Lucha Vavoom is hosting a cat fight rumble this weekend at the El Rey. The show uniquely combines 60s spy flicks and WWF action. Knock-outs with knockers will be out hitting the ring to show off a little leg to go along with a mean left hook. Come out this Saturday to root for your favorite gal.
Watch as the ladies brawl in the squared circle. Sat. July 25th, show starts at 9pm. Tickets are $25. 

Aushua
June 12, 2009
Biased though I may be about my music, it’s high time I told you about the best band blowing up in Orange County. Nathan Gammill and brothers Lee, Eric, and Phil Neujahr form the band Aushua, and it’s about time you got off your chair and gave them a listen. I recently scoped the boys out at the bar above the Roxy- aka On the Rox- and despite a few minor equipment malfunctions, the boys rocked the stage. My only regret is that more people weren’t there to …

Mark Fredson is an anomaly. Since he and friends Eric Whitman, Ben Eyestone and Johnny Whitman banded together to form rock group The Lonely H, their retro sound and devotion to the mechanics of the classic rock genre has set them apart from the glut of indie bands in the Seattle scene, marking them as the only known band in the area to be performing classic rock. Despite being in a class by themselves, Fredson- to say nothing of his band mates- are by no means lonely. They recently cut …

The Orange County Super Fair opened this weekend, bringing its fun-filled, tacky, brightly colored wonders to town for adults and kids of all ages to enjoy. I headed down on opening day to check out the scene.  As soon as I walked in I could feel the magic wafting in the air- The thick sweet scent of cherry syrup,  funnel cakes, and Coppertone filling my nostrils as my ears were equally filled with the sounds of vendors hawking “World’s Best Grandma” t-shirts and home spa systems, gleeful laughter, and marginal …

The Pocket Wine Encyclopedia
Eds. Danielle Daggett, Fiona Doig, Alan Edwards, Kate Etherington, Mary Halbmeyer
Barnes and Noble
8/10
It’s no secret that everybody likes to get happy. For some of us, that mean a nice stem glass and a bottle of red (or white, depending on whatever is preferable) and sitting on a couch in the living room, patio or even a laptop. But not all wines are the same. According to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, there are over 600 red wines and 800 white ones, …

Girl in a Coma
Trio B.C.
Blackheart Records
10/10
Hailing from San Antonio, Sisters Nina and Phanie Diaz, along with best friend Jenn Alva, make up Girl in a Coma. GIAC was formed when Nina Diaz, at age 12, borrowed her older sister’s guitar, impressing both Phanie and Jenn with strong vocals and incredibly deep and expressive songs. The three of them formed GIAC, named in homage to a Smiths’ song “Girlfriend in a Coma.” After playing for none other than Joan Jett herself, GIAC was signed on the spot by Blackheart Records.
Although compared …

REPO! The Genetic Opera
Lionsgate/Twisted Pictures
6/10
Not too long into the future, corporations will gain the power to take our lives and repossess our organs—this is the vision of REPO! The Genetic Opera. Writers Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich, along with director Darren Lynn Bousman bring the original 2002 stage show to feature film. This rock operatic, corporate fairytale makes daring moves with its visuals and content, including its eclectic cast. Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Sarah Brightman (Phantom of the Opera), Paris Hilton (The Simple …

Keri Hilson and Ne-Yo Live
San Manuel Casino, Ontario, CA
July 2nd, 2009
While families celebrated the 4th of July weekend, R&B superstar, Ne-Yo looked for “Miss Independent” amongst the crowd of screaming girls at the San Manuel Casino. However, the Grammy-award winner did not come alone. Fellow R&B artist, Keri Hilson opened the night with enough energy and noise to make the ground literally rumble beneath her. It felt like tiny earthquakes when the bass kicked in and shook up the entire floor throughout the night but it only made the concert …

Horror Squad
Friar Tuck’s
7/1/09
Last night I went to see my friends from the Horror Squad play in a castle shaped bar. It was hot, smoky, and punk rock. I even met a guy named Yoshi who had a Yoshi face tattooed on his neck! Cool kid.
Tonight was the night they were to debut their newest member, Vicente the cowbell player, but we’ll get to that later. The guys opened with “We’re All Gunna Die Anyway” and away we went. It’s hard to stay planted in one spot at a Horror Squad …

[Emperor's note: I've decided that if a writer doesn't include an intro to their interview, I will write one that may or may not be true. This is the first one.]
I, Luke Toney, have always had a crush on Byron of the Bouncing Souls. How nimble and strong his bass playing hands must be. The thoughts of him holding down the rhythm have long since drawn me towards him. When the very smart and intelligent and funny Emperor offered me his meager interview scraps, I lunged at the opportunity to …

Last week, a terrible and tragic death occurred. He was a household name, a beloved member of society, even some people’s reason for life. That’s right, Billy Mays, pitchman for Orange Glo and OxiClean, sadly has passed away. I am expecting full media coverage and all the details in regards for his death. He changed my entire cleaning system with his obnoxious marketing of these products.
In lesser-known news, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson died at the age of 50. While reports are still inconclusive, it’s speculated that he died …

Street Sweeper Social Club
Self-titled
Warner Music Group
8/10
Tom Morello, guitarist and producer of the newest troupe on the block, Street Sweeper Social Club, calls it “revolutionary party jams.” I call it anthems for a nation. The latest project, named after your friendly neighborhood municipal employers of sanitation, is a recent collaboration between Rage Against the Machine’s Morello and The Coup’s Boots Riley.
Whether or not you believe in Morello’s and Riley’s political convictions, their arena rap/rock style captures the attention of the struggling middle-class (wo)man. I remember going with my friend and …

I used to think that Red Jumpsuit Apparatus were some weird emo band that sang about how cool domestic abuse was. For their latest album, it seems the band’s collective balls dropped due to excessive listening of Appetite For Destruction and… I dunno, hitting women or something. Look, don’t get upset. Equal rights, equal fights, amirite?
RJ: So we’ll start off with… In general, it doesn’t have to be your band, but you can say your band if you want to, who do you consider the most replaceable member of a …

Julien-K and Combichrist Live
June 16th, 2009
Glasshouse, Pomona, CA.
On the eve of the Lakers championship parade, the kids of Los Angeles County came out in droves for a completely different reason- to see the gods of industrial rock, Julien-K and Combichrist perform at the Glasshouse in Pomona.
The Arts District lived up to its name with young kids wearing a colorful array of costumes and makeup. There were juvenile delinquents with Mohawks and fish nets, and even one Goth girl wore a skirt that lit up like Christmas lights. Apparently, Halloween …

Ancient Astronauts
We Are To Answer
ESL
8/10
Now, it may have been a preconceived prejudice, but I would never have assumed that a duo of German producers would be able to put together a mix of hip hop, afro beat, reggae and funk like they did for We Are To Answer. The fact that they did it well enough to pull in the likes of The Pharcyde and Raashan Ahmad highlights just how legit they actually are.
Free-flowing between lush, layered soundscapes and tracks perfect for your party playlists, Ancient Astronauts have …

Third Eye Blind
Hollywood Palladium
June 25, 2009
As always, I blame it on The Emperor. Jonathan Yost, you pulled me out of the dregs of Target into a world of music and then you take me to shows and let me see my former idols for what they are- arrogant jerks. Each cherished album of my youth has been shattered into oblivion by performances that fall flat, strange stage antics, and the realization that when all is said and done, the music really isn’t that great. Way to ruin the memories …