some_list1 = []
some_list1.append("something")

some_list2 = []
some_list2 += ["something"]

Python 3.0 (r30:67507, Dec  3 2008, 20:14:27) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import timeit
>>> timeit.Timer('s.append("something")', 's = []').timeit()
0.20177424499999999
>>> timeit.Timer('s += ["something"]', 's = []').timeit()
0.41192320500000079

Python 2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 18 2007, 08:51:08) [MSC v.1310 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import timeit
>>> timeit.Timer('s.append("something")', 's = []').timeit()
0.23079359499999999
>>> timeit.Timer('s += ["something"]', 's = []').timeit()
0.44208112500000141

>>> import dis
>>> dis.dis(compile("s = []; s.append('spam')", '', 'exec'))
  1           0 BUILD_LIST               0
              3 STORE_NAME               0 (s)
              6 LOAD_NAME                0 (s)
              9 LOAD_ATTR                1 (append)
             12 LOAD_CONST               0 ('spam')
             15 CALL_FUNCTION            1
             18 POP_TOP
             19 LOAD_CONST               1 (None)
             22 RETURN_VALUE
>>> dis.dis(compile("s = []; s += ['spam']", '', 'exec'))
  1           0 BUILD_LIST               0
              3 STORE_NAME               0 (s)
              6 LOAD_NAME                0 (s)
              9 LOAD_CONST               0 ('spam')
             12 BUILD_LIST               1
             15 INPLACE_ADD
             16 STORE_NAME               0 (s)
             19 LOAD_CONST               1 (None)
             22 RETURN_VALUE

>>> timeit.Timer('a("something")', 's = []; a = s.append').timeit()
0.15924410999923566

>>> a = []
>>> id(a)
11814312
>>> a.append("hello")
>>> id(a)
11814312

>>> b = []
>>> id(b)
11828720
>>> c = b + ["hello"]
>>> id(c)
11833752
>>> b += ["hello"]
>>> id(b)
11828720

some_list2 += ["something"]

some_list2.extend(["something"])

>>> a=[]
>>> a.append([1,2])
>>> a
[[1, 2]]
>>> a=[]
>>> a+=[1,2]
>>> a
[1, 2]

l= []

def a1(x):
    l.append(x) # works

def a2(x):
    l= l+[x] # assign to l, makes l local
             # so attempt to read l for addition gives UnboundLocalError

def a3(x):
    l+= [x]  # fails for the same reason

>>> l1= []
>>> l2= l1

>>> l1.append('x')
>>> l1 is l2
True

>>> l1= l1+['x']
>>> l1 is l2
False

>>> l2= l1
>>> l1+= ['x']
>>> l1 is l2
True

>>> list1=[[1,2],[3,4]]
>>> list2=[5,6]
>>> list3=list1+list2
>>> list3
[[1, 2], [3, 4], 5, 6]
>>> list1.append(list2)
>>> list1
[[1, 2], [3, 4], [5, 6]]