WESFEST 8
Brendon Small’s Galaktikon will headline Wesfest 8: A Concert to Benefit the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship at Berklee College of Music to be held at the Roxy on March 3. Small is a guitarist and the man behind the animated Adult Swim TV program “Metalocalypse” and the band Dethklok and Dethklok’s bassist Bryan Beller and guitarist Mike Keneally will appear as will members or former members of Morbid Angel, Jefferson Starship, Zappa Plays Zappa and sidemen from the bands of Neil Young, Peter Frampton and Joe Satriani. Wesfest is held in memory of Wes Wehmiller, the late sideman from Duran Duran and many Los Angeles-based acts, including Missing Persons. Tickets to the charitable event are $20 and available at www.berklee.edu/giving/wesfest-tickets

VANS WARPED TOUR KICK-OFF PARTY
If you’re not already anxiously waiting for Warped Tour season, you will be after the tour’s annual kick-off party to be held at L.A. Live’s Club Nokia on March 28. Scheduled to perform are Beware of Darkness, New Beat Fund, Charlotte Sometimes, MC Lars, Juliet Simms, Big Chocolate, Dia Frampton and Chiodos. Brian Marquis and Craig Owens will play acoustic sets, and surprise guests are promised. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are available at www.vanswarpedtour.com

KHAT THALETH: A TOUR THROUGH ARAB RAP IN THE WAKE OF REVOLUTION
Stronghold Sound has put together a 23-track compilation of Arab rap music inspired by the recent revolutions in Arab countries and featuring contributions from acts representing Palestine, Tunisia, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. Among the performers on Khat Thaleth are El Far3i, Abdullah Miniawy, Al Haqq, Mohamad Antar, Armada Bizerta, Yaseen and Zeinedin + Narcicyst. Khat Thaleth drops on March 5, but you can download a seven-song sampler now at www.strongholdsound.bandcamp.com

HALF NOTES
ELLEN ALLIEN – A couple years ago, Berlin-based Allien was asked to write a soundtrack for a dance performance called "Drama per Musica." Now, the soundtrack is being readied for release to fans as an album called LISm, available March 12.

CAVE SINGERS – Songs about addiction, car ownership and fireworks are among the dozen offerings on Naomi, the new Cave Singers release due on March 5.

DONOTS – This long-running German pop/punk band is in the midst of a rare U.S. tour; catch them live at the Troubadour with Anti-Flag on March 18 and 19.

JOSE JAMES – James is receiving wide acclaim for his recently-released No Beginning No End; see the genre-bending Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter in concert at the Del Monte Speakeasy March 12 and 13.

METALLICA’S NEW SHOES – Rock band Metallica has teamed with Vans to come up with a signature line of Metallica-branded shoes. Each of the band’s four members has designed a shoe; find them at www.vans.com/metallica

“ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN” – Randy Johnson’s musical about the life of the late Janis Joplin will open at the Pasadena Playhouse on March 15. “One Night with Janis Joplin” is scheduled to run through April 11.

STOKER SOUNDTRACK – Clint Mansell’s soundtrack to the film Stoker is out this week; among Mansell’s original compositions are cuts from Philip Glass, Emily Wells’ “Becomes the Color” and the Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazlewood oldie “Summer Wine.”

SUUNS – Quebec City’s Suuns recorded their new album Images du Futur while the city was embroiled in student protests; hear the results when the album drops on March 5.