This Saturday is the 10-year-anniversary of the formation of the Swedish band known as Peter Bjorn & John–named after the band members, bless their little Swede souls–and they’re celebrating with surprise guests, rare songs, even a whistling contest. We’ve got your tickets! To win, you’ll have to humor me and leave a comment below containing something you hate most about The Kids. Because every time I hear the words “Young Folks,” all I think is “Get off my lawn!” For example [clears throat]: “I hate your f***ing acid-washed skinny jeans.” See? You know you can do this. Everybody can do this.  Show info is here.

We’ve got another couple pairs of tickets to give to you lucky people to see Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas in his residency at the Downtown Palace Theatre tomorrow night. Wanna go? Leave a comment below telling me why you deserve, more than anyone else, to see this show. Be ruthless.

Show info is here, if you’d like to read a bit more about it.

LA is just awash in great rock shows. Tomorrow night’s offerings include electronic duo Royksopp at Club Nokia (show info), and Big Pink with locals Crystal Antlers at the El Rey (show info).

So many shows, so little time! If you don’t know about The Big Pink, you can hear them pretty regularly on KCRW now; I have to admit I was utterly annoyed by the lyrics of “Dominoes,” but that’s just my petulant feminism and bitterness about dating too many boys in bands. When I stop to listen to the layers of sound behind the words, it’s a crazy big sonic-scape that combines the best of shoegaze, deep house and Stone Roses/Oasis/Radiohead’s “Kid A.”

And Royksopp, our somber, crunky disco pals from Norway–well, how could anyone choose between these shows?

Too bad! You’re going to have to choose. To win tix to either show, you have to explain why you love either The Big Pink or Royksopp THAT much–or for a dark-horse kind of entry, you can profess your love for Crystal Antlers.  I have a handful of ticket pairs for each show, so go crazy & good luck.

LAist’s Emily Lerman royal we’s her enjoyment of  the visually stunning new video titled “The Ride,” inspired by the song “Kings + Queens” from 30 Seconds To Mars. Me, not so much.

The 8.5-minute short (the last 2-plus minutes of which are the credits) centers around a Midnight Ridazz-esque group night ride featuring Jared Leto and his band pedaling along with a purported group of actual Ridazz — I say “purported” because individual close-ups reveal them all to be far too sullenly sans FUN as they journey glumly in the dark across and under the requisite downtown locations such as the 6th Street Bridge, the Second Street tunnel, and Grand Street. Seriously: Why so serious?

But everything’s great eye candy and otherwise going mostly awesome and only threatening to be hugely overwrought and ultra-serious like the song until the video’s director, Bartholomew Cubbins, decides to have a paid-actor/stuntperson get fatally creamed on his bike by a motorist near Pershing Square. Then, while everyone stands dumbly around by the body like powered-down replicants, poor Cubbins couldn’t help but trot out a hornless unicorn galloping in slo-mo up a dark street. Of course, with a visual like that the dead ridah can’t help but awaken refreshed from his unplanned road nap, and  just get up on his undamaged bike to ride away.

After that there’s more of Leto singing, then a critical mass-style “circle of death” at an ironically traffic-less intersection. Then all the still way-too-bummed cyclists start wailing like a giant gruff chorus along with Leto until they magically arrive at the Santa Monica Pier where they disappear. Fade to black.

Your mileage may vary from my curmudgeonly take.

PS. If the embed’s dead up there, here’s the video’s URL:

• http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=100601596

A Fine Frenzy is the irresistibly adorable Alison Sudol, whom I had the pleasure of meeting about a year ago when she swung by my work. Her idiosyncratic sound is one part singer-songwriteress, one part stripped-down Tori Amos, one part Feist and one part you’re-so-cute-I-could-smack-you. She comes to the El Rey with Landon Pigg, whom I saw most recently as the typical rocker-guy-on-tour archetype opposite Ellen Page in “Whip It.” He’s a hot singer in a band who leads her down the proverbial garden path until he goes on tour and well…touring happens. Feh.

But I’m sure he’s not such a douchebag in real life, and Alison is just great, so you should go see this show.  Want tickets? Tell me about a musician you think is so awesome & talented, or so attractive & lucky, that you’ve found yourself oozing resentment every time you see them. I will feel your pain and assign tickets accordingly.

Info on the show is here.

Look how much we love you. We’re just BLOWING OUT tickets! And these are fantastic bands: the Mountain Goats are accompanied by Final Fantasy. Wow, there’s so much going on Sunday night and I’d really love to go to this show. The MG’s combine some of the best of The Decemberists, Neutral Milk Hotel, Okkervil River and They Might Be Giants. There’s even a little Dylan in there. I wonder if I can do the two things I’ve already committed to this Sunday night, AND go to this show. Hmm.

Oh well. I may be boned for attending this one, but you should go. To win tickets, leave me the best excuse you’ve ever made up or heard for missing an event. Because I may need to find a good excuse so I can attend this show.

Show info is here.

My boy is back after a week away shooting music and art in Vegas, and boy are his arms tired! Um…sorry. Yes. Anyway, CuriousJosh is here with your to-do list of this week’s weird and wonderful underground events. -Lucinda.

Hello Los Angeles! I’m CuriousJosh, happily here on loan courtesy of LA Weekly. Read on for vampires, live art, Miss Jackson–if you’re nasty–Hello Kitty, underground DJs, and wig socialization opportunities.

Downtown Artwalk (Thursday)
Thousands converge for this culture crawl through Los Angeles’ downtown art district. Visit an array of galleries, speckled with live music, wine, craft sales, and more. FREE

I AM A LASER (Thursday)
When artwalk dies down, the culture continues. DJs and Live art highlight the new monthly I AM A LASER artwalk afterparty at Club Nokia. This month features DJ Take (Dublab/Alpha Pup/Los Angeles), R/D (The Designed Disorder), LC (Cannibal Flower/Think Space), live artwork by Hans Haveron, live painting by John Park, and roving photography by Curious Josh.  $10.

Wig Out! (Thursday)
Get your wig out, and join this offbeat crowds monthly themed wig party. This month DJ My Little Pony, DJ Spinny, and performance art troupe Art of Bleeding spearheads the medical themed health care night. Tonight’s a perfect opportunity to use that Halloween naughty nurse outfit you thought would stay in the closet until next year. $8 with wig/ $10 without. At Bordello. (Great parking and safe!) 901 E 1st St, 90012.

Click thru for vamps, tribal DJ parties, one spooky Kitty, and wardrobe malfunctions en masse.

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That’s right people! Step right up and get your tickets to see the world-famous Raisinets onstage in all their dessicated, fruity, chocolaty glory…wait, what’s that? Hmm? You mean, it’s not raisins? It’s raving?

…

That’s right people! Step right up and get your tickets to see the world-famous Raveonettes onstage in all their dessicated, fruity, chocolaty glory!

Kidding. There’s nothing dessicated or fruity about Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, even though their names are weird. Although the candy comparison isn’t entirely off–their music lately has become downright dirty, the kind of grungy (not grunge), crusty, fuzzed-out sonic landscapes layered over candy-coated melodies you expected from bands like Jesus & Mary Chain, Stone Roses and more recently, Autolux. So, envision a delicious Mike & Ike dropped on the floor of the dollar movie theatre, and you get my drift. I freaking love this band and I’m pissed I can’t go to this show, but you can, you lucky spud.

To win, tell me your favorite kind of candy in the comments. I’m a candy nut, and we only have one pair of tix to give away, so you better make it good.

The Downtown Palace

Ooooooo, spooky! Former frontman of the Strokes, Julian Casablancas, has a residency at the Palace Theatre this month, and damn is this show hot! It’s the first time in quite a while that anyone has played a rock show there, in this gem of a classic Broadway movie house–so you can listen to a guy from New York sing songs about New York while in a venue that is actually as old as the ones in New York–a rarity out here, I know.

His new album is really pretty good–we’ve all been listening to it around at work–and I know you’ll enjoy the show. So we’ve got tickets for you! To win, tell me your favorite garage rock band. “Garage rock” is an elastic term, so you can tell me everything from Weezer to the Ramones to Death (the Detroit punk band). Hey, ho! Let’s go!

I couldn’t turn these down. Thanks to Dani at Goldenvoice for hooking a girl up with tix to HUEY LEWIS AND THE m-f’in NEWS (show info: Thursday @ Club Nokia) to give out to a select few of you lucky, lucky people!

I admit it. After my first cassette tape–Stacey Q –I then acquired two from Huey Lewis and the News.

I listened, somewhat nonplussed by the deep and complex narratives and unable to appreciate the profound artistic flourishes, because I was only maybe eleven years old. If I had only known. If I had only known.

Wanna go to the show? I just bet you do. It’s the POWER OF LOVE.

Ok, I’ll stop. Comment & tell me the first piece of music you bought. LP, EP, cassette, CD, maybe you’re 12 and it was a mp3. Whatever. Let me know, & be sure to check your email regularly in case you win!