New Release Tuesday 3/11/14

March 11, 2014

MUSIC

Aloe Blacc – Lift Your Spirit (Interscope)
While Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III's third album does feature an acoustic version of "Wake Me Up," the mega-hit co-written by him, Mike Einziger and Avicii, you'll discover that there's so much more to the Southern Californian singer-songwriter and musician after listening to all of Lift Your Spirit's tracks. Whether it's a song to get your body moving, like second single "The Man," "Love Is the Answer" and "Can You Do This," or the soaring "Red Velvet Seat," Aloe Blacc's soulful vocals will undoubtedly Lift Your Spirit. He is performing at both weekends of Coachella in April and as part of the James Brown celebration at Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 13.

Metronomy – Love Letters (Because/Elektra)
The British quartet, led by singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Joseph Mount, holed up in the proudly analogue Toe Rag Studios to record their highly anticipated fourth album, the follow-up to 2011's Mercury Prize-nominated The English Riviera. With innovative tracks like "I'm Aquarius," "The Most Immaculate Haircut" and a title track that boasts a video by the Oscar-winning Michel Gondry, Love Letters does not disappoint. Metronomy invade the Fonda Theatre on June 17.

Ozomatli – Place in the Sun (Vanguard)
No other L.A. band captures the diversity of the city better than the seven-piece, who in nearly 20 years of working together have toured the world, won multiple Grammys, penned a theme song for the Dodgers and had April 23rd declared "Ozomatli Day" by Los Angeles. With their eighth full-length the Latin rock and hip-hop continue representing the region with songs that transcend genre lines, such as the lively title track, "Paleta" with Voces Del Rancho and  "Brighter," which features Dave Stewart. Head over to Amoeba Music at 6 p.m. tonight for a free in-store performance from the band, who sign copies of Place in the Sun after their set.

311 – Stereolithic (311)
Happy 311 Day! Longtime fans who aren't able to celebrate with the fivesome in New Orleans this evening can take comfort in today's release of their 11th album. For Stereolithic, the debut offering on their own label, the band reunited with Scott "Scotch" Ralston, who produced the two albums that propelled them to mainstream success, 1997's Transistor and 1999's Soundsystem. As a result, tracks like "Five of Everything" – which has a video helmed by Jigsaw friends director Brian Bowen Smith and editor B Love – "The Great Divide," "Existential Hero" hearken back to the super energetic early days of the group.

Also available – Architects UK's Lost Forever//Lost Together; Charlie Oxford's self-titled; Dean Wareham's self-titled; Disasteratti's Cerebral Hack Artist; Don Williams' Reflections; Elbow's The Take Off and Landing of Everything; The Fat White Family's Champagne Holocaust; Juanes' Loco De Amor; Laibach's Spectre; Ledisi's The Truth; Lune's Music & Sports; MØ's No Mythologies to Follow; Sara Evans' Slow Me Down; September Girls' Cursing the Sea; Tensnake's Glow; Thomas Azier's Hylas; Tying Tiffany's Drop; Warm Soda's Young Reckless Hearts; Young Money's The Rise of an Empire

BOOKS

Available this week – 10% Happier by Dan Harris; The Accident by Chris Pavone; Be Careful What You Wish For (The Clifton Chronicles) by Jeffrey Archer; Blood Will Out by Walter Kirn; Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty; The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried, MD; Jesus: A Pilgrimage by James Martin; Night Broken (Mercy Thompson) by Patricia Briggs; Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte; Pete Rose: An American Dilemma by Kostya Kennedy; Power Play by Danielle Steel; The Sibley Guide to Birds, Second Edition by David Allen Sibley; Stone Cold (A Joe Pickett Novel) by C. J. Box; Surprise-Inside Cakes by Amanda Rettke; The Wahls Protocol by Terry Wahls, M.D. and Eve Adamson (March 13)

DVDS

Film – Belgium's The Broken Circle Breakdown, nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Oscars, was based on the play written by Mieke Dobbels and Johan Heldenbergh, who also stars in the film as one half of the bluegrass-loving couple at the center of this drama. Actress/singer Veerle Baetens plays his other half and gives a powerful performance as Elise and Didier's love story unfolds; I just read Markus Zusak's heart-wrenching bestseller, loved it and am curious to check out the film adaptation of The Book Thief, starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and Sophie Nélisse; Written and directed by the Coen brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis delves into the folk scene of 1961 Greenwich Village with a cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman

TV – Big History; Rogue: Complete First Season; Trinity: Complete First Season

Music – Carl Palmer - Decade: 10th Anniversary Celebrating the Music of Emerson Lake & Palmer; Eric Clapton - The 1970s Review; Punk in Africa; Sensation: The Story of the Who's Tommy

Also available – All Things to All Men; Commitment; A Cross to Bear; Dark House; Enemies Closer; Homefront; The Hungover Games; In Fear; Out of the Furnace; The Outsider; Pig; Puncture Wounds

Events for April 11-17, 2013

Get with THE PROGRAM

THURSDAY, APRIL 11

"American Buffalo" (Michael Lamont)

PLAYS

"American Buffalo" @ Geffen Playhouse (Westwood)
David Mamet's drama revolves around Don ("Without a Trace"'s Bill Smitrovich), Teach ("Justified"'s Ron Eldard) and Bobby ("Six Feet Under"'s Freddy Rodriguez), three misfits plotting the theft of a rare coin collection. As they make final preparations for the burglary, their friendships and loyalties are tested, and explosive confrontations ensue. Don't miss Geffen's Artistic Director Randall Arney's fresh look at the trio of scheming thieves. Through May 12.

MUSIC

Dave Stewart and Friends @ The Troubadour (West Hollywood)
The iconic British singer-songwriter, guitarist and a founding member of the Eurythmics unveiled his love of country music with 2011's The Blackbird Diaries and last year's The Ringmaster General. He and some very special guests celebrate the upcoming release of his latest album, Lucky Numbers, with an all-out extravaganza at the Troubadour tonight. Expect more blends of rock and country in the new songs, as Stewart is backed by a band of some of Nashville's best players.

FRIDAY, APRIL 12

FILM

In Theaters This Week
My grandpa ran track with Jackie Robinson at UCLA and shared a lot of stories about their times together as we were growing up, but for those unfamiliar with the baseball legend's life story, 42, starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford, is for you; Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Alexander Skarsgård and Paula Patton in Disconnect; Scary Movie V spoofs films like Paranormal Activity, Mama, Inception and Black Swan with Ashley Tisdale, Charlie Sheen, Snoop Dog, Molly Shannon, Jerry O'Connell, Lindsay Lohan and many others; Written and directed by Terrence Malick, To the Wonder stars Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko as lovers who become involved with a priest (Javier Bardem) and a childhood sweetheart (Rachel McAdams). Also in theaters: It's a Disaster: Are You Prepared?; Lotus Eaters; No Place on Earth; Upstream Color

BOOKS

Andy Cohen @ Barnes & Noble (The Grove)
Although most of you know him from "Watch What Happens: Live," Cohen, as Bravo's VP of Development and Talent, is also an executive producer of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning "Top Chef" and, of course, "The Real Housewives" franchises. His first book, Most Talkative: Stories from the Frontlines of Pop Culture, appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list when it released last summer, and he appears at the Grove as the title releases in paperback. Get your copy signed, then read about how he transitioned his lifelong infatuation with pop culture into a successful career.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

MUSIC

Light Up the Blues Concert: An Evening of Music to Benefit Autism Speaks @ Club Nokia (Downtown)
Kristen and Stephen Stills host the fundraiser, emceed by Jack Black, and featuring an all-star lineup of Crosby Stills & Nash, Ryan Adams, Rickie Lee Jones, Lucinda Williams, Don Felder, Chris Stills and the Miracle Project Fly Singers. Actors Amy Brenneman, David Marciano and Michael Chiklis are also set to be part of the evening.

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

FILM

Mira Nair @ The Aero (Santa Monica)
The acclaimed director of such films as Mississippi Masala, Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair and The Namesake previews her new film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, before it releases in theaters April 26. She will discuss the thriller, which stars Live Schreiber, Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland and Om Puri and examines the effects of globalization and the war on terror.

MONDAY, APRIL 15

MUSIC

Ozomatli @ The Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena)
The groundbreaking L.A. group plays an intimate show at the beautiful and historic venue to benefit the Playhouse's Wells Fargo Theatrical Diversity Project, which strives to promote tolerance of our community's diverse cultural richness in the artistic and theatrical realm. Ozomatli is the perfect band for the cause, as they're known for blending cultures in their music that touches on hip-hop, salsa, dancehall, cumbia, samba, funk, merengue, R&B, reggae and raga. They are set to debut new tunes from their upcoming album throughout the night, as well.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16 

King Khan & BBQ (NRML Studios, Monterrey, Mexico)

MUSIC

The King Khan & BBQ Show @ Troubadour (West Hollywood)
The Canadian duo of BBQ (aka Mark Sultan) and King Khan (aka Blacksnake, Arish Ahmad Khan) returned from hiatus last year, and if you've never experienced one of their shows before – and when I say 'experienced,' I mean partaken in an all-out, thrashed your body around so much you're drenched in sweat, hijinks-laden party – this is your chance. An absolute good time, guaranteed. NRML Studios, Monterrey, Mexico

Rodriguez @ The Orpheum (Downtown)
Hopefully you've watched the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man by now and are just as eager to see Sixto Rodgriguez as those first throngs of South Americans were at his initial concerts there. Although he's no stranger to L.A. stages, there couldn't be a more beautiful indoor setting to hear his folk tunes in than the Orpheum.

STAGE

Guts and Glory: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Roy Choi @ The Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)
The chef, author and host of "Anthony Bourdain No Reservations," "The Layover" and CNN's new "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" embarks on his first American tour, sharing stories and his own brand of provocative insights into the happenings behind a restaurant kitchen's doors. Angelenos get a special treat, as local chef, author and entrepreneur Roy Choi (Kogi trucks, A-Frame, Chego) joins Bourdain for the evening.