The Killers--See Wednesday

Monday, April 29

The Originalites
Gallagher's Pub & Grill
Since coming together as teenagers (and later recruiting saxophonist Mike Belk after an impromptu jam session at a local gig), The Originalites have risen high in the ranks of Orange County's local music scene in the span of only five years. The Fountain Valley four-piece may remind you of mid-'90s ska groups like Sublime, however their mellow lyrics are more upbeat and family-friendly. After winning several battle of the band competitions at various high schools, they've moved up to venues like the Coach House, House of Blues and DiPiazza's, even winning the OC Music Award for Best Surf this year. Don't mistake their long hair for the laid-back surfer image--The Originalites also love to have fun through their high energy music, mixing ska with punk, dub and Latin music influences. As of late, they've held a residency at Gallagher's Pub in Huntington Beach every Monday night.(Aimee Murillo)

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Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly

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King Khan & BBQ Show---See Thursday

Monday, April 15

The Postal Service
Fox Theater
Back in 2003, the Postal Service, the electro-pop group comprised of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello (with occasional guest vocals from Jenny Lewis), lead the world in one big collective sigh with their debut and massive hit single "Such Great Heights." And then, right after everyone became obsessed, they disbanded. When stars shine too bright, they burn out--and with both artists focusing on their main musical projects (Death Cab for Cutie and Dntel, respectively), that's pretty much what happened. But now, ten years later, the Postal Service finally releases some new material and hits the road with a string of shows and a crux at--where else?--Coachella. But like many of the festival's bands performing this week, Postal Service gives fans a chance to see them without all the hassle. (Erin DeWitt)

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Reel Big Fish

It's not often that we try to alert your attention to a festival that's going on across state lines. But given our county's undeniable ska roots, we'd be crazy to let you skip Viva Ska Vegas, a day-long deluge of third wave ska bands that represent an entire era of music that refuses to be blown away.

Headlined by Huntington Beach heroes Reel Big Fish, the show on May 4th at the Henderson Events Plaza pulls together acts from OC, LA and the Inland Empire who contributed greatly to the scene and continue to stay faithful to it. As far as authenticity goes, VSV organizers were also the ones behind former staples like the Ska Summit and the International Ska Circus, including OC music guru Tazy Phyllipz, the guy behind legendary radio show The Ska Parade who helped get No Doubt discovered back in the day. 

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Rihanna--See Tuesday

Monday, April 8

Moxi
Constellation Room
Mondays in April are Moxi Mondays. Along with special guests every week, the dreampop chanteuse takes over the Constellation room for a month-long residency. If the dreampop genre makes you think of autotuned vocals and a laptop, fear not; Moxi mixes her gorgeous, wispy vocals with beats and a backing synth that isn't overbearing. Her debut EP In My Dreams has already started garnering ample hype around blogs and websites, but don't wait until she blows up in fame and fortune so you can pay an arm and a leg to see her live again. (Aimee Murillo)

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Air Dubai--See Tuesday

Monday, April 1

The Originalites
Gallagher's Pub

Since coming together as teenagers (and later recruiting saxophonist Mike Belk after an impromptu jam session at a local gig), The Originalites have risen high in the ranks of Orange County's local music scene in the span of only five years. The Fountain Valley four-piece may remind you of mid-'90s ska groups like Sublime, however their mellow lyrics are more upbeat and family-friendly. After winning several battle of the band competitions at various high schools, they've moved up to venues like the Coach House, House of Blues and DiPiazza's, even winning the OC Music Award for Best Surf this year. Don't mistake their long hair for the laid-back surfer image--The Originalites also love to have fun through their high energy music, mixing ska with punk, dub and Latin music influences. As of late, they've held a residency at Gallagher's Pub in Huntington Beach every Monday night; You can see them lay down their groove tonight with The Jetties. -- (Aimee Murillo)

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Heartless Bastards--See Thursday

Monday, March 25

Night Beats
Burger Records

Armed with a snarling fuzz guitar and lo-fi vocals, Night Beats will likely remind you of your favorite Nuggets compilation album. Originating from Seattle, Washington, Night Beats craft a raw, psychedelic sound that harnesses the best instrumental influences from the 1960s into an explosive body of work. "The Other Side," one of their longer tracks, is an odyssey of 13th Floor Elevators-inspired guitar chords and experimental madness; "Puppet on a String" evokes early-Seeds era vocals behind bluesy guitar riffs. Although they're not the only band in town that turns out the '60s flavor (you have your Ty Segalls, Strange Boys, Oh Sees, and King Khan) Night Beats is so near-authentic you'd think they showed up to their gigs in a time machine. Watch them kick out the jams at an intimate performance at Burger records, official headquarters for the lo-fi hit parade of bands taking Orange County (and the world!) by storm, days after shredding it onstage at the Observatory for Friday night Burgerama. (Aimee Murillo)More »

Imagine Dragons--See Tuesday

Monday, March 18
The Vespertines
The Constellation Room

Long Beach's Vespertines do prickly prog-psych in a way that teaches you to expect the unexpected--and to expect the introspective, the contemplative and the explosive, too. (Plus, expect a trumpet--sure, it might startle you when it blooms out of the silence on a song like "Prime Meridian," but that's why its singer Vanessa Acosta's secret weapon.) With a complex and carefully detailed full-length recorded at Long Beach's storied Compound studio, the Vespertines now decamp to OC's Observatory for a month-long free residency. It should suit them well--this is a band who seem like they'd love a space to try something new every time they step on stage. (Chris Ziegler ) More »

Matt & Kim--See Friday

Monday, March 4

MusInk Battle of the Bands
House of Blues
Though it may not share the same level of hipster-deigned prestige as Coachella, Musink Festival represents a high-water mark for up-and-coming bands. This year's fest, which celebrates all things tattoo, will feature an impressive lineup of veterans from punk's glory days, including Bad Religion, Lag Wagon and Pennywise (with original singer Jim Lindberg). Tonight, the House of Blues hosts the first of a series of three Battles of the Bands events. The first-place winner gets to pick which day (Friday or Saturday) they play. Second place gets the other day, and third wins a cash prize and tickets to the festival. Sounds as though everybody's a winner. (Brandon Ferguson)

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You know a band is huge when they list the Fox Theater in Pomona as an "intimate club date." Of course having seen Green Day at the Tiki Bar and Alex's Bar over the years, we know the true meaning of that statement. But today, the band announced they'd be heading to P-town on March 10 for the first of three smaller shows to kick off a massive North American tour.

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