WHO: Mariachi El Bronx WHAT: Mariachi El Bronx IV WHY: Before anyone starts crying foul, let me just remind you that the Bronx are true Angelinos who grew up with, and always appreciated, mariachi music. Even this band is made up of tried-and-true mariachi musicians. To top it all off, it could be strongly argued that the hit rate of the Mariachi El Bronx albums have been higher that the Bronx proper albums. Mariachi El Bronx IV is no different....

Jon SpencerSongs of Personal Loss and Protest I’ve been so excited about Jon Spencer’s music ever since he formed this new backing band. They’re youthful and bring a skill and energy to his songs I haven’t heard since the early Blues Explosion days. Add to that Spencer’s experience over these past many decades and you’re got a volatile and potent mix. Jon Spencer has never sounded better and his music has never been more needed. Luckily for me, Spencer’s work...

Photos by Zack Bates (@anondeplonomous) • Instagram photos and...

WHO: Toys That Kill WHAT: Triple Sabotage WHY: Pedro’s pride and joy are back! Toys That Kill albums don’t come around very often and they seem to be getting shorter. It’s still reason to celebrate! Triple Sabotage stays true to the TTK formula, but this is the best the band has sounded since Control the Sun. I don’t just mean song-writing, I mean sonically. Triple Sabotage sounds HEAVY and that’s a great thing. The riffs, hooks, and snotty sing-a-long vocals...

Photos, as always, by the unmatchable Zach...

I don’t go to a lot of comedy shows anymore, and it’s a bit surprising to realize that because I used to really be in it. Not performing it myself (I’m not crazy), but watching comedy specials, listening to comedy albums, going to open mic nights, going to improv shows, etc. I even went all the way to the village and UCB to catch the cutting edge of comedy. That cutting edge was a little too sharp. Maybe I outgrew...

The Condition of the Working Class in Englandby Friedrich Engels Sure, you can call yourself a leftie, but have you actually read the literature? More than just the Communist Manifesto. Have you read Das Kapital? Marx is low hanging fruit. Who’s actually read ENGELS? Well, there’s not much of Engels to read. I guess he spent most of his life defending Marx and finishing volume II and III of Capital which no one read. But Engels wrote this book before...

WHO: Joyce Manor WHAT: I Used to Go to This Bar WHY: I’ve never fawned over Joyce Manor, mostly because I feel like they never finish their songs. That’s still the case here with I Used to Go to This Bar, but this time, the songs seem to come alive in the little time they have to breathe. Each song is catchy and stands out on its own. I’ve never understood the massive appeal they have considering the kind of...

We Are the Clashby Mark Andersen, Ralph Heibutzki My love of the Clash runs deep. So deep that it extends to Cut the Crap. The problem here is that Cut the Crap is not a great album, but I like it, warts and all. It’s truly perplexing to think how a band who’s made such meaningful music could have such a misfire. People refer to Cut the Crap era Clash as Clash Mark 2, as a way to dismiss the...

The Napa Boys “Water! My favorite!” Would it be too deep if I told you Napa Boys is a love letter to movies? Look it up and see if you can find anyone who actually talks about the plot. Mostly, people just called it one big inside joke. I knew I was going to watch it because I’m a Doughboys fan and a Mike Mitchell fan, but with this cast I knew to also brace myself. A movie’s plot isn’t...