By Kimberly Chun

You want to wipe away the gloom with some swoony, loony sounds, you know you do. More music than we could cram into ye olde newsprint.

Alternative Tentacles 30th Anniversary Incest-a-Thon
The proceedings kick off with Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine -- and it's going to be raging and ornery from the sound of the outfit's new The Audacity of Hype (Alternative Tentacles). The fun continues with Citizen Fish, Star Fucking Hipsters, and MIA (the hardcore band not the lady) opening tonight; Ludicra, Munly and the Lupercalians, and Knights of the New Crusade Friday, and Alice Donut, Victims Family, and Burning Image Saturday. Sounds like a good, loudly irreverent time for all. Thurs/5-Sat/7, 8 p.m., $20-$22 ($50 three-day pass). Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell, SF. (415) 885-0750.

Hank IV and Celine Dion
Hank Sr. gets a hard twirl in his grave, as the Bay Area troublemakers’ hearts go on. With Blues Control. Thurs/5, 9 p.m., $7. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk St., SF. (415) 923-0923.

Dawes
The early-20-something LA foursome have been listening closely to The Big Pink -- namely the Band, not the UK 4AD duo. With Langhorne Slim and Austin Lucas. Fri/6, Independent, 628 Divisadero, SF. (415) 771-1422.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Alternative Tentacles, Pixies, Paramore, Finches, R. Kelly, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

Halloween and NYE -- yes, it’s amateur hour once again for non-locals, gawkers, and ‘burb brats. Still, ya gotta fill the void -- here are a few more ways that didn’t make print.

Art Brut
Are the Anglo-Teutonic arty farties the next best thing to poppers like Fountains of Wayne? With Princeton Fri/30, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m., $16. Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, SF. (415) 861-5016.

No Age
The LA twosome skipped the Grammys for the road (“Best Recording Package?”). With Residual Echoes and Magic Bullets. Fri/30, 9 p.m., $16. Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell, SF. (415) 885-0750.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: No Age, Soapbox, Emerald Triangle, Kawabata, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Text and photos by Lisa Weiss

Photos from the 40th anniversary Woodstock celebration at Speedway meadow:

“This is righteous! It’s a part of history!” Terry Kennedy makes up the seriously daunting security behind the scenes at this year’s West Fest. He, along with many of his fellow security handlers and 2B1 record employees, lent a hand to the celebrations to commemorate the majestic memories from Summer of Love and Woodstock.

More pix after the jump

Continue reading "West Fest: The fun and the photos" »

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Posted by Tim Redmond at 09:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As West Fest approaches, Noise is showcasing some of the many different concert posters created for the 40th anniversary of Woodstock tribute, which takes place on Sunday, October 25 at Golden Gate Park. It's free! Check out Johnny Ray Huston's article about it all and take a gander ...

Poster by Bob Masse

Poster by Burray Olson

Poster by Stanley Mouse

Continue reading "Even more West Fest poster art" »

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Posted by SFBG at 01:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

We got places to go, people to see, crazy sounds to hear -- more for your show-going pleasure and more than we could fit in print.

BrakesBrakesBrakes
Cheney better watch himself when the Brighton, England, combo steps on it. With Ezra Furman and the Harpoons and Rachel Goodrich. Wed/21, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell, SF. (415) 861-2011.

Fu Manchu and Dirty Power
Heaviness is as heaviness does -- with the added oomph of the SF-bred Power brokers. With the Solid. Wed/21, 8:30 p.m., $21. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Pelican, Kid Sister, Le Loup, Sunset Rubdown, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 06:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As West Fest approaches, Noise is showcasing some of the 18 different concert posters created for the event, which takes place on Sunday, October 25 at Golden Gate Park. Take a gander ...

Poster by D. Hughston and G. Johnson

Poster by Mike Dolgushkin

Poster by Michael V. Rios

Poster by Pat Ryan

Continue reading "More West Fest poster art" »

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Posted by SFBG at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

The tao of Au, the Wu of a Killah -- that’s the spirit. More sounds to sit with and move to.

AU - RR vs. D from Rainbow Dropshadow on Vimeo.

Au
Toy pianos, ethereal vocals, and Portland, Ore.-steeped experimentation. With Why?, Mount Eerie, and Serengeti and Polyphonic. Sat/17, 9 p.m., $16. Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell, SF. (415) 885-0750.

Dan Deacon
The high Deacon of the laptop gospel preaches to the choir. With Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Teeth Mountain, and Nuclear Power Pants. Sat/17, 9 p.m., $10. Mezzanine, 444 Jessie, SF. (415) 820-9669.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Dan Deacon, Ghostface Killah, La Roux, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Dan Abbott

Skyler Fell, who performed at the SF Accordion Club's September gathering.

In an age of accelerating cultural fusion and mutation, it should come as no surprise that the accordion has undergone something of a renaissance. A staple of musical traditions from as far afield as Eastern Europe, Mexico, and Italy, the various permutations of the squeezebox has resurfaced with renewed vigor. The San Francisco Bay Area has become something of a hub for this rebirth, aided by both its location at the hub of cultural ley lines and its rich history as – believe it or not – an accordion exporting powerhouse.

Frank Montoro, president of the, San Francisco Accordion Club has watched accordion culture wax and wane with the times. Until the middle of the 20th century, there were at least five accordion factories churning out instruments in North Beach alone, Montoro says, mostly by Italians who’d brought generations of craft knowledge over from the Old Country.

“I watched my accordion being built, back in the ‘40s,” he remembers fondly. The advent of rock’n’roll and mass culture swept much of the accordion’s prestige (and visibility) away, Montoro says, until it seemed an ethnic relic, the obscure province of nerds, wedding music and Weird Al Yankovic. “Times have changed,” the octogenarian Montoro says. “If you like Swedish music, where are you going to go?”

Continue reading "Squeeze my box" »

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Posted by SFBG at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

Mr. Marcus, RIP. Photo from ebar.com

This isn't about music per se -- let's not even go there with this one -- but it IS about nightlife. Mister Marcus, who for decades tirelessly covered the international, national, local, spiritual, and intergalactic leather scenes has passed away at the age of 77. He had been hospitalized for some time for diabetes and arteriosclerosis.

Marcus wrote for the Bay Area Reporter, and I pretty much grew up on his weekly (sometimes bi-weekly) dispatches. Seriously, he knew EVERYTHING about the leather scene, documenting all the sash winners and losers, the hopefuls and string-pullers, and, yes, sassy sassy gossip. (Here's one of his recent columns, that he wrote when he was 75, that shows off his breadth of knowledge.) Being a bit cantankerous on occasion, he also didn't hesitate to cry foul or use his position to push for transparency and change on the leather circuit. At times he was controversial -- but if you know any leather queens, you know know that the freakin' color of M&M's in a refreshment bowl at a charitable reception can be controversial. I'm not saying they're fussy, but ....

.... but the community is also very loving. When I was a hardcore leather boy, Mr. Marcus -- who was always busy -- was incredibly encouraging and always took time to talk. (Another leather legend who recently passed, Daddy Alan Selby, "Mr. S" himself, took me under his wing and was an amazing mentor.) Mr. Marcus helped bind his community with his reports and nudges, and I fear its continued atomization now.

I also fear for the future of nightlife writing in this town. There are very few of us regular nightlife commentators left, even in the Blog Age -- people who get creative and critical with their takes on parties and after-hours developments, even as they can't stop dancing or performing or bringing it. Posting pictures of your nights out to Facebook doesn't count. I hope people continued to be inspired by Marcus' dedication to a scene, and begin to document and foster their own through choice words.

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Posted by SFBG at 04:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

JESSE FULLER
Move on Down the Line
(Fledg’ling)

By Kimberly Chun

He was “the Lone Cat,” for sure. Bay Area blues-folk 12-string guitarist and vocalist Jesse Fuller went by that moniker back in the day -- he died in 1976 at 80 -- when he plied his one-man band (including his fotdella, a foot-operated hammer-and-pedal string bass of his own invention, and harmonica-kazoo-cymbals-washboard setup) on the streets of San Francisco.

The self-described “folk songster” spent years riding the rails after leaving his native Georgia, arrived in SF to work its shipyards as a wartime welder, and later opened an Oakland shoeshine parlor. He also penned blues-folk standard “San Francisco Bay Blues,” which went on to be covered by everyone from Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Bob Dylan to Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney. Fuller certainly displays an inviting feline ease on the original version of that number on the lovingly assembled Move on Down the Line, supplemented by notes by music maven Joe Boyd and filled out with a number of tracks that aren’t on other Fuller discs in print. The songwriter’s version is the definitive ode to the city: brisk, breezy, driven by his evocative, supple drawl and bring-it-all-home kazoo solo. It’s the finale to a quirky, compelling, and essential document of a now-less-than-recognized piece of SF music history -- a part of the Southern blues tradition that carved out his own place by the Bay.

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Green Day's Mike Dirnt, from left, Billie Joe Armstrong and Tré Cool. Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Records.

By Kimberly Chun

Another helping of American Idiot, anyone? Berkeley Rep has obliged by extending the run of the musical through Nov. 1. Meanwhile here’s more from an interview with Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong in August -- for the rest of the story, see “No Brainer” in the Guardian’s Fall Arts Preview issue.

SFBG: So what does the album mean to you now?

Billie Joe Armstrong: Um, I think it means that we were right. [Laughs] I think it means ... a lot. I love that album. It’s one of my proudest moments as a musician, for sure -- having the guts and audacity to make a record that was that ambitious, but still, at the same time, be true to rock ‘n’ roll music, I guess.

Continue reading "Americana: More from Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and 'American Idiot,' the musical" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 06:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Interview by Mirissa Neff. From SCENE: The Guardian Guide to Bay Area Nightlife and Glamour, on stands in our regular issue now!

Funky C with his band Joya, photographed for our SCENE cover by Spencer Hansen

Known throughout Latin America as C-Funk, singer, guitarist, and DJ Funky C, a.k.a. Cristian Moraga, was born during the bleak days of Pinochet's dictatorship. He co-fronted popular funk-rock-hip-hop band Los Tetas and brought the groove back to a Chilean scene rife with disenfranchised punk rockers. When Los Tetas ended, Moraga vowed never to set foot on another stage. Lucky for us, though, his particular brand of funk (what he calls "Funk Latino") was too chronic to shake. The mothership brought him to San Francisco where he recorded Joya (Sonic 360, 2007), an album full of nods to funk icons like James Brown and George Clinton and less-expected heros like Tupac and Snoop Dogg. With two recent slots at the Fillmore under his belt, Funky C is set to throw down his deep-rooted riffs and infectious songs at a series of new parties called "Latin Biatz."

SFBG How did you end up in the U.S.?

Funky C I have family here and came here to play with my old band, Los Tetas. But I always wanted to come here to live. In 2007 I released the Funky C album with L.A. label Sonic 360 and decided to move here. Then my wife and I had our baby here in San Francisco, a California girl. It's been a crazy year.

SFBG So the whole band came from Chile?

Funky C Well, I decided for myself, and they wanted to come too. And through my visa I got them visas. The drummer Pepino arrived last year. The bass player Chicho came last year, went back to Chile, and got back just in time for our show at the Fillmore last week. The only one who's not here is the keyboard player. We're missing one of our characters in the band, and I miss him a lot.

Continue reading "SCENE: Funky C tears the roof off" »

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Posted by SFBG at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

Keep your ears open for the sound of rolling thunder, and your heart dilated with the music of yesterday and tomorrow. Today? Well, here’s some of the musical worthiness coming down the pike right about now.

Mark Eitzel and Victor Krummenacher
Singles going steady? The American Music Clubber meets up with his Camper/Monk chum, who flies solo. Thurs/24, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk, SF. (415) 921-1695.

Hammer
He won’t hurt you -- though his parachute pants could cause damage. With Whodini. Fri/25, 8 p.m., $45.75-$65.75. Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph, Oakl. www.apeconcerts.com

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Hammer, Indian Jewelry, Rain Machine, MV and EE, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Text and photos by Ariel Soto

The air was thick with friendship and love as about 70,000 people went into tree pose to say a united prayer for peace in Speedway Meadows this Saturday for the 11th annual Power to the Peaceful concert. The day long concert has been the pride and joy of Michael Franti for the past decade, whose own music strives to motivate and cultivate love and peace between all us human beings.

This year the special guests included Alanis Morissette, Cherine Anderson, and Sly and Robbie along with inspirational speakers such as former Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney and Tibetan monk Namkha Rinpoche who hinted at the possibility of the Dalai Lama coming to next year's Power to the Peaceful.

Continue reading "Live Shots: Power to the Peaceful 9/12/09" »

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Posted by SFBG at 03:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - "40 Day Dream"

By Kimberly Chun

Strap yourself in for more musical thunder as San Fran girds itself for fall - here’s more of what floats the city’s boat.

Glitter Wizard
Wah-wah wow. Hard rock meets glamazon psych in the paws of the SF-Oakland combo. Sat/12, 9:30 p.m., $6. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.

The Honey Brothers
Adrian Grenier of Entourage yucks it up from behind the kit. With Soko and His Orchestra. Sat/12, 9 p.m., $15. Independent, 628 Divisadero, SF. (415) 771-1422.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Edward Sharpe, Vieux Farka Toure, Chris Garneau, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 07:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Text and photos by Ariel Soto

Donning matching black and white outfits, the Jonesin' duo bounced around the stage, singing old Dolly Parton covers and also their own lyrics, that sometimes focus on aliens, their amour, roller skates, and the foggy city we all call home. Their music is totally bubbly and funky with just a hint of country and irony. With only their mikes and a boom box for back-up , these two belted it out at Hemlock Tavern for their official Hi, We're Jonesin' (Telemarketer's Worst Nightmare) record release party and as a send-off for their around the country tour, which includes stops in Kansas, Mississippi and Texas, too.

Continue reading "Live Shots: Jonesin' and the Sandwitches at Hemlock Tavern, 9/3/09" »

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Posted by SFBG at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

By Kimberly Chun

Relaxing too hard this Labor Day weekend? Get the blood moving at these musical happenings – so much more than we could fit in print.

AC/DC
The Aussies are slipping on Black Ice and into the record books as the fifth best-selling band in US history. With Answer. Wed/2, 8 p.m., $92.50. HP Pavilion, 525 W. Santa Clara, San Jose. www.livenation.com

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: AC/DC, Japanther, Invisible Ocean Gathering, White Buffalo, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

By Marke B.

I have a soft-spot in my cold, cold heart for East Bay electro-funk duo Wallpaper -- I grin at their catchy-kooky antics, and whatever wrong rub I get from the pair's unironic frat-boy sentiments ("If I wasn't me, I'd date myself") is quickly sanded off by the amount of beguiling musical ideas in their songs. I'm still working my way through my advance copy of their new Eenie Meenie LP, Doodoo Face (see what I mean about the level of humor here?), and I'll have more thoughts on it before it hits stores on 9/22. For now though, here's Wallpaper's latest -- you can judge for yourself. It could be a giant statement about the loneliness of a crowded dance floor, it could just be a party jam. It's kind of both to me. Plus, they totally sample themselves.

Wallpaper, "I Got Soul, I'm So Wasted"

Wallpaper
Doodoo Face record release party
w/ HOTTUB
Sat/26, 9pm, 18+
$10 over 21/$15 under
Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell, SF.

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Posted by SFBG at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

So much to do and so many Mayyors ‘n’ Lamps hoedowns, Outside Lands night shows, and damaged prom benefits to attend. San Fran never disappoints. Here are the worthies still to come.

Big Sur Festival 2009/Party in the Pines
A mini-fest to rival Golden Gate Park’s massive -- with way coolios like Kurt Vile, who puts out his first Matador disc, Childish Prodigy, in October, and SXSW breakouts such as Woods. With Wooden Shjips, Vietnam, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Gang Gang Dance, Dungen, and Saviours. Sat/29, noon-11 p.m., $31. Henry Miller Library, Highway 1, Big Sur. www.henrymiller.org. Dungen also plays with Woods and Kurt Vile Sun/30, 8 p.m., $14, at Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Blue Sky Black Death
From Haight to the wide blue yonder, with estimable hip-hop sounds for all. With Boy Eats Drum Machine and Boy in Static. Sat/29, 10 p.m., $10. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Death Angel
You can’t keep the Bay thrash vets down. With Skinlab and Kaos. Sat/29, 9 p.m., $15. Uptown, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl. (510) 451-8100.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Woods at 'Pines', Os Mutantes, Baseball Project, Dirt Bombs, Foreigner, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

San Franwindy – that’s what we call you around the house while you’re busy blowing your butt off. It’s time to take refuge in musicland – here are some shows that didn’t get swept off our radar.

Foreign Cinema
Dreamy, chill, and, natch, cinematic – that’s the sound of the year-old SF trio and its trip-hop- and alt-rock-laced new debut EP. With Maggie Morris and Ghosties. Sun/23, 9 p.m., $6. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.

Chuck Prophet
The SF singer-songwriter unveils his new long-player, live and track by track, alongside Ernest “Boom Boom” Carter, Rusty Miller, and Tom Ayres at “Let Freedom Ring.” Expect the proceedings to be properly documented, with Kelley Stoltz behind the wheels o’ steel. Oh, yeah, and kids wanna know: will there be Donkey Kong? Sun/23, 8 p.m., $10. Knockout, 3223 Mission, SF. (415) 550-6994.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Chuck Prophet, Fruit Bats, 'Audition,' and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 06:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kimberly Chun

Les Paul, Rashied Ali – Big Daddy Death keeps claiming another one. Goddamnit. You can find me at the bar, buried in vodka tonics, till you finally find the strength to perk up, listen to Interstellar Space again, stroke your koa-wood SG, and contemplate all the live music, still kicking all around you.

Society of Rockets and Dominique Leone
The SF psychedelicists bang noggins with the congenial local, NorCal synthesist. Thurs/13, 9 p.m., $10. Café du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. (415) 861-5016.

Solillquists of Sound
Me likee the bubbling, robo-futuristic beats of the Orlando, Fla., quartet’s new No More Heroes - and the live act is supposed to be pretty awesome, too. With 40Love and Zutra. Thurs/13, 9 p.m., $10. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Lil Wayne, Green Day, Down, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

Wow, it’s far from freezing but way too foggy at the beach – so dry off, stop gawking at the sea lion near the Sutro Baths, and check the head at these worthy musical happenings. Black Francis’ acoustic show may be sold out at Hotel Utah tonight, but there’s still too much going on for you to get your grump on.

Concrete Jungle Meets the SF Classic
Yeah, I can tell by your itchy mod finger that you’re just dying to check out the scooter rally afterparty. DJs Selecter Kirk and Prince Omar take the pulse of the mob with two-tone, ska, rocksteady, and more. Sat/8, 9 p.m., $5. Knockout, 3223 Mission, SF. (415) 550-6994.

Frustrations
Wah-wah-wow. The Detroit-based slaves to the skronkadelic grind it up something fierce. With the Mindless Things. Sat/8, 6 p.m., $5. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Los Amigos Invisibles, Caroline Weeks, the Frustrations, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

More music – you got it, SF. Just ‘cause you’re you. Here are a few worthy shows that didn’t make the jam-packed issue. (Psst, pass the tissue.)

Clip’d Beaks
The sometime SF-ers share their latest visions. With Boys IV Men, Vice Cooler, and Emily Hoof. Wed/29, 9 p.m., $5. Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, SF. (415) 552-7788.

The Donkeys
Balking? The Dead Oceans combo from San Diego responds to the healing powers of Beach Boys-style harmonies. With Magnolia Electric Company, Val Esway, and El Mirage. Wed/29, 9 p.m., $12. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Bowerbirds, N.E.R.D., Themselves, Dorkfest, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

What a beaut of a day -- I’m gonna get me some plein-air crème brulee. And guess what, the night will be even better. Here are a few of the shows worth squeezing in.

Men
Le Tigre’s JD Samson gets us off – “Off Our Backs,” that is – with a recent project. With Tussle and the Younger Lovers. Fri/17, 10 p.m., $10. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Pterodactyl--"December" music video from Pterodactyl on Vimeo.

Pterodactyl
The Brooklyn ménage a trois swoops halcyon, rainbow-patterned skies of cacophony. With Bridez. Fri/17, 9 p.m., $8. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Men, the Audacity, Casiotone, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This in from the producers; exciting to see Okkervil River, Neko Case, Amadou and Mariam, Marianne Faithfull, and - gasp - Steve Martin, among the performers:

San Francisco, CA – June 30, 2009 - What began as Warren Hellman’s bluegrass fantasy in 2001 as a wonderful gift to the city has now grown into one of the world’s largest and most anticipated festivals for concert goers and musicians alike. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 9, the FREE festival in Speedway, Marx and Lindley Meadows in Golden Gate Park, will take place on Friday, October 2 – Sunday, October 4. Starting in 2001 with 2 stages and 9 bands, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass quickly grew by leaps and bounds over the next few years. Soon 3 stages quickly turned into 5, and everyone from Willie Nelson to Ralph Stanley to Dolly Parton has graced them. As the talent continues to impress, so do the crowds. Last year's attendance estimates were a staggering 750,000+ over the three days. For the first year ever, we are pleased to announce that the festival will be expanding to include SIX stages.

In addition to bringing back those who have been with us from day one (such as Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Hazel Dickens) - we are excited to welcome new faces to this year's festival – Richie Havens, The Chieftains, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Old 97’s, Marianne Faithfull, Amadou & Mariam and many more!

Continue reading "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 9 lineup finalized" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Johnny Ray Huston

Dynasty Handbag: she's real

Children, go where I send you. Seek out the wild women of the Mission Creek Music Festival Collision Fest.

Sure there are some sweet boys — any pleasure-seeker with eyes and ears should enjoy Mike Mantle of the Mantles (headlining July 22 at Hotel Utah), or Myles Cooper's solo journey outside the Passionistas (opening a June 24 El Rio bill). But this year's MCMF says here's to the ladies who launch — the women who make new musical rules in order to break them.

Ryder Cooley reps recent Bay Area ingenuity on Thursday at the LAB. But the double bill bonanza crazier than any acid trip involving Tony Danza goes down same place, same time the next night, when Dynasty Handbag and Ann Magnuson take the stage. Dynasty girl Jibz Cameron is a treasure as classy as your mom's favorite perfume — not even Lypsinka sinks her teeth into the art of lipsyncing with such ferocity. Try not pee yourself as she puts the p in performance and prepares you for the musical dramatics of Ms. Magnuson. What can be said about the queen of Bongwater, besides that on the cover of Power Of Pussy (Shimmy Disc, 1990), she was both outdoing and lampooning Burning Man before it even became a phenomenon?

Since Magnuson rubbed extremely pointy shoulders with Klaus Nomi back at the Mudd Club, it's safe to assume she would be intrigued by the Nomi-esque stage theatrics of Fauxnique, a.k.a. Monique Jenkinson, who is bringing her recent show Faux Real back for a weekend stint outside of the Mission Creek rubric. Word has it that the show is brilliant — for real.

While Magnuson and Dynasty Handbag exemplify the Collision Fest's cross-disciplinary antics, the Convergence Fest is a trip into filmdom. And in the case of Ira Cohen's 1968 cinematic mirror-warp The Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda (Sun/19 at Artists' Television Access), I do mean trip. Along with a documentary about Krautrock godheads Faust (Sat/18 at ATA), Cohen's movie is one of MCMF's screen gems.

FAUX REAL Thurs/16–Sat/18, 8 p.m. $20. Climate Theater, 285 Ninth St., SF.(415)704-3260, www.climatetheater.com

COLLISION FEST AND CONVERGENCE FEST www.mcmf.org

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Posted by SFBG at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Text and photos by Ariel Soto

Fast Love, a punk/pop trio, may be new to the San Francisco music scene but they're destined to be fast favorites. When they're on stage they're into every note, not only for the sake of the music but also because they're having so much fun. This being my first time seeing them, I decided to chat with their drummer Kimberly and lead vocalist Melinda to learn more about the true punk band experience.

SFBG: What's the best part of being in a punk band?
Kimberly and Melinda: The free beer!

SFBG: Who are your punk idols?
K: Dee Dee Ramone.
M: Fuzzy rocks the hot hairstyle.

SFBG: What are your goals as a band?
M: To party and have a good time.
K: It's all about the good times and beer!

Continue reading "Live Shots: Fast Love at Sub-Mission, 7/10/09" »

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Posted by SFBG at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

By Kimberly Chun

Entombed in SF gloom? Silly, rabbit, this is the best weather to get your musical kicks in a dark, cloudy bar.

A-Frames and Climax Golden Twins
Three guitars and a rhythm section and soaring gamelan-sludge rawk? We’re talking ‘bout the real team players, Raider Nation. With Hank IV and Fresh and Onlys. Sat/11, 9:30 p.m., $7. El Rio, 3158 Mission, SF. (415) 282-3325.

American Idols Live
Haven’t had enough? Sample A-Lam in the flesh as Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Anoop Desai, Kris Allen, Lil Rounds, Matt Giraud, Megan Joy, Michael Sarver, and Scott MacIntyre provide. Sat/11, 7 p.m., $38.50-$66.25. Oracle Arena, 7000 Coliseum, Oakl. (415) 421-8497.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: 'American Idols,' Slumber Cats, Slayer, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

Yes, you had to work like a dog for that Fourth of July hot dog - and to get ready for the long weekend. Wasn’t it worth it? Now’s the time to get out and get into trouble.

Sir Richard Bishop and His Freak of Araby Ensemble
The Sun City Girls son and Oakland resident also rises, this time in SF, with Oaxacan as his backing ensemble, on the closing show of his tour. For more on Bishop, go to this edition of Sonic Reducer. With Oaxacan and Rubber O Cement. Fri/3, 10 p.m., $10. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Extreme Animals
The Pittsburgh-San Diego booty melters flaunt it at this light-show-bedazzled happening. With Nero's Day at Disneyland, Bulbs, and Teengirl Fantasy. Fri/3, 8 p.m., $6. Lobot Gallery, 1800 Campbell, Oakl. www.lobotgallery.com

Hospitals
The raging Adam Stonehouse project recently got a lotta love from UK’s Wire. With Photobooth and Baths. Fri/3, 9:30 p.m., $6. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. (415) 923-0923.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Sir Richard Bishop, Hospitals, David Dondero, Hightower, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Text and photos by Ariel Soto

Any show that ends with a bunch of people in a conga line has to be great. This past weekend, Pink Martini, a twelve-piece band hailing from Portland Oregon, joined the San Francisco Symphony for an electrifying performance that covered everything from classical concertos to foot stomping Brazilian street music. The range in styles of music this ensemble covers makes a single night at one of their concerts seem like twenty different musical experiences and then some. Being part Puerto Rican, I'm drawn to their more Latin based songs, like "Donde Estas Yolanda" and "Andalucia" but there's really no way not to love all their music, especially when they get a little help for our very own San Francisco Symphony.

Continue reading "Pics: Pink Martini brings it with SF Symphony" »

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Posted by SFBG at 01:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

I’m a music lover... get me out of the house! Guess what, help has arrived - in more forms than we could fit into print.

Sugar and Gold\
The Bay dance fiends refuses to drown in their own shit. With Music for Animals and Castledoor. Thurs/25, 8 p.m., $10. Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell, SF. (415) 861-2011.

The Hunches
Knuckling down for a freaked-out, “Disease Free” frenzy, the Portland, Ore.-Bay Area garage oddballs slough into the sunset with a series of farewell shows. With Long Legged Woman and Blimp. Fri/26, 9:30 p.m., $8. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. (415) 923-0923.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Wilco, the Hunches, Chelsea Handler, Lazer Sword, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview by Marke B. Photo by Alex Warnow. From our summer SCENE: The Guardian Guide to Nightlife and Glamour -- on stands in the Guardian now.

For 15 years, the much-loved and lovable warm-weather Sunset parties have shaken various hills, isles, parks, patios, and boats with funky, techy house sounds. Launched by underground hero DJ Galen in 1994 (has it really been that long?), the outdoor Sunset gigs have amassed a huge following of excited party newbies and familiar old-school faces — and now their kids! Early on in the game, Galen was joined by fellow Bay favorite DJs Solar and J-Bird, and the three — collectively known as Pacific Sound (www.pacificsound.net) — have kept the vibe strong ever since. This year saw a remarkable expansion on the Sunset fan base: attendance at the season opener at Stafford Lake reached almost 4,000, and Pacific Sound just launched an annual — and truly moving — party on Treasure Island that had multiple generations putting their hands in the air. "The vision was to take electronic music out of the dirty warehouses, away from the dodgy promoters, and into the sunshine," says J-Bird. Summer's just begun, and Pacific Sound, with several gangbuster parties lined up, keeps delivering.

SFBG You guys have been a major part of the party scene here for a while. What do you think of it right now?

Pacific Sound There's a foundation for creativity in San Francisco — that is something that will never change. Also, there definitely is quite a bit more international talent coming here than 10 years ago. It's this constant exposure to musical stylings from around the world that will facilitate a thriving scene. The recent crackdowns by the SFPD and ABC may be dampening some spirits, but it will never stop our creative heritage.

SFBG You mean all the pressure on venues lately ...

Continue reading "SCENE: Pacific Sound takes it outside" »

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Posted by SFBG at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview by Billy Jam. Photo by Leo Herrera. From SCENE: The Guardian Guide to Nightlife and Glamour -- on stands in the Guardian this week.

Like so much music and art these days, turntablism is easier to find online than in a public space. A turntablist can easily record their scratch practice session, upload it to YouTube, and sit back and wait for feedback to show up on their screen. But for sheer enjoyment, creative interaction, and advancement of the art form, turntable pyrotechnics really need to be experienced in the live, raw setting of DJ battles or sessions. That's why Bay Area turntablist duo Deeandroid and Celskiii recently decided to revive their hands-on scratch DJ club night, Skratchpad. Bay Area turntable fiends, missing the party's lively conviviality since it shut down earlier in the decade, were getting antsy.

The super-skilled, Vallejo-born female scratch duo who've toured with the likes of KRS-One now tears it up twice monthly at the Cellar in San Francisco. There, DJs from the aspiring to the established (Swift Rock, Shortkut, and Teeko have each turned in memorable sets) join the two and others like Winst-One and Bizibeats to carry on the sacred Bay scratch tradition. Skratchpad boasts two rooms, one with open tables for guest beat-juggling and the other for just plain getting down, and takes mighty inspiration from legendary late-1990s hip-hop joint Beat Lounge, where Deeandroid and Celskiii — and many others on the scene — got their start. Skratchpad even hosts the occasional DJ Q&A session, but all answers must be phrased in the form of turntable pyrotechnics only.

SFBG Why revive Skratchpad now?

Celskiii If we want to keep the music and culture alive, then we have to pass it on. A lot of younger cats didn't grow up during that raw '90s era, but that doesn't mean they can't experience what we were so lucky to have been exposed to.

SFBG How exactly does the open turntable policy work?

Deeandroid You must bring your own needles, headphones, and records, sign up on the list, and wait your turn for the MC host of the night to call the DJ names. We have seven turntables and five mixers usually for the open turn session. DJs rotate after they do their thing twice or we tell them to switch.

SFBG Is it ever a problem with some DJ hogging the turns?

Continue reading "SCENE: Deeandroid and Celskiii put the needle on" »

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Posted by SFBG at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Interview by Marke B. Photography by Keeney + Law. From our Summer SCENE: The Guardian Guide to Nightlfe and Glamour. On stands in the Guardian now!

Reggae: still fresh? Yes. A lot of stereotypes have attached themselves to reggae over the years, not all of them good or true. But this is the Bay, a blazing nexus for the sound, and a spirit of liveliness and innovation can always be found here — especially if members of the classic Jah Warrior Shelter Hi Fi sound system are twisting it. Since 1988, the crew has been rocksteady on the roots scene — and hardly a evening goes by that you won't find Rocker T, Jah Yzer, I-vier, or Irie Dole lighting up the decks or the mic with his unique approach somewhere. Serious with that: besides Jah Warrior Shelter's weekly Bless Up joint at Milk every Tuesday (celebrating its five-year anniversary July 14) and Toppa Top blast at Club Six every Thursday night, the crew brings the fire to EndUp, Laszlo, Luka's, Pier 23, Oasis, Jelly's ... I-Vier co-helms KPFA's Reggae Express show with Spliff Skankin, the sound system has snagged numerous soundclash competition titles, and Jah Warrior Shelter mixtapes flow like rolling verbiage throughout the scene. Check out their mad productivity at www.jahwarriorshelter.com.

SFBG Why do you think reggae has found such a home here?

Irie Dole San Francisco has always been a hub for reggae music and performers. The hippie movement's peace and love vibration naturally attracted Rastas — foundation artists Jacob Miller and Hugh Mundell were known to be around the city quite a bit. With San Francisco's beautiful landscape, healthy food, and lax weed laws, reggae just fell into place with a lot of people of our generation. California is the ganja capital of the world, the Bay Area is the reggae capitol of California — San Francisco is the place to be.

SFBG Have you seen the scene evolve at all?

Continue reading "SCENE: Jah Warrior Shelter Hi Fi lights up" »

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Posted by SFBG at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

By Kimberly Chun

Get out and lend an ear - it’ll be returned, perhaps changed. Here are more intriguing shows that didn’t make it to print.

Elvis Costello
Certified rock genius - up in the house! No secrets here: in true diehard music lover form, Declan MacManus gives back to music emporiums with his one-day “Amoeba Music Tour” performances here in the Haight and then at Amoeba Hollywood. Expect him to play acoustic versions of tunes from his new Secret, Profane and Sugarcane (Hear Music) alongside Jim Lauderdale, and to sign copies of the CD (copies purchased at Amoeba come with a poster silkscreened for the event). Mon/22, noon, free. Amoeba Music, 1855 Haight, SF. (415) 831-1200.

Nihlotep performing Mosaic and studio clip

Nihlotep
Drink in the unearthly screeches and high-drama doom metal sturm und drang from the San Jose group. With Vesterian and Condemned to Live. Tues/23, 9 p.m., $6. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.

Starfucker
The Portland, Ore., combo with the oh-so-naughty moniker has somewhat innocuous origins: Josh Hodges started out with just a borrowed drum set, loop pedal, and a mic - one-off, one-man entertainment for a house party. Now, with the addition of three bandmates, Starfucker is busy reproducing the 8-bit electro pop-dance punk off its mini-album, Jupiter (Badman).
With Atole and White Cloud. Tues/23, 9 p.m., $10. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. (415) 621-4455.

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

My fantasy gay post-diva dance music, y'all:

La Prohibida, "Flash"

In this week's Super Ego clubs column, I interview local circuit diva-in-training Caroline Lund, and get into some ideas I've been chewing on about the state of gay dance music, now that the mainstream has embraced outright divadom. I started thinking about all this, funnily enough, when I got stranded in Vegas for a day a couple weeks ago (missed my flight, typical). Against my better punkrock instincts, I ended up totally engrossed in the Cher and Bette Boutique in Caesar's Palace, which sold innumerable tchotckes bearing those two classic divas' likenesses, both of whom have wildly successful shows running in the theater that was built for, ugh, Celine Dion. I bought a Cher mug and shirt. (Side note: the boutique was staffed by Burner-looking FTMs. Then: Chastity Bono became Chaz. But I digress.)

My somewhat-valid prejudices about the circuit scene are no secret to my amazing readers. All three of marvelous you. But because some interpreted the column as broadsiding vocal house in general, not just the really boring screamy phony kind, I wanted to clarify. I’m a proud if slightly-closeted freak for vocal house histrionics of the soulful, gospel-derived variety. Throw on a classic Ann Nesby or La india track and my dancey pants get even wetter. The Jesus squealing can occasionally wear me out, but I get lifted by the spirit. And this little number has basically been my personal theme song for the past 17 years, getting me through some real situations:

Martha Wash, "Carry On"

Which kind of leads into this: The other day I got Facebooked to join the group “I remember Club Universe” – something Caroline Lund and I (and thousands of others) have in common. Throughout the ‘90s, up until that massive, all-swallowing Saturday night ground zero for vocal house (run by the great Audrey Joseph, now of the city's Entertainment Commission) closed in 2002, Lund coordinated the dancers who wriggled on the risers until well into Sunday morning. Meanwhile, I stumbled around Universe’s huge 177 Townsend space wondering why all the substances I had ingested weren’t making me want to dance more. (Wait a minute, that may have been the source of the problem!)

OMG, this whirling light spaceship thing at Universe that would dip down and scare tweakers into a frenzy was sooo cheesy.

Continue reading "Super Ego: More Universal gay diva musings" »

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Posted by Marke B. at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

Hey bay-bay, besides the wall-bouncing antics of DJ Stacey Pullen and The Martinez Brothers that I mentioned in this week's Super Ego clubs column, here's another party glamour to get your feet up off the floor. Also, for all you hip queer kids -- it's second Saturday, and that means another Cockblock vs. Cockfight showdown! As always, I recommend hitting up both. Because I care. Because I can.

Wallpaper at Blow Up

I can't get the stylishly jazzy electro-rap-lounge Oakland trio's latest treatment of Das Racist's "Combination Taco Bell and Pizza Hut" out of my freakin' noggin -- even though it makes my stomach a tad queasy -- but it's the lovely afrobeat-y remix of Passion Pit's "the Reeling" on their MySpace that really follows me around. They'll be at the ever-bonkers Blow Up at Rickshaw Stop on Friday, hopefully with live drums in tow .... be there, and if you're over 30 try not to try too hard to look cool, k?

Blow Up w/ Wallpaper
Fri/12, 10 p.m., $10,
Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell, SF.
www.blowupsf.com

PS -- oh god, Perez Hilton posted about Wallpaper on the same day as me? Really? ugh.

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Posted by Marke B. at 07:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bat For Lashes - "Pearl's Dream"

By Kimberly Chun

Color my world grey – you still yearn to romp and play, San Fran-frisky. So get outta the dog park and into the clubs and buy me a drink, hot pocket. Here are a few notable shimmy-shams where you might find me skulking.

Constantines and Crystal Antlers
The Toronto indie rockers venture out to “Islands in the Stream” and stretch their bones in a post-rock, minimalist mode. Meanwhile the LA psych-soul bros carouse in honor of their new Tentacles (Touch and Go). Thurs/11, 7:30 p.m., $14. Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell, SF. (415) 861-2011.

Headboggle
One-man low-end grumble from the bowels of SF, presented as part of the gallery’s New Music Series. With Commode Minstrels in Bullface, Midmight, and Amphibious Gestures. Thurs/11, 8 p.m., $6. Luggage Store, 1007 Market, SF.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Bat for Lashes, Datarock, Limp Wrist, Constantines, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

Modesto, your Jason Lytle is truly a pleasure to chat with. Here’s more of an interview with the disarmingly honest, down-to-earth ex-Grandaddy songwriter, now touring with his first solo album, Yours Truly, the Commuter (for the rest of the talk, see this week’s Sonic Reducer). Lytle headlines at Café du Nord June 8 and opens for Neko Case at the Warfield June 9.

SFBG: So right now you’re multitasking, printing out flight info for your tour. Is flying an issue for you? I’m just looking at the crashed plane in the artwork for Yours Truly, the Commuter.

Jason Lytle: Ummm, I’m actually OK with flying – I’m a lot better with flying than a lot of people I know. I guess if you’re looking at the artwork - I do have a problem with airplanes landing in my front yard.

Continue reading "Not lost: More from Jason Lytle, uncovered in Montana" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

This in from the folks at Great American Music Hall - so put those "Jean Genie" moves in the hopper till August. (And boy, I'm curious about how often these underground electrical vault fires happen! The answer: The last one was in 2005, according to the local CBS affiliate.)

"Unfortunately, tonight's BOWIE BALL at GAMH has been CANCELLED due to an underground electrical vault fire on Polk & O'Farrell St. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience - bummer!!!

"HOWEVER, we are glad to report that the date is rescheduled for Friday, August 14 - original tickets will be honored (or refunds are available at place of purchase until 2pm on Aug. 14).

"This event will be super fun, so please come down on Aug. 14 and show your support! This is our chance to celebrate EVERYTHING Bowie. All in one night. (Tix at www.gamhtickets.com or in person at Slim's or GAMH M-F 10:30-6.)"

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 06:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The grey can stay – it is, after all, summer in fog city – but you know you gotta get out. Leave home and get an earful of inspiration at, hey, maybe these worthwhile shows.

Parson Red Heads
The cute-as-a-button LA combo polishes up Cali folk rock for every parson, be it the preacher or Gram. With Cotton Jones. Tues/2, 8 p.m., $10. Cafe Du Nord, 2170 Market, SF. (415) 861-5016.

Rosewood Thieves
Going their way? The New York indie rockers are California dreaming and in love with the sun. With Mississippi Man and Lemon Sun. Wed/3, 9 p.m., $7. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: BFD, Wale, Handsome Furs, Holy Fuck, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Memorial Day weekend - the wind is down, and the moment has come to break out the hibachi, dust off those sassy hot pants, and kick back for at least a day or three. And of course, there's more worthy music to fit in there, in between the sunbathing, cookie-baking, and electroclashing.

Fischerspooner
Does the GE halo give me a double chin? And does it electroclash with the rubber tubing? The jaw-dropping live act whips out a dour, synthpop Entertainment, as well as a new stage show. Fri/22, 9 p.m., $29.50. Fillmore, 1805 Geary, SF. (415) (415) 421-8497.

TV on the Radio and Dirty Projectors
The praise-rattled TVs were peppy as all get out at Treasure Island fest last year - and here they come again with the better-than-ever Dirty Projs, which blew everyone away at SXSW this spring. Fri/22, 8 p.m., $30. Fox Theatre, 1807 Telegraph, Oakl. (415) 421-8497.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: TV on the Radio, Bun B, Fischerspooner, Webbie, Floating Goat, Passion Pit, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

There are a few things you can count on in Ez Eff: the big tree goes up in Union Square every Xmas, summer will be freakin' freezing west of the Park Presidio fog line, and Chow Nasty will bring the boogie to the wackies walking, running, and huffing in Bay to Breakers each year.

So what happened? First word had it the band was rocking it up as usual at the corner of Hayes and Webster on Sunday, May 17. Then today, according to the shopkeep at the corner market, the group will not be making its date out front, validating all the zany goings-on in that fine every-day-is-a-par-tay SF tradition. Explanation, guys? And band dormancy is no excuse when it comes to those lil' reminders of only-in-the-citay goofery.

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Everybody panic. Don't worry, electronic-symphonica mastermind Mason Bates, who I rave about in this week's issue, isn't gonna freak peeps out. But seriously, do not miss the premier of his orchestral suite for full orchestra and laptop, The B-Sides, which he'll be performing for three nights with the ever-game SF Symphony, Wed/20, Fri/22, Sat/23. After Friday night's performance (free with ticket!) you'll get ushered into a really cool secret space by Davies Symphony Hall for an afterparty, featuring Mason's Mercury Soul project, which kicks ambient-like trip-hop ass and will feature himself behind the decks, as well as some live, avant-garde surprises (and hottie conductor Benjamin Shwartz, *swoon*). If you haven't been to the symphony, or if you're in the mood for something spectacular oracular, this is the time to go.

Here's two views of Mason, aka DJ Masonic, at Carnegie Hall with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra in April, debuting the "Wharehouse Medicine" portion of The B-Sides.

The balcony view, complete with trippy visuals:

and here's from right down in the fray (I'm dying to know what the tiny grand piano behind his is for! Hello, Carl Stalling?) Note the dramatic use of drum pad:

I would be totally, regrettably remiss if I didn't also pump Bates' co-performer on the program, the heartbreakingly talented and just all around fierce Yuja Wang, who'll be performing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto #2, which at around the seven-minute-mark will honestly start to kill you with beauty. Girl's got skills.

Here's her performing at Carnegie Hall. Um, hi hotness.

Also featured: the majestically haunting, almost-4AD-foretelling Fourth Symphony by Sibelius, who's all the rage among young turk composers these days.

Mason Bates, Yuja Wang, and the SF Symphony
Wed/20, Fri/22, Sat/23
8 p.m., $35–$130
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness
(415) 552-8000
www.sfsymphony.org

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Posted by SFBG at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

Could it be any prettier, any more delicately dewy, any more enticing, out there in this stone-beauty by the Bay? And when the sun goes down, you must go out to play - or watch others play. More worth-while sights, sighs, and sounds for you, more than could fit in print.

Steve Earle
Far from Nashville and an outlaw and songwriter-activist born a little too late, Steve Earle is rattling the chains of his past and looking back on the music of his late brilliant and damaged mentor Townes Van Zandt with the new Townes (New West). Thurs/14, 6 p.m., free. Amoeba Music, 1855 Haight, SF. (415) 831-1200.

Loney Dear
Dudes, make up your mind - comma or no comma? Ah, hell, none of it matters when the Loneys wash those sad-and-lonelies away with their sweet indie-rock melodicism. With Headlights and Audio Out Send. Fri/15, 10 p.m., $10. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Dead Meadow, Steve Earle, Fracas, Loney Dear, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Text and photos by Ariel Soto. Read Marke B.'s take on Boy in Static's single "Young San Francisco" here

Alexander Chen

Newish to the San Francisco music scene, Boy in Static already has a fledgling following. Only one of the duo could make it, but Bottom of the Hill on Wednesday, May 6, Alexander Chen used everything from a violin, ankle bells and a toy piano to play pieces that expressed both joy and melancholy.

Continue reading "Live Shots: Boy in Static celebrates sweet suspicion" »

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Posted by SFBG at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

Some smooth and mellow Mophono pho' ya

Oh, the transient grunts and groans of the dance floor: Just got word yesterday that the eagerly awaited appearance of disco progenitor Nicky Siano at Paradise Lounge has been cancelled -- my deep throat tells me there were sound and venue concerns (although I love the 'Dise!). In any case, there's plenty of other things to hold your ear-nterest and get you bangin' this weekend. Besides my rundown in this week's Super Ego column, below are some more earth shakers and affairs.

-----------

He loves me, he loves me not

Wanna spoon?

I had absolutely no idea that those little plastics coffee spoons from McDonald's were banned because of illicit uses (or perceived one, anyway.) You'd think after all this time, plastic + noses = OK. But no. In any case, snort in luxurious style with the unveiling of a perfect publicity stunt: renowned hip mens' clothiers and artists Ju$t Another Rich Kid, Nice Collective, Terence Koh, and more have designed cute, exclusive, and most likely expensive little Bolivian helpers (watch that terrorism funding!). They'll be giving the dish at Harput's from 6pm-9pm tonight (expect beautiful people), and then there'll be a kiki afterparty at Triple Crown. Don't try to force your way into the stalls. It's all called "He loves me, he loves me not" which brings to mind a kinky game somehow.

Thu/7, 6-9pm, free. Harput's Market, 1527 Fillmore, SF. www.harputsmarket.com
Afterparty, 10pm-midnight, free. Triple Crown, 1760 Market, SF. www.triplecrownsf.com

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Lazer Sword + Mophono live

Lazer Sword, can you blap me for loving you?

Local future blap fave raves Lazer Sword are back from their whirlwind Euro tour with an uptempo live set to get you moving, supported by Bay man of intrinsic deep dance knowledge, Mophono at, yes, the Paradise. Put 'em up and get down, child -- and let's see if those speakers still work.

Lazer Sword at 111 Minna San Francisco 1/15/09

Fri/8, 10pm, $10. Paradise Lounge, 1501 Folsom, SF. www.hacksawent.com

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The Rod

Post-Cinco uprising

Why, yes, I DO host a wet jock strap contest. Come down to Bus Station John's retro bathhouse disco monthly, The Rod, at Deco this Friday around midnight and see me and Hunky Beau scare up a willing and wet bevy of gorgeous, unclad alternaqueer boys -- and see who'll win $100. (No muscle queens need apply, thanks.) Then stay and dance until 3am to the best disco you've only ever heard sampled in other songs before. It's fun and a little scary: frisson alert!

Fri/8, 10pm-3am, $7. Deco, 510 Larkin, SF. www.decosf.com

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Posted by SFBG at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

Rain-day women, overcast men - it's drizzling all over SF, but the music keeps coming. Here are more worthy shows than we could drip into print.

Brilliant Colors
The SF trio surfs the latest wave of girlish lo-fi pop with sweet, primal punchiness. With Abe Vigoda, High Castle, and No Babies. Wed/6. 8 p.m., $7. 21 Grand, 416 25th St., Oakl. www.21grand.org

Myka 9
Everyone seems to be borrowing from the rapid-fire Freestyle Fellowship fella, who has lent a hand to performers like Busdriver and Prefuse 73. Thurs/7, 9 p.m., $15. Independent, 628 Divisadero, S.F. (415) 771-1422.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: the Dead, Alela Diane, Myka 9, Destroyer, Ponytail, Brilliant Colors, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Kimberly Chun

Talk about an unrelenting burst of creativity: San Francisco indie rock band Loquat will be going for broke with its May residency at Cafe du Nord. Vocalist-guitarist Kylee Swenson told me the group is attempting to make each show special, with visuals arranged by the mysterious Kernel Panic, special guests like Raul Sanchez of Penny Arcade, and special DJs like Ted of BAGel Radio. “I just hope it works!” she said by phone. “It could be a total disaster!” As we spoke, Loquat was still tweaking the blend of performers and stage sets.

The group hasn't been slacking on working on music, either: it has 20 songs written for its next full-length - though don't expect Loquat to share its latest tunes yet. "We’re still in the incubator stage," Swenson explained.

Continue reading "Whole lotta Loquat: the SF indie rockers kick off their du Nord residency Thursday" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Dina Maccabee

Entertain whatever stereotypes you will about tango as a relic of an openly macho era: tango in San Francisco is alive. Okay, and kicking.

You might envision a wacky, tacky ballroom competition — but not so rapido says Tango No. 9's founder and violinist Catharine Clune, whose explorations over the last decade have unearthed what she calls "the many faces of tango." With trombonist Greg Stephens, pianist Joshua Raoul Brody, accordionist Isabel Douglass, and newest member Zoltan Lundy singing the Argentine blues, Tango No. 9 revels in tango's many approaches to music, to dancing, and to life. And it's not alone. "There's an underground squadron of tango dancers, ranging from their 20s to their 60s," Clune says. "You can dance tango every night in the Bay Area. It's in these crazy little back rooms you didn't know existed, and that's where we've practiced our chops." As social dancing, which she notes hasn't been a mainstream American cultural movement since the '50s, tango is "something people seem to want."

Professional dancers will be on hand at Noe Valley Ministry to perform the sultry moves, but if you only ogle los bailarines, you'll miss half the fun, or half the pain. "If you can lose anything, from a horse race to a heart, they talk about it," Clune says of the moving and theatrical side of tango's songs — for listening, not just getting down at the local milonga. In a set that traverses the genre, from its roots to the obscure late works of Astor Piazzola, the group performs the first "sentimental" tango, Carlos Gardel's inspirational rendition of Pascual Contursi and Samuel Castriota's "Mi Noche Triste," which set fire to an international phenomenon mourning lost love and tragedy. Like, Lundy says, "being left by a woman who was also your prostitute."

TANGO NO. 9 Sat/2, 8:15 p.m., $16-$18. Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez, SF. (415) 282-2317. www.tangonumber9.com

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Posted by SFBG at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

BRWN BFLO

BRWN BFLO

(self-released)

"Fuck macarena, we sun dance on that ass." Absolutely digging the breezy flow, witty U-turns, and stellar executive production by Big Dan on the Oakland rap quartet's new release (pronounced "brown buffalo" if you didn't know). The Jay-Z-like undertow brings some lush instrumentation and vibrant, retro-feel samplescapes into the mix, but these Latin lowdowners aren't afraid to screw around with some electro-wacky nintendo samples ("Big Sir") and even some Swisher-tips to hyphy. Best of all, though they ride hard on Chicano culture props and a dash of welcome positivity and humor, the exhilaratingly versatile skills of Giant, Jacinto, Somos One, and Big Dan launch this one out of the identity-rap rut into the "that shit's smokin'" stratosphere. The disc is plainly a labor of love; live they should be something else. The new album officially drops on 5/5 (Cinco de Mayo, natch) -- details about this weekend's big release party below.

BRWN BFLO, "The Reappearance" sampler

BRWN BFLO
Album release party
Sat/2, 9pm, $8/$13
The Uptown
1928 Telegraph Ave
www.uptownnightclub.com

View the previous Snap Sound here

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Posted by SFBG at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Babes in Ty land: Ty Segall messes with ya as part of Total Trash Weekend.

By Kimberly Chun

Bay rap vets and raucous rock sprats - it all goes splat this week. I'm guessing you'll find plenty of trouble to get into - and musical artistry to appreciate - when you're not busy downing scrump-dilly-icious (and cheap!) pastor tacos at the Gallo Giro taco truck at 23rd and Treat.

Goapele
Oakland's own draws the curtain on new music: check her site for the spanking, sinuous "Milk + Honey." With Cody Chestnutt. Fri/1, 9 p.m., $27. Independent, 628 Divisadero, SF. (415) 771-1422.

Zion-I
This is the weekend Bay hip-hop stages The TakeOver. The local twosome takes it to another level in honor of its new long-player. With Kev Choice Ensemble and Trackademicks and the Honor Roll. Fri/1, 9 p.m., $19-$23. Slim's, 333 11th St., SF. (415) 522-0333.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Paris, Total Trash Weekend, Garrett Pierce, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

Makin' pleasure ...

One of my favorite clubs, Afrolicious, the afro-beat/Nuyorican/Brazilian/funk/disco/global weekly hosted by cute (very cute) brothers Senor Oz and Pleasuremaker, is celebrating two years of sterling service to the eager dance floor community with a double-header this week featuring NYC's Nickodemus and Nappy G. of the legendary decade-old Turntables on the Hudson party -- a formidable happening that every year I cry my eyes out for not being able to make. My East Coast friends then laugh in my face. Well, ha ha to them, I've got Afrolicious every week, now with Nick and Napp.

Nickodemus, "Give the Drummer Some"

As per usual, there'll be smoking live percussion (man, I love me some bongos on the dance floor -- old EndUp RIP) and a room packed with beautiful -- but not that icky kind of beautiful -- people not afraid to get sweaty and down. (Check out the tunes and vids here if you want a taste.)

Won't you join me, shantytown butterfly?

AFROLICIOUS TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Thu/30: DJ Nickodemus and Smash, live drums by Nappy G
Fri/1: Pleasuremaker Live Band, DJs Nickodemus, Chris Nicholson, and Nappy G.
9pm, $7/$10
Elbo Room
647 Valencia, SF.
www.elbo.com

Bonus: Turntables on the Hudson 10-year party:

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Posted by SFBG at 05:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

By Ari Messer

In the era of Slow Food in the City of Fog, I wonder why more people don't slow down for a second and get out to taste some local music. Think about the last time you were willing to fork over more than a fiver for some local talent. Seriously. San Franciscans sometimes seem fonder and more aware of what the Bay Area attracts than of what it produces. Jimmy Sweetwater is out to change that. Sweetwater is the rare breed of promoter who is also a musician — he plays a mean harmonica and a dirty washboard. He has been giving his all to keep his series of local music going in a town drawn to touring bands. Sweetwater, a historian of Mission District music from the past 20 years, has put on five shows at the Great American Music Hall, four at Slim's, and one at Cafe du Nord. According to Sweetwater, club staff has largely been supportive, but it's a struggle to fill venues in these times of financial woe. "There's a ton of local talent that never gets to play the big clubs," he says, noting that he tries "to combine different kinds of music in one night." All-local nights and combinations of different genres — these aren't traditional strategies, but the Bay Area is the perfect place to unleash them.

This weekend sees a diverse Jimmy Sweetwater Presents lineup at the Red Devil Lounge, including the high-speed-Calexico-like Diego's Umbrella, honkeytonkers 77 El Deora, the East Bay's Ben Benkert, and the Mission Three, a group including Sweetwater that will play a number of tunes by the Band, even one of my favorite (and rarer) Band joints, "Acadian Driftwood." Sweetwater always seems to be doing a thousand things at once. It's all for the love of song in this songlike town.

JIMMY SWEETWATER PRESENTS: DIEGO'S UMBRELLA, BEN BENKERT, 77 EL DEORA, AND THE MISSION THREE Sat/25, 9 p.m., $10. Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk, SF. (415) 921-1695. www.myspace.com/jimmysweetwater

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Posted by SFBG at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Michael Harkin

Grass Widow's harmonious post-punk tension is fostered below SF street level, in a former meat locker containing, among other things, a very charming quilt with the band's name patched into it. In anticipation of an impending record release -- the band plays Thursday at ATA -- I met there with bass player Hannah Lew and drummer Lillian Maring (guitarist and trumpet player Raven Mahon was overseas), who, although living far apart — Maring is on the East Coast at present — were clearly very happy to be together.

"It's not like there are any dispensable characters," explains Lew. After the dissolution of Shitstorm, Lew's former band with Mahon, the two started playing together in 2007 with Maring, who was in the city for the summer from Washington state. Though Maring went back up north for a bit, she says she quickly returned and the trio "got really serious" — serious enough to tour the U.S. the following summer after cranking out a wonderful demo CD-R/ cassette that makes up most of their upcoming self-titled 12-inch on the local Make a Mess label.

Continue reading "The Bay's Grass Widow sounds out mesmerizing shapes" »

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Posted by SFBG at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Take the wheel: Vivian Girls' "Tell the World."

How to destroy a weekend - or, for that matter, a weeknight? Sticky, sweaty, and sill up for fun - SF knows how it's done. Telling ya, there's so much more to see and hear than we could fit into print.

Dry Spells
Folk rock gets another angelic kick upstairs when the Bay Area band gets onstage. With Pillow Queens and Vultures. Wed/22, 9 p.m., $6. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. (415) 923-0923.

The Pets
The Oaktown garage-rock threesome preps for its European journey. With International Espionage and Master Volume. Wed/22, 9 p.m., $5. Kimo's, 1351 Polk, SF. (415) 885-4535.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Vivian Girls, Ghost, Spinal Tap, How to Destroy the Universe, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

Two recent releases, both based on the Bay by Bay favorites. The first, "Young San Francisco" by SF's Boy in Static, aka Alexander Chen and Kenji Ross, from their new album, Candy Cigarette (Fake Four Inc & Circle Into Square) is way too cute -- check out their new "East Bay to Back Bay" XLR8R podcast mix for a great listen to some more new, slightly twee West Coast indie pop (loving "To the Sea" by Portland's Mint Julep).

Boy in Static, "Young San Francisco"

The second recent track focusing on the Bay is by SF hip-hop stalwart Kero One, "Welcome to the Bay," off his sophomore disc, Early Believers (Plug Label). I really wanted to like this one more -- I've been a fan for a while, and Kero's def got the chops, working with everyone from Talib Kweli to Mark Farina -- but it seemed a tad too polished for me, despite the nice groove. Still, it's a breezy listen for a steamy day. From what I've heard of Early Believers it'll be a perfect summer BBQ collection.

Kero One, "Welcome to the Bay"

Something both of these songs have in common is a young Asian American perspective on the homebase. Kero's is especially poignant, talking about why his parents came here at a time when "words like 'chink' were teachable." Really feeling the latitude of historical perceptions coming forth in two distinct tunes.

View the previous Snap Sounds here.

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Posted by SFBG at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Manic panic: Silversun Pickups' "Panic Switch."

Lucky you, you aren't broiling in the desert at Coachella - you're keeping your cool in SF, and boy, you've got a lot to keep your bad self outta trouble. So partake in the Coachella spillover - and then some...

Intelligence
"Icky Baby" is in the eye of the beholder - and the mind of the Intelligence, those hard-driving, gristly lo-fi smarty-pants. With Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall. Fri/17, 9 p.m., $8. Annie's Social Club, 917 Folsom, SF. (415) 974-1585.

Loop!Station
Loops, vocals, and cello are Robin Coomer's and Sam Bass' tools, arriving now with a new CD.
Fri/17, 8 and 10 p.m., $10. Yoshi's, 1330 Fillmore, SF. (415) 655-5600.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Silversun Pickups, Bloc Party, Atmosphere, Kylesa, free shows, and so much more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brooklyn cheer: Japanther's "Challenge."

"Rising above the smoke and debris" - yes, we can. More to do, see, and hear...

Undebateable: Eef Barzelay's "I Love the Unknown."

Clem Snide
Hungry Bird (429), the latest release by the Boston-born band, almost succeeded in killing Clem Snide. Yet Eef Barzelay carries forth - sweet Snide 'tude in hand - alongside Brendan Fitzpatrick and Ben Martin. With the Heligoats and Pepi Ginsberg. Wed/8, 9 p.m., $10-$12. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Love X Nowhere
Immaculate shoegaze and anthemic pop stream from the SF fivesome's new self-released High Score Blackout. With Headlights and the Love Language. Thurs/9, 9 p.m., $10. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Brit, Devendra, Japanther, Fleet Foxes, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

San Francisco just can't, just won't stop. More musical - and comedic - worthies than one can jam into print.

The Get Up Kids
These lesser-known monsters of emo, progenitors of punk-pop, are back. With Approach. Thurs/2, 8 p.m., $26-$29. Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell, SF. (415) 885-0750.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Snoop Dogg, Eugene Mirman, Jeremy Jay, Skin Horse, and so much more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By L.C. Mason and Andre Torrez

----------

THEE OH SEES AND EAT SKULL

Fuzz is the new black — at least according to the gospel preached by Thee Oh Sees and Eat Skull. The two West Coast combos will take the beer- and noise-soaked pulpit at the Eagle Tavern to bang out hazy sermons of garage wit and wisdom.

With Grant Hart and the Fresh and Onlys. Thurs/26, 9 p.m., $5. Eagle Tavern, 398 12th St., SF. (415) 626-0880. www.sfeagle.com

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DARK DARK DARK

Dark Dark Dark released its debut album in 2008 on Rhode Island's Supply and Demand label. The group's folky, rootsy instrumentation and female-to-male vocal tradeoffs take over the Caretaker's House.

Fri/28, 8 p.m. www.myspace.com/darkdarkdarkband

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TRANS AM, EZEE TIGER, FUTUR SKULLZ

Imagine you're in high school: Trans Am are the electronics nerds who jam to Rush, Anthony Petrovic of Ezee Tiger is the misunderstood indie guy who is into the Flaming Lips and Lightning Bolt while you're still spinning Sublime, and Futur Skullz are the long-hairs who know metal is cool five years before you will — and who just got busted for stealing Dad's whiskey.

Sun/29, 9 p.m., $14. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455. www.bottomofthehill.com
-----------

Continue reading "This week: A six-pack of rock picks" »

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Posted by SFBG at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Taken from SCENE: The Guardian Guide to Nightlife and Glamour -- on stands in the Guardian now. Interview by Marke B. Photo by Pat Mazzera. Art Direction by Mirissa Neff. Mens room courtesy of Matador.

Ultraviolet, Kozee, Roommate, Rob Cannon, and Blackheart

To say that the woofer-rumbling, ragga-ripping dubstep sound has exploded on the club scene in the past few years is an understatement almost as low as the genre's freakiest frequencies. Dubstep seems perfect for our hyper-multicultural, urban-nomadic age, blending street rhythms with the most intricate laptop sonic technology available. It's especially perfect for the Bay, with its shimmering blend of moody menace and artistic bombast, and has duly been embraced by a number of DJs here, many with roots that stretch back to the early days of 2-step, drum 'n bass, and even rave.

DJ Ultraviolet (pictured in red, at left), heads up the fab two-year-old RedLine dubstep collective, and has been bringing her immaculate technique and overflowing energy to the decks in San Francisco since 1997. She was a seminal player in the drum 'n bass and breakbeat scene, as part of the Sleeveless collective with the Femmes Fatales, and was associated with the legendarily raucous Sister DJ crew. As a true vinyl fetishist, she was being booked at the tender age of 19 to play jungle at underground '90s raves and played a part in the Future Breaks FM (miss you!) juggernaut of the early aughts.

Now, along with the wonderfully gifted DJ Kozee, her "second in command," Ultraviolet reps the burgeoning female dubstep explosion, producing tracks and bringing a touch of grimy glamour to the scene with the MakeOut Sessions, RedLine's regular blowout at Matador. The upcoming installment of MakeOut features Matty G of Santa Cruz (www.myspace.com/mattygbeatz) pumping tracks from his new album, Take You Back.

MAKEOUT SESSIONS
Fri/27, 9pm, free
Matador
10 Sixth Street, SF.
www.myspace.com/redlinedjs

SFBG Who's all involved in RedLine?

ULTRAVIOLET Kozee and I, who do a lot of the event planning and are working on a big project together; Babylon System (www.myspace.com/thebabylonsystem), a.k.a Roomate and No Thing, is one of the top production crews in dubstep, currently on tour in Europe; the three DJs of Blackheart (www.myspace.com/lordsofblackheart) from Oakland are our newest addition; DJ Rob Cannon (www.myspace.com/djrobcannon), our youngest member; our L.A. residents Emu and Pawn, who are also a part of the SMOG crew down there, and on our business end, Cyn, Bruxxy, and Dymphna.

SFBG Do you think the dubstep sound is reaching a critical mass? Is the scene in danger of getting stale?

Continue reading "SCENE: RedLine shakes the bass up" »

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Posted by SFBG at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Taken from SCENE: The Guardian Guide to Nightlife and Glamour -- on stands in the Guardian now. Interview by Marke B. Photo by Matthew Reamer. Art Direction by Mirissa Neff. Crotch-buffing by Kalri$$ian. Location: Shattuck Downlow

In these trying economic times, does the Bay really need a motor-mouthed, drug-snorting, pussy-obsessed playboy hip-hop collective — one that shouts out Eric Estrada, acid house, and Optimus Prime while bragging about using paper bags for condoms and instructing someone to "juggle balls in your mouth like a circus act"? Well, yes, actually. Hilariously quick-witted San Francisco-based beastly boys Kalri$$ian certainly bring the sparkling regression to match the recession — by channeling naughty spirits from rap's past like Kool Keith, Shock G, and Prince Paul, and literally melting themselves to audio gaga as they "lick Cool Whip off your flatmate." The bouncy braggadocio of Kalri$$ian's new album, Tales from the Velvet Pocket (Psychokinetics) and over-the-top flashback image somehow seem perfectly refreshing right now.

Experienced Bay nightlifers will recognize some long-time scenesters among the Kal's colorful cast. No need to fret over missing all the in-jokes, though — Kalri$$ian's got a million of 'em, and most involve doing lines off your girlfriends' ass. Check them out live at the release party for Daly City cool kid Mochipet's new Bunnies & Muffins platter:

KALRI$$IAN

April 4, 9 p.m.– 5 a.m., all ages
The Ranch
1433 Van Dyke, SF
www.kalrissianbaby.com

SFBG You sure got a lot of people — it's like you're a super group or something. Tell me about who's all involved ...

"UNCLE" TONY HIGHRISE (producer) You're goddamn right this group is super! I'll tell you what — I wouldn't have left Miami unless it was for something really, really super. I came up on the scene in Delaware back in the day. I was a freelance hype man for a while with my cousin Wicked Awesome J, rest his soul. After the accident, I drifted south and started wearing polyester. It just seemed like the thing to do. Polyester was tough in Miami — it's not that breathable, you know. But I was committed.

KEYLO VENEZUELA (producer) We ARE super group. We make fantastic sound music and tell our stories to everybody. The music is the passion that covers the world.

SMOOTH RICK CHOSEN (vocalist) I'm an ex-Barbazon School of Modeling student who got hooked on pills and realized he had a gift, in his pants.

Continue reading "SCENE: Kalri$$ian comes on to your sister" »

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Posted by SFBG at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

By the light of the moon: PJ Harvey and John Parrish at Stubb's.

South by Southwest peters out with... Peter, Bjorn and John. Actually, not really - I dig those Scandinavian whistle-bait popsters and they were playing multiple shows - but there were other less familiar artists and rare diversions to seek out on Saturday, March 21, in Austin, Texas.

The sweet 'n' sunny Saturday morn started with slowly with some quality, low-price thrifting at Texas Thrift Store (Joanna Newsom and folk-psych gals would have appreciated the dusty rose, homemade patchwork vest and nautilus-shell purse) and a visit to western wear superstore Shepler's, both off I-35. Then off to the Convention Center - which, by the end of the week during each SXSW, starts to seem a little like home (that is, if home was strewn with fat bundles of The Austin Chronicle and free bottles of Fuze green tea). There, Neil Young's famed manager Elliott Roberts and his documentarian Larry Johnson talked up Young's forthcoming series of box sets, starting with Neil Young Archives Volume 1 (1963-1972), on BluRay, DVD, and CD. Pretty amazing stuff - the BluRay edition will offer interactive components that will allow Young and company to offer up new photos, music, and film when they become available (one example, Robert said, are the Mynah Birds recordings made by Young and Rick James, which aren't the now-locked box set - they just managed to license the tracks from Motown so when they're available the BluRay owners will be notified and can likely download them directly).

Mystery crust theater: Imperial Battlesnake takes aim.

Pedal mettle: Increased bike presence at this year's SXSW and surrounding day shows.

Continue reading "SXSW: Petering out with PJ Harvey, AIDS Wolf, Moriarty, Sons of Albion, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 04:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eats and beats: Bob Motown of Two Rabbits Studios, N. Hollywood.

Who says the so-called rock poster is dead? A bevy of bright talents in full effect at SXSW's Flatstock 20 at the Austin Convention Center.

Dan MacAdam's Crosshair, Chicago.

LeDouxville.

Continue reading "SXSW: Taking stock of the art of the rock poster at Flatstock" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More Mochi: 215 the Freshest Kids hurl some words at Daly City Records' Pre-SXSW/St. Patrick's Day Party at Beso Cantina March 17. All photos by Kimberly Chun.

Or is a whimper more accurate. Yes, the signs are in the air and in the program, as we scan the pages of the official guide and the unofficial day party lists. Welcome to South by Southwest on the downlow, rocked by the turbulent winds blowing off a global economic meltdown.

The big conference keynote names like Pete Townshend, Neil Young, Robert Plant, and Lou Reed? This year we get the uber-talented and esteemed but nonetheless much less sexy - sorry, Quince - Quincy Jones. Instead of the Stooges and Morrissey, we will have onstage interviews with Carlene Carter and the Hold Steady. The corporate banners are still here, but with a not-quite-as-splashy, diminished presence - just where is that MySpace South By Party Bus? The major labels and glossy publications are quieter than usual - whither the Vice party? Is there a Vice party?

Instead Rachael Ray - wholesome indie rock fan incarnate - is serving up the New York Dolls and the aforementioned Hold Steady at her showcase. Hey, after all, we're all eating in these days - we can use some new recipes. This is SXSW on the cheap, forced onto a low-budg diet by a still-suffering music biz. Yes, music continues unabated, but can its makers afford to make it out here this year? The underground bashes around SXSW appear to slowing down or maybe they just aren't on the public radar - in any case I still want to make Todd P's Ms. Bea free all-ages shows and the French Legation outdoor bills - now Arthur-free (R.I.P.). We'll see if there's anything as fun as Dan Deacon and Fucked Up's guerrilla throwdowns shaking up the university campus and the bridge, after hours.

Continue reading "SXSW: It begins... with a whisper?" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Men at work: MSTRKRFT's "Work on You."

Yes, San Francisco, you're unstoppable. As usual, the city by the Bay bays - nay - howls at the moon. More worthy sounds that didn't make it to print.

Judgement Day
The Bay Area band is using the tools of Bach and Beethoven for... devil horn-throwin' eve-ill! Wed/18, 8 p.m., $10. Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, SF. (415) 861-5016.

Eleni Mandell and Victor Krummenacher
The LA singer-songwriter strikes an arch, jazzy note with her praised **Artificial Fire** (Zedtone) and the ex-**Guardian** art director digs deep with **Patriarch’s Blues** (MagneticMotorworks, 2008). Thurs/19, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, SF. (415) 861-5016.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Farflung, MSTRKRFT, Eleni Mandell, the Homosexuals, and mo'" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Besides following your priorities and getting green drunk (even ecologically drunk) tomorrow night, here's six four-star musical events totally worth tottering off your pub stool toward. But don't mistake that leprechaun for your designated driver! Call a cab, Molly O'Shaumessy!

St. Patty's Day Punk Bash
With La Plebe, Ribzy, Get Dead, Abrupt, Dope Charge, and Excuse the Blood.
Tue/17, 6pm, $8
Elbo Room
647 Valencia, SF
(415) 552-7788
www.elbo.com

Culann's Hounds, Hooks, Gasmen
Part of the San Francisco Irish Music Festival
Tue/17, 8pm, $20
Great American Music Hall
859 O'Farrell, SF
(415) 885-0750
www.gamh.com

A Very Special St. Patrick's Day 45 Club
The funky side of soul on 45 rpm with dX the Funky Grandpaw, Dirty Dishes, and English Steve.
Tue/17, 9pm, $2.
Knockout
3223 Mission, SF
(415) 550-6994
www.theknockoutsf.com

Farley's Coffee 20th Anniversary and St. Patrick's Day Celebration
Bagpipes and Irish music from 9am-noon; 8pm music and dancing, with a performance from local faves Soul Delights.
Tue/17, 9am-10pm, free
Farley's coffeehouse
1315 18th St, SF
(415) 648-1545
www.farleyscoffee.com

Food Stamp Tuesdays
This new monthly (second Tuesdays) kicks off with a cheap drink Patty's Day special at the usually pretty pricey Vessel. With disco soul glammers from DJs Miss Juanita More, Initials P.B. and Pete Notori
Tue/17, 5pm-midnight, free
Vessel
85 Campton Place, SF
(415) 433-8585
www.vesselsf.com

Get Wild St. Patty's
New crazy-boots band The Primitivas, featuring members of the La-Teenos and the Guardian's own Dulcinea Gonzalez will funk up Aunt Charlies, with DJ Alexis and hostesses Hunx and Liza Thorn.
Tue/17, 10pm, cheap
Aunt Charlie's Lounge
133 Turk, SF
www.auntcharlieslounge.com

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Posted by Marke B. at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

FANCY DAN BAND
Born Fancy
(self-released)

By Andre Torrez

"I bet you clean up real nice, fancy as can be, but I'm sorry to say, you'll never be as fancy as me." Ouch! Mr. Fancy Pants. With such confident lyrics set to a boom-chic-a-boom rockabilly beat, the Fancy Dan Band's debut, Born Fancy, is a winner. Frontman Fancy Dan is a Midwest-meets-West transplant, and his Bay Area band plays with enough barn-burning energy to make grandpa wanna hoe-down. No, really. The lyric is a throwback to the style of country pioneer Hank Williams, with the musicianship of Junior Brown and the flavor of Chuck Berry.

After realizing his dream was to be a country-folk vocalist, Dan decided to pack his bags and head out to the coast. Along the way, he made this album - the fruit of a three-day whirlwind Nashville pilgrimage last summer, boasting first-rate musicians on drums, upright bass, and electric guitar.

Sounds pretty traditional, I know, but in the realm of country, stars often take themselves far too seriously. It’s refreshing to hear these guys employ a bit of playfulness and what I hope is a pseudo-cockiness. For instance, the song “Wake Up Fancy” hinges on a wonderfully silly, self-referential double entendre concerning Dan's greatness. I imagine him pulling away the sheets in the morning, already wearing a pristine pressed white suit and cocking his feathered hat just so in the mirror. Much like the picture on the album cover. Fancy.

FANCY DAN BAND
March 21, call for time and price.
Café International
508 Haight, SF
(415) 552-7390

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Island girl: Anna Laube singing “Kihei Blues.”

By Todd Lavoie

The Hotel Utah Saloon promises a lovely showcase for Bay Area voices Thursday, March 12: four local singer-songwriters will hit the stage, all of whom are deserving of serious attention. Berkeley vocalist Courtney Nicole and 515-representing folkie Rebecca Cross will bring their savvy strumming and thoughtful lyricism to the evening's proceedings. Joining the roster will be two other songwriters who call San Francisco home: Anna Laube and Davis Jones. Both have excellent new CDs out - be sure to visit the merch table between sets!

Laube describes herself as a bit of a roamer in her press materials, and that wandering spirit tends to flavor her just-released second album, Pool All the Love * Pool All the Knowledge (Gingko), a comfortingly rootsy collection of songs that evoke memories of road trips and visits to quieter, less bustling locales than her current place of residence.

Continue reading "Let 'em roam: SF singer-songwriters Anna Laube and Davis Jones raise their voices at Hotel Utah" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 04:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kewl: Kool Keith's "Aliens."

By Andre Torrez

For a minute there I became enraged at the thought I was missing out on the latest drink sensation. Everyone had these shiny cartons in their hands as my mind raced, fantasizing about all the possibilities. What could that be? Oddly, my head had me convinced it was some sort of coconut concoction. No, wait, what’s that trendy fruit right now? Acai berry! That had to be it.

After all, wine in a box had long since become passe. My jealousy abated only when I realized it was merely a carton of Plant it Water. Those things were everywhere. Still, the evening wasn’t about sponsorship. No, this festival was about the music. Now just a blur of a memory, bars, clubs, and venues alike opened their doors last week to welcome musicians (and music types who like to live vicariously through them) for Noise Pop’s 17th showcase in weirdo San Francisco and beyond. Here’s my personal account:

Continue reading "Noise Pop: A blurry look back" »

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Posted by SFBG at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Woof! Har Mar Superstar's "DUI."

You're stormy, San Francisco - yet you still partay like no other city. Here's even more worthy music - more than we could squeeze into print.

Har Mar Superstar
Sean Tillmann, Sean Na Na - hey whatever your name is: we know you got the stuff to write songs for the Cheetah Girls. With the New Trust and the Limousines. Wed/5, 8 p.m., $12. Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell, SF. (415) 861-2011.

M. Ward
She and Him? No, him! The former South Bay teacher has made a pretty swell name for himself - though I'd love from him to break out of his Hold Time (Merge) shell.
Wed/5, 8 p.m., $29.50. Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon, SF. (415) 563-6504.

Color me evocative: Christopher Willits' "Colors Shifting."

Ghostly International Live
Michna, Tycho, Christopher Willits, and other phantoms party like it’s the label’s 10-year anniversary. With the Sight Below, Lusine, Kate Simko, Deru, and Eliot L. Fri/6, 10 p.m. doors, $15-$20. Mezzanine, 444 Jessie, SF. (415) 820-9669.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Ghostly, M. Ward, Har Mar Superstar, and so much more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Plucky: Port O'Brien at Cafe du Nord. All photos by Ariel Soto.

By Ariel Soto

Deep from within the depths of Cafe Du Nord came sounds of ships and seafarers, as Port O'Brien took the stage Friday, Feb. 27, for a concert that could have literally rocked a boat. They shared the stage with Afternoons, who got the whole house dancing, and Odawas, who told the audience "We may not be what you want... but we're what you need."

Dancing daze: Afternoons.

Continue reading "Noise Pop: Port O'Brien, Odawas, Afternoons find safe harbor at Cafe du Nord" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shining through: Sholi. Photo by Peter Ellenby.

More musings from a href="http://www.sholimusic.com/">Sholi's thoughtful vocalist-guitarist Payam Bavafa. For the first part of this interview, go here. Sholi performs Saturday, Feb. 28, at Bottom of the Hill, as part of Noise Pop '09.

SFBG: How did Sholi come together?

Payam Bavafa: We went into the studio with Greg Saunier in 2006. Then we took the record home and deconstructed the recordings and redid a lot of the recordings and recorded in a lot of different spots and apartments and various home setups. [Greg would] poke his head in every now and then to just give advice and help out on mixing. It was kind of a long labor of love.

Continue reading "Noise Pop: Memory spied - Sholi's Paym Bavafa on Googoosh, recording, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dippin' dots: Thao at Swedish American Hall. All photos by Ariel Soto.

By Ariel Soto

Her dress was pink with black polka dots, and she got it just for us. Thao Nguyen only had one dress, and she had already worn that one on the cover of the Guardian last week and figured we'd all remember it, so Nguyen went out and got a new dress for her sold-out show on Feb. 26 at the Swedish American Music Hall. We all screamed and hollered and clapped like ridiculous school children, giddy beyond control as our rock star sung song after song of irresistible, delicious hyper-goodness. We'll never forget that night and that perfect little dress.

Continue reading "Noise Pop: Giddy with Thao Nguyen at Swedish American Hall" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

By L.C. Mason

You know that mindspace between the blissed-out haze of a daydream and the rush of reality’s iron grip - that sense of profound escapism that has its claws sunk deep into both truth and fantasy? Getting there takes just the right musical ingredients - and the sky-scraping psych-blues reveries of San Francisco’s Sleepy Sun were last night’s one-way ticket to that destination.

The sextet exploded like a supernova onstage at Bottom of the Hill Feb. 25, leaving no room for dissenters. Sleepy Sun wove the edges of darkness with revelatory rays of light by mixing brain-sizzling guitar solos and leaden grooves with fistfuls of soaring vocals like nouveaux flower children carrying the torch for their blissed-out hippie predecessors.

Continue reading "Noise Pop: Sleepy Sun makes us hallucinate" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 08:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Michelle Broder Van Dyke

Lauren Dukoff has been photographing her friends since she was 13. It was simply serendipitous that they became famous. As a result, her photos have appeared on the cover of everything from Rolling Stone to the Guardian.

On Feb 20, at the Eleanor Harwood Gallery, Dukoff's intimate to obscene portrayals of Devendra Banhart, Matteah Baim, Joanna Newsom, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and others went on display along with artwork by those featured in the photographs. The exhibit runs through March 7.

Continue reading "Noise Pop: Indie confidential - 'Family' photos gathered at Eleanor Harwood" »

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Posted by SFBG at 06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There’s a lot more to Thao Nguyen of Thao with the Get Down Stay Down than meets the eye: watermelons, missing cowboy boots, wash-and-fold duties, and missing mini-vans. Here’s more of a talk with her; for the rest of this interview, go here. Nguyen performs as part of Noise Pop ‘09 on Feb. 26.

SFBG: You just got back from Portland? How’s the recording of the new album going?

Thao Nguyen: It’s a pretty slow process. Everything has to be of a higher standard than you’re used to. With our producer, he’s really into details. It’s still Tucker [Martine, who recorded We Brave Bee Stings and All (Kill Rock Stars)]. He’s awesome. He has an incredible ear and has higher standards than I’m used to. He’s always asking me for more.

Continue reading "Noise Pop: Take two with Thao - the SF singer-songwriter on watermelons, crazy Eights, and the 'burbs" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By L.C. Mason

The drum gods were smiling down on Bottom of the Hill Feb. 18 as drum-centric bands Foot Village and the Drums pounded out thunderous reveries that undoubtedly had even the stars in the sky dancing to their rhythm.

Heating things up good and hot was psychedelic noise outfit T.I.T.S., an all-girl ensemble that definitely brought the ruckus down on an unsuspecting crowd. Their deafening, doom metal-tinged jams would have made Metal Machine Music-era Lou Reed proud and filled the space with minor key dirges and menacing, monotone lyrics about the void and phantom animals. Bassist Mary “Elizabreast” Yarbrough dazzled as she punched her guitar strings in an attempt to make the ceiling fall, while the rest of the girls, dressed in mismatched flower-print housewife garb, maintained professional poker faces as they laid down riffs so heavy you couldn’t get under them if you tried.

Continue reading "It takes a Foot Village - and the Drums and T.I.T.S. to make a glorious noise at Bottom of the Hill" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

News from Recombinant Media Labs, over the transom yesterday:

"As some of you may or may not know, the Recombinant Media Labs facility located south of Market on Brannan Street in San Francisco closed its doors last spring. No formal announcements were made at that time due to legal complexities surrounding the closing. No further remarks will be made on this matter, but I think we can all agree that the RML Soma facility will be greatly missed. For those who are curious about what the future hold for Recombinant Media Labs please be on notice: RML is back in view.

"After Asphodel, Ltd. gave birth and support to the worldwide Recombinant Festivals of the '90s, and then to the artist residency lab from 2005 through 2007 the RML nomadic initiative re-emerged after traveling in '08 between Europe and North America, seeking new nodes of operation for performance, installation and exhibition. RML has moved on with fresh partnerships and independent alliances to resurface in a number of international configurations, which will be announced in the seasons to come.

Continue reading "Grey way: Recombinant Labs re-emerges" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

JOHN NÉMETH
Love Me Tonight
(Blind Pig)

By Todd Lavoie

Given the frugality of the blues as an art form, it seems only fair that I introduce Bay Area harmonica-slinging bluesman John Németh without a single wasted word: the man can sing. Sure, he breathes plenty of soul and fire into that harp of his, but ultimately it's his voice which makes the most indelible impact - moving nimbly from growl to howl to full-bellied hoot 'n' holler, sometimes within the same bar, it's a tremendous instrument.

Even more impressive: the vocalist, only in his early 30s, delivers with a level of authority expected from someone much older. Considering that the blues places such a deep emphasis on breadth of life experience, Németh's ability to sound older than his actual age is a valuable asset. That being said, it's his extensive vocal range which gets noticed first; coming across as a young scrapper in one moment and a wizened front-stoop sage in the next, he certainly can surprise.

Continue reading "That voice: Bay bluesman John Németh entreats 'Love Me Tonight'" »

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Posted by SFBG at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Andre Torrez

I entered SoMa’s Paradise Lounge for the first time this past Valentine’s Day, startled by an unexpected fashion show - it was scheduled, I just didn’t know about it - oddly set to the music of the Jackson 5. And it wasn’t your typical “ABC," or “I Want You Back." No, that wouldn’t have fit the atmosphere at all. It was one of their less obvious '70s grooves, something a little grittier and less innocent, so props to the DJ who demonstrated the intuition to foreshadow an evening of freaks on the floor.

The brief parade of design provided a blur of a background as we settled into the club. With drinks in tow, my friends and I made our way upstairs to get a better view above the stage. Before we knew it, HOTTUB, Oakland’s answer to queercore, was shakin’ its shit all over the place. If memory serves me right, the group has referred to a few of its tracks as real “pussy bangers." Perhaps that’s a suggestion for what to do while listening to their music. I’m not really sure.

Continue reading "'Clear': Falling in with Juan Atkins, Dam Funk, and HOTTUB at Paradise Lounge" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New weekly hip-hop mixer? Sure, you got it; here's the word from the organizers:

"San Francisco - We All We Got, a new weekly mixer, hip-hop open mic, and live performance party in San Francisco is the place for Bay Area artists, musicians, producers, managers, designers, and creatives to connect. Hosted by Revolutionary Poet Sellassie, We All We Got is designed to expose interesting and determined talent, cultivate relationships, showcase independent hip-hop artists and keep the dance floor moving with KPFA's Hard Knock Radio DJ Mike Biggz. Bring your CD, get on the open mic, discover and listen to new artists, build allies, and connect. We All We Got is every Wednesday at Levende Lounge, San Francisco.

"Advocates of independent music, Inhouse Talent's Gina Gallo and Sellassie see the opportunity to contribute to the local arts community among ambitious, forthcoming artists and offer a platform to perform. Hip-hop artist Sellassie states, 'We are the future' and realizes the vast talent here in the Bay Area. 'Local promoters bring in all these other rappers from all over the country for shows and have stars right here in the Bay.'

Continue reading "Hip-hop mixes it up: 'We All We Got' kicks off at Levende" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 04:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sad news for blues fans - this just in:

"SAN FRANCISCO (February 18, 2009) -- The nation's oldest ongoing blues festival has announced that the 2009 show has been canceled due to lack of funding. After 36 continuous years of presenting the blues by the bay, the iconic blues festival will forgo its annual September presentation this year.

"'The combination of rising production costs and lack of sponsorship support leaves me no choice but to cancel this year's show,' said founder Tom Mazzolini, who has also been the show's sole producer since the first festival in 1973. 'I'm sad to say this, but we may well have seen the last San Francisco Blues Festival.'

Continue reading "Singing the blues: SF Blues Fest canceled" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

By Brandon Bussolini

To borrow from writer Jessica Hopper, the nature of the Internet is to refer. Before I encountered San Francisco's Lazarus as a Web entity, I'd seen them open for Beach House at the Swedish American Hall and had met the band's vocalist-personality, Trevor Montgomery, a couple of times.

He's super-tall, not a giant but approximately when dressed in a too-small trenchcoat buttoned up all the way to the top as he was when I first met him through my friend Yoni. A long face with attenuated features, he's like a half-remembered Æon Flux character. The music I later heard Lazarus perform - the band started as a collab with Marty Anderson, but the lineup live and in the studio now includes Sacto natives Kelly Nyland and Kathryn Sechrist - was harrowing and gooey. Spacemen 3 can make opiate addiction sound like a religious experience. Lazarus, on the other hand, makes music where using, being broken down and waiting for redemption isn't any more attractive or transcendent than, like, a John Ford rewrite of Waiting for Godot.

Continue reading "Raising Lazarus, contemplating the SF band's dirty-faced realism" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pop rocks: Tainted Love at Bimbo's 365 Club. All photos by Ariel Soto.

By Ariel Soto

A spandex- and leg warmer-clad audience rocked out to Tainted Love's sold-out show at Bimbo's 365 Club Feb. 13. The '80s cover band, which also performed the following night on Feb. 14, did a run through of everything from "Rock the Casbah" to "Like a Virgin," while the enthusiastic crowd sang and jumped along to every tune. Vocalists Brett and Chad Roman added their own twist to each classic song while continuing to inject an '80s flair, and guitarist Franklin Vasquez put his heart and soul - and sweat - into every move he made. All and all, a perfect night of neon and pop jams.

Continue reading "Eighties obsession bubbles up at Tainted Love" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

By L.C. Mason

I’m willing to bet that on a wall somewhere in this city of ours there’s a message emblazoned in loopy, florid handwriting purring, “For a good time, call Scissors for Lefty," because there is nothing about their exuberant, glammed-up indie sound that suggests otherwise. The San Franciscan group’s newest self-released EP, Consumption Junction (Pepper Street Music), evokes a night-is-young idealism that speaks to the party kid in all of us.

The tight set of athemic, body-moving tunes opens up with “Ornamental," a song sporting a giant, lung-busting chorus interspersed with ennui-tinged lead vocals by Bryan Garza and bullet-train drums. “Long Distant Love” sounds like the Cure drank a whole lotta Love Potion Number 9 and highlights a buoyant, Unicorns-esque keyboard melody that dips and bends to jaunty, optimistic lyrics about the pitfalls of loving someone a world away.

Continue reading "Upbeat indie: Scissors for Lefty and Vox Jaguars prowl Bottom of the Hill" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I got the tip from Guardian contributor George Chen that he'll be appearing at an evening of readings and stand-up comedy by Sam McPheeters, George Chen, Deana Uribe at Adobe Book Shop on Feb. 20. Word on the performers:

"Sam McPheeters was born in Ohio in 1969 and raised in upstate New York. He is the former lead singer of Born Against and Wrangler Brutes, a founding member of Men's Recovery Project, and the owner of the now defunct Vermiform Records. He lives in California with his wife, Tara, and their 11 cats.

Continue reading "Not by the book: Born Against's Sam McPheeters and others at Adobe" »

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Posted by SFBG at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

Wait a minute, it's February? Sheesh. In the spirit, perhaps, of our recently bipolar weather systems and my on-again off-again memory banks, I've been raving in my cubicle to two disparate tracks all week -- one a tingly, moody laptop dubstep (lapstep?) zonker by Mount Kimbie:

Mount Kimbie, "Maybes"

And the other some good ol-fashioned achingly lovely wronged-woman house by Teddy Douglas of the Basement Boys, with his frequent collaborator, the immaculately voiced Margaret Grace. I've never really been a fan of Teddy's basic-seeming beats, but this one really comes together around the three-minute mark, and grows and flows like a classic track by Quentin Harris (who actually cribbed quite a bit off the old Teddy, melody-wise):

Neither of which will probably be played at any of the choice upcoming parties below, but hey -- a miracle mashup in my wobbly head can be dreamed and deemed righteous, no? Check these out, and also more in my latest Super Ego clubs column. Do whatcha like!

-------------

ROLLER DISCO PARTY
In absence of a nearby rink, rollerskating parties have found a new home in nightclubs and galleries. Just watch out for those warped floors! Do the bump, indeed. SF Indie Fest is throwing a Big Lebowski-themed shindig on wheels at CellSpace, with tunes by the Black Rock Roller Disco camp. Rentals provided - snowball and bromance optional.
Fri/13, 9 p.m., $10, $5 with costume. CellSpace, 2050 Bryant, SF. www.cellspace.org

Continue reading "Super Ego: Bear attacks, roller skates, dry humps" »

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Posted by Marke B. at 02:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You're gonna miss me: an old Wild Thing poster.

By L.C. Mason

Newly emerged and ready to rip every show to shreds, the San Francisco-stationed Wild Thing are, as described by their MySpace page, “punk, punk, punk."

The group's rough-hewn repertoire and unsigned outsider status certainly fit the punk canon like a glove. Gritty guitars and beer-soaked group vocals are found all over tracks like “You’re a Punk” and “I Can’t Stand It." Disaffected lyrics and clanging cymbals that sound like Animal of the Muppets got himself a legitimate band, complete with humans, mean you can make Wild Thing your excuse for coming home with inexplicably ripped clothes, lost valuables, or a sore neck.

Having just returned from the Dummer Bummer fest in Portland, Ore., with Bay Area rock denizens Apache and Nobunny, the brazen quartet will get stomping this Sunday, Feb. 8, at Thee Parkside - which may be hell on you come Monday, but will be well worth once you watch this combo spread its wings.

WILD THING
With Annihilation Time, A.N.S., Sabertooth Zombie, and Futur Skullz
Sun/8, 6 p.m., $8
Thee Parkside
1600 17th St., SF
(415) 252-1330

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wanna see my 'stache: Eagles of Death Metal's "Solid Gold."

Confucius may not have approved of 1015's big ole Chinese NY beat-down - but, hey, he never really knew how to par-tay. Here's more fun schtuff that shoulda, coulda, but didn't make it to print.

Delta Spirit
Northern soul and indie rock - just the combo for the San Diego unit. With Other Lives and Dawes. Wed/4, 8:30 p.m. doors, $12. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. (415) 621-4455.

Origami Ghosts
Raul Sanchez hosts the contemplative Seattle indie-rockers at his monthly semi-acoustic Penny Arcade showcase. With Eyes, Il Gato, and Floating Robot Familiar. Wed/4, 8 p.m., $7. Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St., SF. (415) 647-2888.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage: Social Distortion, SF Bluegrass Festival, Eagles of Death Metal, Chinese NY dance party, and more" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 05:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peerless pop: Social Studies at Hemlock Tavern. All photos by Jen Snyder.

By Jen Snyder

I used to have this ridiculous tendency to annually denounce everything I was into and hurl myself into a new persona. This resulted in a confusing metamorphosis from punk to hippie to goth to indie rocker to grunge fan to glam kid. It was entirely exhausting - what with all the costume changes and makeovers to my album collection. It takes a bit of growing up - and a touch of laziness - to realize that it's really those standby good friends and classic tunes that really get your heart pumping. Like Social Studies.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, I found myself praising Social Studies once again for its commitment to just plain excellent pop music. During its set at the Hemlock Tavern, the outfit revitalized my love for its 2006 release, This Is the World's Biggest Hammer, drumming out the songs perfectly. The show included all your old favorites, including the epic "Sparrow," which twists and turns for minutes without losing any of its innovation and heat.

Continue reading "In praise of pop poobahs Social Studies" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

By L.C. Mason

Coupling the two seemingly opposed sonic realms of folk and metal into one paganism-loving, mythology-obsessed subgenre, folk metal is a sphere of music that enjoys a healthy European following. Across the Atlantic in San Francisco, Slough Feg are fiercely holding down the fort.

Taking cues from genre pioneers Skyclad and fantasy metalists Iron Maiden, Slough Feg have been serving up face-melting solos, gut-churning bass lines, and otherworldly lyrics on the same plate since the '90s. Songs are woven like elaborate sagas, with vocalist Michael Scalzi growling operatically about war, immortality, the cruel hands of fate, and other ancient plagues on the human psyche, while “Don” Angelo Tringali propels them into epic territory with his blistering breakdowns. They lay it down at the Eagle Tavern Thursday with fellow city dwellers Orb of Confusion, but you better watch yourself; this brand of music makes starting a midweek drinking binge seem like a good idea.

SLOUGH FEG
With Orb of Confusion, Modig Wuht, and Cold Cutz
Thurs/5, 9 p.m., call for price
Eagle Tavern
398 12th St., SF
(415) 626-0880

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Marke B.

I just got word about another installment of the fantastic BiBi party, happening this Saturday night at Club Six. BiBi's the number one top happening for queer folks of SWANA (Southwest Asian–Northern African) descent -- ladies, the ladies who go are fucking gorgeous -- and their admirers. DJs Emancipacion, Josh Cheon of Honey Soundsystem, and Massood wil bring their exhilarating blend of traditional and contemporary Arab, Persian, Indian, and Latin hits, because basically if it's brown, they're down. Palestinian hip-hop duo NaR will be performing, as will fave-rave dancer Cherry Gallette. Part of the proceeds will benefit Middle-East Children's alliance.

Lucky for club kids like me (who also happens to be a big queer Arab!) the party will take place at the same time as dread bass monthly Surya Dub's huge 2-year anniversary bash that I wrote about in my last Super Ego clubs column, also at Club Six in the basement and main room for a separate fee. All-night belly dancing, Palestinian hip-hop, and bowel-shaking dubstep beats? I'm all over it.

BiBi
Sat/7, 9pm-afterhours, $10/$15
Club Six
60 Sixth St., SF.
www.clubsix1.com
www.myspace.com/bibisf

Read more SFBG Noise blog clubs coverage here and more Super Ego clubs columns here.

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Posted by Marke B. at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

USA and Bay byways: Sic Alps' "Semi-streets."

Where to find our current garage-rock faves? Cover kids Nodzzz - see this week's story in the Guardian - will be playing a show with Lake and Little Wings March 11 at Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF; (415) 923-0923. It starts at 9 p.m. and is $7.

Nodzzz will also be performing with Blank Dogs, Naked on the Vague, and Brilliant Colors March 29 at the Knockout, 3223 Mission, SF; (415) 550-6994. Call for the time and price.

Also worth a looky-loo, as pointed to here: Sic Alps, who play a warehouse show with Thee Oh Sees and Pins of Light. Artwork by Skott Cowgill will also be on display. It goes down Feb. 13 at OCD Warehouse, 758 Natoma, SF. Art and food happen at 8 p.m., bands begin at 9pm, and it costs all of $5.

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

News from Bay Area hip-hop duo Zion I's camp: Their new record, The Takeover, arrives Feb. 17, along with a show at 330 Ritch. Word has it that there will also be a Feb. 13 listening party at the pair's studio-office, the Zoo. Sounds like the group is reaching out and expanding - even during belt-tightening times.

ZION I
Feb. 17, 10 p.m., call for price
330 Ritch, SF
(415) 541-9574
www.330ritch.com

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Andre Torrez

Both menacing and beautiful at the same time, the lush strings and the precision piano and harpischord on the Music Lovers' new album, Masculine Feminine (Le Grand Magistery), make to a sound that's rich and full enough to make Phil Spector cream his trousers.

The San Fran band definitely set a melodic mood on their latest release on the Detroit label. British-born Bay Area transplant Matthew Edwards’ haunting vocals evoke comparisons to early to mid-'70s-era Bowie with a hint of Morrissey. Musically the strings display a depth, darkness, and emotional power reminiscent of SoCal countercultural touchstone, Love. Lyrically, the songwriter and lead vocalist recalls past loved ones even giving a nod to the future with “A Girl from Space." The solidly arranged long-player doesn't disappoint.

Continue reading "Mash note for Music Lovers" »

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This in from the folks with the folks who give you Hardly Strictly Bluegrass:

“Normally known as the man who brings you the fabulous Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park each year, this weekend you will have the chance to see Warren Hellman in his other guise: that of humble banjo player. Warren will be sitting in with the inimitable Ron Thomason (leader and humorist of Dry Branch Fire Squad) and Heidi Clare (fiddler and clogger extraordinaire, formerly with old-time band Reeltime Travelers) at their show in Sausalito on Saturday, Jan. 31. A good time is guaranteed by all so get there early to get a seat!”

RON THOMASON, WARREN HELLMAN, AND HEIDI CLARE
Sat/31, 8 p.m., $15 donation
Sausalito Presbyterian Church
112 Bulkley, Sausalito
(415) 383-8716

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gotta love Hunx and His Punx (check Brandon Bussolini's interview with the multitalented Seth Bogart in this week's new garage rock issue). One of the primo reasons why? Well, in addition to the band's gritty pop-rocks, stage sets, and kitsch-Querelle sailor suits, there's the Justin Kelly-directed "Gimmie Gimmie Back Your Love," coming in the fine, camp-fired fun tradition of the Gravy Train!!!! vids.

See Hunx and His Punx at punk-rock central Gilman Street Project this week, in honor of Punk Rock Joel's birthday. Also promised: Thorns of Life, the latest project from Blake of Jawbreaker and Aaron Cometbus, as well as free birthday cookies! (Get onboard the Cookie Train!!!!?)

HUNX AND HIS PUNX
With Thorns of Life, ReVolts, Off with Their Heads, Comadre, and free birthday cookies for Punk Rock Joel
Sat/31, 7:30 p.m. doors, $8
924 Gilman Street Project, Berk.
(510) 525-9926
www.924gilman.org

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Posted by Kimberly Chun at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Motor-vated: Kinetic Steamworks at Coachella 2007.

Because once is never enough. More ear-teasers to tantalize...

Edwardian Ball
Break out the corsets and strap yourself in, girls. The ninth annual event - now three days strong - bids you to party like it's 1899, follow the green fairy, and partake in music, art, burlesque, circus acts, and all things Edwardian and Edward Gorey-esque. (OK, Gorey was born a bit too late, but you get the general drift of the proceedings.) With Rasputina, Abney Park, Kinetic Steamworks, Rosin Coven, Vau de Vire Society, Jill Tracy, Cirque Berzerk, Agent Ribbons, and more. Fri/23-Sun/25, call for times, $25-$35. Regency Center, 1290 Sutter, SF. (415) 435-7527.

Thunderheist
The Toronto electro-funk party-starters gave a lil' impromptu show in London in December (above). Tonight they do it the legal way, courtesy of Blasthaus. Next up: a new album on Big Dada, coming March 31. Fri/23, 9 p.m., $10. 103 Harriet, SF.

Unagi
The slippery DJ brings the knowledge - "real hip-hop on real records all night long" - to his regular event, 442 Fridays, with DJ Animal. Fri/23, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $5 after 10 p.m. Madrone Lounge, 500 Divisadero, SF. (415) 241-0202.

Continue reading "Sonic Reducer Overage II: Edwardian Ball, Unagi, Dragging an Ox Through Water, and more" »

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