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CNET Download.com is your source for all things downloadable. You'll find 50,000 free and legal MP3s from your favorite artists, 10,000 game demos and freeware, and a comprehensive library of free and free-to-try software downloads. Be sure to put us on your to-do list. |
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| | RES magazine's film festival returns bearing gifts for the first monthly screening series of 2005. Tonight's highlights include new music videos for the Chemical Brothers, Dizzee Rascal, and Fatboy Slim, but don't miss surreal effects-wizard Charlie White's flick with an ignored puppet singing Interpol's "Evil." Acclaimed director Guy Maddin also shakes things up with the bizarre short film Sissy Boy Slap Party. Don't be left at home as innovative and rarely seen works — MTV? No way — take over the beautiful Egyptian theatre. The after-party looks particularly enticing with giveaways of the new RES issue and DVD. (DN)
  
 The screening features a new Soulwax video directed by Evan Bernard. In Bernard's video for a certain UK producing duo, he pitted the pair against Mexican wrestlers. Which group, and what song? The first two answers each win a pair of tickets to the screening.
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ART: Opening
Taro Shinoda: Buried Treasure
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| when: | Wed 2.2 (6-9pm) |
| where: | REDCAT (631 W 2nd St, 213.237.2800) |
| price: |  FREE |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | During his three-month REDCAT residency, Taro Shinoda traveled across the desert of the American Southwest in a makeshift vehicle based on traditional Japanese architecture. Buried Treasure is the culmination of that experience, and its deliberately elusive incorporation of varied experiences and concepts demonstrates what makes Shinoda's multimedia work so difficult to pin down. Incorporating the act of movement and the idea of solitude into this sculptural installation, he presents the trailer he used along with his extensive travelogue to encourage the audience to make part of the journey with him. (SND)
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| | Filmmakers Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, directors of Party Monster (2003), have turned their lens onto another side of decadence by taking on the cultural impact of Deep Throat. Originally made in 1972 for $25K, the first crossover porno has become one of the most profitable films of all time. Inside Deep Throat traces the captivating history surrounding the flick, from the sexual revolution to the pornography boom and subsequent backlash in America. The filmmakers interview stars Linda Lovelace and Harry Reams, as well as such cultural icons as Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and John Waters. After debuting at this year's Sundance festival, this probing documentary makes its LA premiere at the Egyptian tonight. (TCR)
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| | Brooklyn may seem like an odd outpost for country music traditionalists, but Hem aren't your average honky-tonk throwbacks. Singer Sally Ellyson and her string-laden seven-piece band actually strive for the over-emotional professionalism of late '60s Nashville, when hillbilly geniuses such as Hank Williams were replaced by songwriters and session players, and George, Tammy, Porter, and Dolly remade Music City as the hub of respectable, white folk-pop. Hem gorgeously recreate "countrypolitan" — as the music has come to be called — which makes their origins more understandable, since nowhere is as slick yet folksy as Brooklyn these days. (PO)
Note: David Mead and Dawn Landes open the show.
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| | If you're gonna be a one-hit wonder in this day and age, then you'd better make it count. We don't want to hex Detroit's pop-metal-disco dons the Electric Six, but coming up with another song as instantaneously gratifying as the 2002 anthem "Danger! High Voltage" (which you may remember for the classic lines "fire in the disco/fire in the Taco Bell") is going to be tough. They also do a mean live version of "Radio Ga Ga," complete with handclaps and everything. Local anglophile glam kids the Adored have a couple of pop gems in the pockets of their fashionably-designed trousers. (PO)
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DJ
Reggaeton Nights feat. Alexxx III
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| when: | Thur 2.3 (9pm) |
| where: | El Toro Lounge at the Conga Room (5364 Wilshire Blvd, 323.938.1696) |
| price: | $10 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Originally a Latin American take on dancehall, reggaeton is finally making a mad dash for crossover popularity in the US — spearheaded by last summer's smash "Oye Mi Canto" by Nore, Tego Calderon, and Nina Sky (who also blew up dancehall's spot with their Egyptian-riddim-riding "Move Ya Body"). Success seems certain now that taste-chaser station Hot 97 has rubber-stamped the genre with a weekly show. Even NYC style-rag the Fader slapped Nore's mug on this month's cover, proving that raucous, drum-machine party anthems and calls of "tra!" have infiltrated the hip-oisie as well. Don't be left behind tonight, as Alexxx III of Super Estrella FM inaugurates a new weekly. (TW)
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MUSIC: Rock
Panthers
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| when: | Fri 2.4 (7:30pm) |
| where: | The Echo (1822 Sunset Blvd, Echo Park, 213.413.8200) |
| price: | $8 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Brooklyn-based, politically charged quintet Panthers rock the culture industry tonight with their fierce and knowing brand of psych-garage. The post-post thing is still very much a part of their repertoire: though they've evolved from their earlier avant-punk leanings on Troubleman Unlimited releases, their sound is still a hot, heavy, and intellectual freak-out, as captured on their newest offering for Vice Records, Things are Strange. They arrive at the Echo with a disarming and danceable show — giving nods to both Gang of Four and situationism — to entice a very "over" New York crowd into the night. Supporting acts Lionheart and Parchment Farm round out the bill. (TCR)
Note: This is an all-ages show.
Which three recently-deceased luminaries do Panthers mourn on their website? The sixth, seventh, and ninth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | Somewhere in a Scandinavian cavern, a dragon sleeps, its scaled head resting on the bones of warlords, conquerors, and seriously fair maidens. Smoke billows from its nostrils with each contented sigh, filling the cave with the cacophonous echoes of heat reborn as sound. After centuries of research, alchemists finally preserved that sedate roar on acetate for future generations. In 1998, that sonic relic mysteriously appeared in Oakland and was bestowed upon three young knights, who promptly christened themselves High on Fire and set off in search of wars to fight, leaving music — like the excellent new offering Blessed Black Wings — in their considerable wake. (YS)
Note: Planes Mistaken for Stars and Kylessa open the show.
Tell us a story about you and fire. Our favorite three answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | Bring your hankies as indie super group Luna bid adieu on a swan song tour to promote Rendezvous, their seventh and final studio record. The quartet caps off a lovely musical career with an intimate album that has fewer of the usual up-tempo songs laced with the hushed melodies and famously nonchalant, lyrical wit of lead vocalist/guitarist Dean Wareham. Supporting trio Midnight Movies (nominated by L.A. Weekly for Best Pop/Rock band in 2004) open the show with a moody and stylish set from their self-titled release on Emperor Norton Records. (QD)
Which Kraftwerk tune do Luna cover on their mini LP Close Cover Before Striking? The second and fifth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
Which old-school rocker played guitar on two songs on Luna's 1993 album Bewitched? The second, third, fourth, sixth, and ninth correct answers each win a Luna CD.
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ART: Opening
Sage Vaughn: Reseda vs. The World
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| when: | Sat 2.5 (7-10pm) |
| where: | 1269 Gallery (1269 E 6th St, 213.383.9299) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Sage Vaughn |
| | Emerging artist Sage Vaughn brings his inimitable feel for the bucolic in city life to his fourth solo show. The Reseda-dwelling artist juxtaposes his trademark winged creatures — birds and butterflies — against a backdrop of cityscapes, freeway overpasses, and Victorian homes to symbolize the paradox of urban sprawl. Previously known for painting colorful creatures who reappropriate telephone poles and wire fences for their own uses, Vaughn is exploring fresh themes and humanizing new characters. A full bar and a variety of musical accompaniments complement this introduction to his new body of work. (TCR)
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| | With all the problems facing us — morons in the White House, tyrants at the FCC, and ignoramuses in the newsroom — it's good to know that someone's still mad as hell and isn't going to take it any more. With fingers flitting and eyes a-bulging, Lewis Black can take any slight grievance and transform it into a fuming tempest of comedy gold. With a marksman's accuracy, he identifies, sarcastically derides, and eradicates stupidity, injustice, and hypocrisy. While he's a talented actor and a veteran stand-up, audiences are probably most familiar with his "Back in Black" segments on The Daily Show. (JCF)
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| | Profoundly sincere cross-cultural prophet Danny Hoch was raised in Queens, New York by a single Jewish mother. Now a full-grown firebrand, this performer, writer, director, and community organizer brings his "hyper-conscious" hip-hop from the streets to the stage with an arsenal of improvisational comedy, impersonations, and storytelling — always delivered with poignant and sometimes stinging honesty. His past shows, Some People and Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop, have earned him well-deserved critical esteem for exposing the reality of our urban communities through popular culture. (KH)
Which Spike Lee film featured Hoch in an incendiary cameo role? The first three answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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FESTIVAL
21st Annual Brazilian Carnaval
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| when: | Sat 2.5 (9pm-2am) |
| where: | Hollywood Palladium (6215 Sunset Blvd, 323.962.7600) |
| price: | $35-75 / $30-65 advance |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Slice up the limes and pour the cachaça, because it's your last chance to break out that bikini and feather combo before Lent. No need for sequins when sweat is your sparkle as you samba the night away with one of the largest Brazilian Carnaval celebrations this side of the equator. With Cirque du Soleil performers hanging from the rafters and the massive rhythms of Batucada drums filling the air, you could swear you were in Rio. Importing some of Brazil's leading musicians and entertainers, including Dandara, members of Ile Aiye and Timbalade, samba legend Carlinhos Pandeiro, and four former Miss Brazils, this is one of the most lovingly crafted frenzies around. (MS)
Note: The after-party is at the nearby Avalon from 2:30-7am.
What is cachaça made from? The second correct answer wins a pair of tickets to the festival.
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ART: Gallery Talk
THING: New Sculpture from Los Angeles
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| when: | Sun 2.6 (3pm) |
| where: | UCLA Hammer Museum (10899 Wilshire Blvd, 310.443.7000) |
| price: | $5 museum admission |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | THING is one of the most highly anticipated exhibitions of the season. The unexpected is the order of the day at this lively survey of new sculpture being made here in town. The exhibition boasts a panoply of work in familiar and outlandish media that redefines the terms of the sculpture genre while enlightening, educating, and entertaining. Craftsmanship, narration, beauty, and pure form have their say as well. Sunday's talk with the curators and some of the artists is a great way to delve into the far-flung concepts and practices at issue in the show. (SND)
Note: The exhibit continues through Sunday 6.5.
Give us your best definition of "thing." Our favorite answer wins a copy of the exhibit catalogue.
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| | Cal Arts professor James Benning is one of the foremost experimental filmmakers on the planet, with an eye (and an ear and a soul) for the environments he documents. Whether the subject is the Midwestern decay he chronicled in his early work, or the Western desert landscapes that have served as his primary focus for much of the past decade, the resulting pieces are the greatest kind of ambient works: evolving meditations filled with history and drama. Ten Skies, which receives its world premiere tonight, records each man-made and natural change in the heavens with unwavering, ten-minute shots of single frames of sky. (PO)
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| | Zurich-born, Berlin-based Thomas Fehlmann is a legendary figure in electronic music, but his reputation has never quite caught up to his accomplishments. Fehlmann documented early German rave music for Brian Eno's label, synergized the Berlin-Detroit techno connection when he recorded with Blake Baxter and Juan Atkins, and co-produced some of the Orb's best material. His lengthy discography includes work for Kompakt, Mute, Tresor, and many others. Tonight's show is a more downbeat affair, as Fehlmann presents a live version of his new album Lowflow — a subterranean swirl of digital sound design, dubby delay, and aquatic ambiance, as well as one or two glam rock-inspired schaffel stompers. Gudrun Gut plays selections from her label Monika Enterprise, which has released work from Quarks, Dntel, and Superpitcher. (KT/SK)
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| | Naomi Kawase is Japan's foremost female director — and one of the youngest winners of Cannes' Camera d'Or — so it's safe to assume she knows what she's doing. Even though the three films on tonight's program stray quite a ways from traditional narrative or even documentary, their touching and beautiful series of images somehow hang together. Inscrutable and hypnotic footage of people, places, and things is rendered sensual and mysterious, simulating the jumpy, grainy texture of memory itself. Eventually, a composite portrait of the artist's childhood and inner life emerges. (SND)
Note: Naomi Kawase appears in person at the screening.
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| | This LA native is far from local. After travelling to the east (Yale) and the far west (Japan), she returned to her center — Los Angeles. On her newest LP, Manzanita, Todd combines her faraway experiences and her local friends to create a collection of insightful ruminations that bears traces of her travels, but whose heart resides in the Golden State. Slated for release next month, the album includes collaborations from a few of her many friends. The family affair continues tonight as she sets up house at the Echo, with Languis, Damon Aaron, and DJ Nobody & Kutmah. (JC)
Note: Damon Aaron goes on at 9:30pm, Mia Doi Todd plays at 10:30pm, and Languis closes out the show at 11:30pm. This show kicks off a month-long Monday residency at the Echo for Todd.
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| | There's an inimitable grace-in-your-face aesthetic to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Its bold, beautiful dancers are steeped in dignity and refinement, yet they still reach the political, social, and spiritual realities of their audience. These griots of movement energetically articulate African-American and human experience in a deft balance of entertainment and enlightenment that the late Ailey would appreciate — especially whenever the company performs his classic piece, Revelations. Starting tonight, they revisit that time-honored production, and introduce other revelations, including the acclaimed, new works Life Stories and Shining Star. (GP)
Ailey's teacher, Lester Horton, founded a dance company unlike any other in America at the time. What was this distinction? The first correct answer wins a pair of tickets to the Tuesday, 2.1 performance.
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| | Ben Lee, all is forgiven! Five years ago Bright Eyes mainman Conor Oberst was just another overly earnest indie boy making the crush-tape rounds — simply sandwich his wonderful "A Perfect Sonnet" with "In Between Days" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and you were in! But after his Winona romance, the mainstr-emo explosion, and The O.C., Oberst attained coverboy status thanks to his if-Natalie-Portman-
were-almost-a-boy good looks and a pair of ambitious new albums. Lest you think that the rivers of ink have spoiled him, rest assured that the ecstatic tears of his fans cleanse his ego every day and every night. (YS)
Note: The 2.12 and 2.13 shows have already sold out, so buy your tickets for this one as soon as possible.
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| | No longer content to simply photograph the beauty in deformed human features, Naida Osline has enlisted the help of technology to mutate images of bodies. Whereas her earlier Polaroid work marveled at her subjects' bizarre physical features, these new pieces create unexpected, artistic variations on the human form through computer manipulation, while seamlessly concealing any digital sleight-of-hand. This young woman is clearly drawn to the visual and spiritual power of the marginal and frightening. Once a fearless documenatarian, she proves herself equally bold in pursuit of self-expression. (SND)
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| | Lost Embrace is the proverbial quiet one to watch out for: set unassumingly in the Jewish community of Buenos Aires, the movie is not about being Jewish. Driven by a young man's wanderlust, director Daniel Hendler offers up an old-school art film — complete with evocative cinematography — eschewing flash in favor of quiet, emotional depth charges. The dramatic yet mundane plot follows a young man who seeks what it turns out he already possesses, making this that rarest of cinematic gems: a movie about real life. (SND)
Who could use a hug? Our favorite three answers each win a pair of tickets for the run of the film's engagement.
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| CD REVIEW: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Matt Sweeney, Superwolf |
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Drag City
Released January 2005
$13.99 (Amazon)
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Bonnie Billy (aka Will Oldham) has taken to collaborating with his friends in between his highly anticipated and adored solo records. These efforts tend to appeal exclusively to Oldham's cultish following — at best, they're too idiosyncratic; at worst, throwaway ditties to which whimsy would take offense. But don't mistake Superwolf, his latest one-off with ex-Chavez/Zwan member Matt Sweeney, as an album only fit for diehards. The epic opener, "My Home is the Sea," finds Oldham in rare form, recalling the loose whiskey-rock of Viva Last Blues with the pensive, bold lyrical precision that accompanies all of his best work. The clear standout, however, is "Bed is for Sleeping," an uncharacteristically simple ballad of love and loss that is sure to cause eye leakage, even among those who have never donned a Western shirt or black-rimmed glasses. (KB)
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| HANDS-ON: Red Bull Music Labs |
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These days, bedroom producers are pretty easy to come by, especially with the user-friendly Garageband and its ilk. Much less common is the opportunity to work on these home-schooled skills in a professional studio environment. Red Bull Music Labs is offering just such a chance to ten lucky Angelenos: a five-day workshop to learn the intricacies of studio production, remixing, and song building. The hands-on workshop focuses on Propellerhead's Reason and Ableton's Live — two comprehensive high-end programs that provide endless outlets for your musical creativity. Submit applications by February 4th and take a step towards exploring musical production beyond your bedroom walls. (MG)
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| STREAMS: KCRW |
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The recent shout-out in the Gray Lady told us what we've already known for some time: KCRW's increasing influence nationwide is based on its diverse programming and lack of corporate ties. You need only listen to Jason Bentley's Metropolis or Nic Harcourt's Morning Becomes Eclectic to understand why. The two DJs have been integral in breaking new sounds from around the world — check 'em out now to get the jump on next year's Pazz & Jop poll. With this installment, we have the Arcade Fire doing an in-studio session on MBE, while Afrika Bambaataa mixes live with Bentley. Finally, house music luminary Theo Parrish joins Chocolate City's Garth Trinidad behind the decks with his signature lo-fi and delightfully warped sound. (CJN)
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| CREDITS |
| Header Design: |
| New York | Antonio DePietro | | |
| Editors: |
| Paris, France | Shana Nys Dambrot | | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Paul Laster | | Florence, Italy | Amy Clarke | | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Sascha Lewis | | Tijuana, Mexico | Mark Mangan | | Leningrad, USSR | Piotr Orlov | | Bruges, Belgium | Colin J. Nagy | | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Lauren Ragland | | London, England | Todd C. Roberts | | Berlin, Germany | Philip H. Sherburne | | Winnipeg, Canada | Peter D. Stepek | | San Blas, Panama | Toby Warner | | |
ABOUT US
flavorpill LA is a free weekly mailer covering music, arts, and cultural events in Los Angeles. All listings are pure editorial, researched and written based on what we think has flavor. No money is accepted from venues, artists, or promoters. Find out more.
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EVENT SUBMISSIONS
Please send all interesting event information (press releases, links, etc.) to events. |
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| Contributors: |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Karl Briedrick | | Sicily, Italy | Joanna Cole | | Dublin, Ireland | Hilary Craven | | Bali, Indonesia | Quinn Doan | | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Josh C. Forbes | | Mumbai, India | Menaka Gopinath | | Florence, Italy | Kate Hewitt | | Bogota, Columbia | Lara K. Kelley | | Auckland, New Zealand | Sebastian Koch | | Sydney, Australia | Steve Nalepa |
| Tangier, Morocco | Drew Neuhues | | Montreal, Quebec | Gerald Poindexter | | Barcelona, Spain | Michael Shawver | | Los Angeles | Eve Smilack | | Kathmandu, Nepal | Yancey Strickler | | Helsinki, Finland | Ken Taylor | | Cape Town, South Africa | Christy Wegener | | Basel, Switzerland | Josh Widmann | | |
| Production: |
| London, England | Anjuli Ayer | | Bangkok, Thailand | Todd Goldstein | | Baden-Baden, Germany | Jake Lancaster | | Edinburgh, Scotland | David Morrow | | San Francisco | Gerry Mak | | Rome, Italy | Jonathan Schultz |
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FUTURE SOUNDS: M3 Summit
The M3 Summit — which takes place in Miami this March 23rd-26th — is the only US gathering to merge modern music, fashion, and multimedia art. With DJ events including the likes of Mylo, King Britt, Rjd2, and Diplo, and poolside networking events, M3 has a line on your future. Early $99 tickets are on sale.
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