Check It. She & Him on Conan [The Monday Download].

Although She & Him is one of those bands that's widely accepted as an exception to the actor-shouldn't-be-a-musician rule, I believe they're still pretty underrated for the most part. Yes, they do make great cute pop songs with a touch of vintage soul, but M. Ward does happen to be quite the amazing guitarist, and holy cow, Zooey Deschanel has an incredible voice that definitely doesn't get shown off enough, even in She & Him's music.

Need proof? The twosome's simple performance of Screamin Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" on Conan last week is just breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and witness it below:

Told you.

And for some holiday fun, check out this behind-the-scenes video of She & Him playing with Conan himself.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. LA Times Food and Wine Fest.

There's never been a better time than now to be a foodie in Los Angeles, but with the plethora of food trucks and food fests all over the place, it can definitely feel overwhelming. If you're curious but too busy or lazy (or both) to try and weed through all the options, the L.A. Times may have the answer for you.

The newspaper (full disclosure: we three here at the BEAT were previously employed there) is set to hold its Celebration of Food and Wine event on Sept. 5th (Labor Day weekend), and the schedule is packed with demonstrations, tastings, signings and discussions from the best and most popular chefs around. Among the many exciting names of those scheduled to appear: Michael Voltaggio (trust me, you won't want to miss his food), Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Mark Peel, Suzanne Goin and Betty Fraser, as well as food trucks like Coolhaus and The Buttermilk Truck. And on top of all that, there'll be a concert with the awesome She & Him.

Tickets for the entire event are $55 each, which may seem a bit steep at first, but considering you'll be stuffed with delicious grub and get to see great entertainment, it isn't so bad. And if you're not interested in any food (though upon arrival, you may find this decision regrettable), you can catch the concert alone for $40.

The L.A. Times Celebration of Food and Wine takes place at Paramount Studios in Hollywood on Sept. 5.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Treasure Island Music Festival.

While the Treasure Island Music Festival isn't in Los Angeles, it's definitely becoming one of those annual events more than worth the road trip. Set on the tiny island just off the shore of the San Francisco Bay, the music and arts fest is small, but better for it because it actually allows you to see all the acts in the line-up. And that line-up? It just happens to be getting better and better each year.

To wit, this year's just-announced line-up for October boasts LCD Soundsystem headlining Saturday's more electronic-influenced group of performers like Deadmaus and Miike Snow, and the just-back-on-tour Belle & Sebastian leading a more indie program of The National and She & Him on Sunday. Check out the rest of the bands here.

The event takes place October 16 and 17th, but specially priced early-bird two-day tickets go on sale TODAY at 10am for $99. Once that limited quantity sells out, they'll be $119.50. Or you can wait until Friday for advance one-day tickets for $67.50 each. Buy them soon; the fest is sure to sell-out, and you need to plan that fun road trip of yours anyway.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Swell Season, the Bird and the Bee, and She & Him.

All three of these very talented bands will be appearing together at the Hollywood Bowl July 18, and because of their popularity tickets are going to be snatched up pretty quickly.

Seats are to the show are pretty reasonable between the $10-$55 range.

Below is a video from talented She & Him, the Zooey Deschanel/M. Ward combination.

-- Lauren Williams

Do It. Pledge to 826LA's 'Chickens in Love.'

Always coming up with new and creative ways to help raise money and awareness for the importance of tutoring and writing education, the time-traveling experts at 826LA have yet another cool fundraiser on hand.

Chickens in Love pairs some well-known musicians with the 826LA students who come to the centers in Venice and Echo Park for tutoring. As part of one particular student workshop called Songwriting with The Submarines, students were split up into bands to write their own original songs with original lyrics, with a little musical guidance from (that iPhone-commercial band) The Submarines. The results range from cute and funny to inventive, but all have a lot of heart.

Which is why you should take some time, listen to the songs, pick your favorite and send a little money their way. The proceeds go to help 826LA and their awesome cause, and the student winners get an ice cream party!

If that's not enough of an incentive for you, you can always pre-order the album version of Chickens in Love, which features the student-written songs as covered by bands like She & Him, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Cold War Kids and Fiona Apple. Or you could also check out the Chickens in Love mini music fest this Saturday with The Submarines themselves, plus The Pity Party, Summer Darling and special guests Dianna Argon from Glee and Thao Nguyen. Act quick; last I saw, the $15 show was close to being sold out.

Cool bands and philanthropy, all easily rolled into one--do the right thing and donate!

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. She & Him.

Indie darlings She & Him are playing the El Rey on March 25, and if you want to go, you may as well be prepared and buy presale. The password is VOLUMETWO, and it starts at 10:00 a.m. Friday (tomorrow) at goldenvoice.com.

Zooey Deschanel is best known for her acting (Elf, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 500 Days of Summer) but her band is definitely a worthwhile venture too. With M. Ward in the mix it's hard to go too wrong, but L.A. native Deschanel holds her own. Their music is quite delightful.

Some trivia for the music fans who didn't already know: Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie married in September.

Tickets on sale at: www.goldenvoice.com

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Goldenvoice