"Hey, I'm Mark Wahlberg. You Guys Know Me. Let's Go Talk To Some Animals."

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Poor Boy Blues

Looking for things to do this weekend that wont hurt you financially (as most events in LA tend to do)? This Saturday from 1 - 4pm, The Flock Shop, a cute little store in Chinatown specializing in graphic t shirts, jewelry, art, and funky clothing, is hosting an art show for local artist/illustrator Patrick Hruby. There will be complementary drinks and most likely a sale since they are re-opening their store. Here is the location ...it's in the same courtyard as the Grand Star Jazz Club. The Flock Shop is also located directly underneath Ooga Booga, a great place to find records by local bands (such as the ones playing at the Eagle Rock Music Festival) as well as amazing compilations of African/South American music. Not to mention, they have a huge selection or art zines, books, and clothing. Although the highlight of the store for me is these $10 cassette mixtapes ranging from french chanson to old school hip hop to funk to new wave hits that you have never heard before.  Also this Saturday, all of Eagle Rock (rather, Colorado blvd) will be glowing and vibing to a music festival from 5pm till midnight. Its free and over 60 artists will be performing- among them are Abe Vigoda, Earlimart, Crystal Antlers, Mika Miko, Pizza!, The Parson Red Heads, One Trick Pony, etc. more info. On Sunday night, the hilarious hip hop group hailing from Southern California, Sparrow Love Crew, will be playing at Cinespace in Hollywood with The Nights (they are great) and The Yelling. The show is 21+ but admission as well as vodka will be free between 9:30-10:30. Not everything in life is free but these events are and they are a nice way to support local artists. Not to mention great surprises lie ahead for those who haven't explored these particular areas of town. 

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The Comeback Kid

A lot of artists in history (and a lot of artists these days) have been trying to make bank off of their past popularity. They seem to either reunite with their former bandmates and put out an album/go on tour, or just one of the band memembers scrambles to put out a solo record. Has anyone else noticed this? First let's talk about the most recent "hit" comeback group, New Kids on the Block (who may not have left an impression on many college students today seeing as they're... a little older). I remember my big sister listening to them on her tape player. Anyway, their new album recently came out, debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200, and they're currently touring around the U.S. selling out shows everywhere. But... did they come back with a quality cd? Are they money-mongers? Check out their summer success, cleverly named "Summertime", which is actually quite catchy. You do have to keep in mind how old these guys are. Is it respectable to be making music videos and teen-pop songs like "Summertime" when you're that old?     Next up on the agenda is the Spice Girls. Who could forget when they came to L.A. and rocked everyone's world? I didn't go the concert, but I can tell you that I didn't stop hearing their songs escaping from overly-jacked up iPod headsets, people's mouths, and various computer speakers in my dorm for WEEKS afterward. But, did anyone listen to their "comeback" song? The song did so poorly that they didn't bother releasing an album, but the tour was such a success they added several shows nationally and worldwide. Where's the new material? Cashing in nostologia can be great, but where's the comeback kid? The performer that comes back to show that they still have it, not that they had it, and they can repeat what they did before.     A little further back we also have the uber successful and vocally talented Mariah Carey.  After her Glitter bombed as a movie and as a soundtrack, her record label, Virgin Records, dropped her.  Then she signed on with Island Def Jam and released Charmbracelet.  Remember that one?  Not really, that's because it sorta bombed too.  Then, in 2005, the Emancipation of Mimi came out and all became well for the diva.  She won four Grammys and "We Belong Together" became a staple in pop culture at the time; it spent 14 long weeks at number one.  This past year, she followed up her comeback album with "E=MC²" which by all means was a success as well.  "Touch My Body" flexed it's chart muscle and became Mariah's 18th number one hit.  Should Mariah be labeled as best comeback of all time?  Are these two albums comparable to the hits that made her famous and respected in the first place?  (Emphasis on respected!)  I admit, "We Belong Together," was a pretty smart song to release at the time.  The charts were dominated heavily by R&B type songs. More recently, there's been a lot of buzz about Britney Spears trying to get her stuff together for a major record and tour package.  Though Blackout was slated to (maybe) be her comeback album, it fell short of people's expectations, especially after the VMA's and absolutely no promotion on her side to support the work.  The album was not condemned by critics and fans; it debuted at #2 and Rolling Stone even wrote, "When she's not gearing up for a meltdown, Britney's wielding more melting-ice imagery than An Inconvenient Truth: She's gonna "break the ice," "hit defrost on ya," 'cause she's "cold as fire, baby, hot as ice." Fire and ice — Robert Frost said the world will end in one of those two ways, consumed by passion or frozen by rationalism, and it's clear which option Brit will take. But meanwhile, she's gonna crank the best pop booty jams until a social worker cuts off her supply of hits."  Now, she's really gearing up for it, with a world tour in the works and a new album, "Circus" to come out in December, will the once "Queen of Pop" get it together for long enough to take the world by storm (maybe even take it away from Miley Cyrus?).  Do we hope so? Now tell me, who's your favorite comeback kid?

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Music That Shreds...

First off, if you're not a fan of Black Flag, Black Sabbath, or any kind of punk/metal crossover, quit reading(and take this time to seriously rethink your life).  But for the rest of us, let's talk a little about this awesome band called Annihilation Time.  And for those of you unfamiliar with the band, here's a quick description of their sound: a quick kick in the jaw from a rusted iron boot, but due to masochistic tendencies, you secretly enjoy it and beg for more.  And if that description still doesn't make sense, here's a broader (yet a bit more boring) one: a fusion of 1980's hardcore punk and thrash metal, glued together with wicked guitar solos ala Iron Maiden.  Trust me, it's as sick as it sounds, but don't take my word for it.  Just listen to Annihilation Time's latest album, III: Tales of an Ancient Time, and prepare to grow your hair out and headbang like it's 1981.  Give them a try:  http://www.myspace.com/annihilationtime.  

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