NOISE POP 2008 - TILLY AND THE WALL

At this point, it may be difficult to predict what bands I'll be going to see on the final day of Noise Pop, but I'm sure glad one of my options is Tilly and the Wall. Their sophomore release, Bottoms of Barrels, is much more... um... clappy?... in a pixies-meets-architecture-meets-the-pipettes way. I don't know.. I'm never good at those comparisons. But I do know is that if you have a CSS remix of one of your songs, you are a force to be reckoned with. In any case here are a couple of tracks for you to hear for yourself. The first and third tracks are off the new album... and the second track is from their first album, Wild Like Children.

Tilly and the Wall will play on Sunday March 2, during Noise Pop at The Rickshaw Stop. Opening will be Capgun Coup. In the time I've taken to write this post, I've already developed a liking to Capgun Coup's raw basement-style indie pop. Definitely maybe going to see this show.

Rickshaw Stop - March 2, 2008
Show @ 6:30 - $15, ALL Ages

NOISE POP - THE GUTTER TWINS

Much hype has been surrounding the collaboration of Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan called The Gutter Twins. I haven't heard a single measure of any of their songs from the upcoming release, "Saturnalia". In fact, I think the only people who have heard what they sound like are people that have seen them live as The Gutter Twins, and those number few. They haven't posted any of their songs online and creating a lot of mystery around it. So, of course, because I can't have it... I want it. I'll have to wait until March 1st when they play Bimbo's, which will supposedly be their CD release party too. Here's a press release with a little background:

SEATTLE, WA - Sub Pop veterans Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan return to the label in its 20th year under the moniker The Gutter Twins for the March 4th, 2008 worldwide release of Saturnalia, their highly anticipated first album. In addition, the band has announced a handful of very special US and European show dates to preview the complex and carefully crafted songs in advance of the official record release. Show dates and on sale information provided below.

Mark Lanegan rose to fame as singer for the much loved Seattle band Screaming Trees and Greg Dulli as the magnetic leader of the Afghan Whigs. Following the break up of both groups, Lanegan and Dulli went on to achieve significant notice on their own. Lanegan continued to release successful solo albums, as well as create vivid partnerships with the likes of Belle & Sebastian singer Isobel Campbell and Queens of the Stone Age. Dulli, meanwhile, innovatively fused indie, soul and electronic sounds in his post-Whigs ensemble the Twilight Singers, who released their first album, Twilight As Played By The Twilight Singers, in 2000; the most recent Twilight effort, 2006's Powder Burns, proved a crowning achievement, landing on many year-end best lists.

The Gutter Twins was born out of a rumor told by Lanegan to a journalist after the two artists began collaborating together in various ways in 2002. What started as a rumor grew into an honest and raw record, and while Saturnalia brings together the driving forces behind '90s favorites, the record does not rest on the sonic laurels of these singer's previous successes.

3/1/08 - Noise Pop - Bimbo's, $18, 18+

NOISE POP 2008 - BAND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Some people get excited about birthdays and holidays, others go nuts for fleet week or pride week. The time of year I get most excited about each year is Noise Pop. Six nights of music and a hundred or so bands playing at the best venues across San Francisco. They bring "nationally-known indie rock, electronic, punk and cutting edge musical artists teamed up with the best local bands, transforming the city into an almost week-long celebration of the finest that the underground and not-so-underground has to offer."

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 2

Since there will undoubtedly be some tough decisions to make, I'll be spending some time making my 'fantasy schedule' and I'll report back here with my thoughts. Here is the list of bands that have been announced. Check back often, as this list will multiply in size. I've provided a quick NOISE POP 2008 link on the side-bar for convenience.

A Place to Bury Strangers
ASG
Blitzen Trapper
British Sea Power
Capgun Coup
Cursive
Darker My Love
Fleet Foxes
Fu Manchu
Fuck Buttons
Gutter Twins
Holy Fuck
Jeffrey Lewis
The Magnetic Fields
Minipop
Monotonix
The Mountain Goats
Panther
Saviours
Tilly And The Wall

NOISE POP 2008 WEBSITE

Rodrigo Y Gabriela announce Warfield show!

Although it won't be as intimate as seeing them at the 930 club in DC, I will most definitely see this show. Two performers, Two guitars, four hands, no drums... one awesome show...

They will amaze you, and if you disagree, I will fight you:


Rodrigo Y Gabriela will play at the Warfield on Feb 9.
Pre-Sale tickets available now
If you're ambitious, you'd go see them at the Fillmore in Colorado too.

It's Christmas, It's Music, It's sung to 'Africa' by Toto?

Yes... This video is well worth spending 3 minutes watching... trust me.



Thanks to The Elaborate Hour for finding this.

Welcome Back!

After nearly 100 years in exile, Absinthe is now back in the United States and legal. Cheers.

This Is Not The Robo-Boogie... Or The Robot

When Will Pelle Carlberg Play in SF?

To my knowledge, Pelle Carlberg is still under the proverbial radar. I'm anxious to see his live performance. He's been touring for over a year all over the world but hasn't played in the US except for a handful of appearances on the East Coast. I haven't heard anything about visa issues, though it is entirely possible. C'mon Aaron Axelson, can't you pull some strings? These are your people.

My guess is that he has the elements of a singer-songwriter that would have mass appeal in the US... but if that happens, I could see myself getting really really sick of his songs in a big way. For now though, I find his songs appealing as long as I don't listen to them too often. Here's a video for you to check out. Also, look for a song called 'Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls". Great lyrics.

Bagel Radio Blog

I can't believe I hadn't visited the Bagel Radio Blog before... I've been to a bajillion Bagel Radio events and they're a great source for Bay Area music.. Read it. It's good.

Kosher Boys

Last one I post... I swear..

Soda Boys

Ok.. Its hard enough to get the Crank That song from Soulja Boy out of my head when I hear it, but this spoof video is whole other story.. enjoy.

Yuri Lane - Harmonica + Beatbox

How To Choose An Instrument

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Slap Cello

More videos from the "Heavy Music" channel at Heavy.com

Kid Zeppelin?

23 Seconds, 23 Magic - for $999?

I've always wondered about the mystery of Blonde Redhead's lyrics to the title track of their newest album, "23". Daphne Carr of PaperThinWalls interviewed Blonde Redhead vocalist Kazu Makino who said, "'23' is sort of my magic number. I don't know what it means, but I seem to be surrounded by it. The album is full of ideas that derived from things that have been close to me for a while, and the number 23 is one of those things." While Carr is disappointed by the sound of '23', I find it quite magical. In fact, if I were to have one song playing for me as I die, this would be the one. Tomorrow, I may be able to find out when that will be.

A Bay Area company called 23andMe.com will launch a service tomorrow that will provide you with a complete report of your DNA. For $999, the company will reveal the secrets of the 23 pairs of chromosomes you possess, give you a break-down of your genetic 'hand-me-downs' from your family tree, and identify certain diseases that you may be at risk of developing. Perhaps this '23' is yet another element of Kazu Makino's magical number.

New Years Eve Concert Roundup

Les Claypool @ The Fillmore (on sale 11/18)




Cake + The Lovemakers @ The Warfield on sale 11/18




Brazilian Girls + Kinky + Ved Vire Society + Many many more @ SF Concourse Exhibition Center, $55+, 21+ only, tickets on sale now.




ALO + Honeycut @ The Independent ($85, open bar, 21+, on sale now)




Melvins + Comets on Fire @ Slims




Scissors for Lefty @ Bottom of the Hill, $19.99/$25 (18+)



Stay tuned for updates as more shows are announced.

Hot Toddies + Two Seconds @ the Knockout

Friday night @ the Knockout will feature a great local line-up including Two Seconds, The Hot Toddies and My First Earthquake. Two Seconds continues to record and remain active in the music scene as well as collaborating with a spectacular group of local acts. Among these bands is Oakland's The Hot Toddies.

If the Pipettes were described as 'The Shangri Las meet Le Tigre', then the The Hot Toddies would be best be described as 'The Pipettes meet Dance Hall Crashers'. Listen to their sound at their myspace page. Also opening is My First Earthquake.


The Knockout is located at 3223 Mission at Valencia. Show starts @ 10pm and tickets are $6.

It's About Time A Rock Band Made Another Deal With The Devil

Last night I went to go see Portugal. The Man. I've been listening to their new album, Church Mouth, incessantly for the past few months. The album is somewhat different than their previous releases incorporating a classic southern-blues rock vs. a rock-synth combination. In my opinion each album/ep is better than their last. On 'Church Mouth' you might initially hear a White Stripes influence, but the sound is bigger than that; perhaps it is what the White Stripes would have liked to achieve if 1/2 their band was a bit more talented. On the other hand, I've read reviews that discuss how Portugal. The Man is influenced by Led Zeppelin. Great. Saying that a rock band is influenced by Led Zeppelin is like saying the Pope is influenced by Jesus Christ.

But it is a valid comparison; and a comparison that even the most discriminating music lovers will agree with especially after seeing them perform live. As a group, Portugal. The Man, is incredibly tight and each member plays like he is trying to out-do the musical awesomeness coming from the band mates around him, and that was fun to see. Cliches aside, while you will hear the influences of greats like Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Santana and Black Sabbath, the band continues to exhibit the fruits of their musical experimentation which may or may not be the direct result of a faustian bargain.

My Bloody Valentine Reunion Confirmed

MOG contributor Mackenzie P reports that a My Bloody Valentine reunion is confirmed. Read more at MOG.com

Ween Set List - San Francisco

San Francisco
The Warfield
Friday 11/10/07
Courtesy of Mango Tango, Tenacious Hand Stamp field correspondent

Warfield setlist

Birthday boy*
Chocolate town*
Mutilated lips*
Tried and true*
I don't want it* (Gene finishes with electric guitar solo)
Golden eel
Spinal
Baby bitch
Learning To Live
Piss up a rope
Light me up
Voodoo lady
Spirit walker.
Take me away
Waving my dick
Richard smoker
Transdermal
Object
Buckingham
Bananas
Party
Daisies
Own bare hands
Mollusk
Johnny on the spot
Goin gets tough
Slow down boy
Pandy
Ocean man
Shamemaker->
Fiesta

Encore
Hammer down
Tooter
Reggae junkie Jew
Dr rock

* - acoustic

Read more about the show here: Mango Tango's thread

Back to Home Page: One More Time, From the Top!

San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Ween Set List - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Friday 11/9/07
Courtesy of Mango Tango, Tenacious Hand Stamp field correspondent

Dont Shit Where You Eat
Spinal Menengitis
Now I'm Freaking Out
Bananas And Blow
Learning To Love
Take Me Away
Gabrielle
Freedom Of 76
Don't Get 2 Close
Object
Even If You Don't
Woman And Man
Mutilated Lips
Buckingham Green
Your Party
Beacon Light
My Own Bare Hands
Tear For Eddie
Spirit Walker
Stallion Pt.3
Mollusk
Back To Basom
Superstar (Carpenters)
Ocean Man
Waving My Dick In The Wind > p.a. malfunction
Stroker Ace
Touch My Tooter
Puerto Rican Power
Did You See Me
Shamemaker
Fiesta

Encore
E: Squelch The Weasel
Birthday Boy
Tender Situation
Roses Are Free

If you were at the show and would like to comment, read Mango Tango's thread

San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

DREAM GIG

Ziddio.com is running a contest that will allow your band to go see the greatest band of all time. Upload a video of your unsigned band at its best and you'll have a chance at not only seeing Led Zeppelin play live at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London, your band will play at the VIP after-party and take home $20k in equipment from Gibson!

More info at Ziddio.com

Coming Soon to the Independent!

On November 10, L.A.-based sextet, West Indian Girl, returns to the bay area to headline at the Independent. Their last performance was at the Treasure Island Music Festival where they played a 20 minute set on the side stage. I remember wanting to hear more. If I said that the sound is like a Death Cab meets Honeycut, you might get a good idea for the sound, but I don't think that's exactly it. The show at the Independent is the 3rd Annual D.A. Taylor Charitable Foundation Benefit. Opening for West Indian Girl is Earlimart.

The show is on November 10, at the Independent and tickets are $13-$30 and available at Independent.com

----------------------------------------
Also returning to San Francisco is Vampire Weekend. Check out my earlier post about Vampire Weekend when they opened for the Shout Out Louds at the Rickshaw Stop. I'm very excited for their return. This time they will headline the Independent. They claim to be specialists in the following styles: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "Upper West Side Soweto", "Campus", and "Oxford Comma Riddim." If you don't know what that means, that means you don't know anything. Go read a book. Or just go to their myspace page and listen to a couple of tracks.

Vampire Weekend performs on Wednesday 12/5 @ The Independent. Tickets are $12 and available at Independent.com

Nicole Atkins - Neptune City

Nicole Atkins made her San Francisco debut earlier this year at Popscene when she opened for the Long Blondes. For the most part, the crowd was mulling about and the buzz of conversation would've made it extremely difficult to command a stage. No one even noticed the small frame emerge onto the stage... and those that did, didn't expect that little Jersey girl was going to be able to drown out the rowdy audience.

The moment Nicole Atkins opened her mouth to sing her first note, there was a resounding thud of jaws dropping onto the floor of the 330 Ritch nightclub in San Francisco. I was frozen in place and a bomb could have gone off in the neighboring parking lot, but there was no way I was going to take my eyes off what I was witnessing. What ensued was song after song of soulful crooning that invoked an image of Sinatra's pipes with Joplin's spirit.

Yesterday, she released her first full length album called Neptune City... I rocked out to it during the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Bay Area and then I watched her perform 'The Way It Is' on David Letterman. Anyway, the album is quickly becoming a desert island album for me so do yourself a favor and buy it. It's a keeper. And look out for her in a city near you. Also, if you see her, tell her that I want to make babies with her.

Check out another live review on Water Cooler Gossip

Check out this video: "The Way It Is"



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Unfettered Joy

The Pipettes delivered a genuine smile-fest at Bimbo's last night. Despite the usual repressed San Francisco (too-cool-for-school) crowd, the Pipettes were able to conjure up a little activity on the area in front of the stage (known to many as a 'Dance' floor). Like the last time I saw the Pipettes, no one left the room without an ear-to-ear grin.


Opening for the Pipettes were San Francisco locals, Social Studies, who also cast a spell of joyful perfection with their Indie-Nintendo-Rock and KarenO-meets-Lovefoxxx vocals. (Picture Below)


After the show we made new drinking friends.

Hello, old friend.

I've recently been spending a lot of time on the east coast visiting my nieces and nephew. The little monkeys are 6.5, 4.5, and 0.15 years old. Thankfully, I was never charged with changing diapers, but I quickly became an expert in retrieving pacifiers and quelling the shrilling cries of a newborn. Most of my time was spent entertaining the two older monkeys. Between soccer games, T-ball practice, karate lessons, horseback riding sessions, going to the zoo, the pumpkin patch, the air and space museum, carousels, watching 'High School Musical' AND 'High School Musical 2' I was a bit overwhelmed by suburban life. San Franciscans, after all, have more dogs than children under 18.

Now, my brother always was a big role model in my life, and I always viewed him as a 'do-no-wrong' type of guy. Yet, he was the one that kept me in check when I tried to slip through lies and tom-foolery. What a prick.

So when he started investing some time and interest in my social life, I started to view him a bit differently. My earliest memories of live music involve my brother. He brought me to his university when I was 15 years old and showed me how to rock. Yes... he took me to Fishbone and before I knew it, he was crowd surfing. The guy I looked up to all my life, who I believed to be stodgy, condescending prick, showed me that he was actually pretty fucking awesome.

Fast forward (20-ish years) to wife, house in the burbs, three kids, killer career and he's got little choice but to be somewhat on the fringe of (sub)popular culture. Although, he DOES know all the words to the popular songs of 'High School Musical' 1 & 2. Bless his heart, he has set aside the selfish whims of youthful irresponsibility and lives in a near-story-book life. Anyway, Since my brain was about to explode from the parade of midgets and mini-vans, I figured I needed to force-feed the father some old-fashioned fun. I scoured the local club websites.. and lo-and-behold.. Rodrigo y Gabriela making good at the 9:30 Club for a show they had previously cancelled a while back!

The show was sold out, so he tried to use that as an excuse not to go. Granted, he had a point... the 9:30 Club in DC is about a 40 minute drive from the burbs, so there was a risk of not getting in.. but for me, it was the journey that I was looking forward to, not the destination. We rolled up to the 9:30 Club, I hopped out while he looked for parking, and by the time he walked up to the door, I had two tickets in my hand for face value.

The 9:30 Club is an amazing venue. As you walk through the narrow hallway there are small dungeon-like concrete openings that allow access into the main hall (there are real doors too). The main floor is about the size of the Independent... and they REALLY pack it in. The mezzanine level had several risers so it doesn't require you having to lean on the rail to see the show (like at Great American or 12 Galaxies). All told, the venue holds about 1200... but if there is a fire in there, you're fucked.

The stage setup had a couple of small cameras on the microphone stands which looked right on to Rodrigo and Gabriela's guitars. They projected the close up image of the fast-fingering-phenoms up on the giant screen behind them as if to say, 'if you don't believe it is possible to actually play this music the way we do, here's a close-up.' It was a great touch and mesmerizing to say the least.

My big-bro never missed a beat and was rocking it out with the DC crowd and assumed wing-man duties which was a nice surprise. How could I have ever thought my idol and mentor had lost his touch? The only thing that could have made the night better is if we ordered pizza and passed out before the delivery guy arrived.

Etymology of Datarock

When the New York Yankees lose a game in the playoffs, it usually means the rest of my day goes quite poorly. I understand that's not something many non-sports fans can understand, but it happens. In general, I would disappear into seclusion and it is nearly impossible to get me back into a good mood. On Friday, however, I was committed to willing myself back into a good mood so I would be able to make it to a show on Friday. This was the data used into swinging me back into a good mood:

Fact: many great musical acts were in town,
Fact: it was the beginning of a long weekend,
Fact: the impending shit-show, Fleet Week, was on the horizon,
Fact: F-14s were delivering good vibes
Fact: the weather was pleasant
Fact: I had tickets to go see Datarock at the Rickshaw Stop

Conclusion: Snap out of it. It's just a game.

Datarock is a Norwegian band who describes their sound of a mixture as musical styles that they like. Simple enough. Their Wikipedia entry classifies them as Dance-punk, Electro Rock, and Post-punk revival. Clearly this is an odd combination, but it is true. It is nearly impossible to bundle their sound into one contrived definition. So, let's analyze what we know about Datarock and see if they are worthy of the name.

DATA //
da·tum [dey-tuhm, dat-uhm, dah-tuhm] noun, (singular)
da·ta [dey-tuh, dat-uh, dah-tuh] (plural)
1. a single piece of information, as a fact, statistic, or code; an item of data.

ROCK //
rock [rok]
1. to move or sway to and fro or from side to side.
2. to be moved or swayed powerfully with excitement, emotion, etc.
3. to dance to or play rock music.
4. (of popular music) to have the driving beat characteristic of rock.
5. to shake or disturb violently

They opened their set with 'New Song' and rocked it hard, loud and fast. After that, they proceeded to touch a variety of musical genres. It was like going to a concert festival where one band played every stage. And they delivered an impressive performance.

Fact: I moved and swayed to and fro or from side to side.
Fact: I was moved powerfully with excitement, emotion, etc.
Fact: I danced to rock music.
Fact: The music being played had the driving beat characteristic of rock.
Fact: It shook and disturbed me violently (when I tripped up the stairs.) Yes. up. shut up. It was a long day.

Conclusion: Datarock maintains a musical backbone as they explore the limits of their versatility and creative innovation while melding a variety of genres into an extraordinarily unique collection of songs that truly rock.

Treasure Island Music Festival

I'm wayyy too lazy to put up a detailed report of this show.. but, the beauty of the blogging allows me to introduce you to a very a thorough recap of the Treasure Island Music Festival.

60 days of Rock Awesomeness

Sept 18th through November 17th is going to keep us all busy. If you can believe it, the list I'm about to organize doesn't even cover everything. But this should keep you busy. 54 shows in 60 days. I dare you.

9/18 - The Sounds
9/18 - Peter Bjorn and John
9/20 - Air
9/20 - Sean Hayes
9/21 - The Dilettantes...watch video
9/23 - Morrissey
9/24 - Maps
9/25 - !!! (chk chk chk)
9/26 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
9/27 - Midlake
9/28 - Klaxons
9/29 - Ladytron
10/2 - Jolie Holland
10/5 - Datarock
10/5 - The Aliens
10/5 - Honeycut
10/8 - Beirut
10/9 - Shout Out Louds
10/10 - Aesop Rock + Black Moth Super Rainbow
10/11 - Bat For Lashes
10/12 - Fujiya & Miyagi
10/12 - Rogue Wave
10/13 - Film School
10/15 - The Black Lips
10/16 - Electric Six
10/17 - The Velvet Teen
10/19 - The Go! Team
10/19 - Silversun Pickups
10/20 - Big Star
10/23 - The Pogues
10/24 - Blonde Redhead
10/25 - Man Man
10/25 - Tokyo Police Club
10/26 - Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
10/27 - Bridge School Benefit
10/28 - Scissors for Lefty + Kid Beyond
10/29 - The Pipettes
10/29 - Broken Social Scene
10/30 - Hot Hot Heat
10/31 - 1990s
11/1 - Architecture in Helsinki
11/2 - Ghostface Killah
11/3 - Do Make Say Think + Apostle of Hustle
11/4 - Tiger Army
11/4 - Tinariwen
11/5 - The Long Blondes
11/6 - Art Brut + The Hold Steady
11/7 - M.I.A.
11/9 - Feist
11/12 - Portugal. The Man
11/13 - Of Montreal
11/14 - Stars
11/15 - Parallel 23
11/17 - Cold War Kids

Boldface indicates my top recommendations. Use the links on the radar to the right to navigate to tickets or more information.







San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

The Sounds @ The Fillmore

The Sounds have been touring for 3 years straight. They just flew across the country to play two shows en route to Australia where they will continue to tour. If there was a way to harness the energy they create from the body heat of their fans, the world's energy problems would no longer be an issue. Yes. The show was amazing, once again.

Tim was there... life was good. I got to see an old friend, Liam Mayclem of Eye on the Bay fame. Ironically, the first opener was called Liam and Me (Philadelphia), and they rocked a near sold-out crowd despite the fact that they weren't announced on the bill... After that, we got a great show from Under The Influence of Giants and then of course... the sweat generators, The Sounds who made us all shake our asses. I slowly wedged myself near the front of the crowd with hopes of trying to capture a camera-phone shot of lead singer Maja Ivarsson, whose hot, sweaty body I was holding up during a brief crowd-surfing moment. Unfortunately, no posters were handed out. Doesn't matter. If you were there, you won't need any poster to remember the awesome time that was had by all.

San Francisco Live Music
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Concerts For Everyone

If you are even remotely into seeing live music, there's a concert for you on October 5th. In fact, five bands spanning three decades will be playing at 5 different venues, and I probably wouldn't judge you if you went to see any one of them. Maybe.

Early 80's enthusiasts can go see the original members of the Go-Go's at the Independent. If you prefer hearing something from the late 80's and early 90's, well, you can go see the Black Crowes at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. How about the original members of The Beta Band who formed in the late 90's? Their new project is called The Aliens, and you can see them at Slim's. Still not your fancy? Well, possibly The Shins who rose to fame in the early 2000's might tickle your pickle. As for the me, I'm going to the Rickshaw Stop to see a band called Datarock whose freshman release was just two years ago. Here's a video of one of their songs, Computer Camp Love.


---------
UPDATED 9/22 - HONEYCUT is also playing on 10/5. They will be performing at Bottom of the Hill. Might have to double up Honeycut and Datarock...

San Francisco Live Music
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Just Announced: Broken Social Scene Plays Kevin Drew's 'Spirit If' LIVE at the Fillmore

That headline just rolls right off the tongue, eh? Yeah, so, the way I understand it is that members of Broken Social Scene are doing solo projects but the band members of Broken Social Scene and other Arts&Crafts label artists will be touring to perform the songs of the solo artists.... uh... whatever. Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew's 'Spirit If' is playing at Fillmore on Monday, October 29. Love em to death, but I'll be at the Pipettes show.

San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Just Announced: The Pipettes @ Bimbo's 365

San Francisco was introduced to the Pipettes earlier this year when Aaron Axelson of Live105 fame brought them to play Popscene @ the Rickshaw Stop. While I didn't see them perform their full set that evening, I did get a chance to hear them live earlier in the day at Amoeba. Axelson described the Pipettes as "Le Tigre meets the Shangri-Las". Their sound is refreshing, familiar, and inspires pure joy. When I left Amoeba that evening, I noticed that every face in the room had a glowing smile from ear to ear. The music is not complicated, but it does what it sets out to do: Entertain. Check out the video from Popscene and the embedded video below.

The Pipettes will be performing at Bimbo's on Monday October 29th. Tickets are $15 in advance / $17 at the door. Doors at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m. This an 18+ show.



San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Just Announced: Blonde Redhead @ Warfield

When I saw Blonde Redhead perform in April, the chills I felt from the angelic vocals and haunting rhythms remained with me through May. Blonde Redhead returns to San Francisco in October, this time playing the Warfield. They played three shows over two nights during their stay in SF last April. First, they played to over 1000 people @ Amoeba, and then proceeded to play to two sold out nights at Bimbo's.

My point is that I wouldn't procrastinate on buying your tickets.
Blonde Redhead will perform Wednesday, October 24, 2007 @ The Warfield
Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 8:00 pm

Blonde Redhead Tickets go on sale Sunday 9/9 at 10am.

San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Two Seconds @ Bottom of the Hill

Teenage phenoms, Two Seconds, hit the stage again Friday night at the Bottom of the Hill. If you are unfamiliar with their sound, imagine if the White Stripes and Sleater-Kinney made babies... they would be named Two Seconds. The duo consists of Sierra Frost on vocals and guitar and Lily Faden on drums and vocals. Frost brings a tremendous song-writing ability and an extraordinary voice. Faden's performance on drums is unmatched by any local act I've seen. She brings a true rock and roll flair to the drums with flailing hair, arms, and bare feet. Trying to qualify their talents by categorizing them with other teen acts would be an exercise in futility as this duo can rock harder than most bands, on any level.

To date they've release two albums and recently cut a new single which can be heard on their myspace page. One listen to their sound, and I guarantee that you'll want to see these two prodigies perform.

Both the girls have been performing with Elephone, led by Ryan Lambert. Additionally, Lambert and Frost have started yet another project called Kill Moi. However, as the kids approach the end of their High School days, the future of Two Seconds remains uncertain. So get to this show tomorrow night, as the magic that they make together might soon take a back seat to responsibility, education and other ambitions.


San Francisco Live Music
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Pickle!

It's hard to determine what the 'best' shows I've been to in the last two years. But if I had to give a quick list, here's what I would say:

Blonde Redhead @ Bimbo's
Ratatat @ Bimbo's
Gogol Bordello @ Fillmore
Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Fillmore
The Sounds @ Fillmore
Arcade Fire @ Warfield
Go! Team @ Great American Music Hall
Silversun Pickups @ Rickshaw Stop

Clearly, I would see any of these bands upon their return to San Francisco. So now I'm in a pickle since the Go! Team and Silversun Pickups are playing on the same evening at two different venues on October 19. I already have tickets to the Go! Team, so it really comes down to whether or not I can double up the shows on a friday night, or sacrifice SSPU for the Go! Team. What would you do?

San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Silversun Pickups Announce Fillmore Show

Silversun Pickups will return to San Francisco on 10/19/2007 to headline the Fillmore. Special guests include Midnight Movies + The Happy Hollows.

Live 105 pre-sale info, for more info go to www.live105.com:
Start: Thu, 09/06/07 10:00AM PDT
End: Fri, 09/07/07 5:00PM PDT

Public on sale info: Sun, 09/09/07 10:00AM PDT

Tickets available on Ticketmaster.com

San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Gogol Bordello: The Fillmore Illuminated

It was a day filled with bizarre events: dogs barking at their owners, cats being friendly, Apple offering to replace my cracked iPhone for free, ex-employees offering me drinks, old friends calling without reason, the Yankees winning their second consecutive game against the Red Sox*, 77 degrees, 50% humidity. Clearly, the day claimed its stake among the extraordinary events to come. As I queued up for my will-call tickets at the Fillmore, the usual hipster/rocker/punk/preppy crowd was diluted by an even more diverse crowd from a variety of origins and ranging in a variety of ages. Being of Eastern European origins, I could relate to the loyalty associated with seeing a band with members from my native land, but I simply could not understand why there was a 75 year old lady waiting in line in front of me. If she was a family member, she'd not be waiting in line. So... was she going to rock out to the gypsy punk sounds of Gogol Bordello? If so, more power to her. Seriously, she would have needed more power. I lost track of her as I entered the Fillmore and I figured she must have gone straight through the crowd and joined the mayhem in the pit. Perhaps she was going to crowd surf. I don't know. What I do know is that people were selling tickets at over 4x face value outside to fans waiting to get a taste while Grandma Gogol is crowd-surfing and kneeing 25 year olds in the head.

Once inside, my usual joy of entering the Fillmore was deflated because Tim was not there to greet me with the usual, 'Good Evening, and Welcome to the Fillmore'. Instead, Keith, the sub, gave me a surly retort when I joked with him regarding Tim's absence, 'Tim learned everything from me', he said. Classy. Surely, Tim has much more to learn from Keith.

When I posted the show announcement on Tenacious Hand Stamp, I believe I mentioned something about bringing a change of clothes. I didn't necessarily take action to that effect, but I made sure to wear my lightest 'wicking' dri-weave T-shirt. And then I put on a jacket. Duh. Didn't matter. Jacket was off and by 3 measures into the first song I was sweating like a whore in church. You didn't even have to know the songs to get going. Some people in my group were fairly unaware of Gogol Bordello's music; others were completely unaware. That didn't stop anyone from jumping up and down, pumping their fists and dancing like nobody was watching.

Gogol Bordello brought a fresh element of excitement, rigor and sheer musical passion to everyone at the Fillmore. At one point during their set I couldn't even hear the frontman, Eugene Hutz, because the sing-along crowd was drowning him out. It didn't matter where you were in the audience, because it felt like at any given moment, he was going to leap into the crowd just to be a part of it. Gogol Bordello made us feel like they were at The Fillmore for us; not the other way around.

Half hour into the set, I'm soaked in sweat. Many people were. After all, there were a lot of Eastern Europeans there. I had to go outside to cool off. The San Francisco night came with a cool breeze (a relief from the oppressive high 70's we experience earlier in the day). My body temperature clashing with the cool night air generated a cloud that rose from my head which I tried to disguise by smoking a cigarette. The people outside were still dancing to the tunes that could be heard from the open door of the back stage entrance. I didn't want to miss anything, so I went back inside, bought a T-shirt, changed and returned to the main room. They finish their set, play their encore, lights go up, and people stayed and danced.

As I'm leaving, I ask for a poster; All out. I mean, really? Probably one of the top 5 most memorable shows I will ever see, and I don't have the poster because I stayed through the end? Damn. I walk to the corner where a young man is holding onto two posters. I ask to buy one and offer him $10. He clearly sees my yearning for the poster and my disdain for those who took more than 1 poster at the expense of the others still inside. He graciously denies my $10 and offers me the poster in return for an adult beverage if our paths should ever cross. Thank you, gentle friend with two posters. You are a good man and made my beautiful evening spectacular.

Gogol Bordello, San Francisco Live Music, SFlivemusic,

*It's not quite bizarre that the Yankees beat the Red Sox two games in a row... especially in September. I just had to mention it for the record.

Stevie Wonder Setlist - Sleep Train Pavilion -8/26/07

Thanks to Tom Anderson for this setlist:

Love's In Need of Love Today,
Too High,
Visions,
Livin' for the City,
Master Blaster (Jammin'),
(I Heard it Through the Grapevine>Billie Jean)*,
Higher Ground,
Golden Lady>
Ribbon in the Sky,
Can't Imagine Love Without You,
You and I,
Overjoyed,
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing,
Signed, Sealed, Delivered,
(Signed, Sealed, Delivered)**,
Most Beautiful Girl in the World,
Boogie On Reggae Woman,
My Cherie Amour,
All I Do (Is Think About You),
Sir Duke,
I Wish,
Isn't She Lovely,
You Are the Sunshine of My Life,
Superstition >
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker),
Do I Do>
Band Intros>
Stevie on Drums Solo,
Part-Time Lover>
I Just Called to Say I Love You,
So What The Fuss?,
Another Star

*Stevie on Clavinet w/ Voice Effects
**Performed as a Country Song

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San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Just Announced: The Hold Steady + Art Brut

The NME Rock n Roll Riot Tour announced dates for the Hold Steady Tour. Art Brut will open. I know there are a lot of Hold Steady fans out there. But even if you are not, Art Brut should not be missed. The performance will take place on 11/6 at the Warfield. Pre-sale ticket information using this link. Use the password to purchase up to 4 tickets during the presale.


San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Welcome to the Fillmore

His name is Tim.

Nerd Core 101

I attended Cafe Du Nord for the MC Lars show and I got the opportunity to chat with Daddy and Mommy of MC Lars. Adorable. Don't worry about your street cred, Lars. Your mom's the bombs. I discovered that MC Lars has degrees from Stanford and Oxford. Who knew? Apparently everyone but me. I mean, the damn album is called the Graduate. One of the songs featured on this album is called Rapgirl, an homage to one of the 3 openers, K.Flay, who also hails from the hallowed halls of Stanford. So.. in the spirit of smarty-pants-kick-ass-musicians, go to the myspace pages of the respective artists, download their albums, listen to the songs and write me a review using these words.

gadabout \GAD-uh-bout\, noun:
Someone who roams about in search of amusement or social activity.

inscrutable \in-SKROO-tuh-buhl\, adjective:
Difficult to fathom or understand; difficult to be explained or accounted for satisfactorily; obscure; incomprehensible;

indurate \IN-dur-it; -dyur-\, adjective:
Physically or morally hardened; unfeeling; stubborn.

venerate \VEN-uh-rayt\, transitive verb:
To treat someone or something with deep respect, reverence or deference; to revere.

jejune \juh-JOON\, adjective:
1. Lacking in nutritive value.
2. Displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity; childish.

penchant \PEN-chunt\, noun:
Inclination; decided taste; a strong liking.

perspicacity \pur-spuh-KAS-uh-tee\, noun:
Clearness of understanding or insight; penetration, discernment.

turpitude \TUR-puh-tood; -tyood\, noun:
1. Inherent baseness or vileness of principle, words, or actions; depravity.

garrulous \GAIR-uh-lus; GAIR-yuh-\, adjective:
1. Talking much, especially about commonplace or trivial things; talkative.

afflatus \uh-FLAY-tuhs\, noun:
A divine imparting of knowledge; inspiration.

kismet \KIZ-met; -mit\, noun:
Destiny; fate.

ameliorate \uh-MEEL-yuh-rayt\, transitive verb:
1. To make better; to improve.

platitude \PLAT-uh-tood; -tyood\, noun:
1. Staleness of ideas or language; triteness.
2. A thought or remark that is banal, trite, or stale.


San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Tinariwen Announced in SF Jazz Festival Schedule

The 25th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival recently announced its 2007 lineup which includes the very talented band from North Africa, Tinariwen. First discovered in 2001 during The Festival in the Desert, they have been championed by greats like Carlos Santana and introduced to mainstream culture. On their new Album, "Aman Iman", they sing of freedom in exile. Although you probably won't understand the lyrics sung in French and Tamashek, the way they fuse the classic musical style of the Sahara with modern day blues speaks a universal language.

Tinariwen plays the 25th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival on Sunday November 4, 2007 @ the Palace of Fine Arts.


San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Just Announced: The Sounds @ The Fillmore

When I saw the Sounds perform at the Fillmore last December, it was the last of show of their North American tour. While you could see they were very excited to return to Europe, they made sure to finish strong and gave San Francisco an amazing show. At one point, lead singer, Maja Ivarsson, sexed up her performance by bringing up a girl from the audience, grabbing her by the hair, licking her face and neck on the stage... and the rest is a blur. The set list consisted primarily of high energy dance-rock tunes and was nicely broken up by the solo piano version of "Night After Night" which I can still hear in my head to this day as clear as the day she haunted me with it.

Eagerly anticipating their return, I was quite disappointed when they posted their 2007 tour dates which did not include a single American city. That all changed yesterday. The Sounds will make a quick stop in California (on their way over to Australia) to play a show in LA on September 17th and a show in San Francisco at The Fillmore on September 18th. Tickets for The Fillmore show are $22.50 and go on sale Sunday 8/19 @ 10am through Live Nation.

Back to Home Page: One More Time, From the Top!


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Have You Been Killed?

Two of San Francisco's very talented emerging local artists, Ryan Lambert (Elephone) and Sierra Frost (Two Seconds, Elephone) have started a side project called Kill Moi. Check out their new myspace page.

While they haven't performed as Kill Moi yet in San Francisco, you can catch Elephone at the Indie Festival on August 25th along with Sugarcult, Scissors For Lefty, Audrye Sessions, Push To Talk, immigrant, minipop, Poor Bailey, Overview, Panda, Bel Air Academy, National Product, ESKIMO JOE, Cold Hot Crash, and The Frail. You can catch Two Seconds perform at Bottom of the Hill on September 7th.

Lovemakers + Hey Willpower = Ass-Shaking Match Made in Pop Heaven

I've waited a long time to see The Lovemakers and Hey Willpower share a stage. Both bands put on a steamy, sweaty and sexy show to close out the San Francisco International Festival of Short Films. It was curious to see such an entertaining lineup at a venue with theatre seating. Nothing drives me more crazy than seeing people sitting down when they should be shaking their asses. Hey Willpower had the challenge of performing to an audience who were seated for hours while watching the last session of short films. It wasn't hard for Will to spark that crowd.. but he did have to actually say, 'get up!' which made me feel sorry for those sitting. This is not the junior prom, people. Hey Willpower got the crowded revved up in no time, and got everyone amped for The Lovemakers. A job well done.

Now, I've heard of fans who fall in love with their favorite artists. You know.. the ones who are center stage in the front row and making goo-goo eyes at their favorite band-member. But what about when the artist on stage can make goo-goo eyes to the entire audience? Lovemakers co-lead, Lisa (vocals and bass) amazes me with her ability to eye-fuck an entire crowd with a single look. So Sexy... rrrrrawr. Unfortunately, Superfan #1 was standing front-row center, screaming like a Raiders Fan at a Rush concert and I couldn't get a better picture of the whole band in action. Lock it up, son. We all know you love them. We love them too.

Lovemakers + Hey Willpower @ Victoria Theatre

The San Francisco International Festival of Short Films (AKA SF Shorts) comes to a close tomorrow night, August 11. They will wrap things up at San Francisco's oldest operating theater, The Victoria Theatre, in the Mission district. Performing at the closing party will be The Lovemakers and Hey Willpower. To my knowledge these two local bands have never before shared a stage in San Francisco. I can't tell you how happy to be able to score tickets (still available via Ticketweb.com)

Tomorrow night will be an ass-shaking extravaganza. Please come prepared to learn some new dance moves like the one shown above (right) called the bow and arrow. Attendees to the 21+ event will receive 2 complimentary beers. Tickets are $15. Doors @ 8:30.

San Francisco Live Music
SFlivemusic

Pelle Carlberg - In a Nutshell

After reading a post from the waywardpanties about the review of the most recent Pelle Carlberg album, 'In a Nutshell', I had to find some tracks and listen to what the buzz was about. The album's sound is familiar if you are a fan of Belle and Sebastian or The Smiths. At first it comes off simple and catchy. However, listen closer and the lyrics will make you do a double-take. The sardonic, smart and cynical lyrics could have easily been written for the Flight of the Conchords, however, the straight face and the facade of keeping with the ordinary makes the poetry much more impactful. Here are some examples of lyrics:

"I have a friend who's in this Mensa club, he has no trouble to admit.."
“I love the way talk, I love the way you stalk me with your mobile phone,”
"If I couldn't sing, I'd probably make decent money..."

Further, in "I Just Called to Say I Love You", Carlberg takes lyrics from a slew of different pop tunes, throws them into one giant pot of lyrical triteness, and the stew it yields is delicious.

"pelle carlberg" lyrics

Flight of The Conchords EP release (Aug 7 - Sub Pop)

New Zealand's 4th most popular band and inventors of rap, playing off their recent television success, Flight of The Conchords on HBO, will be releasing an EP on Sub Pop records tomorrow August 7. Tracks will include Business Time, If You're Into It, Not Crying, The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room (Live), Banter (Live), Robots (Live). Unfortunately, this EP will not feature the rhymes of the Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros. No word on whether this release will be supported with a tour.



"flight of the conchords"

Concert Calendar Plug-In for iTunes

It's difficult to keep track of all the great concerts happening in the city, especially if you like to see bands that don't generally get a ton of media attention. Many people often ask me about how I keep track as it can be alot of work if you are simply relying on the local papers and websites to break the news. So, today, I will share my secret with all 7 of my readers.

I've been using a plug-in for iTunes called iConcertCal and today they released version 2.0. You simply install the software, open iTunes, open your visualizer, and it then scans your library and matches up bands with a variety of jambase/pollstar-like websites to conveniently put your music into a neat little calendar. You can even highlight specific shows and sync with iCal. Further, it gives you the option of including bands NOT in your library.

In version 2.0, iConcertCal includes a CD release feature that marks your calendar for upcoming releases of bands in your library. It also adds a Friends feature which allows users to share their calendars with others.


It's FREE and available for Mac OS X and Windows.

Go-Go's or Golden Girls?

Hold the rotary dial phone for just a sec. The Go-Go's will be performing at the Independent on October 5, 2007. Admittedly, I want to see the old hags. But, seriously, once you've had a VH1 Behind-the-Music, or 'Where are they now' are you even allowed to cut a new album?

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. The Go-Go's produced about 35-40 original songs across 3 albums, then produced not one, but two Greatest hits albums.. And if you include the Go-Go's Behind the Music Collection, that would be THREE greatest hits albums, after producing THREE original LPs. Only to follow it with their newest album, "God Bless The Go-Go's" which was released in 2001. It's now 2007. The Go-Go's first got together in 1978, so they are writing an average of 1.72 songs per year. Is this performance the sign of a new tour? Perhaps a new album? Who can say such things, since their website is about as aged as their... well whatever, i guess just milk it for all it's worth... as long as you got the beat.