Theater on Jan 19 and said it "was one of the best shows I'd been to, and it wasn't the box seat I had in front of the stage."

Some snaps from the show:

Ex-Nirvana/current Flipper bassist Krist Novoselic discusses his four favorite 4-stringers over on our sister paper Seattle Weekly's blog. Hint: They're all from British bands except one, the exception being Chaim Witz, that enterprising gent with the extraordinary tongue.

Here's another hint:

Two irrefutable facts about music critics: they have opinions about the shit they've heard over the course of a year and they're ever so lovable. Okay, maybe one irrefutable fact.

Anyway, music blog Idolator has tabulated the results of nearly 500 music scribes for its second annual critics poll, and the outcome may be of interest to the geekier readers of Heard Mentality. You can find my ballot here. Take notes, whip out your credit card and get purchasing, so as to help the terminally ailing music industry. It's good karma... and stuff.

Review by Reza Allah-Bakhshi

Papercranes, 8MM
Detroit Bar
January 27, 2008

Better Than: Watching Conan O’ Brien since he grew a beard and his writers went on strike.

Download: “What’s Left.”

It was definitely one of those nights where Detroit Bar was more like a lounge.

A lone DJ stood in the corner spinning remixed funk renditions of old classics like the Beach Boys' “Good Vibrations” while scattered patrons threw back a pint of beer or sipped on wine. It was all too fitting for a show that would start out with the ethereal Nu-Jazz trio 8MM and end with the tepid wall of sound that is Papercranes.

Unannounced, 8MM stealthily crept to the stage at 10 p.m., unbeknownst to most. But within the first few seconds of “You Know,” a swath of patrons came out of their alcohol-induced daze and made their way to the front of the stage to sway and swagger to the haunting voice of Julliete Beavan.

Review by Reza Allah-Bakhshi

The Generators, Longway, The Unwanted Guests and Blacktop Idol
Surf City Saloon
January 26, 2008

Better Than: Your cousin throwing up all over your car after the show.

Download: “The Great Divide.”

Most people wouldn’t look forward to driving 30 minutes in a complete downpour to see a show they were only counting on being half interested in. Especially if they found out upon arrival that the camera lens they were supposed to be shooting the bands with was broken. This was the situation in which I found myself.

Add another hour-long trip back home to retrieve a working prototype Af Nikkor 50 mm lens for that Nikon Digital SLR and you could count on the poor soul partaking on this arduous journey being half-crazed by the time he actually started snapping away. I know I was, but figured my first gig with the respectable Weekly was worth it.

I had never been to Surf City Saloon, and with it being a rather new staple in the Orange County scene I was curious to see what kind of crowd coalesced. There seemed to be all kinds of H.B. slackers and punks but I chalked that up to the acts that were set to play that night. The venue had your typical O.C. dive bar vibe, but with one very big difference: a grinning owner named Jimmy who was insistent on ordering me and my buddy two rounds of whatever we where drinking.

Review by Waleed Rashidi

Circle Jerks, Hit Me Back at the
Glass House, Pomona
Friday, January 25, 2008

Better than: Spending all night watching VH1 Classic — though hey, that's a pretty close second right there.

Download: "Deny Everything."

Sometimes you just gotta wonder — where's the real show happening? Some bands are so attention-engrossing, you can't believe that you're simultaneously sharing that seemingly personal experience with a few thousand others. Other acts are such a coma-inducing snooze, all you can do to entertain yourself is to engage in the world's lengthiest round of people watching, scoping the cast of characters in the audience.

At Friday's Circle Jerks show at the Glass House, we got that comfy, happy medium. There was a sizable mosh pit, swirling with the ferocity of a fast food bathroom shitter flushing every last morsel of soup poop out of its bowl, which had placed its spiky-topped brethren in the center of the well-traveled floor. And there was also the action of the legendary Keith Morris and company, which was good — perhaps even awesome at times — ceaselessly demanding at least one eye cocked towards the stage.

Jose El Rey claims to be the king of Hialeah freestyle music (Hialeah is a city near Miami).

His talent is um, evident in his video for "Are You Offended By My Sex?"

Offended doesn't even begin to describe it . . .

Majesty Crush ca. early 1990s. Photo by Jack Nelson.

Cult '90s Detroit shoegazer-rock band Majesty Crush—featuring gregarious OC Weekly freelancer Hobey Echlin on bass and Michael Segal (the OC Weekly music editor's brother [CONFLICT OF INTEREST!]) on guitar—get a belated quarter-hour of fame in respected, LA-based music mag URB. Go here for URB's say and here for my Sprawl of Sound column about the Crush, who have a really solid career-retrospective CD out now on Full Effect Records.

The last place you would expect to find members of an OC band that managed to claw its way out of the depths of obscurity and into some money is underneath the dim lights of a cramped stage at a neighborhood sports bar and family restaurant.

Yet that's where we ran into Chris Tsagakis, drummer for the SoCal progressive ska powerhouse Rx Bandits last Thursday. The man performed his solo electro/drum side project Technology at Haskell's Prospector in Long Beach in front of a crowded bar packed with friends and fans alike.

Following him that night were fellow Rx Bandits band mates Joe Troy and Matt Embree, who thrashed in the bass and drum punk duo Coke vs. Bills.

Tsagakis, though a man of few words, took a few moments before the show to bless the crowd with some insight into the creation of Technology.

Scarlett has Tom on her side.

Scorching-hot actor Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation, Ghost World, Match Point) will be releasing her debut album, Anywhere I Lay My Head (I have some suggestions), May 20 on Atco/Rhino. The disc includes one original Johansson composition and 10 interpretations of Tom Waits songs. TV on the Radio's David Sitek, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' guitarist Nick Zinner, Celebration's Sean Antanaitis and others lent their talents to the Scarlett opus, which was recorded at Louisiana's Dockside Studios.

Review by Waleed Rashidi

Poison The Well, The Locust (and a bunch of openers that we missed) at The Glass House, Pomona
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Better than: Being on the receiving end of a razor-wire enema (credit: Rich Kane, "Now We're Deef," OC Weekly, 8/31/2000)

Download: The Locust's "We Have Reached An Official Verdict: Nobody Gives A Shit."

Blame it on the moderate rain, the fact that it was hump day or the national airing of some brand-new "American Idol" audition footage, but attendance was eerily light at the Glass House for what should've been a fairly full house. After all, two veteran punk scene acts — The Locust and Poison The Well — were top-billed for the night, the rain wasn't impenetrable and it wasn't like the early show ate into many a bedtime either. Nevertheless, the barricades for a half-floor show were set in place, the balcony was closed, even the venerable snack bar wasn't feeling like dishing out its usual show fare of pizza and soda, all reaffirming the insubstantial draw.

Even though it rained pitbulls and kittens Wednesday evening, a ton of people were in attendance at Dante Basco Presents: Hybrid Culture and Tard & Feathered at the Dragonfly Club in Santa Monica.

If you don't know who Dante Basco is, you probably know him by another name. He was Rufio in the movie Hook. But little Rufio's long since grown up and besides acting and penning poetry, he owns and operates the Dragonfly.

I chatted up SqueekDoe, one of the MCs of Seal Beach-based group WillieWho?, which sounded great last night, even with a broken drum set. WillieWho? is: SqueekDoe on vox, Michal Alkana on keys, Jon Grillo on bass and Sevag Kazanci on Turntables. They sound suspiciously like Incubus + a DJ and a killer MC. The group was the first of four other bands that played, namely, The Love Child, Basco Bros, Marcu Pualk and the Terrapin.

Last night's gig was also a family affair, with the Basco brothers celebrating Dion Basco's birthday. Dante’s nephew performed a song while poetry was dispensed by both Dante Basco and his sister Arianna.

In the back room, Arianna's clothing line "Tard and Feathered" was featured next to Rob Flates, the designer of the clothing line “Children.”

Pictured: A) The band Williewho? and B) Left to right: Dante Basco and brother Dion Basco

Video from last night:

The Magic Flute
OCPAC-Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Better Than: Sitting at home in a pink bathrobe listening to two inches of rain.

Download: "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" by Mozart (often referred to as the Queen of The Night aria).

Even if you don't know jack shit about opera (or classical music in general) you know the name Mozart- everybody does, and if not - are you kidding me? This guy is worth more than a pinch of your time, hell - make your way to the local video store (or use your Netflix account, whatever) and the rent the movie Amadeus to get a quick round up on this incredible, musical genius. Dark and brooding? Well what talented mind isn't on some level? What may surprise you is that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has more than an impressive knack for comedy.

What? Hey, just a moment. Are you trying to tell me that an opera can be hilarious and (gasp) even fun?!

Yes I am. Fun and delightful opera? The Magic Flute is the perfect fairy tale, complete with an evil queen, the king of everything honest and true, a boy and girl in love and cute singing bird catchers.

Everyone knows that there is a special place in hell for accordion thieves. Especially thieves that steal rare Dallape SuperMaestro accordions that were once owned by famous Bulgarian accordionist Ivan Milev!

On Sunday, December 9 at approximately 12:45 p.m. CSUN Department of Music lecturer Gee Rabe's vintage Dallape SuperMaestro accordion was stolen from the trunk of hisher car as she was preparing for a performance at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Rabe had no idea that her practice session earlier that day was to be the last time she would ever play his accordion.

The trunk was slightly ajar when Rabe stepped several cars away to talk to her fellow band members. When she returned to the car, the trunk was completely closed and, once opened, Rabe discovered her accordion missing, as well as a music bag full of miscellaneous equipment. According to Rabe the stolen accordion is a scarcely found instrument, probably from the 1950s, estimated to be worth over $10,000.

"What is particularly special about the instrument was that it was previously owned by the famous Bulgarian accordionist Ivan Milev, who recently sold the instrument to me because he was impressed with my Bulgarian accordion playing," Rabe said. "I am heartbroken because this was a beautiful instrument with a history. It is part of my livelihood - part of my life is subsidized through playing music. I doubt it could ever be replaced."

Rabe contacted the Weekly for help with solving this crime yesterday and we were obliged to be of service.

So, if you have any information about the missing accordion please call 888-650-3972 or email Gigi.Rabe@csun.edu. An award is being offered for either the return of the instrument or information that leads directly to its return.

Police near Yuma, Arizona have arrested Southern rap star Lil Wayne for possession of “dangerous” drugs, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, TMZ is reporting. This incident follows a 2007 arrest in Idaho, also for drug possession.

If Wayne (real name Dwayne Carter Jr.) had kept in the responsible company of Zac Efron, this mess probably would've never happened.

In other news, somebody has absconded with Lil Wayne's chin.

OC Weekly web photo Christopher Victorio on The Magic Flute:

If you have never been to the opera and are dying to see what it's really about, I would recommend seeing this one. Many years ago, I was offered a free ticket from my music appreciation teacher at CSUF to see it - this was an assignment and she was a flutist with the Pacific Symphony. The Magic Flute was my first opera and easily became my favorite.

Opera Pacific opens up the new year with Mozart's "The Magic Flute" at the Orange County Performing Arts Center today (you have till Feb. 2 to check it out). Don't think this is going to be a light show of vocal prowess like "Wicked" or "Rent." You cannot cannot cannot interchange musical theater with opera.

More preview photos by CV behind the cut.

Come back tomorrow for a full review by Le Receptionist, Leslie Agan.

White Rainbow (Portland guitarist/FX maestro Adam Forkner) made one of my favorite albums of 2007, Prism of Eternal Now. Here's my review from an earlier Heard Mentality post.

Below you can experience a 25-minute live set, shot by Jordan Dykstra. Get lost... and profound.

Via Coachella.com:

FRIDAY, APRIL 25: Jack Johnson, The Verve, Raconteurs, The Breeders, Fatboy Slim, Tegan and Sara, Madness, The Swell Season, The National, Animal Collective, Slightly Stoopid, Mum, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Stars, Battles, Aesop Rock, Midnight Juggernauts, Does it Offend you, Yeah?, Minus the Bear, Spank Rock, dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Diplo, Adam Freeland, Santo Gold, Jens Lekman, John Butler Trio, Vampire Weekend, Dan Deacon, Architecture in Helsinki, Sandra Collins, Busy P, Cut Copy, Black Lips, Datarock, Professor Murder, Reverend and the Makers, The Bees, Porter, Rogue Wave, Modeselektor, American Bang, Lucky I Am.

SATURDAY, APRIL 26: Portishead, Kraftwerk, Death Cab for Cutie, Cafe Tacuba, Sasha & Digweed, Rilo Kiley, Dwight Yoakam, M.I.A., Hot Chip, Cold War Kids, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, DeVotchKa, Flogging Molly, Mark Ronson, Turbonegro, Scars on Broadway, Islands, Enter Shikari, Calvin Harris, Boyz Noize, Junkie XL, Cinematic Orchestra, Jamie T, The Teenagers, VHS or Beta, Carbon/silicon, Erol Alkan, Yo Majesty!, Little Brother, Bonde Do Role, St. Vincent, Akron Family, MGMT, Institubes DJs (Surkin, Para One and Orgasmic), James Zabiela, Sebastian, Kavinsky, Dredg, The Bird and the Bee, Grand Ole Party, New Young Pony Club, 120 Days, Yoav, Electric Touch, Uffie

SUNDAY, APRIL 27: Roger Waters (“Dark Side of the Moon”), Love & Rockets, My Morning Jacket, Spiritualized, Justice, Gogol Bordello, Chromeo, The Streets, Metric, Danny Tenaglia, Simian Mobile Disco, Booka Shade, Murs, Dmitri from Paris, Autolux, The Field, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Les Savy Fav, The Cool Kids, Sons & Daughters, Sia, Holy Fuck, Black Kids, Black Mountain, The Annuals, Kid Sister w/A-Trak, Man Man, Duffy, I'm from Barcelona, Manchester Orchestra, Deadmau5, The Horrors, Austin TV, Shout Out Louds, Plastiscines, Brett Dennen

Seriously. Playing Dark Side of the Moon, according to the LA Times.

Also: Death Cab, Breeders, M.I.A., Love & Rockets (woo-hoo!), Cafe Tacuba, Kraftwerk, Raconteurs....you'll know more when we do, but you can probably hit up the Coachella website and find out sooner....

Lichens (Chicago guitarist/vocalist Robert Lowe) has balls. Before a crowd of metal heads who wanted to rock the fuck out on cochlea-threatening volume and controlled bombast, he began his set with field recordings of birdsong, while seated off to the left side of the stage. You could sense he was sending currents of unease through the audience at Echoplex. He gradually added dulcet vowel sounds from his throat and then intricately looped the “oh”s and “ooh”s. Soon after came Frippian electric guitar quavers and liquid undulations.

Occasionally, Lichens would let out banshee wails that seemed incongruous coming from a dude with a large 'fro and bristly handlebar 'stache. All of these sounds emanated and accrued methodically, as if they were part of a sacred ritual. Lichens shaped them into ghostly, multi-layered waves that either left people rapt or utterly bored. (Count me in the former camp.) For what it's worth, I think David Lynch would love Lichens' intense, ominous drones and uneasy ambience.

Om joined Lichens during the last five minutes of his set. The trio eased into a slo-mo funk excursion with Lowe's dewy guitar pointillism enhancing Om's staunch low end. It sounded like Pink Floyd jamming with Funkadelic.

After Lowe exited, Om cranked up the volume tenfold. San Francisco's Al Cisneros (bass) and Chris Hakius (drums) are perhaps the purest power duo in the business today. If Black Sabbath excised Tony Iommi's guitar and Ozzy somehow obtained a PhD in arcane theology and the occult, they might've sounded like Om. Despite offering no frills nor ecstatic thrills onstage, Om nonetheless rivet you. Cisneros intones in a monkish monotone a string of polysyllabic verbiage that would take you a century to decipher while grinding out bass lines with which you could build bridges. Om don't inspire devil horns so much as a kind of scholarly awe. This is philosopher's stoner rock.

Monolithic, monomaniacal and massive, Om set the controls for the heart of the earth, yet their music somehow uplifts, no matter how low it goes.

Nothing but rest for the weary this week in downtown Fullerton, with no school or work for some on Monday thanks to Dr. King.

A few people gathered to listen and dance to the beats of DJ Concise, a local Fullerton DJ, at the Plush Lounge on Sunday night. Surprisingly few people showed up to the show, probably still hungover from Friday and Saturday binges.

Here's the video:

From my web ed. brother in Minneapolis, Jeff Shaw:

On the Dreamer's day, we offer up five divergent songs about Martin Luther King and the holiday that bears his name. They are upbeat and somber, they are angry and hopeful, they are old and new.

5. Ray Charles, "Abraham, Martin and John"
First recorded by Dion, the soulful Ray Charles version is my favorite. Penned in response to the assassinations of King and Robert Kennedy, artists from Marvin Gaye to Bob Dylan have lent their voices to the tune.

4. Common, "A Dream"
The most modern and up-beat of these songs is Common's track from the 2007 film Freedom Writers. The track samples King's famous speech, expertly weaving words into an update of the preacher's pro-freedom themes.

That's the word coming from a story in today's LA Times. Confirmed: My Morning Jacket, Rilo Kiley (who've never been as good as they were the night I saw them years ago at Chain Reaction--so long ago, the Weekly archives don't go back that far!), Jack Johnson, the Raconteurs, the Verve (of "Bittersweet Symphony" fame? Really? Who took their one hit and laughably thought they could sell out the then-Arrowhead Pond with it back in 1998? I know, I was there.)

But it's weird. The lineup will be announced at a news conference in Mexico City, and it's not even the main story--that title goes to a concurrent announcement about a Coachella-esque New Jersey fest being put together by Paul Tollett & co. Radiohead is apparently confirmed for that, but we'll all know more about all this sometime later today. We think.

In random order...

On the first time he ate in Anaheim Hills: "I went to Esperanza Burgers, and I saw a photo of white guys on horses with baseball bats. I started getting freaked out until realizing it was the Esperanza High baseball team and that Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills has a lot of people who own horses. I had to tell myself, 'Louie don’t get so fucking paranoid about things.'”

About living in Laguna Niguel during the early 1990s: "One time, I was in the front lawn pulling weeds, and a lady pulled up in a BMW. She looked at me and asked, 'Is the lady of the house here?' 'Yea, go right in,' I said. 20 minutes later, she left and almost ran past me because she was so embarrassed."

More Laguna Nigue: "We moved into a tract community. I bought an old car and left it in the driveway. It drove the neighbors crazy. Meanwhile, the Ralph's nearby had a valet. It drove us crazy."

About the Orange County audiences at Los Lobos shows: The reception is a little bit more reserved. It's the only way I can define it--it's not a bad thing. We do the House of Blues in Hollywood, and you get that urban ardiente. Here, it’s more laid back, it’s subdued. They’re more relaxed about things."

Learning about Orange County's geographic zones: "I went from Whittier to South County to North County. I didn’t know nothing about North County. When you live in South County, you can completely disassociate with North County. I didn’t know nothing where anything was when moving to Yorba Linda--I'm still learning.

About discovering SanTana: "When i ended up in Santa Ana one time, I had never been to the mexicanada--it was a trip. Someone from the Orange County Register told me to try El Gallo Giro. I came to the red light on Bristol just before El Gallo Giro, and i just about expected chickens to come crossing the street. It was great. And then if you hang on bristol, you go from Mexico to South Coast Plaza in a couple of miles--it’s just amazing! Later on, I read that that Santa Ana is the largest population of mexicanos in the us. I was aware of Santa Ana because when I was in Laguna Beach, everyone that worked in Laguna Beach--mezeros, cooks, cleaning ladies--Santa Ana.

On meeting Mexicans in Laguna Beach: I lived just before Emerald Bay. Right across was a Circle K. One day, I went in the middle of the day, and there was a group of mexicanas sitting on a planter and eating their lunch. I went up to them and asked '¿Porque estan comiendo su lonche aquí? Why not at the beach?' and I pointed to the ocean. 'Es porqué la playa es por los ricos,' she replied. I looked at her and said, The beach belongs to everybody.' That reaffirmed that there is some divisions between the mexicanos and whites in Orange County."

About living in Orange County: "I always lived in places where I’m not supposed to live. All the neighbors wherever I've lived tend to look and say, 'Hey, who is this guy?' My job is to educate them that Mexicans don’t carry bandannas and switchblades all the time--just some of the time."

Has-been Marilyn Manson was recently quoted about his upcoming “Rape Of The World” tour (what a charming name) on Rollingstone.com. He says “It’s going to be difficult for people to keep us from tearing our faces off.”

That crazy, huh? OK, I’ll stand back and just watch you try and um, tear your own face off.

He also said: “Hopefully we can not only bring Twiggy back but bring Satan back into one giant evil cocktail that’s one thousand proof.”

One thousand proof?! Whoa thats really strong! But why stop there? Why not make it one million proof? Or infinity proof!

Moron.

If you want to see Manson tear his own face off, he will be playing the Wiltern on Feb. 22 and 23.

I'm still not sure which one's Peter.

Then go to Proof Bar in Santa Ana Feb. 1. Hundreds of young folks will be there, no doubt.

“But what will Peter of Peter Bjorn and John spin?” you breathlessly inquire. My money's on an eclectic playlist of Irish dubstep, South American minimal techno and dancehall remixes of flamenco standards. Oh, and Justice vs. Simian's “We Are Your Friends.” Of fucking course.

Graffiti is one of the four elements of hip-hop. Ya heard? That's why I'm slapping this onto Heard Mentality. Graffiti Archaeology is an engrossing site that will eat up a good chunk of your day if you're not careful. Read the mission statement below.

Graffiti Archaeology is a project devoted to the study of graffiti-covered walls as they change over time. The core of the project is a timelapse collage, made of photos of graffiti taken at the same location by many different photographers over a span of several years. The photos were taken in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and other cities, over a timespan from the late 1990's to the present.

Tip: Rachael M.

"I'm a celebrity hip-hop media mogul. Seriously."

And he's placed an ad on Media Bistro's joblistings site.

Read the ad after the jump, with my translations of classified adspeak in brackets. Can I hate the playa and the game? I think so.

Dan Deacon, Ultimate Reality, Abe Vigoda, Narwhalz (Of Sound), Kial at the Pacific Ballroom, University of California Irvine
January 16, 2008

Better Than: Attending any lecture by your favorite prof.

Download: many songs by Dan Deacon.

I arrive at UCI’s Student Center building’s Pacific Ballroom during the last song of Kyle’s impromptu set (I missed Lucky Dragons; sorry), a nuttily euphoric electro-pop nugget played while totally encircled by the mostly college-aged crowd on the floor. Pacific is a spacious, characterless conference room in which, one senses, much boredom has accumulated over the years. [CORRECTION: A reader has brought it to my attention that Pacific's been around only since Sept. 2007. That being said, I predict many years of boring vibes will accrue in this room.] However, tonight’s show likely expunged all of the residual doldrums. “My mind is fucked right now,” a young co-ed said immediately after Kyle's last song. I took that as an auspicious omen.

A prototypical nerdy dude going by the name Narwhalz followed Kyle with a short bout of Game Boytronica. He used the small device to generate a blipstream torrent while standing on a table with a flashlight in his mouth (the lights were dimmed). Spluttering twitters, truculent tweets, insistent woobs and mad burbles gushed forth in oddly hypnotic yet seemingly random patterns.

DJs Sara and Ryusei are in single digits yet they appear to be pretty nonchalant about their wicked scratching talent. I wonder if their parents cracked the whip on 'em or if they practiced that much of their own accord. Skills like the ones they're flaunting here require serious lab time. I'm going to guess it's the latter.

Anyway, check this out and take care not to fracture your mandible on the desk/table.

Tip: Khuyen and Charlene.

Soft Hands, The Youngs, De Luxe
January 15, 2008

The Prospector

While at The Prospector last night, some friends and I were discussing how the venue has really been on its game as of late, consistently hosting the best shows Long Beach has to offer. It is pretty much guaranteed that any night of the week you can walk into the tiny bar and see a great show from up-and-coming bands from Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange County and even San Diego, as well as the occasional out-of-town touring act.

Last night was no different as Soft Hands (LBC), The Youngs (LA), and De Luxe (SF) came together to help celebrate Zach and Reid's (not me, Reid the bartender) birthdays. De Luxe, the name of Katrina Skalland's solo act, opened the evening with a soft set that was just Skalland and her guitar. Unfortunately The Prospector is not an ideal setting for the solo singer-songwriter due to the volume of people's conversations in the "loud seats" (what I've dubbed the 5 seats at the bar closest to the door), and the stripped-down versions of De Luxe's recorded work continually had to compete for the aural attention of the crowd.

Good news for people seeking left-of-the-dial music in a live setting: KUCI, University of California Irvine's radio station, is starting to sponsor concerts (along with ASUCI) at the college's Pacific Ballroom. The first show happens Wed. Jan. 16, 7 p.m., featuring Dan Deacon, Ultimate Reality, Lucky Dragons and Abe Vigoda (not the actor famous for his role as Fish on Barney Miller). Learn about the artists on the bill here. Looks like a hell of a lot of unhinged lo-fi rock and prankstertronic fun for a Wednesday night.

KUCI general manager Mike Kaspar is hoping to draw 300-500 people for these concerts. Considering that UCI has 30,000 students, this shouldn't be too hard to achieve. The attendance of the Deacon show will help to determine whether future bookings will happen. This series is part of KUCI's effort to increase its profile on campus and in Orange County—as well as to bring in musical talent that ordinarily wouldn't get booked around here. It's a development worth supporting.

Check out the Ultimate Reality video below, starring the Governator. Pretty damned awesome.

Jason Handelsman reports on our sister paper Miami New Times' blog that Wu-Tang Clan mastermind/producer extraordinaire the RZA has left the tour. This is akin to Eye leaving the Boredoms or Keith Richards bailing on the Rolling Stones. It can't bode well for future dates on this current tour.

As his departure is alleged to be partially due to financial disagreements, it seems relevant here to view the Wu's “C.R.E.A.M.” (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) video.