Al’s Bar Strikes It Live on CD

Time to take a trip east of the Harbor Freeway: Al’s Bar, the last bastion of downtown underground, put some cool artwork together for its first-ever “Live at Al’s� compilation, a 24-track recording featuring some of the Southland’s finest bands (among the 13 groups are Touchcandy, Spent Idols, 1000 Mona Lisas and the Humpers). The CD is wrapped in a faux cardboard matchbook--the kind you write your number on when you meet a potential sig’ other--and only 1,000 were pressed, so if you want one, check the local indie record stores. . . .

In more downtown news, look for Malathion, a monthly Monday hip-hop and experimental music club held at Vertigos (801 W. Temple), to go weekly on May 26. The rotating roster of deejays includes Daz, Cockni ‘O Dire, Dres and June. . . . We’ve learned that a new Thursday dance hall reggae club may be firing up in a couple of weeks at a downtown area loft. Would be nice to think downtown could make a comeback. . . .

Moving West for a Sec: The Sky Bar is still teetering with repeat visits by Mick Jagger, Lionel Richie, Shaq and Michael Eisner and the rumors are true--stargazers have been checking into the Mondrian in order to gain entree to the hotel’s star-studded bar, which allows hotel guests to bring two other warm bodies with the price of a room (which starts at $195 a night).