Gasp! Is it redundant or odd to critique a critique? Republish an article? This morning I read LA Weekly's cover story on the Silver Lake music scene, and while there isn't a lot of shocking information, it does a good job recognizing Silver Lake has always been a region, not a sound. The article deserves discussion. Plenty of artists have come out of here, defining themselves by their humble coffee shop/dive bar roots but there has never been one unifying movement or "sound" associated with it. Beck and Elliot Smith constantly defied expectations and genres unlike than say, the East Village scene in 1980s New York. And sure, you can always label the music, the people, even the brand of smokes they buy Hipster. But even that word has lost its meaning, gone the way of the Yippie it seems.
The Weekly gives props to local legends Autolux and Silversun Pickups as well as Hit Me Back, South Central teenagers with hardcore DIY know-how. The article outlines a history we all might not know. I was pleased to see attention paid to the Onyx Cafe, the coffee shop/performance space that used to be next to the Vista. How great would it be to see that reopen?

Labels: local, newsworthy, reviews