for the inaugural installment of this column, i thought i’d start by mentioning a couple favorites from the town i call home: los angeles.

despite the fact that it’s 2007, i still get meatheads who call my radio show every week requesting (read: demanding) that i “play some punk rock”. man, am i tired of punk rock. well, more accurately, i’m tired of the people who desperately cling to it, despite the fact that 1977 was officially 30 years ago. punk rock was intended to be confrontational, immediate, and more than a little dangerous. while there’s plenty of bands who still fly the flag, there’s few who really capture that spirit in a way that’s updated and relevant.

die princess die is one of those rare exceptions. in the loosest terms, sure they’re a punk band. but somehow they’ve melded all that intensity of yesterpunk with modern samples, loops, and beats. make no mistake…this is no electroclash band. their sound is big, punishing, and relentless. live, they have a jagged elegance that belies their imposing presence. pick up “lions eat lions” on the gsl label. turn up “the racer” in your car…i personally guarantee a speeding ticket.

pigeon john is the real deal when it comes to hip-hop. he grew up in inglewood, came from a broken home, light on cash. so now that he’s a rapper with a record deal, why isn’t he rappin’ about bitches & money? real simple…pj’s got too much class for that.

with a couple full-lengths under his belt, pigeon john finally hit the bigtime when he signed with quannum projects last year. you know you’re doing something right when the guys from blackalicious and dj shadow give you the nod. check out “pigeon john and the summertime pool party”. it takes a brave soul to laugh in the face of gangstas, evil bosses, and golddiggers. pigeon john laughs, and does it with panache. give a listen to “the last sunshine”. it was produced by rjd2 and also features j-live on guest vocals.

new releases 6.5.07: go buy the new shellac album, “excellent italian greyhound”. just do it, trust me.

if you enjoy these tunes, tune into my radio show on kxlu 88.9fm 10a-2p every monday. we’re also streaming live at www.kxlu.com. if you think radio’s not worth listening to anymore, give me a chance to prove you wrong.