If you're staying in town over Memorial Day, there are bunch of fun options happening in LA over the three-day weekend. Namely, lots and lots of festivals.

Silver Lake Jubilee

What:  A two-day street festival in Silver Lake featuring Aloe Blacc, KINKY, Autolux, La Sera, Abe Vigoda, Allah-Lahs, Eastern Conference Champions (one of my favorite local LA bands), The Soft Pack, and a bunch of other bands. Plus, food trucks, comedians, and a general committment to eco-consciousness. Remember to bring your own water bottle so you can fill up for free at their water fountains.

See full schedule. 

When:  Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27

Where: Santa Monica Blvd between Commonweath & Sunset

Tickets:  You can get two-day passes at Amoeba Hollywood now or get tickets at the gates. If you're buying tickets at the gate, you can save $3-$6 by presenting your LA Metro card/receipt.



The JazzReggae Festival

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Swedish garage rock quintet The Hives visited Amoeba Hollywood today for a What's In My Bag? video on their way to the desert for Coachella weekend #2. This is the band's second time playing Coachella (their first was in 2003) and, after last weekend's performance at the festival, they were excited to be heading back for another show. Their new album, Lex Hives - their first album in five years - is out June 5 on band's Disques Hive label.

At the end of the shoot, the band was joined by honorary Hives member and unofficial Amoeba mascot CASH the dog! 

Howlin' Pelle Almqvist (vocals)	Vigilante Carlstroem (guitar)

Chris Dangerous (drums)	Nicholaus Arson (guitar)

Dr. Matt Destruction (bass)

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We had the pleasure of interviewing the legendary Herbie Hancock at Amoeba Hollywood for a What's In My Bag? episode and to talk about his role as the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for International Jazz Day (April 30). During the shoot, Mr. Hancock told us about his Sony 4K 3D projector and his obsession with watching 3D Blu-ray movies.

Born in Chicago in 1940, Mr. Hancock was a child piano prodigy who performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 11. He began playing jazz in high school, and cultivated a passion for electronics and science, double-majoring in music and electrical engineering in college. Over the course of his five decade career, his music has influenced musicians across genres, including jazz, soul, and electronic. As the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Hancock will kick off the festivities in Paris on April 27, then flying to New Orleans and New York for events in both cities on April 30.

We're screening a documentary about Mr. Hancock called Herbie Hancock: Possibilities for FREE on Monday, April 30 at Space 15Twenty (across from Amoeba Hollywood). More info.

Los Angeles band VUM has a brand new video for "Savage" from their album, Night Sun (out now on Secret Lodge Recordings) and we have the pleasure of premiering the video! You can also grab "Savage" as a free download on Amoeba.com.

A former Amoeba Home Grown artist, VUM is Jennifer Pearl (ex-Lion Fever, Lost Kids) and Christopher Badger (Grand Elegance). Directed and conceived by Michael Frost, who has been working with the duo since he fell in love with their first album Strange Attractor, the video features Pearl as a prism-beast radiating different images while Badger guides her through the LA canyons and into some trippy make out action (bodysuits and optical illusion included).

Vum Night Sun (LP) Secret Lodge Recordings
Free MP3 of "Savage" by VUM.

VUM's latest album, Night Sun, was recorded between LA and the South Pacific, where singer/guitarist Pearl was living for a time. The  duo calls their unique sound "cinematic noir," capitalizing on Pearl's deep, powerful vocals, psychedelic guitars, dark wave synths, and thumping Suicide-esque drum machines. Intertwined throughout are field recordings from the jungle.

On Monday, Fiona Apple revealed the artwork and tracklisting from her upcoming fourth album, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do, due out June 19, 2012. It's been seven years since her last album, Extraordinary Machine (Epic/Clean Slate), and I'm anxious to hear the new music. I've waited seven years, what's a few more months?

She has been playing a few shows, including South by Southwest last month, but alas no West Coast dates have been announced yet. As of now, her only listed show date is June 24 in New York at the Governors Ball Music Festival.

UPDATE 4/9:  Fiona has added tour dates for June and July! She's coming to LA July 29, playing The Hollywood Palladium. Tickets go on sale 4/27 at 10am. Woo hoo!

Tracklisting: Every Single Night Daredevil Valentine Jonathan Left Alone Werewolf Periphery Regret Anything We Want Hot Knife

Watch her perform two songs from the new album during recent shows: