Highlands

It's no secret that Tuesday afternoons can drone on pretty badly after your lunch has settled. So we're glad that today we can use the word "drone" in a slightly more uplifting context, thanks to an afternoon song leak by the psychedelic shoegazers, Highlands. The Long Beach quartet just dosed us with a four-minute blizzard of fuzzy, swirling distortion they call "Railroads," the lead single from their forthcoming album Singularity. More >>

Trayvon Martin

​As news continues to unravel daily surrounding the killing of Trayvon Martin, a number of rappers have already recorded songs expressing their feelings about the 17 year-old African-American youth shot to death by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. Chaka Khan and musical guests also went into the studio to re-record "Super Life" in the teenager's memory. Two nights ago, Bruce Springsteen dedicated "American Skin (41 Shots)" to Martin at a concert in Philadelphia.
More >>

​From the man who brought us "Rifles Burs" and "Snacks" comes a new song/video called "Imdabes." It's already blowing up Youtube, so I'm going to go head and call it now: It's an instant classic, the kind you don't take home to mother.

On the track, Gillionaire tells listeners that he "be the one that win Street Fighter tournaments," "got the highest score in the world on my SAT" and that he's in the best at "watching all them '90s videos -- Power Rangers, All That, Kenan & Kel."
More >>

​

Orange County hardcore/metal hybrid Bleeding Through just posted a new song titled "Goodbye to Death," a track from the band's latest, The Great Fire, slated for a Jan. 31 release.

As you might expect, the song is heavy.

Recently, I interviewed Bleeding Through guitarist Dave Nassie and asked him specifically about this song, which I assumed was a reference to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (sure, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is a classic, but in my humble opinion, Bogus Journey is one of the greatest and most underrated sequels in film history). I won't give away Nassie's answer, but I will say this: Sadly, it's not about that hilarious scene in which Bill S. Preston, Esq., and Ted "Theodore" Logan play the Grim Reaper in Battleship, Clue, electronic football and Twister.

More >>

​Along with every other straight-to-DVD film, we've been ignoring Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg's upcoming buddy comedy, Mac and Devin Go to High School.

The movie promises to be a Cheech and Chong redux. We have no idea what the concept is other than getting high, potentially blowing up a chemistry lab, and giggling about it (their school is named "N. Hale"). But isn't Snoop a little old to play a high school kid?

On the other hand, so far the soundtrack seems a make-up present to Wiz's long-time fans, who grumbled "sellout" this spring when he released his fluffy, radio-ready Atlantic Records' debut, Rolling Papers.

More >>

The Washington Post has posted a previously unreleased Elliott Smith song recorded back in 1997, which was thought to have been lost. The tune "Misery Let Me Down" was captured by microphones when the late Smith, then 27, performed at the University of Maryland's student-run radio station, WWUC-FM. Smith died in 2003 of two stab wounds to the chest following an argument with his girlfriend, Jennifer Chiba. Whether Smith stabbed himself or was stabbed by someone else has yet to be determined by law enforcement.More >>

​Our favorite LA boys are back! Here's the first video off of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' latest album I'm With You with the single "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie."

This is not the much-hyped Kreayshawn version, which, according to bassist Flea, "just didnt work out." He added, "That happens sometimes, I think Kreayshawn is awesome and a great artist."

So who says you can't recycle U2's roof performance concept as they did back in the '80s in downtown LA? It seems RHCP had the proper permits to perform atop an apartment complex in Venice. BTW we're digging the 'stache. Watch it after the jump.

More >>

Myspace.com

​It has been a busy week for Mr. Dogg. After deejaying at a bowling alley in Anaheim, he has released his new hometown-praising single "El Lay." In it, he references LA street names, landmarks and local sports teams (including the Angels and the Ducks, who, just for future reference, play in OC). In fact, isn't Snoop from Long Beach? He should be repping OC Weekly circulation territory.More >>