the BEAT of the week: Culture Collide Festival.

I really can never say enough about the plethora of great music and concerts that we have available to us here in Los Angeles. We're oh so lucky to have bands consistently play our venues, and we're lucky to have a number of unique and fun opportunities to find the next slew of up-and-coming bands.

The latest example: Filter Magazine's Culture Collide Festival. In its third year, the event is going stronger than ever, getting 25 notable bands from all over the world to come and represent their home countries. On the homefront here in the U.S., we've got the likes of Of Montreal, Zola Jesus, Diiv; there are bands like the Wombats and Patrick Wolf repping the U.K.; there's even John Talabot for Spain and Bondo de Role for Brazil.

They're all taking over the eastside for four days this weekend -- and I bet you can't even believe that the entire weekend, all shows for all four days, will only cost you $20. One Andrew Jackson! Spend it well.

Filter Magazine's Culture Collide Festival takes place Oct 4-7 in various locations all over the eastside of L.A. Get more info here.

-- Chau Tu

the BEAT of the week: Make Music Pasadena.

Pasadena isn't usually known for being on the cutting edge of music and culture, what with its cleanly manicured neighborhoods and chain store shopping avenues, but Make Music Pasadena may change a lot of minds. For this one weekend in the summer, the city lets its hair loose to offer a totally rocking music fest featuring a number of exciting and up-and-coming bands and musicians -- and it's all for free. This year, you can check out the likes of artists like Grimes, Cults, Dam Funk, Dengue Fever, Grouplove and Milo Greene, among a slew of others. You're bound to discover someone new along the stages, and did I mention that it's all free?

Make Music Pasadena takes place this Saturday, June 16 from 11am-11pm all over downtown Pasadena. Check out the lineup here, which has specific addresses for the various stages.

-- Chau Tu

the BEAT of the week: The Jubilee.

I can't even believe it's already Memorial Day weekend. If it snuck up on you too, you still have a chance of making the most of it with tickets to this weekend's Jubilee -- formerly known as the Silver Lake Jubilee. Probably looking to expand beyond being a simple neighborhood fest, the event this year continues to boast a musical lineup of both big and local names (Aloe Blacc, Kinky, The Soft Pack, Autolux, Abe Vigoda, and so on) plus the usual L.A. fanfare of food trucks and an all-out block party. A two-day pass ($35) gets you a free tote bag or T-shirt (until supplies last, of course), and a one-day pass is only $20!

Time to kick off the summer.

The Jubilee is taking place this Saturday and Sunday at the Sunset Junction, located at 4000 Santa Monica Blvd. in Silver Lake. Get more info on the event here.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Eagle Rock Music Festival.

Another weekend, another great chance at seeing live entertainment for cheap in L.A.!

This time around, it's the Eagle Rock Music Festival, featuring performances from especially good local acts like Flying Lotus, HEALTH, Mia Doi Todd, Nosaj Thing (the entire Low End Theory stage is fantastic), Shadow Shadow Shade, Rooney and more for just a $5 suggested donation. It's all going down this Saturday, Oct. 1 from 4pm-10pm, right on Colorado Blvd. L.A. couldn't be more good to us music fans.

The Eagle Rock Music Festival takes place this Saturday on Colorado Blvd. between Argus & Eagle Rock Blvd. in Eagle Rock.

-- Chau Tu

the monthly BEAT: Silver Lake. Sunset Junction 2011.

For August's edition of the monthly BEAT, we're focusing on Silver Lake, which actually just so happens to be my own new neighborhood. It's a land oft-known/ridiculed for its hipsterism, but that mainly just means there are a lot of newer, younger places popping up around town that, while carry a hype machine, could be worth your visit.

But there are also some institutions already in place, a la Malo, Intelligentsia, and of course, the Sunset Junction Music Festival and Street Fair. Taking place at the end of the month at -- where else? -- the Sunset Junction, the musical lineup includes bands and artists both local and not, both big and small. Think Bobby Womack, the Melvins, Hanson (yep), Art Brut, the Butthole Surfers, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Dum Dum Girls, alongside the Soft Pack, Lesands, Hands, Oh Darling and more. And then there's the market and food and fair stuff and general fun galore.

Tickets are only $20 per day, get them here.

The Sunset Junction Music Festival and Street Fair takes place Aug. 27-28 at Sunset Junction, located at 3700 to 4300 Sunset Blvd. (between Edgecliffe Dr. and Fountain Ave.) and 4000 to 4200 Santa Monica Blvd. (between Sanborn Ave. and Hoover St.).

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. FYF Fest.

Although it had its share of organizational problems last year, FYF Fest is still, in my opinion, one of the best music festivals offered in Southern California. The FYF crew is always able to round up a great lineup, mixing big names with small, and keep the price for admission reasonable. And being set in downtown on Labor Day weekend? What a way to say farewell to summer.

It feels like a long ways off, but it's time to prepare now. FYF Fest 2011 was announced last Wednesday, and tickets are now on sale. For $35 (early price) to $40, it's basically a steal to see awesome bands like the Descendents, Death From Above 1979 (who made a triumphant return from hiatus this year, and completely killed it at Coachella), Explosions in the Sky, Broken Social Scene (always amazing at festivals), Dan Deacon, Guided By Voices, Cults, Japandroids, Cass McCombs, Avi Buffalo, Fool's Gold and so many more.

Get your tickets now -- it'll likely be on the road to selling out soon.

FYF Fest 2011 is taking place Saturday, Sept. 3rd at (new location!) City Hall, located at 1st and Main in downtown.

-- Chau Tu

The monthly BEAT: Pasadena. Make Music Pasadena.

All month in our new neighborhood series the monthly BEAT, we've been focusing on some spots special to Pasadena. Now I've got a reason for you to come back to the area later.

June 18th, to be specific. That's the date for Make Music Pasadena, a free music festival set right in the heart of the city. The festival is relatively new, but this year is already boasting a huge and awesome lineup, including Best Coast, Ra Ra Riot, The Morning Benders, Kisses, Zola Jesus, and much much more. And did I mention that it's all free??

Seriously too good to pass up. The bands will be spread out across different stages around the area, outside restaurants and stores, so this'll be the perfect chance to check out 21 Choices or the PMCAor all the other wonderful Pasadena wonders. Oh, and the great music on hand too. Happy Pasadena-ing!

Get more info onMake Music Pasadena here.

--Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Pacific Festival OC.

Hands down, one of my favorite performers live is the Australian dance indie pop band Cut Copy. Their catchy tunes make for great sing-alongs in the car, but seeing and feeling the band's energy and enthusiasm in person is a whole other ordeal. They get into the music as much as everyone else, and you can't help but leave their show with a smile on your face, and feet tired from all the dancing you did.

Cut Copy just played an enigmatic set at Coachella, but their return to Southern California is already booked. They'll be headlining Pacific Festival OC, taking place in August in Irvine. Sure, you'll have to drive down the coast to Orange County, but with Toro Y Moi, !!!, Classixx, the Growlers and Superhumanoids also on the line-up, it'll be worth the long trip. And if you purchase tickets now, you'll be paying nearly half the regular price -- $50 instead of $95. But these tickets are super limited, so get on it, and get ready to soon dance with some fun Aussies.

Pacific Festival OC is taking place on August 13 at Oak Canyon Ranch, located at 5305 E Santiago Canyon in Irvine. Get more info here.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Springfest and KXSC Fest at USC.

While its crosstown rival may have hosted Local Natives last week, USC is ready to up its game and give you a double whammy of music this weekend. The downtown campus will be holding not one, but two different music festivals, sure to entice all your musical taste buds.

First up is Springfest 2011 on Saturday, headlined by the ever-talented Mos Def. Other artists to perform include Kid Sister, Murs, Rooney, Steel Train and Hands, and Kogi BBQ and the Dim Sum Truck are expected to pop on by.

Then on Sunday comes the (local campus radio station) KXSC Fest 2011, leaning on the more indie rock spectrum. They've got local faves Abe Vigoda and Avi Buffalo lined up, as well as Puro Instinct, Julianna Barwick, and a very special secret guest. There'll also be DJ sets, and a visit from the Coolhaus truck.

It's all day, all free and all ages -- enjoy some music and get your Trojan love on.

USC is located 3551 Trousdale Pkwy. near downtown.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: USC

Advance Notice. KJEE Summer Round-Up in Santa Barbara.

June sounds like a nice time for a weekend getaway, right? And if you needed a bigger excuse, you've got it with the KJEE Summer Round-Up happening June 3rd at the Santa Barbara Bowl. With a line-up that includes Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John, Foster the People and Cage the Elephant, you know you'll be starting off summer just right. Plus, tickets are only $18-25! Definitely a steal, and worth that beautiful drive up the coast.

Presale begins today at 10am with the password "elephant" or you can wait until the official onsale tomorrow.

The KJEE Summer Round-Up begins at 4pm on Friday, June 3rd at the Santa Barbara Bowl, located at 1122 N. Milpas St. in Santa Barbara.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Sunset Strip Music Festival.

The Sunset Strip is a place that'll forever have its role in rock 'n' roll history, and although it no longer stands at the forefront of the popular music scene, that doesn't mean it's stopped trying (staying true to its rock spirit!).

On August 28th, the famed street holds the 3rd annual Sunset Strip Music Festival, closing down Sunset Blvd. from San Vicente to Doheny to host a full-on raucous affair featuring live performances, booths, food and drink. And since this is the Sunset Strip, there are some big names to be had--watch out for performances from the Smashing Pumpkins, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and Fergie, Kid Cudi, Travie McCoy and Common, plus 50 or so more bands.

Tickets are available now for $49.50, and it's definitely better to get them beforehand instead of paying $65 at the door. Purchase VIP 3-day tickets for $250 each, and you'll get into the street fest plus the festivities on Aug. 26 and 27, when Slash is honored with a tribute event and even more bands will be performing amongst the Sunset Strip venues. Rock on!

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Culture Collide Festival.

Without a doubt, Los Angeles has one of the most vibrant and consistently-awesome music scenes in the country. We're always cooking up something new and fresh to add to the 'next best' lists, and we house some of the best intimate venues in the country, so it's really no wonder why musicians continue to flock here in search of rock stardom.

Filter magazine's Culture Collide Festival is zoning in on this phenomenon, and bringing us local music fans along for the fun. The four-day music fest, taking place October 7-10, is bringing in bands from all over the world (including Norway, Sweden, Israel and the U.K.) into L.A., and calling up some of L.A.'s own bands to come and act as ambassadors. The artists will get the chance to exchange advice, stories and musical wisdoms, and in between it all, play a few fun shows at local venues.

For us fans, that means checking out sets by great up-and-coming bands as well as some well-known names, playing in great places like The Echo and Spaceland. Think Klaxons (representing the U.K. and making their grand return) next to the local group We Barbarians, or the Black Lips (from Atlanta) playing after Land of Talk (Canada). It'll be a melting pot of the familiar and strange, the new and the known.

And the best part? The whole weekend-long fest can be enjoyed for only $20. And the line-up already lists more than 20 bands, with more to be added soon. Talk about a deal! But better get on it quick, tickets are already on sale and sure to sell out, and you won't want to miss out on this meeting of musical nations.

-- Chau Tu