With tonight’s 8pm screening of Independence Day at Oakland’s  Paramount Theatre the historic art deco auditorium will officially kick off another summer of its popular Throwback Thursday Movie series. As in years past this lovingly restored national historic landmark building in downtown Oakland has dedicated one Thursday evening each summer month to screen modern classic American movies; and all for the ever affordable price of only $5.

Next month on Thursday July 26th they'll screen This Is Spinal Tap, August 16th it will be the 40th anniversary screening of National Lampoon's Animal House, and on September 20th the 2018 summer series will conclude with John Hughes' 1985 film The Breakfast Club.   Scroll down to view movie trailers and read descriptions of each film as well as links to DVD/BluRay versions and their accompanying soundtracks (all available from Amoeba).

Standout 2018 new indie rock artist Andy Jenkins' remarkable album Sweet Bunch  on Spacebomb Records is one of those rock rarities that simultaneously manages to sound both refreshingly familiar yet completely original. Examples of this abound throughout the Richmond VA singer-songwriter's just released nine track, 40 minute debut on such songs as "Let's Get Illuminated," "Ascendant Hog" and the Sweet Bunch title track. On that blues infused lead single (music video above) Jenkins is joined by Spacebomb label head / founder Matthew E. White who also produces the album that looks destined to make many 2018 year-end best new artist lists.

Comedian/musician Reggie Watts and electronic artist and DJ John Tejada visited Amoeba Hollywood to do some record shopping and shared their deep knowledge and eclectic taste in our latest What's In My Bag? episode. The duo, whose new collaborative project is called Wajatta, dug through the bins and found some classic, obscure, and personally sentimental records.

Watts and Tejada met at an after-hours gig Tejada was DJing, their creative partnership culminating in their debut album, Casual High Technology, a soulful blend of classic house, Chicago footwork, and Balearic beats. After a formidable career releasing music via electronic stalwarts like Kompakt, Pokerflat, Cocoon, Plug Research, Seventh City, Playhouse, Defected, and his own Palette label, this is Tejada's first release on the normally laughs-driven label Comedy Dynamics.

This weekend’s all inclusive, multi-cultural, community-driven, all-ages and free LakeFest Oakland (Lake Merritt Saturday 11am-7pm) could not have come at a more perfect time. From this past week’s hate-filled national rhetoric of dehumanizing asylum seekers and their separated children to the two recent well-publicized local hate acts by “Jogger Joe” and “BBQ Becky” of targeting homeless and African Americans respectively at the Oakland lake, LakeFest's positive, non-discriminatory event that warmly embraces all members of our society is most welcome!

Happening tomorrow, Saturday June 23rd, down by Lake Merritt Boating Center, LakeFest Oakland’s family-friendly event will include various fun activities, food and drink, plus of course music. Even better the talent packed event will showcase some of the best artists from the culturally diverse City of Oakland. Meanwhile LakeFest will also revive the spirit of the bygone (and missed) Festival At The Lake that ran from 1982 through 1997.

Leading the top five chart of the latest batch of hip-hop arrivals at Amoeba Music is the Living Legends' legendary emcee Eligh whose long awaited brand new solo album Last House On The Block (also on 2LP/vinyl) (Eligh Music) comes highly recommended. While offering up a diverse sounding mix of tracks, from throwback boom bap to new school West Coast sounding, Eligh ties it all together with his effortlessly high-caliber engaging flow. Further enhancing this 66 minute, 18 track album are his well chosen mic guests, several of whom are longtime collaborators of the emcee. Album guests include Evidence ("Burn"),  R.A. The Rugged Man and Eamon ("Still Chasing"), Max ZT  and Priya Darshini ("Thursday Child"),  Zion I ("Focused") and gratefully his longtime partner in rhyme in his Legends side-project duo The Grouch who collaborates along with Zion I's Zumbi on "Focused" as well as on "Pain on the Break." The recently published accompanying Enkrypt directed music video (some great shots of LA) for that DJ Fresh produced summer banger appears immediately below as does the video for the album title track.