Groove

Enough already. The Times has written two full-length articles on the new adult-alternative rock radio station Channel 103.1 ("For KACD and KBCD, Time Is on Their Side," Nov. 12). Neither of the articles mentioned the devastating loss many L.A. listeners felt for the demise of the former dance-oriented Groove 103.1 radio. I thought the premise of interesting news articles should be about something unique and extraordinary, which Groove 103.1 was, but definitely not Channel 103.1 The new format simply reshuffles many of the same rock songs heard on many other stations in Los Angeles.

Peter Bourjos was leading the Angels in batting when he strained his left hamstring six weeks ago and landed on the disabled list. And though Bourjos was hitless in two of the first three games he played since being reactivated this week, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia doesn't think Bourjos will have to start over to rediscover his groove. "There's no doubt it's going to take a little bit of time," he said. "A normal spring training, you're talking about 60 to 70 at-bats. I don't think we're there.

Blake Shelton and Shakira's teams stepped out live for the first time on "The Voice" on Tuesday night, as Teams Adam and Usher had done the previous night, to compete for audience votes as well as their coach's favor and vie for a spot in the top 12. The evening brought some terrific performances, including a riveting duet by Shelton and Shakira on Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now. " Shakira may have a citified sound and style, right down to her...

The worst bullpen in the major leagues could have an All-Star in its midst. Brian Fuentes has bounced back from a slow start in a big way, converting 15 of his last 16 save opportunities. The Angels' closer entered Wednesday leading the American League with 20 saves and had not given up a run in his last seven appearances. "He's found his groove and I think we're seeing the guy we thought we were going to see," pitching coach Mike Butcher said. "I'm happy with what he's doing."

Dogs and their owners will unleash their inner grooviness Saturday when the 7 th Annual Balboa Barks: A Day of Peace, Love & Canine Companions kicks off in San Diego . The '60s-themed festival, in Balboa Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include activities, contests and food. Proceeds will benefit Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit Oceanside organization that provides assistance dogs to people with disabilities. The event, formerly called "Woofstock,"  will take place at the corner of Park Boulevard and Presidents Way. The entrance fee is $7, with parking free.

"We've had people faint and fall on the ground; we've had people throw up . . . ," starts Sky Shivers, manager of the Big Red Barn at the Los Angeles County Fair. He is describing various Southern Californians' reactions to watching a live cow birth. "We've had mothers shield their children's eyes and drag them out of the pen," he recollects with a chuckle and an Oklahoma drawl. Starting Saturday and running through Oct. 4, the L.A. County Fair is expected to lure roughly 70,000 people a day to the Pomona Fairplex for carnival rides, funnel cakes, live music and acres of sawdusty attractions including pig races, chicken hatchings, mini ponies, mammoth donkeys, baby bunnies and a new exhibit dedicated to the goat meat industry.

Aaron Harang had been the laggard, the one pitcher in the rotation struggling to find his form. The other four starters in the rotation were a blistering 15-5 with a 2.61 ERA. Harang started Thursday 2-2 with a 4.46 ERA. But it is beginning to look like the right-hander wants to join the party, and already has as far as the Padres are concerned, after leading the Dodgers to an easy 8-1 victory in San Diego. While the Dodgers were peppering Edinson Volquez and the Padres bullpen for 12 hits, Harang was holding San Diego scoreless in his seven innings on only four hits.

Who is A-Trak? C'mon, you know him. He's the DJ studiously manning the decks amid hip-hop star Kanye West's intricate stage settings, scratching and cutting with skills so sharp, he conquered all comers in the world of one-on-one DJ-ing and retired from battling at the ripe old age of 18.

CHICAGO - Vernon Wells worked with former Chicago Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo last winter to fix a swing that didn't work in 2011, when he hit a career-low .218 with 25 homers and 66 runs batted in. Since coming off the disabled list in late July, the outfielder has worked with Angels hitting coach Jim Eppard to improve his rhythm and timing, which have been off in four starts in nine days, in which Wells went 0 for 15 with five...

The heaviest place to be at Coachella 2013, from a sound perspective, wasn't in the sweet spot of the Main Stage rig while Phoenix was preparing for the arrival of R. Kelly, or at the heart of the Sahara stage during Baauer's big, dumb, joyous set of beat music, heavy on the synth riffs and dirty beats. It was nestled away near the food court in the Yuma tent, where four bass cabinets the size of Jeeps were parked in each corner of the room. The tent is the sixth and newest venue at the festival, and because it's fully enclosed, the bass can't escape.

Like a secular shrine, the dining-room wall of Juan Diego Borda's West L.A. bungalow is decorated with dozens of classic record-album covers. "Abbey Road. " "Sticky Fingers. " "Dirty Dancing Machine. " "Lords of Acid vs. Detroit. " For Borda and Andres "Popa" Erazo, the personable and articulate two-man electronica collective known as Palenke Soultribe, the wall is both inspirational and aspirational. It's a visual nudge, as well as a testament, to their ambitions as DJ-producer-musicians focused on importing cumbia and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms into the hissing global stew that is electronic dance music.

It all started with the Kingston Trio. One day in 1963, a San Diego kid and his friends got their hands on an album by the popular folk group. Greg Deering, 12 at the time, recalls studying the musicians on the cover and thinking, "I've got to get a banjo" - not out of love for the twangy instrument but mainly because his pal already had a guitar. Fifty years later, Greg, his wife, Janet, and daughter Jamie preside over the bestselling banjo-making business in the U.S. From a small Spring Valley factory, the Deering Banjo Co. is having its best year ever, defying the U.S. skills gap and California's manufacturing doldrums.

One particular moment stood out during Barack Obama's first four years as a musical-minded president, and he delivered it in sweet falsetto. Offered with casual confidence at the Apollo Theater in Harlem almost exactly a year ago at a fundraiser, the president of the United States cooed the melody from "Let's Stay Together" by the Rev. Al Green. It was a mere three words along with an introductory wail - "Heeey, let's stay together" - but within it lay a quote packed with subtext.

It's with David Chase's much-honored individualism in mind that one should best approach - and best enjoy - his first feature film as a writer-director, the wonderfully immersive and evocative "Not Fade Away. " Despite the nostalgia-drenched idealism coursing through it - and a cinematic familiarity to the subject matter - this is not a story that's neatly told or safely predictable. The result, though, proves a warmly reflective, diligently crafted and confidently digressive flashback to a time, a place and people Chase, the creator of "The Sopranos," knows like the back of his hand (as it's largely drawn from the filmmaker's own coming of age)

When the Lakers were done throwing rocks at the backboard Tuesday night, there were so many questions to answer. Then the biggest of all shoved its way through the crowded chaos of a foundering offense, Pau Gasol's continued backspin and Steve Nash's never-ending leg injury. What does Dwight Howard think of all this? The more the Lakers lose, the more likely he's a one-year rental. He didn't come here to take seven shots a game (Memphis last week) or four shots a game (Sacramento, also last week)

Here in the bowels of AT&T Park sits Manny Ramirez's locker. It's nothing fancy: bare and Ikea-like. On Tuesday, it held a pair of designer jeans, a dress shirt, a brown purse, three bats and three bottles of cologne. It is also twice as wide as any other players' cubicle -- which is fitting given Ramirez's outsized importance to his team. Emotionally, psychically, Ramirez probably cuts the widest swath of any single player on a contending major league team. He plows through, everyone else on the Dodgers follows.

DALLAS - Metta World Peace's off-season carried its own reputation. A lot of partying, a lot of traveling and also a lot of work. He set out to lose weight and fix his outside shot. Consider him a go on both. He had 19 points Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks, the 11th consecutive game in which he hit double-figure scoring. "It's been a long time," he said, smiling after the Lakers' 115-89 victory. It blows away any scoring streaks in his four-year Lakers tenure, his previous high only seven consecutive games of double-digit scoring "We're just running and I'm in shape," World Peace said.

Mike D'Antoni's official Lakers coaching debut Tuesday brought the team closer to complete health, but it will be awhile before their medical room is empty. D'Antoni watched the previous two games with injured point guards Steve Nash and Steve Blake, waiting until he felt strong enough after knee-replacement surgery to take charge from the bench. D'Antoni vacated the medical room Tuesday but left the two players behind. D'Antoni said no timetable has been set for the return of Nash, who has a small fracture in his left leg and has played only two games.