5 Favorite Dishes to Make for First Time Guests by Ariana Morgenstern

5 Best Beards in Music by Jeremy Sole

Jeremy Sole, KCRW DJ.

Sure, I could have chosen a profound subject for my Top 5 list – one that might allow me to wax philosophic on music, race or early changes in migration patterns of the snowy egret as an indication of global warming. But alas, I have been guided to crest a higher summit – a list of those who liberate their follicles in honor of the upside-down crown.

Whilst trimming off the obvious picks like ZZ Top or Matisyahu, and pruning away Joe Cocker and all sporters of the porkchop, I have shaved it down to five of music’s most notable chinstraps – from the bearish muzzle to the pharaoh-like obelisk. Because this was a tough one to shear down, I have decided to focus on those who have wholly represented the fuzz throughout the majority of their career. Being that I’m the self-appointed arbiter on this matter, I hereby denounce all accusations of favoritism!

[more...]

5 Best Places to Play Tennis by Eric J. Lawrence

Eric J. Lawrence, KCRW Music Librarian/DJ.

Believe it or not, we DJs really need our exercise. Like most working folk, our gigs don’t provide us with many opportunities to move around all that much. Instead, we fall into bad habits, like hunching over the mixers, contemplating our next selection, all the while screwing up our posture and building up pressure in the neck and upper back. So, in order to keep in shape, we have to work out. And each of us has a different routine. Myself, I’m a tennis guy.

Southern California is well-suited for the tennis fan, with our year-long accommodating weather. It’s a social vs. solitary activity, and, depending on your mood, can inspire serious trash-talk or silent, steely-eyed stares. And thankfully there are plenty of courts (and players) around town. Here are my Top 5 Favorite Places to Play Tennis in Southern California:

[more...]

Five favorite places in L.A. for “Taking Tea” by Chery Glaser

Chery Glaser, KCRW Host.

Back when I was in third grade, my aunt from England taught me the proper way to make and drink tea (pre-heating the pot and truly boiling the water are a must for the former; I prefer milk and a skosh of sugar for the latter). I’ve been a fan of the brew pretty much ever since. There’s nothing like it for curling up on the sofa on a chilly night or lingering over on a lazy Saturday afternoon. But I’m also a fan of tea, the meal–particularly when somebody else has done all the work and I can just sit back and enjoy. So forthwith, my five favorite places for taking tea in L.A.

[more...]

5 Singers You May Not Have Heard of but Might Want to Check Out by Bo Leibowitz

Bo Leibowitz, KCRW DJ.

The great American songbook has never had it so good.  Given the Internet as virtual marketplace, there’s a flood of new, self-produced singers who no longer need to sign with a label in order to distribute their wares to a dwindling number of record stores.  Not that the five singers listed below are unknowns, by any means,  but perhaps less well known, in my opinion, than they should be.

[more...]