Destination DJ: What to Listen to Before Your Trip to L.A.

 

The Beach Boys are a Southern California classic

Los Angeles is an important city to the music industry: Universal Music Group is headquartered here; The Beach Boys came from this town; and the Sunset Strip has been one of the top breeding grounds for musicians in the country. The Entertainment Capital of the World’s laid-back and invigorating vibe seeps into every song that’s written, produced, or recorded here. Get inspired for your next visit to the West Coast with this sampler of unique Los Angeles artists, podcasts, playlists and soundtracks—and make sure to visit some musical landmarks, like Capitol Records, once you’re on the ground.

 

The Beach Boys are a Southern California classic.

1. La La Land, original motion picture soundtrack

This Academy Award-winning film highlights some of L.A.’s most iconic architecture and most visually stimulating settings. But perhaps most unforgettable is the music, which turned an ordinary love story into a musical masterpiece. The soundtrack—with music by Justin Hurwitz and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul—is available on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music, as is the expanded Complete Musical Experience.

2. Live Talks Los Angeles, audio podcast

Featuring local artists of all sorts (including writers, actors, musicians, comedians, scientists and chefs), Live Talks Los Angeles is a series of taped conversations covering politics, food, wine and more with some of L.A.’s favorite celebrities. You can download shows for free in the iTunes store. If you get lucky, you might even be able to catch an onstage, real-time Live Talk during your visit.

3. Kendrick Lamar, musician

As the rapper was born and raised in Compton, you’ll want to get Kendrick Lamar’s Southern California sounds buzzing in your ears.

Born and raised in Compton, Kendrick Lamar is a hip-hop artist who’s been called a “master of storytelling” by journalist Andreas Hale and the “most talented rapper of his generation” by Rolling Stone. The Grammy Award-winner, inspired by rappers like Tupac and Eminem as well as jazz musician Miles Davis, epitomizes the Southern California sound with albums that are equal parts jazz, soul, funk, spoken word and hip-hop. You can listen to Lamar’s music on iTunes and Spotify and via other streaming services. Note: Some of Lamar’s music carries a parental advisory for explicit content, so parents should review it before playing it in the car with the kids.

4. You Must Remember This, podcast

You Must Remember This started in 2014 as a passion project in the home of host, writer and narrator Karina Longworth, a former film journalist. The podcast, which often lands in the iTunes’ Top 100 Podcasts chart, tells the stories of movie stars and infamous Los Angelenos—such as Marilyn Monroe, Charles Manson and Walt Disney—during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Publications such as The Atlantic, The Guardian, Esquire and Paste magazine named it one of the best podcasts of 2016.

5. The Sound of L.A., playlist

This selection of 30 L.A.-influenced songs was compiled by journalists and DJs who live in Los Angeles and includes songs from well-known artists like Tyler the Creator and Skrillex, as well as lesser-known local acts worth learning about. Each song on this well-rounded playlist comes with a one-sentence description by the person who picked it; it’s sure to leave you feeling more cultured and in-the-know about Los Angeles music the longer you listen.

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