Anime Expo 2010 is taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center between July 1- July 4. To celebrate the nation’s largest anime and manga convention, UCLARadio.com is giving away The Last Airbender Nintendo Wii Game. Tune in to The Spice Rack on Monday at 10PM on UCLA Radio to win!

The Anime Expo serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of both anime and manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. More information can be found at its website: www.anime-expo.org

Be sure to check out The Last Airbender when it opens, Thursday, July 1 and pick up The Last Airbender Nintendo Wii Game.

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Need new earphones?

Well, UCLARadio.com is giving away Sennheiser MX65 Earphones (retail value $49) as a part of Sennheiser’s Hear. I am. campaign. Together with College Music Journal, they are offering up and coming musicians and bands the opportunity to perform on stage at major music festivals, plus a chance at a 3-song demo and distribution through Universal Republic! Visit www.heariam.com to learn more about the contest!

Listen the following shows on UCLARadio.com between now and July 17th for your chance to win some earphones!

Totally Rad – Thursdays 6-8PM
UCLA Radio News – Tuesdays 4-6PM
Sweet Talk – Monday 6-8PM
JokerPace Radio Hour – Saturday 12-2PM
The Realist Show – Wednesday 8-10PM

Rising from the New York underground/independent hip-hop scene and being very close friends with Shia LaBeouf, I think it’s fair to say that Chris “Cage” Palko is a one of a kind rapper.

Cage’s unique styling is progressive rap at its finest. His music is dark, tormented and at times dejected, while on stage he is known to be one of the most energetic and all-out performers in the business. Live, he’s been described as “possessed and jarring”, truly performing his music in every sense of the word. His music reminds me of a Atmosphere/Kid Cudi hybrid, taking the lyrical prowess of the former and combining it with the “solo dolo” loner vibes of Cudder. He’s developed a very strong following in the underground world of hip-hop, developing his own subgenre of “horror-core” while being a main stay on El-P’s independent Def Jux record label for the past 5 years.

A nomination for best rapper of 2009 by SPIN magazine, Cage has continued to make a splash this year in the industry as a collabo on Kid Cudi’s upcoming album Man On the Moon 2. This tour Cage continues to rep his most accomplished work, the 2009 release, Depart From Me, but after tracking in the studio with Cudi, who knows what type of new music he’s going to have in store.

Next Saturday, July 3^rd, Cage headlines the Roxy here in Los Angeles, his first gig in Los Angeles after opening for Less Than Jake at HOB back in early December. This time around he’s going to have his own full set, which means some old material, tracks off Depart From Me and maybe even some brand new stuff.  It’ll be a show you won’t want to miss.

Hate Your Guns opens. Tickets are only $13.50 and can be purchased at http://theroxyonsunset.com/

This might seem a little random, but hey, some of us do things other than school.

And so can you!  It’s the summer, why not write a movie?

These sites should help get you started.

Seriously.

How to Sell Your Screenplay – Since I know most of you want to jump to this site right away before even writing a screenplay, this link will take you to Ashley Meyers’s site that has a lot of great info.  But before that, you might want to check out…

Script Doctor Eric - When you’re done with your script, send it to Eric. He’s a produced screenwriter.  He’ll give you notes.  He doesn’t charge that much.  Just do it.

Go Into the Story Blog – This professor REALLY goes into the story.  And everything else about screenwriting.

The Unknown Screenwriter – A ton of great posts on screenwriting.  With attitude.

John August’s Blog – Has lessons, answers questions, goes through it all.  Who knew the writer of Charlie’s Angels and Go was so damn smart?

What are you waiting for?  Let’s get famous.

Or something…

On June 11th, the DAMAGED GOODS Spring madness continues, featuring an absolutely crazy live set by Tuning Spork genius MICHAL HO. Hailing from Zurich, his production career began with the joint research and development enterprise Samim & Michal, established in 1995. In 1999, the duo met Jay Haze, and the three quickly clicked and formed a fruitful relationship which birthed several EPs and remixes for Tuning Spork, Get Physical, Kindisch, Freizeitglauben and Stattmusik. His solo debut in 2005 gained worldwide support from clubbers and DJs such as Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin and Steve Bug, to name a few. After two more solo EPs, Michal released his debut full-length Screw the Coffeemaker in 2007, further cementing his reputation not just with the international club community, but with the press as well: DJ Mag (UK) awarded 4.5 stars out of 5 and called it “modern techno dynamism. It’s something the minimalists should learn from.” The album spawned three singles and prompted a flood of requests for remix work. Michal’s style can be best described as stripped-down, funky, pumping house – crafted with his ear on the new sounds, but ultimate respect for the old sounds. He has also been known to sneak into other genres, releasing on drum’n'bass labels Jerona Fruits and Social Studies, dubstep as Sub Version along with Jay Haze and Paul St. Hilaire for Soul Jazz Records, and even a pop-rock project Fakenoise. Michal’s talents are undeniable, and he’s guaranteed to make you shake it until you can’t shake it anymore.

Back-up support will come from some of LA’s finest DJs: West Coast Tech-House phenomenons ANDROID CARTEL, LA underground vinyl gurus ANDREW KELLEY and STAN MIN, and Harmonic and Avalon residents DELINQUENT FREQUENCY. Get ready for some seriously tough-but-dancey house music for the last installment of the DAMAGED GOODS Spring series. The Summer series boasts even more ridiculousness.

Dark house legend Steve Lawler and the talented Heidi will be performing at Avalon in Hollywood Saturday, June 12th.

Visit Avalon’s website for more details

Liquified
Wednesday June 16th 2010
Los Angeles, CA

The King of the Mayan returns….

JOHN DIGWEED & KAZELL

The Mayan
1038 S Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Tickets now on sale
http://www.wantickets.com/EventDetail.aspx?e_id=111330

Culprit is up to their top-notch shenanigans again with Matt Tolfrey & Inxec spinning alongside Droog this coming Sunday at the high-flying Standard Hotel roofotp in downtown Los Angeles.

Visit their website for more details

UCLAradio.com caught up with Ralf Kollmann of Mobilee and Leena records before his gig in Los Angeles to bring you an exclusive DJ mix and interview from the label honcho. Drizzle your eardrums with a copy of the special Mobilee showcase from “Electronic Frequencies” with Charles Fox that aired June 9th as we’ve now uploaded the entire show for your listening pleasure.

Either stream it with the embedded player below,

or visit http://charlie.la for a partial tracklisting and download link

UCLARadio.com will be giving away free shirts for the next two weeks  in preparation for the premiere of the movie Cyrus, starring Jonah Hill. Visit us on BruinWalk or listen to UCLA Radio to win!

Want to watch the movie? It comes out in theatres June 18th!!

For more information or to check out the trailer:

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/cyrus/

Seriously, don’t f**k my mom.

Positioned between a lingering sun and the soft blades of green grass was the 24th annual Jazz and Reggae Festival held over Memorial day weekend at UCLA’s intramural field.  A cool breeze and the smell of barbecue accompanied students, families and Angelino’s as they rhythmically stepped into the summer.

While the two day line-up consisted of artists and musicians like Q-tip, Raphael Saadiq, Barrington Levy and Bilal, it was the appearance of Damian Marley and Nas that drew my immediate attention.  The two performed songs from their recently released project titled “Distant Relatives” which was accompanied by accolades from the hungry fans.

Nas demonstrated his extensive contributions to the hip hop community by performing choice songs from a catalog that spans over 15 years.  The audience seemed dumb struck and confused as the heavy baseline opening to “Represent,” from his 1994 release Illmatic, poured out of the speakers.

Admittedly I was taken by surprise to hear Nas perform such an underground classic. It wasn’t until the chorus that I fully participated, pushing my fist in the air crooning “Represent, Represent.”

It became apparent by the second song that Nas would be taking us on a chronological journey as the soothing vocal opening of “If I ruled the World” carried across the skyline.  With perfect harmony the journey continued as “Nas is like” produced by DJ Premier entered our auditory glands, followed by “One Mic,” “Made you look,” and “Hip Hop is dead.”

Without hesitation Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley fiercely took the spotlight demonstrating lyrical precision, crowd control, and impeccable vocal tonality.  Listeners couldn’t help but to nod heads, swing dreads, pump fists and swing hips to “Land of promise.”

Marley’s massive dreadlocks swung as his song “More Justice” brought to light the importance of youth advocacy and the perils of poverty.  Suddenly there was a roar emanating from the crowd as “Welcome to JamRock” sprang from the sound system, serving as an example of Marley’s musical prowess.

The “Distant Relatives” project highlights the individual talents of both Nas and Marley while illuminating their dedication to social justice.  In a humble fashion the duo ended their set with a perfectly timed rendition of Bob Marley’s “Could you be loved.”

In addition to the many performers that blessed the stage was a variety of vendors and artists that contributed heavily to the overall experience.  Artists like Mear One and Keenan Chapman provided the visual component, as food vendors provided the necessary stimulants to our taste buds.

Overall the picnic style atmosphere unified the diverse audience seemingly transporting our minds bodies and souls into the heart of reggae music.  As sun dresses and sensimilla smoke floated effortlessly in the wind, one couldn’t help but breath deep and enjoy the absence of time.

Until next year.

OUTSCOUT
UCLAradio.com
“ON The UP”
Thursdayz 10-Midnight

Roky Erickson is a walking miracle and a true inspiration to all human beings.  Starting at age 5, the boy picked up the piano and fell in love with music, moving onto the guitar soon after.  His nonconformist attitude got him in a bit of trouble as he dropped out of high school with one month left before graduation for choosing not to cut his hair.  In 1968, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia upon speaking nonsense at a gig, and since then, his life has been a roller coaster ride in and out of prisons, mental institutions, thoughts of Martian abductions, obsessive mail and letter collecting, and all sorts of other unfortunate mishaps.  He was event sent to a hospital for the criminally insane after having been arrested for possession of one marijuana joint.

After years of spending time with the TVs and radios on at full blast in his house to drown out the voices in his head, Erickson made a comeback that his friends and family thought was impossible. On April 20, 2010, he released True Love Cast Out All Evil, his first album of new material in 14 years. Roky narrates his entire life through this album, lyrically shining light on optimism, true love, and peace.  Along with the pain and loss he portrays in this music, he also sings about hope that has helped him overcome the demons of his past.  This album touched my heart in unbelievable ways and I had no idea that this album would be such a spine chiller.  The man is a poet, as he demonstrates through this album, and we feel with him as he takes us through jail, mental institutions, and the rest of his hardships, as well as his joys and successes.

The music itself is an incredible cross between psychedelic rock with a Western twist, along with melodic blues that’s reminiscent of Johnny Cash, but not quite.  The instrumentals consist of Erickson’s deep, hoarse, emotional voice, along with acoustic and electric guitars, Hammond, pump, and Wurlitzer organs, trumpets, Congas, a Mellotron, a Rhodes and an acoustic piano, a cello, congas, trombones, Saxophones, and violins.  Whether you’re into this style of music or not, you will find yourself feeling awesome about Roky’s success in life and his unstoppable willpower, which is spectacular considering how he pulled himself out of such a deep hole at 63 years old.

It’s albums like these that make me love my job.  It gave me some chills and some smiles; True Love Cast Out All Evil deserves an A in my book.

Michael Kashiktchian

Electronic Frequencies (Wednesdays 10:00PM-2:00AM)

Miike Snow

It’s starting to heat up down here in Los Angeles, and summer is right around the corner. However, this May there’s a forecast of snow – Miike Snow.

After having one of the most acclaimed debut albums last year, Swedish electropop trio Miike Snow has certainly become a force in the music blogosphere. Created by American songwriter Andrew Wyatt and well-known production tandem Bloodshy & Avant, Miike Snow has developed the perfect electropop formula, combining synths and intense beats with shrill male vocals (a la Passion Pit). Their music is fun, danceable and downright catchy.

Not only has their self-titled release been tabbed on nearly every top ten album lists for 2009, but they have also managed to build up a reputation over the past year as an incredible live performer, selling out shows across the US.

After putting up one of Coachella 2010’s best sets, Miike Snow returns to Los Angeles at the end of this month playing two shows (guaranteed to sell out) at the Music Box at Henry Fonda Theatre on May 31^st and June 2^nd. It will be an incredible night that you won’t want to miss!

Tickets run between $20 and $25 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or www.henryfondatheater.com

Last year, during winter break, I made my way to The Glass House in Pomona to see Anthony Green perform. To be honest I was mainly there to see Mr. Green belt out some amazing songs from his solo album but the opening band, Good Old War, caught my attention. As I stood there listening to Keith Goodwin, Dan Schwartz, and Tim Arnold I simply closed my eyes and was blissfully taken away for a moment. Their three-part harmonies sound amazing live and they know how to deliver a great show. The band’s first album, Only Way to Be Alone, was released on November 4, 2008 on Sargent House Records. The music the band plays is simply enchanting. The fact that all of the songs on the album are acoustic makes the songs even more enchanting. With their three-part vocal harmonies the band has become famous throughout the indie world. Their folky songs have been compared to those of Bob Dylan and Wilco. Each time I listen to the album I can’t help but close my eyes and just listen to their voices melt together and create such perfect harmonies. The songs on the band’s debut album are honest to goodness love songs about the cities they’ve been to and the women they’ve been with. This band doesn’t need any tricks to make them big. All they need are a few guitars, a drum set, and their voices and they can record an amazing album. This is one of the few bands that I’ve been able to honestly say I love. Their music gets into you and you can just feel the hairs on your arms stand because of how great they sound, or maybe that just happens to me.

(more…)

Should either be the best show of your life or the worst.

Get ur tix today.

Ticketmaster Link - http://www.ticketmaster.com/The-Brian-Jonestown-Massacre-tickets/artist/1399622