Upcoming Gigs

Liz O. in the DJ Booth: April 9 – 15

Disco Heat on April 13, 2023 at Songbird in Chinatown, Los Angeles with DJs Liz O. and Jus' B playing classic disco, Italo, nu-disco and more

Wow, thanks so much to everyone who came out to Disco Heat at Songbird last night. We had such a fun crowd. Special thanks to everyone who has taken the time to stop by the party since it went weekly in March and, especially, to those of you have helped spread the word. You’re awesome.

Jus’ B and I will be back next week with more Disco Heat for you from 9 p.m. until close. There’s no cover, but feel free to let us know you’re going on Eventbrite, Facebook or Instagram.

Continue reading Liz O. in the DJ Booth: April 9 – 15 →
DJ Life, Event Recap

Sunday Night Nostalgia at Corbin Bowl

Corbin Bowl neon sign on Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana California
Corbin Bowl on Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana

Nostalgia drives culture in such bizarre, consumerist ways. Buy this limited edition throwback to an era you hardly remember. Spend your rent money on tickets to this reunion show. Watch this reboot of a show that sucked the first time around. Click on this story, like this Instagram post and, maybe for a moment, you’ll forget that the 21st century is trash. 

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DJ Life

Saturday Night in the Tech-No-Logical World

ginger vodka martini and margarita at Boyle Heights Tavern in Boyle Heights
The vodka ginger martini at Boyle Heights Tavern.

“Tech-No-Logical World,” the Patrick Cowley song from his album Mind Warp, has been crawling in and out of my brain for weeks now and the earworm burrowed itself even deeper into my my mind and life after Don French played it at Disco Heat two Thursdays ago. 

I didn’t get why “Tech-No-Logical World” was relentless in its pursuit of my attention until April Fool’s Day, after a bout of scrolling through fake news and fake products. (If only the Morrissey pinball machine were real, I thought to the tune of “Please, Please Please Let Me Get What I Want,” before “Tech-No-Logical World” made its return.) Eventually, I retreated to my desk and tried to work on stories to pitch next week while listening to the song that won’t leave me alone and it hit me. 

Continue reading Saturday Night in the Tech-No-Logical World →
The Dance Floor, Upcoming Gigs

Liz O. in the DJ Booth: April 2-April 8, 2023

Disco Heat on April 6, 2023 at Songbird in Chinatown with DJs Liz O. and Jus' B

On April 6, you can catch me, Liz O., with Jus’ B at Songbird in Chinatown for Disco Heat.

Jus’ B and I have known each other for many, many, many years and recently started playing together in late 2022, when I launched Disco Heat at Songbird, and the vibe has been amazing. That said, if you haven’t been to Disco Heat yet, you really should check it out this week. And, if you have stopped by the party before, make sure you join us again this Thursday night.

Continue reading Liz O. in the DJ Booth: April 2-April 8, 2023 →
Film, The Playlist

Watch This Now: Falco- Verdammt, wir leben noch!

Falco verdammt wir leben noch Falco biopic

Falco: Verdammt, wir leben noch! is a 2008 Austrian biopic of the late pop singer Falco, released in the U.S. under the title, Falco: The Rise and Fall of an ‘80s Pop Icon. Now, you might be scratching your head and thinking, “There’s a Falco biopic? Why?” In fact, that’s exactly what went through my dumb American brain when I recently learned of the existence of this film.

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Get This Album Now, Music, The Playlist

Get This Album Now: Gorillaz “Cracker Island”

Gorillaz Cracker Island Album Cover

It’s probably pointless to write about Cracker Island, the latest album from Gorillaz, almost a month after it was released. It’s already been heavily reviewed. It’s a Billboard chart hit. If you’re into the long-running collaboration between Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett and a revolving cast of star musicians and producers, you probably already have Cracker Island. 

Still, I’m going to write a couple paragraphs about Cracker Island here just in case you missed it. After all, it is very easy for the albums you want to hear to get lost in the algorithms. 

Continue reading Get This Album Now: Gorillaz “Cracker Island” →
The Dance Floor, Upcoming Gigs

Liz O. in the DJ Booth: March 19-25, 2023

Disco Heat at Songbird in Chinatown Los Angeles on Thursday March 23 2023 with DJs Liz O. and Don French

Have you been to Disco Heat yet? If not, come down and check us out at Songbird on Thursday, March 23. Joining me this week is guest DJ Don French of Club Surge. Don and I have played so many fun sets together over the past few years and I’m super excited to hear what he has in store for us.

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DJ Diary, Get This Album Now, Music, The Playlist

Get This Album Now: Star Creature Vibes

Star Creature Vibes compilation album cover from record label Star Creature Universal Vibrations featuring boogie, modern funk, disco music from Saucy Lady, Shiro Schwarz, Giovanni Damico

Star Creature Universal Vibrations is a Chicago-based record label dedicated to “contemporary boogie” that’s been around since 2015. They first hit my radar a couple years after that, back when Salt Box Records had a brick-and-mortar in Chinatown and I picked up a new release from a Russian outfit called Venus Express II based almost solely on the cover art. As it turns out, the record was just as cool as the album sleeve, so now I consider Star Creature to be a mark of quality for funky, synth-heavy tunes. 

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DJ Diary, Get This Album Now, Music, The Playlist

Get This Album Now: Nuovo Testamento “Love Lines”

Nuovo Testamento album cover for Love Lines released in March of 2023

Perhaps like a lot of other DJs, I’ve been playing Nuovo Testamento a lot in my sets since nightlife returned. The disco mix of “Vanity” was one of the most-played tracks in my sets last year, in fact, I think I only played “Machina” from Boy Harsher more often. 

Continue reading Get This Album Now: Nuovo Testamento “Love Lines” →