"When I first moved to L.A., I lived in North Hollywood and I could take the subway, but I couldn't stay out past midnight. That was a little discouraging, so I broke down and bought a car. But  I love the weather; I came out here for the weather.  As small of a thing as that is, that was my main goal. I love L.A. I'm going to be here awhile. "

Jackie Overeem, 29, asked about her Los Angeles at Rudy's Barbershop in Silver Lake by Alie Ward

Photo: Alie Ward for The Los Angeles Times.

Eccentric indie pop/rock that ranges from boisterous to cozy compositions, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down is now out on a tour of Cali with one of our favorite indie trios, the Thermals. They make for a perfect combo of lighthearted strummy-guitar good times (Thao) and crunchy-guitar, insolent singalong rock (the Thermals).

Detroit Bar, 843 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa. $15, 9 p.m.

— Ramie Becker

Music video: "Bag of Hammers" by Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. Directed by Clyde Petersen and Forrest Baum.  

Last week I fell in love on my lunch break. No, not with the cook in the cafeteria, but with mSpot Mobile Movies, a service that allows users to rent movies on their phone in the amount of time it takes to send calls to voicemail. Other services require you to download the media to your player -- which can take forever -- but mSpot operates on WiFi.

All you have to do is select a movie on m.mspot.com and pay $4.99 with your credit card (it's less if you belong to the Netflix-style Movie Club) and you can be watching "The First Wives Club" on QuickTime as I did at my desk. Those with more discerning taste should have a field day with more than 300 films from which to choose, including such flashback flicks as "Sixteen Candles" and more recent releases such as "Star Trek."

Phone calls and texts still come in while a movie is playing. Since the service is based on WiFi, mSpot doesn't work on planes, nor does it work when you're out of network -- but that protects users from roaming fees. Movies can be paused, rewound and fast-forwarded. And if you have a new iPhone, watching a movie won't completely drain your battery. The best part: The movie automatically returns itself.

--Alexandra Le Tellier

Photo courtesy mSpot.

The wait is over, jam band aficionados! The much anticipated lineup of the 2010 Bonnaroo festival, held each year in Manchester, Tenn., is slowly leaking out via Twitter, MySpace and Facebook in a "virtual event" organized by the festival's producers to drum up interest.

Rolling Stone reports that the lineup, thus far, seems to consist of Phoenix, Weezer, the Flaming Lips (covering Dark Side of the Moon from start to finish), OK Go, guitarist Jeff Beck, John Fogerty, jazz combo Medeski Martin & Wood, slick '80s wannabes Chromeo w/ guest Daryl Hall, Punch Brothers, the Avett Brothers, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Isis, 311, Baroness, Blues Traveler, Bassnectar, Neon Indian, Black Keys, the Constellations, and Ingrid Michaelson.

There's also an unconfirmed (but probably true) rumor that the Dave Matthews Band will perform at the jam fest.

Tickets for the festival are on sale at the Bonnaroo website. 

-- Richard Metzger

Photo: Flaming Lips front man Wayne Coyne, encased in a plastic bubble, enters the USC Galen Center via spaceship in 2007. Credit: Iris Schneider / For The Times

Remember when "Avatar" was just a movie? There have been breathless reports that "Avatar" is so vivid and so powerful that moviegoers walk out feeling let down by the gray world here on boring old Terra. "Movie-goers feel depressed and even suicidal at not being able to visit utopian alien planet" may sound like a headline from the Onion but, nope, there it was in the Daily Mail of London and, a day earlier, on CNN, which quoted a forum post by someone named Mike who glumly said that the majesty of the movie has left him feeling, um, blue. "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and that everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

That's got to be a joke, right? Well, it's hard to say. "Avatar" is becoming something more than a projected popcorn experience as it echoes through the world. Forget entertainment, this is now a topic of debate in religious, political, economic and cultural circles. James Cameron's jungle-moon epic has surpassed $2 billion in worldwide box-office receipts and after a victorious night at the Golden Globes (best motion picture, drama), the film about blue cat-people reaped nine Oscar nominations on Tuesday. How seriously is Hollywood taking the film? Well, consider the fact that nobody at the Globes banquet laughed out loud when Cameron gave part of his acceptance speech in the nutty language spoken by his (literally) tree-hugging aliens.

You thought the movie was big on the Imax screen? It's become far larger in the marketplace of ideas. Some people see the film as anti-American propaganda from lefty Tinseltown (on Big Hollywood, the movie was carpet-bombed: "Think of 'Avatar' as 'Death Wish 5' for leftists . . . a simplistic, revisionist revenge fantasy") but others view it as white-male fantasy that is in fact the essence of American oppression (Greta Hagen-Richardson fumes in the Daily Iowan that "Avatar" is insidious in its messaging: "Being part of the dominant ideology doesn't automatically give you super powers of intellect, strength and comprehension").

Intergalactic setting aside, some moviegoers watched the film and felt it hit too close to home; Essence magazine, for instance, polled its readers on whether they thought the green movie about blue people was in fact anti-black. The Vatican, just so you know, sees a different problem with the film: The fact that it puts Mother Nature ahead of the Heavenly Father. "Nature is no longer a creation to defend, but a divinity to worship," was the encoded message of the movie, according to a frosty review from Vatican Radio.

Some people thought it was demeaning to women, others thought it was demeaning to people who use wheelchairs. And, of course, where there's smoke, there's fire: The Smoke Free Movies campaign says that the screen time given to Sigourney Weaver's cigarette- loving botanist was the equivalent of $50 million in free advertising for the tobacco industry, but who can say if those numbers are puffed up? There were also reports that a 42-year-old Taiwanese man with a history of high-blood pressure and hypertension died after seeing "Avatar," possibly because of a stroke; because it was "Avatar," the report zoomed down the information superhighway and hit way too many journalistic potholes; OK magazine, for instance, went with the headline: "Man's excitement over 'Avatar' may have caused his death," which is true, just like it's true to report that gunshot victims collapse after loud noises.

The latest headline: The decision by the Chinese government to yank "Avatar" from theaters and replace it with a homegrown film, a movie either made for pure business reasons or maybe, just maybe, to prevent possible citizen incitement from all those weird off-world concepts about environmental responsibility. Cameron must be dazed and amused by all these new dimensions added to his 3-D epic. On Oscar night, if he wins the big trophy, let's hope he doesn't repeat his hubris from the "Titanic" triumph ("I'm the king of two worlds!") and instead looks out on all the competing opinions of "Avatar" and acknowledges them with seven words. "I see you . . . and I hear you."

--Geoff Boucher

For more from Geoff Boucher, visit the Hero Complex blog and nourish your inner fanboy.

Photo: A boy looks at a poster for the movie "Avatar" at a cinema in Beijing on January 21, 2010. Photo by Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images.

The Santa Monica Certified Farmers Markets are the ideal place for people watching: They're always abustle with celebrity chefs, enthusiastic farmers, smiling families and animated foodies. The managers of the markets are currently looking for another type of person to add to the bunch: volunteers.

Participants in the markets' volunteer program are asked to donate a few hours a week, helping set up the information booth, answering customers' questions, distributing food stamps, organizing paperwork and working with their outreach program. It's a great chance for folks to get involved with the community while bonding with the purveyors of California's world-renowned produce.

There are four markets during the week to choose from: Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Arizona and 2nd Street, Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Arizona and 2nd, Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Virginia Avenue and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Main Street.

Meet a few volunteers:

Shaheda Gosia, 30

"I started working on Wednesdays after I got laid off in September. Working at the market really helps break up my day in terms of the job hunt. When it first happened, I thought to myself, 'How would I spend my time if money weren't an issue?' And this was the obvious answer. I really enjoy cooking and the local food movement. I've learned so much just by getting the chance to be there for 3 hours week. I get a chance to know the farmers by name. I like the idea of knowing where what we put in our bodies comes from and getting a personal story. I think it gives me a chance to show more respect for food and people who are growing it."

Jacob Cross, 27

"My partner, Patrick, and I just moved here from Dallas. We thought it would be a great way to meet the people of Santa Monica. We thought, 'We might as well wake up and participate and get involved with the community.' It's made me grow to love Santa Monica. There are so many parts of L.A., and this has really made me fall in love with the people who are here in my local community . . . Plus these are the best fruit and veggies we've had in our lives. People laugh at us sometimes because we get so excited about this carrot or that apple . . . It's given us a chance to get closer to food without living on a farm."

Veronica Ramos, 33

"It's probably my favorite way to start a Sunday morning. I grew up with conviction that whatever place you lived in, it was a responsibility to give back to the community that you draw resources from. I'm interested in food and eating healthy and understanding what that means, so one of the obvious choices was to get closer to that."

Interested? Contact Darra Adler at (310) 458-8712, Ext. 2, or e-mail her at darra.adler@smgov.net

--Krista Simmons

Good morning beautiful people of Los Angeles, it's your Brand X morning roundup of news from around the globe ...

"Miss Me Yet?": Mysterious billboard depicts smiling, waving George Bush. The funny thing is, no one seems to know if this is a pro- or anti-Obama message! (NPR)

Millionaire gives away fortune that made him miserable: Austrian millionaire Karl Rabeder is giving away every penny of his $4.7-million fortune after realizing his riches were making him unhappy. "I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things that I did not wish for or need," he said. (Telegraph)

The GOP's bad old ideas: Bomb Iran and privatize Social Security. Really? That's all you've got? (Salon)

Farrah Fawcett's hair for sale: Hunkwithjunk.com website offers a lock of the "Charlie's Angels" star's hair with a starting bid of $1,000 and a ghoulish suggestion that the winner could clone his or her own angel. (Radar)

India drops first GM food crop: The government stops debut of genetically modified vegetables because of public safety concerns. (BBC News)

Hugh Hefner sued by his shareholders for refusing to give up "the good life," scuttling two deals to sell Playboy: A share of company's stock now sells for less than half the price of a single issue. (TMZ)

Coyotes invade Manhattan: They're seen near Columbia University and around a lake at Central Park (N.Y. Post)

The iPad tweet that enraged Steve Jobs? (Valleywag)

No Joke: South Carolina now requires "subversives" to pay a $5 registration fee for planning to overthrow the U.S. government or face a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison. (Raw Story)

Meghan McCain slams Tea Party as "innate racism": True or not, this can't be good for her father's reelection campaign, can it? (Slate)

New Jackie Collins novel coming next week: Author grilled on sleeping with Brando as a teen, turning down Warren Beatty 's advances. (The Wrap)

-- Richard Metzger

Photo: Farrah Fawcett in 1978. Credit: Associated Press

If you ever wondered what a late-'60s pop-art version of "Lost" would be like, wonder no more with this fan-produced version of the opening credits in the style of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." or "The Prisoner." Pretty groovy, in an Austin Powers kinda way...

(via Entertainment Weekly)

--Richard Metzger

Is it art? Is it comedy? Is it a woman in a mime costume bathing her bosom with noodles? These are questions that you might ask yourself at Highway's performance art-meets-comedy event. The bill includes patently awkward Claire Titelman, Internet sensation Rebecca Addelman, Holly Prazoff, storyteller Andrew Rollins DeWitt, Krystal Quinn Gibbon and a clown-faced April  Hava Shenkman. Says curator and host Elisha Shapiro, "All of them have a tinge of not-normalness, which is why I picked them." So, don't expect any guys telling airline jokes.

18th Street Art Complex, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; 7:30 p.m.; $7

--Alie Ward

Video: Claire Titleman, forced through the paces of "walking like an Egyptian" by director GJ Echternkamp.

Here's one just in time for Valentine's Day: the story of Tyler and Michelle, young newlywed cuties whose handmade T-shirt and jewelry line LoveNailTree is literally a labor  of love.

It started at -- where else? -- line dancing classes at Crazy Horse in Irvine, where natural-born entrepreneur Tyler, 24, invited Southern belle Michelle, 23, to two step with him. A love affair -- and fashion line -- was born.

"The first time I saw her I was captivated by her beauty, and loved the way she walked and talked," says Tyler, who had already started a T-shirt line but didn't quite know what to do with it. "I used to joke with friends about how I needed to find myself a 'country girl' and she definitely has got it. I don't know anyone who would have sacrificed as much as she has for me and the business. I am forever thankful for her."

For her part, Michelle was taken by Tyler's friendly smile, witty conversation and strong beliefs. "We are doing things that I never dreamed about and it's because of this passion inside him," she says. They married March 15, 2009, in a shady citrus grove in the city of Orange, celebrating at their reception  to the coolest indie rock soundtrack since "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist." Some of the music choices: Ingrid Michaelson, Delta Spirit, the Kooks, Ray LaMontagne, Cold War Kids (their faves), Data Rock and MGMT. Michelle, it turned out, had been the missing puzzle piece in Tyler's business vision. "Marrying Michelle was crucial to the line's success," he says. "She was the partner I always needed, and balances out my weaknesses and brings key, originally lacking elements to the table. We're a good team."

LoveNailTree tees stand out for their thought-provoking messages, such as "Camera Kills Fascists" and "Typewriter Kills Fascists." And the company also makes a statement with its price points -- a very reasonable $24 for T-shirts. Starving artists, rejoice! "A big desire and goal of ours is to be accessible," says Tyler. "We have no interest in only being available to the rich. Our message is meant for all, and sometimes is primarily for anyone who can't afford a $60 T-shirt or piece of jewelry."

Michelle designs and hand-makes the jewelry line, which features hemp necklaces and gorgeous feather and chain earrings for the ridiculously reasonable price of $10 a pop. "For the most  part, we like the jewelry to be time- less," she says. "We love vintage pieces that complement a person's style . . .  not necessarily take away from it."  The hemp bracelets, she says, evolved from a childhood hobby. "I used to  make them with my sisters and cousins and we would tie them on our wrists.  I simply refined it a bit by adding a clasp."

So, all in all, it seems like Tyler and Michelle are currently ruling their lives -- they've got the Love (awww . . .), the Looks (check out the Super8 video of them on their website), and the Line -- what else could anyone possibly want? The Loft, of course! "We dream of brick walls and wood trussing," says Tyler. "Enough space that we could use it as a venue for shows and screenings, and tall ceilings so I could build a loft in it for us to live."

Get a room, already.

--Caroline Ryder

Photo: Lovenailtree is run by a married couple -- Tyler and Michelle Madsen -- who make and sell jewelry and t-shirts with thought-provoking messages. They have a DIY approach, are tapped into the art world, and have a political message. Photo by Colin Young-Wolff for the Los Angeles Times.

Tonight, think loud, blue and free. The Useless Keys are all heavy rock blues, cinematic sounding and lyrically thick with dark premonitions like "keep a gun in a safe place, keep a gun for Sundays, it surrounds you."  Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, England, the Black Apples bring on the electric blues, mashed up with a healthy dose of raucous garage rock.  Light FM rounds out the lineup by lightening things up a bit. This indie quartet heals the wounds of heavy blues rock with sweet melodies, fuzzed-out guitars and synth accents.

All around, the evening's a great way to shake the blues -- or simply revel in them. Plus, it's Monday, so you know what that means: It's free!

The Echo, 1154 Glendale Blvd. 8:30 p.m. Free.

Also tonight:
Princeton, Casxio, Rafter, the Jubilee Singers @ Spaceland, 8:30 p.m.
Jenny O, Red Arrow Messenger, Rumspringa @ Bootleg, 9 p.m. 
Laura Jansen @ Hotel Cafe, 9 p.m.

-- Ramie Becker

Happy Monday Los Angeles, it's your morning Brand X-ified news round-up...

Hugo Chavez thinks Twitter is a tool of terrorism (La Semana) (Translation here)

Mel Gibson needs our prayers (The American Catholic)

How the Letterman-Oprah-Leno Super Bowl ad came together: No one saw this one coming, eh? (Media Decoder)

"I'm Hotter Than My Daughter." Coming soon, a tacky new low even for reality TV? (Salon)

Neil Gaiman to write "Dr Who" episode: The author of "Coraline" tells fans they could expect to see the episode in early 2011. (Guardian)

Hollywood ending? Edward Jay Epstein asks, "Can indie movies survive?" (Usually when a question like that is posed in an article's headline, the answer tends to be "no." (Gawker)

Looking young for your age? Thank the Peter Pan gene. (Daily Mail)

No more Mr. Nice Guy: Grumpiness is a sign of advanced civilization. Those who are grumpy may be higher up on the evolutionary ladder than people who are easygoing. (Telegraph)

Facebook's Project Titan: A full-featured Web-mail product: Aims to take on Gmail. (Tech Crunch)

Sir Richard Branson warns that oil crunch is coming within five years: Energy crisis threatens to be more serious than credit crunch, he tells business leaders (Guardian)

Photo: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speaks at the military academy of Venezuela in Caracas on Feb. 4, 2010. Credit:  Edward Mayorca / EPA

It's so difficult to find quality skunk decor these days. But Stinkers bar, Silver Lake's year-old truckstop-themed watering hole,  is closing up shop and undergoing a night- life metamorphosis. Tuesday, they'll be purging all of their stuffed skunk behinds (complete with billowing stink glands), CB radios, Burt Reynolds memorabilia and a Trans Am hood, among other ironically trashy items. Scoop up their castaways and boost your karma, as part of the proceeds benefit the Sante D'Or animal foundation, which helps critters have a longer life than that bar.

Stinkers Truck Stop, 2939 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, 8 p.m.; free

--Alie Ward

Photo credit: Ken Hively for The Los Angeles Times

When idiosyncratic director Wes Anderson was rumored to be helming the "reboot" of the blockbuster "Spider-Man" franchise, most comic geek fanboy types scratched their heads in amazement. What would that be like?

Well, wonder no more, thanks to this pitch-perfect parody by Jeff Loveness that's making the viral video rounds of late.

-- Richard Metzger

Next weekend, local favorite Saint Motel will perform at the second annual "Valentine's Zombie Prom," but if you can't wait that long to get into your undead best, Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra is kicking off the holiday Saturday night with an exhibition titled "Zombies in Love" and a zombie walk.

Starting at 6:20 p.m., zombies will gather on the southeast corner of Main and Atlantic streets and proceed on to the gallery, where there will be music, giveaways, a best-costume competition and a gallery full of zombie-themed art.

Zombie culture has spread like, well, gangrene in the last few years, from blockbusters such as "28 Days Later" to bestsellers such as "World War Z." Now it's invading the official holiday for couples.

"The inspiration for the first Zombie Prom was mostly an alternative to the Hallmark invention of a holiday," said Saint Motel's AJ Jackson. "We wanted something that singles and couples could enjoy hand in hand."

The zombie-Valentine's Day connection might just be a modern reaction to a day that has been blasted as too saccharine sweet and too commercialized, but it's also a shout-out to people who just want to get down, "Thriller"-style.

"So many people out there really appreciate zombie culture," said Wade Buchanan of Gallery Nucleus. "We're trying to put a new spin on that character -- what if zombies have feelings and emotions?"

 If you're one of these zombie aficionados, or if you just like art and music, get out your fake blood, put on your tattered clothes and start shaking your ghoul thing this Valentine's Day.

"Zombies in Love," Gallery Nucleus, opening reception Saturday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. The show runs through Feb. 22.

Saint Motel's second annual "Valentine's Zombie Prom," The Roxy, Saturday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m. 

-- Samantha Page

Image: The Bride and Groom (detail), Chris Lane. Credit: Gallery Nucleus

They Might Be Giants should change their moniker, because as far as we’re concerned they are indeed giants and have been for a very long time. They bill themselves as “installing and servicing melody since 1982,” which describes their brainy, playful alt-pop to a tee. Hot off their 2009 Grammy for best children’s album, TMBG are scheduled to perform two shows on both Saturday and Sunday; a 2 p.m. matinee for all ages, and an 8 p.m. show for ages 14 and over.

Largo, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., $25 / 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 

-- Ramie Becker

Photo credit: Jayme Thornton / Girlie Action

Tonight's hotbed of musical activity is centered near Echo Park, where hipsters and tech heads alike will be hunkering down at the Echo/Echoplex compound. First, down below on Glendale Boulevard, it's the Magical Properties Tour. Fans of experimental electronic music: This night is sure to be your personal nirvana. First there's Daedelus, practically a household name for followers of indietronica. When's he not carefully crafting his own blissful soundscapes, or pioneering live performance techniques, this Santa Monica native collaborates with Adventure Time, the Long Lost and Busdriver.

Then, there's up-and coming artist Nosaj Thing. Jason (it's Nosaj reversed!) Chung's electronic music hits a sweet spot on many levels. It's cerebrally stimulating, yet infectiously funky and completely danceable at the same time. Rounding out the show is local duo Jogger, who've been recently named one of URB's "100 Artists to Watch." Dub Lab's Frosty will also be on hand to add some boundary-pushing beats to the mix.

Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., $15 / 8:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, upstairs at the Echo ...

Move over M.I.A.; there’s a new girl from London Town. Ebony Bones is a bright splash of color and sound from her post-punk boots to her Mardi Gras hair. Think Lady Gaga meets a Technicolor Josephine Baker -- a force that could very well set the music biz on fire.

The Echo, 1822 W. Sunset Blvd., $10 / 8:30 p.m.

Also tonight:

Rhett Miller, Leslie and the Badgers @ Troubadour, 8 p.m.

Emily Wells & Portland Cello Project @ Largo, 8:30 p.m. 

Vivian Girls @ Detroit Bar, 9 p.m.

-- Ramie Becker

Super Bowl Sunday is our nation's unofficial holiday celebrating snack foods, television commercials and wizened rock stars wheezing through halftime specials. But before you stuff your gut with corn chips, consider a morning jog past the Pacific Ocean at Redondo Beach's Super Bowl Sunday 5k or 10k race, which offers not only cardio but also a costume contest and a beer garden at the finish line. Plus, it starts at dawn, leaving you the rest of the day to watch the game and fall asleep face-first in a bowl of nacho sauce.

Redondo Beach Seaside Lagoon, 200 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach; 6 a.m.; $30 registration at www.redondo10k.com

--Alie Ward

Photo credit: Elizabeth Dalziel/AP

Sausage-nosed children and pensive barnyard animals, together at last. Merry Karnowsky Gallery, always a purveyor of off-beat, lowbrow art, hosts a two-person show with work from Barcelona-based artists Victor Castillo and graffiti queen Miss Van, originally from France. Chilean-born Castillo creates gloomy, dream world cartoons with hotdog-featured protagonists, while Miss Van paints smoky, loosely rendered portraits of doll-faced women in livestock masks. Sounds creepy? That's kind of the point.

Merry Karnowsky Gallery, 170 S. La Brea Ave.; 8-11 p.m.; free

--Alie Ward

Image: Miss Van, She-Wolf 3, 2010. Acrylic on wood. Courtesy Merry Karnowsky Gallery.

BBC is holding a mega Doctor Who auction: If you ever wanted a Dalek of your very own, now's your chance, fanboy! Costumes worn by Kylie Minogue, Billie Piper and David Tennant going under the hammer. (Bonhams)

Massive Attack release first album in seven years: Heligoland, group's fifth album seen as return to form for influential musicians. (Guardian)

Turkish girl, 16, buried alive for talking to boys: "Honor" killings in Turkey account for half of  the country's murders. (Guardian)

'Anonymous' pledge to fight Scientologist efforts in Haiti: Prompted, apparently, by a fawning "Today" piece on Scientologists in Haiti, group says it intends to act. (Gawker)

Record company EMI reports an annual pretax loss of $2.7 billion: "One of the biggest ever losses on a private equity investment." Every single cent of one investor's equity has been wiped out. Citigroup is sued. (BBC)

The first reviews of polarizing director M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Last Airbender' are in: No surprises here, they are wildly divergent in their opinions of action fantasy flick. (AICN)

Tea party convention gets off to a dubious start: Race-baiting speech by anti-immigrant ex-Rep. Tom Tancredo says "Civics, Literacy Test" would have foiled Obama's election; "Cult of Multiculturalism" to blame. Rips into John McCain as well. (ABC News)

-- Richard Metzger

Photo: David Tennant, TV's former "Doctor Who." Credit: BBC

"We're taking seedy old dive bars and cleaning them up," says Mark Houston, who along with his twin brother, Jonnie, has started a budding night life business. In August, they revamped Hollywood's Piano Bar from a shady dive into a New Orleans-style bar bursting with energy, thanks in part to free blues and barbecue on Sundays. And on Tuesday they unveiled La Descarga, a Cuban bar so authentic, it's like stepping into a time machine and landing in old Havana.

To help fulfill their vision, the twins brought on Steve Livigni, one of L.A.'s most respected barmen. Before coming on board, Livigni was general manager at the Doheny, a membership-only bar that specializes in artisanal cocktails, and before that he worked at the Four Seasons. As GM of La Descarga, he hit the ground running, working with buzzed-about cocktail consultant Pablo Moix to create the bar's drinks: daiquiris, swizzles and the sinful  Bad Spaniard made with Cruzan Blackstrap Rum, Amaro Averna, sweetened condensed milk, one whole egg yolk and cinnamon.

In May, the twins plan to open a '60s-inspired manor in the former Forty Deuce space. They also have plans to revamp Hollywood's Stone Bar. With an eye for authenticity and an inclusive cocktail culture, they might be a new power team in L.A. night life.

Read the full story here.

For a pictorial, check out our sister pub, Los Angeles Times Magazine.

-- Alexandra Le Tellier

If you find yourself looking for unusual Valentine's Day cards, look no further, because pop culture-obsessed artist Brandon Bird has come up with what are probably the most unusual valentines you are likely to find -- ever! Yup, the kitschmeister supreme responsible for the classic painting "No One Wants to Play Sega with Harrison Ford" has done it again with: SVU Valentine's Day cards, or, as Brandon prefers, "Saint Victims Unit" cards.

Nuthin' says lovin' like a DNA specimen jar or a spiteful Fred Thompson scowl, are you with me? And what's more, there are high-res versions you can download and print out yourself that are 100% free on his blog.

-- Richard Metzger

P.S.: When you visit his website, do not miss the "Letters to Walken" section documenting an art project of Bird's that saw schoolchildren writing their annual Christmas letters to ... Christopher Walken.

Image credit: Brandon Bird