The new Oxford Collapse is really good.
Really really fucking good.
http://www.subpop.com/scripts/main/discography.php?cat=true&display_type=discog_single&title=Remember+the+Night+Parties The new Mark Kozelek double album is also really good.
http://www.caldoverderecords.com But for entirely different reasons.
Ex. Former = Dancing and Beer. Latter = Wine and solitude.
The new favourite restaurant of Spencer Brown may be in Forest Lawn. I'm not kidding. Say what you like about that neighbourhood but unlike the suburbs it has some soul.