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

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