the monthly BEAT: Miracle Mile/Mid-City/Fairfax. Ooh LA L.A. Festival.

Time to practice your French, fellow Angelenos -- the Ooh LA L.A. Festival is coming to town. The third annual French music event is the only one of its kind and caliber in Los Angeles, and it takes over the El Rey for three days at the end of this month.

The big highlight is Nouvelle Vague's performance on Sept. 29, when the French band known for taking on rock's classics and giving them a sultry twist tackles a new challenge: a musical directed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. It's called "Dawn of Innocence," and although I'm not too familiar with his work, here's a video preview of a past collaboration between the two.



Sept. 30 will feature a performance by the collective Tinariwen, and on Oct. 1, Birdy Nam Nam will be joined by DJ Cam and Feadz. Check out more info here.

The Ooh LA L.A. Festival takes place from Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the El Rey, located at 5515 Wilshire Blvd. in Mid-City.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Blonde Redhead L.A. shows July 1 and 2.

In case you missed Blonde Redhead last time they came to town, get tickets now for their upcoming summer shows.

On July 1 they will be at Echoplex, and on the 2nd at El Rey.

Listen now: Falling Man on Misery is a Butterfly.

Both shows $25 general admission.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: blonde-redhead.com

Check It. Broadcast at the El Rey [The Monday Download].

Music lost a wonderful voice and presence in the passing of Broadcast's Trish Keenan earlier this month. If you missed out on the band's dreamy electronic sounds, it's never too late to start; and hey, we've even got an L.A. twist for you.

Buzz Bands has an amazing download of Broadcast playing at the El Rey on Nov. 1, 2000. The recording was ripped directly from the soundboard, so this isn't just a rough tape recording from the crowd. Check it out, and enjoy.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Friday concert round-up.

Need some music for your Friday night? We've got a round-up of a few notables, and while these shows might be 'sold-out,' we know you BEATs can work some magic. What's the point of living in L.A. if you can do a little persuading (or a little party-crashing), right?

- First Fridays at the Natural History Museum: although the new (lame) ticketing system for this formerly first-come-first-serve event means this show has been sold out for weeks, this month's edition probably won't bring the crazy, hip-obsessed crowds it did for last month's Yeasayer and Warpaint duo. Deertick and Everest will still be fun though, and hey, you can still find out "Do Flies Have Feelings?"
5:30pm at the Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles

- Bird and the Bee at the El Rey: a show with this indie twosome is already incentive enough to head out to Miracle Mile, but they've got something extra special planned for tonight. This will be the only show where they'll be performing from their latest album, "Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates," set to be released on the 23rd. Pop heaven. Will Joseph Gordon-Levitt show up for a dance number? We hope so. In any case, you can even keep tabs on the show from home, thanks to Livestream.
8pm at the El Rey, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile

- Appleseed Cast at the Echoplex: this one's another special exclusive: the post rockers will be playing their critically-acclaimed and beloved monster of an album, Low Level Owl I & II in its entirety tonight at the Echoplex. That's, uh, 50 songs for you, and at least a solid two hours of pure sprawling, atmospheric. At $15, it's certainly your money's worth to witness live the heart behind one of the ambitious and influential post-rock records to date.
8:30pm at the Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park

-- 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