the BEAT of the week: Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities.

This Thursday, many of us get to celebrate all for which we are thankful with a beautiful, gut-busting meal. But as we all know, there are people out there who aren't as lucky. Take some time out this week to consider the little things you can do to make a big difference in others' lives.

Echo Park Now has a great round-up of local volunteer options for the holiday. There's the Echo's Gobble Gobble Give, where you can bring in a food dish, toiletries and blankets and clothing on Thanksgiving Day. A Place Called Home is taking pie donations. The L.A. Regional Food Bank needs help with food sorting.

It can take a couple hours but will be well worth it in the end. If you've got some time, you can lend it. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and don't forget it's the season of giving.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Lit Crawl 2.

Summertime is one of the best times to get your reading on and this Saturday literature nerds can bare witness to a marathon of reading around Echo Park. Those who are gutsy/inspired to share their reading can share their own work at nearby Stories Bookshop, which will have an open mic for those willing to share their work.

Hosting will be LA Times-er Carolyn Kellogg, with Slake literary journal editors Laurie Ochoa and Joe Donnelly. Writers are set to go head-to-head in a "no-holds-barred" read off, and will be judged on spirit and lyrical transcendence, and originality.

On the docket are Katie Arnoldi, Allison Burnett, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Dennis DanzigerSamantha Dunn, James Greer, Edan Lepucki, Joseph Mattson, Graham Moore, Neal Pollack, Rachel Resnick.

Among the stops on the crawl are El Prado, The Gold Room, Little Joy Cocktails, and The Shortstop -- all within walking distance of each other.

Lit Crawl 2 is set to begin at The Echo at 6 p.m. Attendees must be 21+. Entrance is free.

The Echo is located at 1822 W. Sunset Blvd.

-- Lauren Williams

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

Do It. Waved Out Festival and KSCR Fest.

Two all-day, all-ages music festivals touting the best in rising bands--plus food and other fun happenings to spare--for a grand total of $10? Welcome to the best weekend of your life, or otherwise known as March 27 and 28, the days of the Waved Out Festival and KSCR Fest, respectively.

But in all seriousness--this weekend is set to be one to remember. First up is the Waved Out Fest on Saturday, where ten bands are lined up to play the stages at both the Echo and the Echoplex, and the headliners are none other than fresh-off-SXSW-buzz bands Best Coast and Surfer Blood.

Best Coast is a female-headed, California beach-loving (you knew what they meant by 'Best') fuzz-pop group with a lot of reverb mixed with a lot of sentiment worthy of singing along to. Surfer Blood started out as a guilty pleasure for me, until I gave in and realized just how great they could be. They're East Coasters (south Florida, to be exact), but they've got enough laid-back surf-rock gems and soaring guitar solos to make them right at home here.

Considering the fest is being presented by vet music bloggers Aquarium Drunkard, and with the SXSW buzz building fast, there's no better time to catch these bands at a great venue like this. And all only for $10!

Remember to save up your energy though, because Sunday boasts the FREE KSCR Fest over at my alma mater USC (fight on!). Here we've got seven up-and-comers, led by SF noise pop band Thee Oh Sees. My pick in the line-up is local (by way of Santa Monica) band Princeton, who make sweet, shoe-gazey pop with a lot of genuine heart. Though young, they've been making music for a while, always on the cusp of something bigger, so grab your chance to see them now.

Plus, the delicious-sounding Coolhaus ice cream truck will be around, a perfect complement to a wonderful warm afternoon sprawling outside on a beautiful campus (really!), listening to some great tunes.

Just another great weekend in Los Angeles...

The Waved Out Festival will begin at 3:30pm on Saturday at the Echoplex at 1154 Glendale Blvd. in Echo Park, and the KSCR Fest will be in Founder's Park at USC at 3551 Trousdale Pkwy. near downtown starting at 4pm on Sunday.

-- Chau Tu

Eat Out. Two Boots.

Admittedly, when I first heard about NYC's pizza joint Two Boots moving into the hip corridor of Echo Park, I didn't think it was a big deal. But famished after a show at the neighboring Echo and enticed by its stained glass/crazy mural decor, the pizza called to me...and I'm so glad I answered.

Just like the rest of its neighborhood, Two Boots has an extra ounce of cool. The place is small, but has a pretty sweet covered patio, and is bright and wild with a (new?) jukebox and the aforementioned mural. And yet, you still can't distracted from the pizza. There are the usual varieties like BBQ chicken (above) and the Mr. Pink (chicken and tomatoes), but take a risk with the Bayou Beast (shrimp, crawfish, andouille and jalapenos) or the intimidating Slayer we came across last weekend (above, that spicy concoction with drizzles of pesto), and you won't be disappointed. The flavors are fresh and rich, and the crust is crispy and surprisingly not greasy.

Plus it's cheap--two slices and a drink comes to $9 even--and did I mention the jukebox? Perfect for late-night eats too: Two Boots stays open until midnight on weeknights and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Two Boots is located at 1818 W. Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: theBEAT