Online music site Lala.com is building quite a presence and going well beyond its technolgy roots. Founder Bill Nguyen was featured in a Wall Street Journal article today (reprinted here at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). "Tech Start-Ups Have Money To Burn, But Choose Thrift" talked about the way Lala Media Inc. is part of a new way of thinking among start-ups. "When you got venture-capital money previously, many people thought you immediately needed to spend it by hiring 40 or 50 people," said Nguyen. "Now we view the money as just as asset and not an immediate license to spend."

Lala.com has hired 20 employees -- mostly engineers -- and burns about $200,000 a month. If you've tried the service or passed by the website, you have probably seen an attractive, user-friendly website that is a cross between entertainment, social networking, music discovery and good ol' fashioned commerce. The site has forums, radio stations and sells new CDs.

Tonight, Lala is webcasting Groove Is In The Heart, a benefit concert in San Francisco. The rotating lineup of guests includes Bob Weir, Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller Band, Bonnie Raitt), Narada Michael Walden (Sting, Jeff Beck), Ozzie Ahlers (Van Morrison, Jerry Garcia Band) and Dewayne Pate (Robben Ford Band). The show starts at 8pm Pacific.

You may have also heard that Lala purchased/saved Internet radio station WOXY after it was closed down.