Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 5

15. "Islands" -- The XX
Smoothest grooves of the year came from The XX, including their hit "Islands." London-based The xx's debut CD was actually released in late 2009, but their CD hit it big here across the pond in 2010. The xx also won this year's prestigious Mercury Prize.



16. "Skinny Genes" -- Eliza Doolittle

British singer-songwriter Eliza Doolittle (real name: Eliza Sophie Caird) burst on the scene this year with her self-titled debut. Pop ditty "Skinny Genes" went on to become a big hit in the U.K.



17. "Dear God 2.0" -- The Roots (feat. Jim James and Monsters of Folk)

The Roots are a reminder that, through some hard work, you can have it all. Being the house band for Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" has given the live hip-hop crew more exposure than ever -- and yet The Roots still had time to release the critically acclaimed CD "How I Got Over." The group even perfomed at Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity. It's good to be the Roots. Here, they collaborate with Monsters of Folk's Jim James for a new spin on that group's "Dear God."



18. "Tighten Up" - Black Keys

I didn't think I could like this Black Keys track any more... and then I saw the video and fell in love with it all over again.

More tomorrow! Previously:

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 1

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 2

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 3

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 4

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 4

11. "Boy" -- Ra Ra Riot

Off Ra Ra Riot's second album, "The Orchard," the track "Boy" was a standout. Fast-paced with some great guitar work, this song will quickly get you moving.



12. "The Drumming Song" -- Florence and the Machine

This was Florence and the Machine's year, and while the hit song was clearly "Dog Days Are Over," I was partial to the power (and the drums, natch) of "The Drumming Song."



13. "As We Enter" (Tinie Tempah Remix) -- Nas and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley

One of the more interesting releases this year came from hip-hop vet Nas and reggae star Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley. Their collaboration, "Distant Relatives," was an interesting mix of hip-hop, reggae and African beats. I actually put several songs on my playlists throughout 2010, and their track "Strong Will Continue" was another contender for the end-of-year Choice Cuts mix. But the lead-off track to "Distant Relatives," the short jam "As We Enter," contains that irresistible sample from Mulatu Astatke. The mix I include is slightly different from the video version (above).



14. "Young Blood" -- The Naked and Famous

OK, so yeah, there's a definite Passion Pit vibe here. I clearly dig that kind of sound. But no matter. I like this song.

More tomorrow! Previously:

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 1

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 2

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 3

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 4

Haunting Memories of One Man's Ultimate Sacrifice in the Los Angeles River

In 1980, 10-year-old James Ventrillo was riding his bike close to the L.A. River in Atwater Village. The river was filled with fast-moving water following heavy rains -- and James somehow fell in. Atwater Village resident Earl Higgins, who had been walking nearby with his fiancee, Nancy Rigg, raced down to rescue young James.

With the rapids traveling 30 miles per hour or faster, Earl did somehow save James -- but was then swept away. His body was found several months later.

KPCC's Madeleine Brand met with both Ventrillo, now 40, and Rigg for this radio piece. Both James and Nancy are still haunted over what happened that day -- and the fact that Earl should have lived. KPCC has posted the first part of the Madeleine Brand piece; hopefully they'll post the entire segment soon.

(Hat tip to the Atwater Village Newbie for pointing us to the story.)

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 3

7. "Not in Love" -- Crystal Castles feat. Robert Smith

This is a very late addition to the end-of-year mix -- but I can't get this song, or the vocals by the Cure's Robert Smith, out of my head. It's a cover of a 1980s song by Platinum Blond, updated by Crystal Castles -- with the genius addition of Smith's vocals. Better than anything The Cure has put out since the early 1990s.



8. "Little Secrets" -- Passion Pit

First off, you gotta love the fact that Passion Pit -- formed in 2007 -- took their name (allegedly) from Variety's slanguage dictionary. (Variety used the term in the past to refer to drive-in theaters). I enjoyed Passion Pit's CD for much of 2009, actually, but this song snuck onto my January 2010 mix. It's such a catchy, delicious slice of electro pop (I also love the use of PS22 chorus for the "higher and higher" riff).



9. "Heard It on the Radio" -- The Bird and the Bee

Back in May, we took our first major road trip since the birth of Blogger Baby 2.0. During the drive north to San Francisco, we probably listened to the Bird and the Bee's "Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Hall and Oates" four or five times. It was the perfect, breezy soundtrack for our drive up the 5. "Heard It On the Radio" stood out to me, perhaps because the original Hall & Oates song isn't as overplayed as some of the others that Bird and the Bee (Inara George and Greg Kurstin) covered.



10. "Shyness" -- Thieves Like Us

Gotta love a band that takes its name from a classic New Order track. Thieves Like Us, which boasts members from both the U.S. and Sweden (but is based in Paris), came up with this solid pop song.

More tomorrow! Previously:

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 1

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 2

Meet KCET's Logo, Same As The Old

KCET's 40-year stint as Southern California's chief PBS station comes to a close this Sunday. That's when KOCE morphs into "SoCal PBS" and KCET (faced with escalating PBS fees) tries to go it alone as an independent public broadcast station.

It's going to be bumpy, particularly in the beginning. KCET is hoping to become a more vibrant local programmer... but in the beginning, will mostly rely on old BBC fare and minor non-PBS public broadcasting content.

KCET continues to announce various details of its indie transition; just today, the station unveiled its digital signal plans. In place of "KCET Orange" and "PBS World," both of which relied heavily on PBS content, the station will broadcast "KCET Kids and Family" and "MHz Worldview" (consisting of global fare) on two of its digital channels. A third digital signal, the Spanish-lingo "V-Me," remains.

The station also unveiled what it's touting as a "new logo" -- but quite honestly, it's the same old logo, just with a bit of a 3-D twist.

Here's the current logo:



And here's the "new" one:

Christmas Once Again Pays Off for KOST in the Ratings

No surprise here: KOST's annual all-Christmas format, which it launched this year on Nov. 17, continues to be a big hit with listeners.

As has become tradition, KOST shot to the top of the Arbitron radio ratings in December thanks to the programming choice.

According to the L.A. market December Arbitrons, KOST attracted 6.6% of the radio listening audience during an average quarter hour. That's up from 4.6% in November.

That allowed KOST to leap into No. 1 above market leader (and Clear Channel sibling) KIIS, which held steady at a 5.5 share (down a tick from 5.6). CBS' KRTH-FM was in third, at a 4.4 share, down from 4.9 in November.

Meanwhile, while the KOST increase is impressive, take a look at how temporary all-Christmas formats helped stations in other markets: In New York, AC WLTW jumped from 5.9 to 8.4. And in Chicago, AC WLIT went from 3.6 to a whopping 8.9 share.

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 2

4. "Sun Hands" -- Local Natives

Silver Lake's own (by way of Orange County) Local Natives was featured on several of Franklin Avenue's playlists this year, as the group's debut CD, "Gorilla Manor," was a fave. "Sun Hands," which features the group's harmonies leading up to a powerful climax, was one of my faves.



5. "The High Road" -- Broken Bells

Broken Bells -- the duo consisting of uber producer Danger Mouse and The Shins vocalist James Mercer -- came on the scene big this year, starting with their lead-off single, "The High Road." Their self-titled CD, released in March, remains a favorite of 2010. Danger Mouse -- real name: Brian Burton -- reps the second producer on our Choice Cuts end-of-year collection, along with Mark Ronson. (His partnership with Cee-Lo, Gnarls Barkley, was also a Choice Cuts favorite.)



6. "Symphonies" -- Dan Black feat. Kid Cudi

Dan Black's "Symphonies" was a minor hit this year in its original version, but I'm partial to this reworked version featuring Kid Cudi. It's been quite a year for both artists: Kid Cudi received three 2010 Grammy nominations and starred in HBO's "How to Make it in America," while Dan Black's debut album "UN" was released this year. Black's video for "Symphonies" (above) also scored multiple MTV Video Music Award nominations.

More tomorrow! Previously:

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 1

Discussing the Year in TV on KCRW's 'The Business'

I'll be a guest on today's edition of KCRW's The Business (above), along with host Kim Masters and the L.A. Times' John Horn, as we discuss the year in entertainment business news.

Among the topics: The end of "Lost" and "24"; the big Late Night debacle; the networks' brutal fall; and the battle for 10 p.m.

Check out next week's show as well, when I'm back to talk about predictions for 2011 in the TV biz.

KCRW's "The Business" airs Mondays at 2:30 p.m.; you can also stream or download the episode here after it airs. Thanks to Kim and producer Darby Maloney for the invite!

Choice Cuts: Franklin Avenue's Favorite Tracks of 2010, Part 1

In no particular order, we've selected the favorite tracks from this year's monthly playlists for our ninth annual Choice Cuts end-of-year mix. I'll be revealing them throughout the week. And now, the first three:



1. "Fair Game" -- The Like

There's a lot to like about The Like. Yes, they're the daughters of industry vets (including group founders Elizabeth "Z" Berg, the daughter of a former Geffen exec, and Tennessee Thomas, the daughter of Elvis Costello's drummer. But these women can craft some seriously catchy pop -- and "Fair Game" is irresistible.



2. You! Me! Dancing! -- Los Campesinos!

This feel-good Los Campesinos! track is actually three years old. But I just discovered it this year, and got instantly hooked. I dare you to listen to this track without tapping your toes. (The video's pretty cool too; the song doesn't actually begin until more than a minute in, but it's well worth a watch.)



3. Lose It (In The End) -- Mark Ronson feat. Ghostface Killah

Fresh off Mark Ronson's third album, "Record Collection," this jam's short but powerful, a great use of Phantom Planet's Alex Greenwald juxtaposed with Wu Tang's Ghostface Killah.

More tomorrow!

Christmas in Los Angeles: Our Traditions

No snow? No problem. We'll be dreaming of a White Christmas for a long time to come here in L.A., but it doesn't matter: There are plenty of places to find Christmas in L.A., and we try to make the most of it every year.

The snow is here, of course -- but safely ensconced above 7,000 feet. Back down here, the weather cooperated -- making for a sunny, mild Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. (The rain returned for a visit on Christmas night, but we were cozily cooped up back at home by then.)

Christmas Eve in Downtown L.A. has become an annual tradition for us, starting with the 4 p.m. family mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Yes, the "Taj Mahony," decked out for Christmas, offers up a Christmas Eve mass that's perfect for the little ones: Not too long, and with a homily, music and prayers geared toward the little ones.

After mass, it's a quick walk across the street to the Music Center, to catch the 51st Annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration. The annual free event, featuring choirs, dancers, bands and more, is one of L.A.'s great Christmas staples.

This year's event was cut by half (from six hours to three) due to budget cuts. That turned out to be serendipitous for us. Last year, the line was too long for us to try to get inside the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to catch the show.

But this year, we got to the Music Center at 5:30 -- and with the show about to end, the standby line was minimal. We managed to get inside in time to see the two final acts: the Palmdale High School Choral Union and Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, which closed the show. After that, the crowd sang along to "Silent Night," and then we were back in the Music Center plaza.

On Christmas day, we were back downtown for one of our favorite L.A. holiday attractions: Downtown on Ice in Pershing Square. The ice rink was crowded, yet not too bad. It was kind of nice to be there with a cross section of Los Angeles, all skating under the shadow of downtown's skyscrapers at dusk.

After our hour-long ice skating session, we dashed across the street to check out the Biltmore hotel, dressed up for the season.

Pics from our Christmas in Los Angeles:


Cathedral entrance.


Art exhibit at the cathedral.


Exiting the cathedral.


Cardinal Mahony's final Christmas before his February retirement.


Nativity scene at the Our Lady Queen of the Angels cathedral.


Outside the Music Center and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as the L.A. County Holiday Celebration winds down.


It's a real-life 'Glee': Palmdale High School Choral Union performs at the L.A. County Holiday Celebration.


At the L.A. County Holiday Celebration; final act, Mariachi Sol de Mexico (led by Jose Hernandez), above.


Inside the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.


Christmas tree at the Music Center.


Ice skating at Pershing Square's Downtown on Ice.


More ice skating at Downtown on Ice.


Biltmore lobby Christmas tree.


Blogger Kid (newly 6!) and Blogger Baby 2.0 stroll down the Biltmore's main corridor.


Gingerbread houses at the Biltmore.


Staircase at the Biltmore.

One More Shot of That Rainbow

Kinda cool that the downpour finally let up right before Christmas Eve, huh? Like everyone else, we got goofy over the rainbow on Wednesday. It's been beautiful here since then. Merry Christmas, everybody!

Variety On the Air's Holiday Comedy Extravaganza

My colleague Jon Weisman has put together an hourly feature on our Variety On the Air blog this Christmas, posting 24 different great comedy moments throughout the day and night. He started with this famous holiday wish from Steve Martin (above), and has continued with clips from shows and comedians including Ricky Gervais, "The Simpsons," "Diner," Louis C.K., "Community," "Flight of the Conchords," Bill Cosby, "The Daily Show" and so much more.

After the presents are open and the coffee's brewing, it's not a bad way to kill a few hours. Happy Holidays!

Getting Fat? You Could Exercise... Or Buy This

You're getting fatter. You could (A) Eat less and exercise... or (B) Add this button contraption to your pants to add an extra inch.

Thanks to the "As Seen on TV" folks, we can keep on porkin', America! And just in time for Christmas too. It may just be a cheap-o "As Seen on TV" product... but sigh, this says a lot about where we are as a people at this moment.

(Spotted at CVS.)

Donald Sterling Expands His War Against Good Taste

We've written plenty in the past about Donald Sterling's newspaper ads, an assault on the eyes and a jumbled, photoshopped mess seemingly created by the world's first-ever blind graphic designer. (A website is even devoted to the offensive ads.)

But rather than be shamed into hiring a designer with elementary computer skills, the Sterling ad team is now mocking us. They appear to be upping the bad, looking to see how far they can thumb their nose at anyone with a modicum of taste.

My favorite cheesy staple of the Sterling ads has to be the fake buildings, complete with half-assed lettering superimposed on the building's front. In case you didn't figure it out by now, there's no real Greek revival-style "Sterling Foundation" building.

Stay classy, Donald Sterling!

Remembering KNBC's 1987 Gunman Incident

You probably saw the news reports yesterday of Charlotte, N.C. TV station WSOC, which was forced off the air after a woman with a gun entered the station.

The headlines reminded me of this famous 1987 incident at KNBC-TV. Live, on the air, viewers watched as a man suddenly walked on set and pointed a gun at consumer reporter David Horowitz.

The man, who turned out to be carrying a pellet gun, forced Horowitz to read a statement. (KNBC had actually pulled the signal at that point, but the anchors in the studio pretended to still be on the air.) When it was done, the man put down his gun -- and anchor John Beard quickly took it.

It later turned out that the gunman was the son of a former KNBC reporter, and had suffered from mental problems.

Why Won't L.A. Media Use L.A. Stats When Reporting on Housing Woes?

You may remember my rant from yesterday in which I expressed frustration that an L.A. Times story on the debate over ending mortgage interest tax deductions didn't focus on the unique plight of Angeleno homeowners. Even though it was an L.A. Times story.

Today, the paper reports on rising interest rates, and at least uses a Southern California couple this time as its anecdotal example. That's a start.

But then this part gets me:

A separate survey by Informa Research Services indicates the 30-year average rate last week topped 5% for the first time in six months. Economists at the Mortgage Bankers Assn. project that it will rise to 5.1% by the end of 2011 and 5.7% in 2012.

That means higher monthly payments, making it harder to qualify for a loan. If you borrow $200,000 over 30 years, a 1-percentage-point increase to 5.5% from 4.5% would boost the amount you pay each month by $122 to $1,136.

That's an interesting stat -- but who in Los Angeles is borrowing just $200,000 to buy a home? How about using $500,000 as a bench mark? For starters, the amount added to monthly mortgage payments would be even heftier -- making for a much better example.

Los Angeles Books for Christmas

It's actually pretty easy to figure out what to get me for a gift these days: Books about Los Angeles.

My growing collection of L.A. books -- found at book sales, on eBay and in stores -- now fills a full bookcase in our living room. And it keeps growing.

Mrs. Franklin Avenue knows of two books on my wish list this year: "Los Angeles in Maps" and Taschen's "Los Angeles: Portrait of a City."

Kevin Roderick talks about giving L.A. books as the perfect gifts this holiday season in his weekly KCRW commentary:

The best of them helps us clarify what we think we already know. Or delights us with the telling detail and nuance you get from closely examining a great photograph. Or a nicely turned insight.

The big, expensive book that every Angeleno-phile wants this year is Taschen’s major work, many years in the making, called "Los Angeles: Portrait of a City."

It overwhelms as both pictorial history and photographic tribute.

There are more than 500 pictures, and they really tell a story of the greater LA area and its people, present and past.

The editor, Jim Heimann of Taschen, and LA Times book critic David Ulin selected images we haven’t seen before and give them crucial context. Essays by the historian Kevin Starr add essential backstory to the scenes we see.

The book lists at 70 dollars, though you can probably get it for less online. This is the one that’s sure to be a hit with anyone who fancies themself a student of LA.

It's true -- I've seen it for as cheap as $35 online. For any fan of Los Angeles, I'd say you've just been given your holiday marching orders.

The Mortgage Deduction Debate, and How Angelenos May Get Screwed

This story is what sometimes drives me nuts about the Los Angeles Times. At the end of the day, the paper needs to be local first. Yet this piece, on the possibility that mortgage tax deductions may be erased, barely touches the unique circumstances faced by L.A. homeowners.

For starters, the story -- written by L.A. Times reporter Don Lee from Washington -- begins with an anecdote about Maryland homeowners:

Fifteen years ago, Carol Nietmann and her husband bought a spacious house in Maryland near Chesapeake Bay. And thanks to the time-honored tax deduction for mortgage interest, she said, their new place was a little bigger and a little nicer than they would otherwise have thought they could afford.

Much the same has been true for millions of Americans up and down the income scale. Perhaps the most sacred of all the sacred cows in the tax code, the home mortgage deduction has long been seen as crucial to a major element of the American dream — owning your own home.

It has also been a boon to home builders, construction workers, the financial services industry and local governments that benefited from fatter real estate tax revenue.

But nearly a century after coming into existence, the mortgage deduction may face a day of reckoning. Although out of the spotlight while the lame-duck Congress thrashes to an end, the mortgage deduction issue is likely to resurface next year when the new Congress — including a lot more deficit-hawk Republicans — takes over.

So here's my problem: Out here in L.A., at least since the home price escalation in 2003, homeowners have paid a little more than they can afford... in order to squeeze into a tiny home they could have easily handled in another part of the country. It's the price of living in a city like L.A., San Francisco or New York. And it's those mortgage tax deductions that allow us to pay for these homes, period.

Lee finally touches on the plight of Angelenos -- you know, the people reading his story -- but much further down, and only briefly:

On the other hand, younger homeowners in wealthier areas are likely to feel the biggest pinch. Take Hyun K. Chung of Orange County.

The 37-year-old occupational therapist has a mortgage of about $500,000 on her house, which she bought at the peak of the market in 2006. Her loan carried an interest rate of 6.4% last year, putting her interest payments at about $32,000.

Chung doesn't remember how much her mortgage deductions saved her in taxes, but based on rough estimates, it was probably about $6,600, said James Nunns of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

The deficit commission's plan would slice that to about $3,800, though Nunns said the difference could be significantly offset by lower tax rates and other changes under the commission's proposal. The possible tax changes are still too imprecise to calculate exactly how they would affect people.

So in other words, no one knows how much most of us young Southern California homeowners are about to get screwed. THAT is something you oughta play up.

It's not enough, by the way, that my generation was screwed over by Prop 13 (you know, the California law that means I pay triple the taxes on my little shack than many folks do on their Hancock Park mansions) -- now our mortgage deduction lifeline is threatened as well.

Stormpocalypse 2010 Is Just Beginning

Hope you like rain.

I mean, really like rain. Because that deluge of precipitation we've received so far? Oh, it's only the beginning, my friend. Welcome... to STORMPOCALYPSE 2010.

It's the kind of thing that will get Dallas Raines crouching.

Per the L.A. Times (where we grabbed the satellite photo, above):

A northern cold front is expected to move into the Los Angeles basin Monday afternoon, mashing up with subtropical moisture that has been sitting off the Pacific coast for several days. Periods of intense rainfall through Wednesday will bring another 5 inches to coastal plains and valleys and up to 10 inches in the mountains.

Hope you like rain!

Get Lost Inside the Los Angeles Magazine Cover Archive

Los Angeles magazine's new cover archive is easily one of my new favorite Internet spots. I've already spent plenty of time going through the covers, year by year, taking in both the magazine's changes and Los Angeles' post-war evolution.

The archive actually begins with the short-lived city mag "L.A." in 1958. Los Angeles magazine officially traces its roots to the July 1960 launch of "The Southern California Prompter" (which began its life with an illustration of City Hall on its cover). The magazine, now celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, morphed into "Los Angeles magazine" by 1961.

Interesting highlights: A 1962 cover piece on the real story on how Chavez Ravine became the home to the Dodgers; a 1963 cover line asking whether our aerospace industry would eventually depart (the answer, of course, was yes); a story on Wilshire in 1963 featuring the subhed 'Midtown grows up' (that 'midtown' term never caught on).



Another 1963 cover line asked whether the old downtown should be saved. Quite a few magazine covers from back then featured buildings being built, as the construction boom took hold.

Meanwhile, has there always been a touch of gloom-and-doom here? A 1967 cover piece describes how to "save" the city.



A 1969 cover chronicles the rise and fall of MGM -- and funny, 40 years later the remants of the old MGM remain in play. And in 1970, the magazine asked, can L.A. use three newspapers? (The answer: No.)



I do wish there was a way to read these stories. Go check out the archive here.

(Photographs by Larry Underhill.)

Retro Friday: Old Christmas Commercials

The Gap 1983 Christmas ad -- back before the chain was trying so hard.


The Good Guys 1989 Christmas ad. Love the East Coast accent on this announcer -- so unpolished!


May Co. Christmas ad from 1977.

With Dr. Laura Gone, KFWB Tweaks Weekday Schedule

Now that the Dr. Laura show is heading out of syndication and on to satellite radio, KFWB is switching up its weekday program lineup. The station is sticking with a mix of news and talk, even though its seen its Arbitron ratings decline since switching formats.

KFWB first added talk to its longtime news format after "Dr. Laura" was dropped by KFI and became available. But with her out of the picture, KFWB said it will now air a new show from "Total Money Makeover" creator Dave Ramsey from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as business reporter Bob McCormick (also featured on all-news sister KNX) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and "life coach" Les Broan from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Changes were announced Thursday by CBS Radio Los Angeles Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Steve Carver.

“I’m very excited about this new schedule on many levels,” said Carver. “Airing Dave Ramsey’s program entirely live will give Southern Californians a much bigger opportunity to call into the show. And like Dave, Bob McCormick and Les Brown are all about helping people live better lives with information many people are seeking out in today’s challenging times.”

KFWB continues to broadcast news in the morning with Penny Griego and Phil Hulett (6 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee in afternoons (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.).

KOCE Rebrands Itself as "PBS SoCal"

We're just 15 days away from the Great Southern California PBS Shakeout, and Orange County's KOCE -- soon to be the region's chief PBS station -- has unveiled more of its transition plans.

KOCE announced Thursday that it will rebrand itself as PBS SoCal, complete with a brand new website, PBSSoCal.org.

Here's where it gets confusing: KCET also frequently uses the "SoCal" tag, including for its signature newsmagazine show, "SoCal Connected." This is going to lead to more hair-pulling by local public broadcasting viewers.

KOCE has also signed new deals with regional cable operators, including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Mediacom, Suddenlink Communications and Time Warner Cable, to add distribution or improve channel positioning.

The new website will focus on KOCE but also iclude some program info for LAUSD's KLCS-TV and San Bernardino's KVCR-TV in San Bernardino.

KCET, of course, is not part of that local PBS consortium -- ironic, since KCET is the station that first suggested a Southern California PBS partnership. But now that KCET is dropping its PBS membership, it hasn't been included in any further local discussions.

"Our new identity is the result of extensive viewer research, and I am confident that it fully represents our new role as the full-service PBS station in Southern California," said KOCE president/CEO Mel Rogers.

KOCE "PBS SoCal" will be home to series such as "American Masters," "Tavis Smiley," "California's Gold," "Frontline," "Masterpiece Theater," "NOVA" and "Pioneers of Television," as well as "Curious George" and "Sesame Street."

KVCR will air "Nightly Business Report" and "Charlie Rose," while KLCS will air "Independent Lens."

FRANKLIN AVENUE CONTEST: $25 Gift Card to See 'Somewhere'

Sofia Coppola's latest feature, "Somewhere," hits theaters in limited release on Dec. 22. Franklin Avenue is giving you a chance to check out the movie.

We've got a $25 movie theater gift card, as well as an autographed poster of "Somewhere" from Coppola and a copy of her critically acclaimed feature "Lost in Translation." All you have to do is email us with your favorite holiday song -- send to franklin_avenue(at)yahoo(dot)com. Winner will be chosen from a random drawing by the Blogger Baby 2.0.

Written and directed by Coppola, "Somewhere" stars Stephen Dorff as a tabloid star living at the Chateau Marmont whose life is turned upside down when his 11-year-old daughter (Elle Fanning) comes to live with him. Chris Pontius, Benicio del Toro, Michelle Monaghan and Simona Ventura also star. Phoenix is behind the music.

Here's a trailer:

ArcLight to Screen a Handful of Holiday Movies

Is "Gremlins" a holiday movie? It takes place during the Christmas season, but does it belong along side "A Christmas Carol" or "It's a Wonderful Life"?

Well, the ArcLight thinks so. As a part of its celebration of "classic holiday movies" -- not really, they're only screening a handful -- "Gremlins" is included.

Here's the rundown:

ArcLight Hollywood
- It’s A Wonderful Life, December 27 at 8:00 pm

ArcLight Pasadena
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas, December 15 at 8:00 pm
- Love Actually, December 20 at 8:00 pm
- It’s A Wonderful Life, December 22 at 8:00 pm
- White Christmas, December 29 at 8:00 pm

ArcLight Sherman Oaks
- The Holiday, December 14 at 7:30 pm
- Gremlins, December 21 at 7:30 pm
- Love Actually, December 28 at 7:30 pm

"Love Actually" is a holiday classic as well? Hmm.

A&E's 'The Peacemaker' Looks at L.A.'s Gang Wars

Ice-T is the executive producer behind A&E's new series "The Peacemaker: L.A. Gang Wars," a look at the battle between rival gangs in South L.A.

"The Peacemaker" centers on gang mediator Malik Spellman as he looks to hammer out truces between bitter enemies. A&E picked up five half-hour episodes of the show, which premieres tonight -- Thursday, Dec. 16 -- at 10 p.m.

Here's more on Spellman via A&E:

A violence prevention counselor by day, Spellman is on a mission to bring peace to the troubled neighborhoods he’s lived in for 30 years. For the last two decades, he has dedicated his life to ending gang violence, putting it all on the line to mediate truces between adversaries sometimes separated by less than one city block.

It's not light holiday programming.

Variety Gets a First Bite of Chick-Fil-A

It's still six or so months before Chick-Fil-A opens its much-buzzed Hollywood location, but the fast food chain is already making the media rounds.

Today, it was Variety's turn. The chicken eatery sent Variety a slew of chicken sandwiches and wraps to feed the staff. The spicy chicken? Spicy. I like. (A bit too salty, however. I'm avoiding the nutrition facts. Don't tell me.)

Some pics from the Chick-Fil-A visit:

Choice Cuts Playlist: November 2010

November 2010

Heat And Hot Water (Passion Pit Remix) -- ARMS (3:32)
Skinny Genes -- Eliza Doolittle (3:05)
Home -- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (5:06)
Not In Love (feat. Robert Smith) -- Crystal Castles (3:46)
All Matter -- Bilal (5:21)
Me And The Moon (Twin Shadow Remix With No FX) -- The Drums (4:13)
Somebody To Love Me (ft. Boy George & Miike Snow) -- Mark Ronson And The Business Intl (4:58)
Freak Out -- Tapes 'n Tapes (4:05)
10 Slow -- Twin Shadow (3:58)
What's My Name --Rihanna feat. Drake (4:17)
Ain't Nobody (Coyote Remix) -- Clare Maguire (3:50)
Down By The Water -- The Decemberists (3:42)
Stop Me -- Mark Ronson Feat. Daniel Merriweather (3:54)
Get Some -- Lykke Li (3:23)
Just Before The Rain -- Dutch (3:59)
Louder Than Ever -- Cold War Kids (2:44)
MoneyGrabber -- Fitz & The Tantrums (3:10)
Boxer -- Lovers (4:20)
Favorite Colour (PUNCHES Remix) -- Tokyo Police Club (5:07)
Hypnotize U (Nero Remix) -- N.E.R.D. & Daft Punk (5:33)

Stay tuned for our "best of 2010" Choice Cuts round up at the end of the month. For a complete list of our playlists going back to 2001, check out Franklin Avenue's Choice Cuts blog.

L.A. Ad Town: The State of 'Drive Safely'

That's clearly a riff on a California license plate in this spot for the U.S. Postal Service. But why the need to replace 'California' with the words 'Drive Safely' in a similar font? I'm guessing it may be a licensing thing -- heaven forbid the Post Office kick a few bucks the state's way. But it's strange that they nonetheless went with the same design.

L.A. Ad Town: Backdrop for a Proposal

With Los Angeles' downtown skyline as a backdrop, this man drops to his knee and proposes in this current Kay Jewelers ad.

Sunset in Los Angeles

Spotted while driving down San Fernando Road in Glassell Park. This pic doesn't do the burning orange sky justice. But still, a reminder of how amazing the sunsets are this time of year around here.

Getting Crafty at This Weekend's Renegade Fair

It was DIY craft weekend in L.A., with Unique L.A. stationed down at the California Market Center penthouse, as well as the second Renegade Craft Fair at the Los Angeles State Historic Park.

Most folks hit both events, given the close proximity. But we were pressed for time on Saturday and only had a chance to visit one. Renegade was free... plus, longtime Franklin Avenue pal Emmie was showcasing her ultracool Fomato cards. So it we zoomed over to the park.

You may remember the Los Angeles State Historic Park from its time as the Not a Cornfield exhibit. Turns out, it's also a pretty cool spot to pitch some tents, throw in a couple hundred vendors and have a DJ spin cool tunes.

Emmie said the crowds were decent, and at least on Saturday afternoon, it appeared to be pretty well attended. The two boys were more excited about being so close to the Gold Line MTA trains, while Maria and I found some Christmas gifts for family members. We even took a moment to sit on a hill and watch the sun set behind the downtown skyscrapers.

Some pics from this weekend's Renegade Craft Fair:


I Taco LA. Virtually every day.


"Everyone Poops"... but don't forget the unsung hero in this scenario, best friend T.P.


Celebrate warm times, c'mon! It's "Wool and the Gang."


Felt beards.


Wall of Monkeys.