Pitchfork

No dig on flowers and trees and wild animals and stuff like that, but there's plenty of inspiration to be found right here in the urban environs so many of us call home-- just ask Sufjan, who recently turned an eyesore of an expressway into a multimedia extravaganza, or any of the sundry musicians set to partake in "Songs of the City", a night of odes to the urbane put on by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

January 8 finds city folk like Belle and Sebastian's Stevie Jackson, Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen, Bob Mould, Rogue Wave's Zach Rogue, Sondre Lerche, Franklin Bruno, Sean Lennon, Inara George, Biirdie, and Zooey Deschanel each serving up "a stripped-down, heartfelt performance that portrays their mobile, civic existence" at L.A.'s Walt Disney Concert Hall.

UPDATE: Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio has been added to the lineup. And Sean Lennon has canceled.

And that's not all. On January 17, Japan's own Cornelius will descend upon the very same space with his Cornelius Group Synchronized Sensuous Show. Together they'll present a special "visual and sonic experience" known as Man-Machine in the Digital City. If it's anything like Tron, I am so there.

Ticket purchasers for Man-Machine will be treated to a special bonus in the form of three Cornelius mp3s, including "Breezin", a live version of "I Hate Hate", and a remix of "Fit Song" by the Books. They'll also witness an opening set by Plaid, featuring Greedy Baby collaborator and video artist Bob Jaroc.

Both events go down as part of the L.A. Phil's "Concrete Frequency" series, which has also programmed a few orchestral nights-- including a couple that pair pieces by Aaron Copland, Edgard Varèse, and George Crumb with a work by Frank Zappa. Hot dog.