Yes, Amy Winehouse is a hopeless addict of the Pete Dougherty variety. It's sad but true. Her stunning voice and open-book songwriting skills (which scored her six Grammy nominations this year, including Best New Artist) have been all but overshadowed by her increasingly cracky public behavior (like wandering the streets of London with cocaine smeared across her face in bare feet and bra). But she cleans up well, pardon the pun:

Still, it's tough to find the humor in the new website "When Will Amy Winehouse Die?", which allows browsers to enter a predicted date and time when Ms. Winehouse finally shuffles from this mortal coil. The "winner" receives a free iPod. Hmmm. It sounds like the beginning of a really messed-up horror movie, where the ghost of Amy Winehouse terrorizes the winner until they too are hopeless crack addicts working the corner of Santa Monica and Highland to finance their habit. Or not...

—Scott T. Sterling

Have you been to Bordello yet? I checked out the recently renovated space last night for the first time to spin records at a show by my favorite L.A. band, West Indian Girl. Here's a shot of them spreading their big sonic love all over the packed room:

Their new album, "4th and Wall" (recorded in a studio on that sketchy corner of downtown) is in heavy rotation at Blipster HQ. It's loaded with great songs like "Hollywood" and “To Die in L.A.,” but today it’s all about “Solar Eyes,” which W.I.G. absolutely murdered last night. I call it “the bullhorn song,” as singer Mariqueen sings it through a (wait for it) bullhorn.

DJing for them was awesome. I was able to play all sorts of cool tunes from the likes of the Teenagers, Wooden Shjips, Of Montreal and the Fifth Dimension, whose “Up, Up and Away” served as the perfect opener for W.I.G.’s set.

I spent most of the night chatting with super-cool sound guy Adam between songs. Here he is in action:

Adam requested I play some Frank Zappa. Hey Adam, I’m spinning “Catholic Girls” just for you next time!

W.I.G.'s bass player is my dear friend Fran, who I've known ever since we used to terrorize Ann Arbor, MI back in the day like the hooligans we were. He’s one of the best people you’ll ever meet. Fran is the man:

I wish there was an upcoming W.I.G. gig that I could mention here, but the sweet children will be taking it easy for the rest of the year. When they return to the L.A. stage, we'll be all over it. Believe!

Instead, let me point you towards this Saturday night, where L.A. is blessed with an overabundance of great shows. I mean, how often you can choose between Stevie Wonder, Etta James, Les Savy Fav, Pigeon John, Snoop Dogg and the almighty hip-hop legend DJ Premier on the same night? There ought to be a law!

—Scott T. Sterling