[Sorry I'm a little late with this today, I was all flustered trying to think of what to do for Jessica Simpson's 30th birthday Saturday.]
My top 5 reasons to slam in the earplugs this weekend:
☛ When I first heard “Hippies” and posted “Friendly Ghost” in March, I knew I’d be hooked on Harlem. Then I saw them at South by Southwest and my chin hair stood on end. Exultant, no-frills, hook-heavy garage-rock. Tonight at the Echo.
☛ Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti kicks off a tour behind their new album “Before Today” tonight at the Echoplex.
☛ Sky Parade’s album-release show for “Intoxicated” is tonight at the Bootleg Theater, with Shine Brothers (Nate Ryan of the Black Angels) supporting.
☛ Peter Case does two shows tonight at McCabe’s behind his new release, “Wig!”
☛ And in the Dept. of Punk Rock Done Right: The Briggs won’t be playing to as many people as they did here, but the Eagle Rock rockers headline the Troubadour on Saturday.
Your tastes may vary: Dawes, the Hollywood Bowl’s Beatles Celebration, the Lilith Fair, Los Lobos — there’s plenty of big stuff outdoors this weekend too. For a compilation of that, and to find out who El Guincho is, see my roundup on LA Weekly’s West Coast Sound.
