On April 8th of this year, Billy Bob Thornton appeared on CBC Radio One with his rockabilly band the Boxmasters. After being introduced by the program’s host, Jian Ghomeshi, as an actor with a prolific film career, Thornton regressed into monosyllabic petulance, each response punctuated by the disinterest of an ersatz Dylan. And, given the recent resurgence of performers who love to act and sing (from Scarlett Johansson and Zooey Deschanel to Jessica Biel and Terrence Howard), Thornton’s reaction has become the bellwether for how we address crossover stars. It’s difficult, when speaking to a performer best known for his cinematic work, not to discuss his films, especially in the case of Adam Goldberg, whose career over the past two decades has included stand-out performances in Dazed and Confused, Saving Private Ryan, A Beautiful Mind and The Hebrew Hammer. But, after just one listen to Eros and Omissions, a hypnotic, meditative debut album featuring songs that Goldberg wrote over the past six years, one can’t help but want to focus on LANDy, Goldberg’s musical alter ego. Assured, fractured and, at times, downright nasty (On “BFF,” Goldberg sings, “So your parents didn’t love you? Well, now mine don’t as well”), the album swells and shivers like a forlorn lover lost in a downpour. Here, days after news broke via Twitter that his ABC show “The Unusuals” had been canceled, Goldberg discusses his second act.

Taryn Manning is exhausted. Consider the slew of film auditions, big time fashion shows in support of her Williamsburg-friendly line Born Uniqorn, getting her party on with the likes of, you know, Paris Hilton and company, and now, the March 10 release of her electro pop funk of an LP A Million Trillion Stars. As the distinctive voice fronting brother/sister duo Boomkat, Taryn's proving that the whole actress/singer/fashion designer thing doesn't always have to conjure up J.Lo (and we're thankful for that, as JLO jeans still haunt us). You've likely come across Manning's fearless acting chops as the no-bullshit prostitute who rocked Bo Derek cornrows in Hustle & Flow. With all of Manning's film roles, even as Britney Spear's knocked-up BFF in the chic-flick Crossroads, Manning keeps it real, and equally as real in life--whether it's on the silver screen, as heard through her throaty, soulful pipes, or through an e-mail. No publicist or puppet strings of any kind hold Manning back; she's the all around real deal in the unfortunate Taylor Swift/Katy Perry world in which we live. We talked about her Large Marge nightmares, Lynne Spears requesting her MySpace friendship, and her regrets for turning down make-out sessions with Charlize Theron.

Michael Smith, private beat architect for Katsuya, Ferragamo, SBE, and The Standard, on drunken David Hasselhoff, the ambience of teeth brushing, Mark McGrath’s desperation, and MILFs in the White House

How did you get your start in Los Angeles? I started off DJing back in 2000, where, unlike today, LA didn’t have more DJs than housepets. Most DJs want to rock clubs and be the hero. I never cared if people knew who I was. I was in love with downtempo music because I could work, sleep, chill, and basically live to it. I looked to do completely different types of events: cocktail parties, art spaces, boats in the South of France, you know ... and found a niche outside of the club that allowed me to take more chances and meet more people. Eight years later, I’m doing global music marketing projects for many of the world’s top brands (Diesel, Vanity Fair, Jaguar, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Cavelli, 20th Century Fox). Crazy!

Hop to it before your tech-separation anxiety sets in.

1. Safari Sam’s (Hollywood) - Punk cabaret of sword swallowers, burlesque, spoken word, political seminars, brain-shattering live music. May or may not survive upcoming relocation.
2. The Echo (Echo Park) - Where Cold War Kids and their Silver Lake cousins grunge it up and wait to not be discovered.
3. Spaceland (Silver Lake) - The Monday residencies are the stuff of legend; the bands they launch are too.

Grab a bite and see a show -- Los Angeles has a thriving music scene and several great venues to catch local as well as far-flung artists. Here are our top 10 choices, along with great in-the-hood spots to chow down before (or after) you rock out.

1. Father’s Office + Temple Bar (Santa Monica) - Bleu cheese burgers and indie rock chicks.
2. New India Sweets & Spices + The Mint (Mid-City West) - Chicken tiki masala and rock-jazz-eclectic jams.
3. Amarone Kitchen & Wine + Viper Room - (West Hollywood) Pasta, Prosecco and punk rock.