Award-winning media artist Jess Irish’s new documentary short film, This Mortal Plastik, unravels the enduring problem of plastics through an unusually artful exploration of this beguiling banality. Described as “a personal dive into the world’s most impersonal substance,” Irish paints a playful and provocative story of its history, science, adoption, and impact which now pervade every facet of modern life. A recent Chain NYC (“Best Director of a Documentary Short”) and Cannes World Film Festival winner (for “Best Environmental Film” – June 2021 Edition), it is scheduled to screen at two festivals this month. Read the rest of this entry »

September 15, 2021 [UPDATED Oct. 1, 2021] – Tirgan, North America’s preeminent hub for Persian arts and culture, is proud to announce the virtual presentation of The Scarlet Stone, a multidisciplinary and collaborative music/dance/animation work that merges expressive modern aesthetics with Persian traditions. Composer/Director Shahrokh Yadegari created this profound cultural experience in conjunction with dancer/choreographer Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam based on the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi and the last work of Siavash Kasrai, Moher-ye Sorkh (The Scarlet Stone). Read the rest of this entry »

The Montalbán announces the long-awaited return of Rooftop Movies at The Montalbán, its annual summertime series that begins August 27, 2021, offering guests a cinematic experience under the stars—with Coronavirus safety precautions in place—at the historic Hollywood venue. The season kicks off with the 2013 comedy This Is the End on opening night, followed by Bohemian Rhapsody, Birdman, and Pulp Fiction rounding out the opening weekend. Screeningswill continue every weekend—with double features on Fridays and Saturdays—for the foreseeable future. The cinematic experience rolls right into Halloween-themed fun in October during Rooftop Screams!. Read the rest of this entry »

Echo Park’s stalwart indie bookstore, Stories Books & Cafe, is pleased to present a special evening with esteemed Los Angeles playwright Michael Kearns on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, from 7:00 to 9:00pm. To commemorate the publication of his eighth theatre book, Who’s Afraid of Michael Kearns?, the author will be joined by special guest JoNell Kennedy who will reprise her role from Bang Bang — one of the plays from this anthology — with a gripping monologue.

Read the rest of this entry »

Garden Broom Recordings is set to deliver its inaugural release, Integration, a 5-track EP, by the artist duo NMND on February 12, 2021. This is the first collection of music to surface from the partnership between producer/technological ace McLean Macionis and hypnotic vocalist/composer Mana Contractor. The music of NMND (or ‘No Mind’) draws equally on organic and electronic sounds, creating eclectic collages rich with otherworldly textures, haunting vocals, and tightly programmed beats. Integration focuses on the evolution and manipulation of the human voice through technology, utilized to harness the power of improvisation.

Read the rest of this entry »

Drew Aron, one time classical guitarist turned folky singer-songwriter, will release his debut EP, Familiar Faces, on Elegant Regrets Music this November 13, 2020. In advance of the EP, Aron will put out two singles along with videos for each. “Running,” the first single, is due out on October 2, and will be followed by “Sugar Maple,” due out October 23. Familiar Faces will also have a video release. Read the rest of this entry »

Lo-Flo Records was a germ of an idea in the 1970s, and ultimately conceived in 2015 by the inimitable songwriter, composer, arranger, librettist, Jane McNealy. The label officially launches with its very first release, “Turn Away from Darkness,” a gospel tribute to triumph over adversity, which will premiere on August 28, 2020, along with a timely music video. The single precedes the label’s debut album, Running Around, which is scheduled for release on October 2, 2020. It will be available on digital platforms as well as in limited quantities of vinyl and CD.

Read the rest of this entry »

Adult Karate (the musical moniker for versatile artist K.C. Maloney) is poised to release his second album, My Friends Are Internet And I Want To Break You Open, on July 31, 2020, on tastemaker label Plug Research. More than a year and a half in the making, this new album is a true expression of the artist’s musical evolution, a culmination of both his personal life journey and the integration of his various musical influences. This dynamic, boundary-crossing release defies genre pigeonholing and seamlessly glides between musical styles while Maloney’s candid, sometimes confessional lyrics and reverbed-out vocals hold the whole picture together. Read the rest of this entry »

The latest project of the Rebel Babel Ensemble is a universal tribute to hip hop pioneer DJ Premier. The transcultural international big band, perhaps the world’s largest (currently boasting over 11,000 members from sixteen countries), unleashed “Tribute to DJ Premier,” its herculean video “gift” to Preemo and the world, on the legend’s birthday, March 21, 2020. For this particular orchestration and video project, Rebel Babel and its conductor and co-founder Łukasz “L.U.C.” Rostkowski arranged samples from DJ Premier’s work for a jazz big band collaboration that was recorded in eight European and U.S. cities with just under 100 musicians involved. Read the rest of this entry »

Wajatta—the musical duo of Reggie Watts and John Tejada—kicks off the Natural History Museum’s season opener of its popularFirst Fridays series on Friday, March 6, 2020 with a performance celebrating the release of the duo’s sophomore album, Don’t Let Get You Down. Wajatta and a host of other performers and lecturers, including Ologies podcast host Alie Ward and KCRW’s Novena Carmel, will appear at the “after-hours” event that runs from 5:00 to 10:00pm.

Read the rest of this entry »