Guess who's behind this bottle of suds...

Beer has been associated with the rock music lifestyle for as long as anyone can remember. Love songs have been written about it, punk rockers swear by it's powers, and--along with Jack Daniels (and possibly some illegal drugs)--it is today an integral part of any musician's rider, fueling many a raucous set and groupie encounter.

Most of the music industry's beer consumption, however, remains in the cheap-and-effective category--with few giving much thought to the brand or flavor of their chosen libation. But what happens when the rock stars themselves start slapping their names on bottles of beer to sell at shows? Or better yet, when members of a band collaborate with a microbrewery to create a one-of-a-kind signature brew?

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​The word "legend" applies only to a few people on this planet. One of those people is Brian Wilson. The man behind the Beach Boys is a bona fide musical genius and most certainly a legend in my book, which is why everyone reading this should stop what they are doing and go to Fingerprints in Long Beach right now because Wilson will be there Tuesday at 7 p.m. signing copies of the Smile Sessions box set.

Pretty awesome, right? Right.

However -- and it pains me to say this -- don't expect much from Wilson other than his signature on your record. I "met" Wilson once and have done two phone interviews with him and to say he is uncomfortable around people he doesn't know is like saying Pet Sounds is just "some record."

The time I "met" him went like this: I was backstage at a Brian Wilson/Paul Simon show at the Greek Theatre. There was a small room of about 20 people waiting for the post-gig meet and greet, which should have been titled the "Brian Wilson walks into a doorway, sees 20 people waiting for him, makes a face like he caught his parents having sex, then tries to escape before anyone notices but can't because the entire room starts clapping as he is quietly high-tailing it out of there."



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Devo teamed up with Macbeth Footwear to launch the coolest music-related shoes ever: "a very limited edition" Studio Project series, identical to the 3M reflective textile shoes Devo wear on-stage. There's a  blue and red version, both made from 100 percent vegan materials with rubber out-sole, both with a $79.99 price tag.

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Need to find the best restaurants, bars, concerts and events? There's an app for that: We're very much excited to announce the launching of the brand new--and free!--OC Weekly iPhone application.

It's here for you when you've got nothing to do. It's here for you when you're hungry. It's here when your Friday night plans fall through. That's already better than, like, 70-percent of your friends, right?

 Get the app here or just search the iTunes store for OC Weekly.

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A couple weeks ago we mentioned that Ikey Owen's trip-hoppy Long Beach jam band Free Moral Agents had released a live tune called "Systole" recorded at the Prospector for your listening pleasure. We also said that we'd let you know if it would be part of any upcoming FMA releases. Well, turns out we were prescient.
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Kristin Chenoweth in 'Wicked.'

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It's hard to believe it's time for Incubus to release a greatest hits album. For a band that entered the fray in the mid-to-late 90's and enjoyed considerable success in the early part of this decade, this release may feel rushed, but could be a sign they are entertaining the idea of slowing down... let's hope not. 

England's loudest band, Spinal Tap, was on Conan last night. Not only did they play "Heavy Duty," they sat down with the very tall redhead to discuss their new record, Back from the Dead, which comes out today.

The 19-track disc compiles classic tunes such as "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight," "Rock 'n' Roll Creation," "Hell Hole" and "Big Bottom" with six new songs powerful enough to kill even the toughest drummer. Back from the Dead also comes with a DVD and a fold-out/pop-up diorama of David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls, along with a mini Stonehenge.

Seriously folks, if you haven't seen "This is Spinal Tap," do yourself a favor, cancel whatever you're doing tonight and watch this. I can't recommend this flick enough and I hate movies. 

Before they embark on the Warped Tour's maiden voyage to Pomona, there's one major house keeping issue that some bands chose to attend to before traveling all over the country playing to thousands. That usually involves cranking out a new album.

Tomorrow, three of the tour's bands are releasing new material for die hard fans and downloaders alike. Veteran punks  Anit-Flag (pictured) release their eighth full -ength album of politically-driven protest anthems titled People or the Gun on Side One Dummy Records. Sacramento screamo/post hardcore artists Dance Gavin Dance are on their 4th release, titled Happiness on Rise Records, pregnant with angst and explosive breakdowns. Though you might leave a little room to actually dance to a sliver of snappy, pop driven song structures.

Then we have the gel-swept bangs and alt-rock offerings of Orlando four-piece There for Tomorrow, who are currently touring a Japan. Running the gamut from punk to pop, this handful of Warped Tour participants is looking for plenty of support heading into the summer so I'm sure they'd appreciate if you scraped up some of your extra gas money to support the cause. You're down right? Look at that pic, how could you say no to those faces?  

Long Beach's On Blast recorded a full-length album a few months ago. I was one of the lucky ones to get a copy and right away I knew it was good. I also knew if the songs got to the people, the band would have a pretty good chance at making some waves. Well, people, here's your chance.

The 12 songs are available at iTunes for $9.99. Thank me later.