Project 86 and I have had a bit of a strange history for pretty much their entire career.  It’s kind of like losing touch with your childhood neighbor, and then finding out later in college that somehow you both like all the same things.  You were friends at first due to geography and necessity, and later because you connected over things in common.

Arcade Fire, 5.30.07 - Night #2 at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles

It must be a good feeling for the Arcade Fire to return to Los Angeles and play two sold-out nights at the Greek Theatre which seats over six-thousand people considering their last Los Angeles show was at the small and intimate Troubadour located in West Hollywood. Outside the theatre was parked a large touring bus, which is quite an improvement from the last time they were here, when they drove a white van with a trailer hitched to the back and brakes that only occasionally worked.

Other Desert Cities' second release, On the Verge of Collapsing, is truly an amazing, powerful record. The album tells the fictional tale of a man whose wife dies in a car accident, and his subsequent emotional journey.

This is alt country/folk/americana at its best, with all its highs and lows.

Long Beach-based indie rock five-some Inner Beauty Contest's debut release, The Better to See Them With on Toy Records, is a good solid six song EP. The band achieves a pleasant variety of dynamics, tempos, and emotions without sacrificing the continuity of the listening experience.

With crunchy electric guitars, lots of vocal harmonies, and tasteful use of synthesizer and other instruments (including some saxophone), the songs make you wonder what's coming next without making you nervous.