"hey willpower" feels like something new and exciting and postmodern without being smug or ironic. although it's different from Imperial Teen, it makes perfect sense to me to be making the music we're making because it comes from what i love about music. when we're performing live and people are doin' their dances and making noise, we know it's right. dance is becoming a big part of our live show. erin rush and justin kelly are on dance detail and we have a good time synching up. i'm good with the chin scratchers and musicologists and philosophers too, but sometimes you have to let the emotions take over. let's dance now and we can talk about it later if you want.

Albums 1982 Bohack, It Took Several Wives, Family Friend Records. 1984 The Way It Is soundtrack, Rojo Records. 1998 Buffalo 66 soundtrack, Will Records. 2001 Vincent Gallo, When, Warp Records. Singles 2001 "So Sad" EP, Warp Records. 2001 "Honey Bunny" 7", Warp Records. Compilations 2000 King Britt, ?? Records 1984 Film Noir - American Style, Ding Dong Records

"Boyskout, a blend of thumping rhythms, dungeony arrangements, seductive vocal callings, and full-throttle attitude belted out amidst layers of surprising melodies, BoySkout's songs range from tight dark pop ditties - rock n roll goes dancing - to synth-driven ballads and eerily compelling tales of self-expression."

No one has ever seen Oakland/San Francisco's Extra Action Marching Band actually march…at least not in a straight line and in the same direction. Instead, the fifteen-to-thirty-five inebriated troubadours ooze, shuffle, loiter, charge, and crawl around embracing their environment and quite frequently their audience. Defying categorization, this mutant lovechild of traditional peripatetic music and ecstatic turmoil consists of a hypnotic drum corps, a heady horn section, and a provocative, uplifting flag squadron that dazzles crowds with their dizzying dances. An Extra Action performance is a bacchanalian, infectiously celebratory, inappropriate, transcendent, freaky spectacle that amuses, arouses, and intoxicates the audience. The flag team alone can stop traffic and often does.

Artocker.com said of a recent Gris Gris live show: "...The set was an anvil of perfection, on which the band pounded out glowing hot weaponry that cut the audience down to pieces of raw awe."

The Lovemakers make electronic/rock dance music with a passionate, sexually charged fury. At times aggressive and mythical, other times painfully honest, their music is rich in melody and drama with an underlying commitment to pop hooks. The Lovemakers radiate pure love for what the do, not least of all in their mission to entertain, liberate and, yes, command audiences to once again dance to a rock band. Their live show was recently described by a (possibly intoxicated) audience member in their native Oakland, California as "a pink Ferrari driving through a mountain of coke." The unforgettable live performances are the product of a show intensely honed over the last four years. From unheated warehouses plagued by the police, to rock and dance clubs across the US and even Australia, they never give up until the party is drenched in sweat.

Beth Lisick has published poems, essays, a short fiction collection, and also wrote a weekly nightlife column for SF Gate for eight years. Her stage and screen collaborations with writer/performer Tara Jepsen have yielded some uncomfortable moments, the most recent being a short film called Diving for Pearls which continues to play the international film festival circuit. She also co-organizes the Porchlight Storytelling Series, a monthly show for amateur storytellers in San Francisco. Her most recent book, Everybody Into the Pool, was a New York Times extended list bestseller and made Entertainment Weekly's list of Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2005.

"Insane genius." (PitchforkMedia: New York City) -------------------- Cloud Cult's recent CD (June 2005) charted #3 on North America's college radio (most adds), just under Cold Play and White Stripes. The band charted Top 10 in over a hundred cities in the U.S.

"Uplifting spiritual folk music from the backwoods of San Francisco. . . misses the new weird Americana tag by being altogether too self-effacing to embrace the clamour for a beard; they miss the mainstream by being happy to meander in a generic ox-bow lake of missed opportunity. Turn the clock back a few years to those spare twisted open folk related records by Pinetop 7, Califone Sackville or Molasses (the latter two both related to the Constellation family of bands) and thats where youll find them. Recorded simply in a living room, with simple strummed chords on electric or acoustic guitar, bass, flashes of Wurlitzer and honest vocals and you have something that is enduring and enjoyable, not in thrall to fashion, not worried about pushing the envelope, happy to tell a story and to tell it well. . .without a doubt this is a record worth tracking down." -- David Cowling, Americana UK

Raving techno beat silliness still reigns supreme in the hearts of some, and thanks to Marijke Jorritsma and Gregory Zifcak it isn't hard to see why. With the help of some old synthesizers and other modified equipment, these two are breathing life back into the acid and ecstasy fuelled heart of dance music.

There is no precise genre for Meric Long's undeniably reflective and intense personal songs, but his are the songs that draw you in and insist that you listen. While the delivery and feel is tender the songs convey an underlying hint of frustration, anger and confusion which makes each song feel genuine and both from and to the heart. Meric's beautifully sorrowful vocals ride smoothly on intricate finger picking and his skill in song crafting makes 24 year old Meric Long a talent to keep both eyes open for.

Seeking the new while embracing the old. Members of Black Fiction, Citay, Six Eye Columbia and Tussle making homegrown S.F. krautrock, I guess.

Andre Karpov or sometimes Karpov comprised of 4-5 rotating members tackles gypsy folk rock with passion and verve. Based in the mission and built around the songs of Andre Karpov the band brings an organic and eastern European/ klezmer sounding approach to life's misery and joy.

Andy plays guitar and has bells and things as well. He writes songs about being a secret agent and dying in the snow. There's not much else to say.

"San Francisco based Astral have deep rooted influences in Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine, as proven by their full-length debut, Orchids. Dave Han (vocal/guitar) has a whispering approach that cuts to the heart while every other sense is swirling in an array of dreaminess. Turn Me Around is Astrals Only Shallow, a stereo assault of bleeding feedback and driving post-punk percussion courtesy of Shawn Poh. Other standout tracks include Blinder, the affecting Orchids, and Under Lock And Key, all showcasing a very 4AD bent to shoegaze. Astral could easily fit onto a Merge, Matador, or 4AD roster, because theyre the essence of dream rock, stuck in the late 80s and playing their reverbed hearts out. Orchids has a very classic tone to it while representing the face of what modern shoegaze has become. I like this little 3-piece, and hopefully I wont be the only one." - The Black and White Magazine

dark but optimistic. the sonic equivalent of a slow motion shot of landscape through a car window. Delicate keyboards, fuzzed out guitars and drowsy vocals create a floating space rock sound that stretches time, and dissipates it into tiny particles.....

We are from Los Angeles. Have played the Bay Area a few times. People describe us as "Progressive" or "Video Game Music", which is a bummer because I like Black Flag and the Rolling Stones.

Many music and art genre's live within the members of "barbarasteele"; Avant-garde music, soul music, art pop, rock, punk. But the "barbarasteele mantra is: "Create our own sound, a new sound, our own distinct brand of dance-romance music..." We manage to turn high art into a party. That's our goal. Our aesthetic leanings would be something akin to Prince, or a mesh between The Velvet Underground & Stax records.

Hip-core? Hard-hop? Postprimal noise-drop? These days it's not what's inside the genre but the noise of its name that rings a bell.-Ari Messer [San fransico guardian].

The Bodies of Water are a quartet from Los Angeles, CA. They are made up of two men (David & Kyle) and two women (Jessie & Meredith). They play loud, intricate songs and sing very emphatically, usually all at once. They draw from a number of disparate traditions, combining the metaphysical intensity of gospel, the primitive gusto of punk rock, the earnest idiosyncracy of american folk, the sonic inclusiveness of tropicalia, the planned jamming of prog, and the sincere melodrama of musical theatre.

Recorded in bedrooms and art galleries up and down California, The Hidden Staircase suggests an alternate history where West-Coast noise isolationists and shattered hippies found solace and inspiration in the Stones Throw bomb shelter; beats and patterns were tightly wound in the studio, and then sun-glazed and psychedelized on the deserted beaches of Big Sur. The Hidden Staircase’s amalgam of psych and hip-hop, urban and rural, hips and head belies a childlike disregard for parts that ‘belong’ together and a deep understanding that all music is rooted in the spark of experimentation and the thrill of the unknown. The record is that rare beast (like the Yeti) which grooves and sticks in the head in subtle and unexpected ways. Bookworm, like Kanye and My Bloody Valentine, understands that ‘pop’, 'hip-hop', and ‘experimental’ are not mutually exclusive, but vital forces pulling at each other: The Hidden Staircase

I am 1 man in a full body head to toe spandex unitard singing through a wireless headset mic with lots of effects pedals. I have 2 beautiful dancers that do entirely choreographed dance moves to my pre recorded damaged techno sprockets like soundtrack with touches of King Diamond. I also have a beautiful Norwegian woman who plays the flute on top of the pre recorded retarded techo. Oh yes ...of course I also have a Theremin player who also plays on top of the music along with a full time bubble blower. We are BORTS MINORTS and we will make your face hurt from smiling.

A slow burning, dark and melodic mayhem. From a twisted, run-down big-top to the sad whiskey smashed rooms of last chance losers. Boxcar Saints conjures together the roots of American music with South-of-the-border longings and desperate gypsy midnight howls. The San Francisco based Boxcar Saints was formed in 2001 by Dave Hudson (vocals, guitar), Jason Schwartz (bass), and Rich Douthit (drums). The band came to be from a collaboration on Hudson’s second release, “New Sickness� on Rhyolite Records. Boxcar Saints now includes guitarist Roger Riedlbauer (Transmission, Jolie Holland). Guest members have included Saxophonist Colin Stetson (Tom Waits, Transmission), violinist Margeaux Ostrovsky (Pickpocket Ensemble), and trumpeter Ara Anderson (Tom Waits, Boostamante, Iron And The Albatross). Boxcar Saints has been a fixture in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene since their inception. They have been featured on the cover of the SFWeekly, on the in-flight playlist of Lufthansa airlines, and have shared bills with a wealth of talented local and touring artists. “Last Things� was released on Grand Mal Records in 2004, a Boxcar Saints self-titled album is due for release in 2006, and they are currently at work on a third album.

Home-made synthesizers, singing with noise, telling stories, and a capella songs also.

zach brewer (ex-evening) moved into a cabin near Nevada City for seven months last year to make this record, HERE IS VISION. His friends brian gregory [ex 14 mission, solo eitzel], alex decarville [mountain goats, monolith], and kevin price [storytellers, steady-ups] make up this band which brings the record and oh-so-much-more to life.

exile-mountain-cabin-lonely-dark-forest-together-hands-clap-voices-rise--to meet the sky-vision-music

Donovan and Thin Lizzy in a warm embrace.

My music is piano-based songwriting and one of my all time heroes is Daniel Johnston. I have played since I was 6. I write fairytale kinds of songs that could almost be for kids but with a grown-up/ indie twist. I sing about true love. I come from Nevada City, and have played some shows in San Francisco, Portland, Olympia, Nevada City, Sacramento, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles...so I have a tiny bit of touring under my belt.

Cole Miller sings songs loudly with a guitar and a band, sometimes. He plays concerts and plays like-minded music with Thanksgiving and other associated bands.

three boys in oakland formed a connie francis tribute band. lain kay is connie. sean plays guitar. sam plays drums. we are called connie fucking francis.

ABOUT THE BAND: Sometimes compared to Faust, Magma, Gong, Can, Tangerine Dream, Goblin, Soft Machine and even some Grand Wazoo era-Frank Zappa - Crime in Choir is an instrumental progressive rock band from San Francisco, CA. The founding lineup in the fall of 2000 started with Kenny Hopper, an early member of At the Drive-In and Zach Hill of Hella. Current members include Kenny Hopper, Jesse Reiner, Jarrett Wrenn (also among the founders of At the Drive-In), Tim Soete (of the Fucking Champs), Matt Waters (of the Mass) and Seth Lorinczi (of the Quails and Circus Lupus). The band's 3rd release "Trumpery Metier" is due out this coming Fall on GSL records. Kenny Hopper: rhodes piano and bass Jesse Reiner: keyboards Jarrett Wrenn: guitar and bass Tim Soete: drums Matt Waters: horns DISCOGRAPHY: Crime in Choir — 2002, self-titled CD/LP (Omnibus) The Hoop — 2004 (Frenetic) 2005 (Moorworks, Japan) Trumpery Metier — Fall 2006 (GSL)

We stopped playing SUPER noisy got all positive, and listened to blatz red cross and the gories. We're ex-los rabbis, r.t.a., panty raid, adfjhdasflkjh. YES!

non-impartial cinematic electro-acoustic lullabys for the intimate listener. 13 autonymous releases since 1999. upcoming release "fragile" due out this spring. currently organizing [:] p l u g [:] DOS - the second annual sf-placard global headphone festival coming this summer.

Dreamboat, Where Are You? is a punk pop duo that combines short and sweet songs with choreographed vaudevillian tangents to make their own brand of “punky performance rock�. Co-captained by Carrie Baum (guitar; formerly of Kindness & Soul Divine) and Jessica Fudim (drums; winner of the 2006 Best of Fringe), Dreamboat , Where Are You? has been described as “The Buzzcocks meet The Muppets�, “Magnetic Fields with kicks and twirls�, “The Fall if they played at Les Folies Bergere� and “the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in years.� Jessica, aka Glock, wears fancy frocks and plays her drums standing up while Carrie, aka Shpiel, joins the dance antics adorned in a fine tuxedo and even finer guitar. With a penchant for monkeys, monsters and Yiddish innuendos, this dynamic duo that is sure to make your jaw drop. Ladies and Gentlemen hold on to your teeth…. .

admit it. In high school, you got weak in the knees over the breathlessly cute girl next door who listened to Modern English and adored the Beatles. on summer nights, you sat longingly beneath her bedroom window quietly listening to her rock the guitar and sing about boys-- wondering if one day that might be you. the following summer, another impossibly cute girl moves in across the street and she just happens to play the bass. you're a pimply dork with no game, so you spy on them drinking beer, laughing, ignoring the rest of the world, and quickly becoming best friends. five years later, you're done with college; you've moved to the big city. one night, you're about to leave the local shitty bar when you're suckerpunched by two achingly familiar voices above the din. they're onstage drinking beer, laughing, and ignoring the rest of the world as they gaze and smile at each other in between songs with vocal harmonies sweet enough to kill the Easter Bunny. suddenly your knees buckle all over again-- oh my god. its them... its fuckin' dreamdate. Dreamdate get right to their business of brightening our day with their short, snappy tunes. The overall sound of Dreamdate can readily be spoken of in the same breath as early '90s crushworthy indie pop a la Lois, cub and Tiger Trap. As the unaffected and uneffected electric guitars strum away happily and the drums keep things simple with an uncluttered beat, you might find yourself hummin' along with these gals' warm, smooth female vocals. Nice. Aquarius Records April 2007 Although their tunes are reminiscent of, say, the riot grrl and Seattle/Portland-based garage movements, they still could only exist in present times...Their songs are, for the most part, up-tempo odes to not-so-simple pleasures and guilt and sometimes feel emotionally ambivalent…This is truly the kind of music you'd want on a Walkman when traversing long distances in the suburbs. California Aggie August 2006 Dreamdate delivers a debut album that's dreamy and lo-fi, a little like The Raincoats go pop. And it's just a bit twee (in the best way). Within just 25 minutes they manage to capture the highs and lows of being young in some truly great pop songs. Audio Junkies April 2007. http://www.myspace.com/dreamdater

EL OLIO WOLOF is a five piece eclectic/ indie/ folk rock band. Nylon guitar, accordion, keyes, drums, bass, gong, vibes, organ, guy girl vocals. We love to play!, we always will!

Spooky 7 piece symphonette.

we kick ass..

dark melodic indie rock with a new wave sensability that makes you wanna drink, think and do the nasty (in that order) echo and the bunnymen, the arcade fire, love and rockets

Upcoming CD Release BIO: ellul's self titled debut is, unlike much contemporary vocal music, genuinely surprising. Recorded up and down the California coast in a vaulted hill top church, an industrial warehouse, a community center and a living room, the album was produced and engineered by Chris Schlarb (Liz Janes & Create (!), Castanets, I Heart Lung). Over the course of a year the group added contributions from Adam Garcia (Timonium, Imaad Wasif) on drums and Anthony Shadduck (Nels Cline, I Heart Lung) on acoutic and electric bass. Lyrically, the group examines the painful history of a transplanted Haitian son, confronting a nation for its second-degree murder of a people; lovers asking the questions of the age; a heart longing to be known. ellul asks for reasons--for calm and coups, love and hatred (self- and otherwise)--and brings the listener into each movement with honest, inventive music. Sometimes subtle, sometimes raw; their vocal harmonies are both unsettling and sweetly evocative. Dueling live/programmed drums, shimmering guitar distortions and looped electronics converge with choral harmonies and dark electronic textures. ellul have made a fiercely creative debut album, let's see who's listening.

The video I'm submitting is for the song "wild tiger's I have known," written for Cam Archer's film "Wild tiger's I have known." you can find the video on my myspace page as well as Cam Archer's site: http://www.camarcher.com/musicvideos.html Music description: Dark bluesy folk, some surf influence.

http://emptyrooms.us/press.html

Self-destructive free jazz/black metal assault featuring two multi-instrumentalists rotating through every permutation of their drum and sax duo. "like albert ayler and keith moon having a drunken tussle." - Cactus, KUSF. Recently Ettrick has upped the ante by filling a 3rd drum stool with a rotating percussionist/reedsman (including Moe Staiano and Weasel Walter).

San Francisco's Ettrick is a self-destructive free jazz/black metal assault featuring two multi-instrumentalists rotating through every permutation of their drum and sax duo. Jacob Felix Heule and Jay Korber explore the extreme sounds that can be wrenched from their instruments through brute force – screaming through saxophones, throwing drums and other such impolite extended techniques. The doubled instrumentation provides a situation to explore playing contrasting and complimentary styles on like instruments.

Weasel Walter (Flying Luttenbachers, XBXRX), Moe! Staiano (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Moe!kestra!) and others have joined Ettrick on stage for trios and quartets of drum/sax multi-instrumentalists.

“...a bludgeoning amalgam of black metal and skronk sure to summon the apocalypse... an excruciating free jazz that feels like being trapped in a metal shed during a thunderstorm.� -- San Francisco Bay Guardian

“a dizzying barrage... as if there were some sort of free jazz monkeys screaming and beating their chests wildly... pelting the listener with sonic stones and hurling great handfuls of free jazz dung! Intense and aggressive and furiously freaked out.� -- Aquarius Records

two drummers; john benson(a minor forest/hale zukas) mark small (hale zukas/burmese) and a ten year old quinn (johns daughter) who writes the songs and sings.

We are an indie-pop duo in the vein of Low or Mates of State. Our songs are crafted around boy/girl vocal harmony and programmed beats. We're nice people too. :)

the sound of tough love

Folkie-experimental duo with some classical thrown in, “a chlorophyll-enriched, cricket-happy daydream.� – Bay Guardian. “Little pop ditties that work surprisingly well… you may feel slightly detached from the world… catchy and enjoyable� – Indieville. Justine Herbert a.k.a. Fiji Mermaid’s songs have been aired on KUSF, KALX, WNYU, KCRW, Sidewok radio and other stations.

Finest Dearest is a band of young people that were born in the 80’s, raised by the 90’s, and have come together in the past year to bring the soundtrack of their youth and young adulthood full-circle. Surviving their junior high and high school years with the likes of grunge, early indie rock, punk, hardcore, and riot grrrl, these individuals have a common vision of bringing passion and honesty back to today’s music. A flurry of influences such as Pavement, Blonde Redhead, Sonic Youth and Cursive have planted the seeds for the fuzzed out, bittersweet, and highly melodic sound that Finest Dearest has worked hard to cultivate.

Dark, mysterious, elegant, and quirky are words associated with this San Francisco quintet. Since its inception in 2004, the band has been building reverb-drenched musical landscapes, characterized by layered guitars and restrained vocals that some have compared to the sound of the Velvet Underground with Nico. Inspired by the rich guitar work, creative sounds and poetic lyrics of bands such as The Smiths, Stereolab, and The Jesus & Mary Chain, the band recorded its first self-titled CD in the summer of 2004, and started performing at local venues, such as The Bottom of the Hill and The Red Devil Lounge. French Disco is currently working on a new EP with Dale Everingham (Mazzy Star) and Astor Knoop, to be released in April.

Guys in suits meet poprocks and vodka tonics = explosive. ~Indie/ pop band with a twist of old time rock and roll. Furniture on Fire consists of Nevada City musicians Jonah Wells, Art Echternacht and Nick Szwarc.

long running (10 or 11 years now) improvised rock/noise group of nerds based mostly in southern california and portland oregon. a band of real 'characters' including mike landucci who ran blackbean and placenta tape club and jake anderson of tapemountain. Also sundry shutins, swap meet addicts and college radio personalities. There have been 2 full lengths on Ecstatic Peace and the next one is forthcoming on Load Records. CD-R or cassette releases come out on the average of once a month and there have been a gazillion split releases with the likes of Yellow Swans, Friends Forever, Ashtray Navigations, Sissy Spacek, Minmae, Rose for Bohdan, Algebrassiere and more. people from this band are also in the Hospitals, Foot Village, Jackie O Motherfucker, Yuma Nora and Celesteville to name a few

"Garrett Pierce's debut attests to the old adage that less is more. Like A Moth becomes both haunting and heartbreaking when Pierce's minimalist arrangements give way to his stunningly poetic lyrics "For inside we're exploding/ my love is a weapon you're avoiding." With help from Jolie Holland, Matt Bauer, and Safa Shokrai, Moth is less a folk album and more a soundtrack to one of those philosophical late nights in a candlelit jazz club after two to five cocktails." -S.F. Guardian

http://myspace.com/garrettpiercemusic Garrett Pierce released his first full length album Like A Moth (Crossbill Records) in early 2006. His work has been regarded as literary and haunting with minimalist arrangements and a voice that soars through pages of lyrics. There is no doubt that the Lost Generation artists and writers have influenced his structure, a style of free-formed imagery that springs between the bleak and the optimistic. Musically, the songs often begin with the light strumming of an acoustic guitar, developing itself into a lush piece with the addition of electric guitars, strings, and horns. Born in Burbank, California, Garrett remembers the same playgrounds of malls and the desperate escapes from normality that Tim Burton recalls of his suburban upbringing. And though he grew up playing in rock groups he constantly wrote in a similar style to those found in his father’s records collection of sixties/seventies singer-songwriters. What holds his music apart from other acoustic-based musicians of this time is his blend of the darkness and the light. He's not interested in rehashing the psychedelic flower power that stems from his current San Francisco home. Pierce is more intrigued with the journey of the mythological story, the song that first entered the consciousness and has been past down from the early languages and met its peak in the Greek verses. Garrett was most certainly meant to be a writer of songs. His original instincts on the guitar were to create, and at thirteen his first guitar instantly gave him his first melodies. Now, over a decade later he has written music in the hills of Echo Park, the flatlands of Davis, the jungle-beaches of Puerto Rico, and has just returned from Italy and Greece where he's been working on material for his next record. Over the last year Garrett has embarked on three tours, played The Great American Music Hall, and collaborated with some of the Bay Areas most respected songwriters. Independent radio stations on the west coast (KEXP, KDVS, KUSF) and in Europe have kept his albums on heavy rotation. 'Like A Moth' was recorded in five separate locations from studios to hall closets in San Francisco and Davis, California. Matt Bauer, Jolie Holland, Safa Shokrai (The Drift), Jake Mann (Zim-Zims), Payam Bavafa (Sholi) all contributed their talents to the making of the album.

By igDana and Chris Estey "It's rare we see a band capable of mixing up chorus-pumping raw power, abstruse songwriting, sometimes showtune-dabbling melodies, and machismo-drenched garage rock intensity." - Three Imaginary Girls

Half-handed Cloud is an interesting phenomenon. John Ringhofer, the man behind the namesake, is as joyful and frugal as his music. An economical thinker, Ringhofer prefers the subway over a taxicab, is a recycler of plastic, a compulsive note-taker, and a habitual optimist. He doodles in the margins of National Geographic magazines, carries several different colored pens, and continues to use an antiquated CD walkman. When not on tour solo or as the trombonist for Sufjan Stevens’ Illinoisemakers, he works in Berkeley California as a custodian in a church. His music encapsulates his struggle to make sense of his life and his passions. In Half-handed Cloud this is expressed as an all-consuming search for God. Like Brother Danielson, Half-handed Cloud is able to ensconce complicated theological concepts into playground song without condescending to his subject or to his listener.

indie, folk rock, psychedelia yeah! We play full band (Acoustic, wurlie, 12-string electric, drums & bass)or semi-solo (acoustic + wurlie & moog). I would luv to do both for the festival!

Dark, angular, but danceable post-punk - think early Cure, Unwound, Blonde Redhead, etc. New album out on Sound Virus in early March.

tight, hook laden, double barbed melodies and a live show that will move you 'round and 'round.

HIJK (formerly Hijack The Disco): Genre: Indie Rock (Art Pop) Hometown: Oakland, California Those with a discerning ear and an eye for the unique have a lot to gain from the inventions of ‘art pop’ trio HIJK. After six years of collaboration, dedication, and perspiration, HIJK have proven themselves seasoned musicians with a host of non-traditional musical credentials. Their approach to songwriting maintains a self-reflective honesty that is both refreshing and engaging. They have a habit of turning conventional techniques upside down, and their ability to capture a glossy big-studio sound defies a mere 3-piece group. HIJK is known in their hometown of Oakland, CA and up and down the West Coast for “thriving on…the 3 D’s: discipline, diligence, and attention to detail.� (West Coast Performer) Mike Mahony and Dave Tsui met and formed the band - originally titled Hijack The Disco - on the east coast in 2000. Eager to reach a new audience, Mike and Dave decided to move the band to the Bay Area in the fall of 2002 but lost their drummer along the way. It wasn’t until Mike met Trevor Wencl at a Jucifer/Drunk Horse show that both their current line-up and distinctive new sound were born. Mike remembers that moment fondly: “I went to the show because I was following a girl I thought was cute. But she was meeting her boyfriend so I went outside to feel like an idiot by myself and BAM, Trevor and I met. I gave him an EP and he called Dave and I back…. about 3 months later�. And now, after 6 years as Hijack The Disco, the boys not only have a new record but a new name. Due to the growing popularity of Panic! At the Disco and confusion about the similarities between the two names, the time had come to begin the next chapter. After much discussion, HIJK (spelled out when spoken) seemed the obvious choice. Not only does it visually recall their past as “Hijack�, but it’s simple: the alphabet is a foundation for language, language is the foundation for lyrics, and everyone knows how to sing “aych-eye-jay-kay.� HIJK’s latest effort is The Pen and The Letter - a 16-month recording process backed by the goodwill of a small group of engineers and musicians that believed in them. The Pen and The Letter was engineered and produced by Enrique Gonzalez Müller (Les Claypool, Kronos Quartet, Tina Turner) - but don’t let that scare you. It was recorded and mixed for free at legendary The Plant Studios in Sausalito, CA. Mike spent 2 years working there, and was given 35 days of recording time in lieu of a paycheck for mopping floors, cleaning up dog vomit, and delivering sushi to the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Spearhead, and Third Eye Blind. In The Pen and The Letter, HIJK’s distinctive angular rhythms, double-barbed melodies, and dueling vocals are now accompanied by singing-saws, trumpets, scissors, violas, and a gin and tonic with ice. It’s a BIG record that captures the A to Z of HIJK’s live performance and highlights the unique interplay between Dave (vocals/guitar), Mike (vocals, bass, keys), and Trevor (drums/percussion). Although it has not yet been released, The Pen and The Letter is already garnering rave reviews from the people who’ve received advanced copies: “The Pen and The Letter is made up of dark, yet poppy indie rock. It’s melodic and catchy…full of sudden twists and turns that make the listening experience somewhat addictive.� - Nascent HIJK has recently shared the stage with such indie bands as: Cloud Cult, Cold War Kids, Heavenly States, Birdmonster, Hard-Fi, Diamond Nights, White Rose Movement, Scissors For Lefty, The Velvet Teen, Sabrosa Purr, Lemon Sun, Aveo, Kissing Tigers, Oneida, Cex, The Mendoza Line, and Rainer Maria amongst others. Sounds Like: Pinback, Bloc Party, Metric, Broken Social Scene, Minus The Bear, Modest Mouse, Buit To Spill, Husker Du

time travel. gypsy troubadors, sound shamen, shadow Majik, aural potion, Mozaic Muzik members from Evening and Aktion. recently toured with the Killers and Muse.

"Indian Jewelry plays the kind of music I want to hear in my head during sex, invoking visions of wild animals—a lunging cobra, a snarling mountain lion—and erupting volcanoes. Mortal coil be damned! It was a full-on spiritual ascension, a powwow hosted by the kind of people you don’t want to fuck with, the kind of people that make me think bands are cool again." Liz Armstrong, Chicago Reader

IRON & THE ALBATROSS is a small chamber music ensemble from San Francisco that plays original tunes composed by ARA ANDERSON. The band's music can best be described as junky circus music, and features tiny clocks, Scandinavian seascapes, Chinese Operas, 16th century sailing vessels set adrift, Blackbeard's drunken ramblings, Handle-bar mustached acrobats thrown and airborne, dark and creaky Old World melodies, and love poems discovered in dusty attics. Each piece presents a glimpse of an imaginary cinema scene, rustic theater characters, or vintage variety show acts, with influences from Tin Hat Trio, Tom Waits, Danny Elfman (composer for A Nightmare Before Christmas), and Yann Tiersen (Amelie composer).

From Last.Fm: "Post-modern free-jazz experimental weirdness from the outermost depths of the cosmos. One release under their collective belt (a 24 minute EP of cathartic noise and dissonant heaviness in a very chaotic punk-ish atmosphere), and (if their recent live performances are any indication)a sure-to-be epic and mindbending LP in the works. Spaced-out melancholia and intense grandiosity combine with Beatlesque melody in a progressive vein to create one of the only 'original' sounds anywhere right now."

When Joe Rut is not singing about donut love, relatives in global-warming denial, the seduction of cats with cream cheese, and the existential crises of talking space monkeys, he dives deep into experimental territory, employing live-looping, amplified found objects, and homemade instruments. Joe's eclectic interests in music have found him performing at The Fillmore, UKs Glastonbury Music festival, the Y2K5 Live-Looping Festival in Santa Cruz, and the Sidestage at Shoreline and Sleep Train Amphitheatres. Joe is a founding member of Bay Area alt-country favorites Loretta Lynch, an alumnus of 86 (the band), and the Spikedrivers, and plays with experimental guitarist Henry Kaiser.

Noticeably influenced by Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, and John Prine, Joel Murach's songs display a reverence for the American folk and country songwriting tradition as they mix humor with heartache and ultimately push into a space that's distinctly Californian and modern. Live, Joel rocks and rolls with a changing lineup of musicians that typically includes Jason Kleinberg (Paddlefoot, 86) on fiddle, Joe Rut (Henry Kaiser, 86, Loretta Lynch) on guitar or bass, and Joel's brother Tom Murach (Tracorum) on drums.

Technical without being contrived, and lush without being wimps, this Seattle post-math trio takes undulating guitars and peppers them with beats of varying persuasions. Check out Joules's MySpace page for "Hole Ole," a flamenco send-up with hand claps that morphs into a crashing sonic expedition. With Crime in Choir, Modular Se, and Madelia. Tues/16, 8 p.m. Knockout, 3223 Mission, SF.

www.myspace.com/kavarzee

Kite Flying Society is a 5-piece indie-pop band from San Diego. We played the Make-Out Room in SF in 2006, and we'd love to come back up there for the festival!

..."Last of the Blacksmiths melt down and shape this precious history with a skill worthy of their name, fashioning songs that are sharp enough to cut to the bone but beautiful enough that listeners welcome the pain." - Keith Axline, SF Bay Guardian ..."The band's often-stark tunes are enlivened with artfully wandering-in-and-out-of-key vocals and creative instrumentation, but not the "Wow, we're playing a lampshade with a saw!" showoffy range of outfits like Olivia Tremor Control. Instead the unusual sounds peek through for one brilliant moment between guitars and drum: here a mandolin, there a flourish of '60s organ. It all makes for a style that's hard to pin down or describe, but dreamily sweet to hear.” - SF Weekly ..."They transcend time, in their understanding and translation of American blues, folk, rock, and old-timey melodies; tone, in a respect for open space within the music and focused playing of their instruments; harmony, in the way their voices blend together so effortlessly; and rhythm, by confidently relying on a synergy and feel that exists amongst them—they’re neither slow nor fast, just perfectly unrestrained." - RH, Thrasher Magazine

Listen to Ledbetter and you may well be led to believe that he's completly insane. . . and damn entertaining. He draws on his years musical theater and stage training to bring his songs to life. Often times evoking stream of conscientious free-style memoirs, spinning into wild fits of improvisations. His vocal styles travel through familiar styles and character. Though the aftertaste is a unique film left on the aural palate. During his live performances, Ledbetter backs himself with loops, creating imaginatively lush soundscapes. Ledbetter's will be joined by Ralph Carney on horns, Joe Lewis on upright bass & Ari Messer on Slide Guitar & Mandolin.

Ledbetter & his Best Bet perform Neutral Milk Hotel's cult classic album, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea."

Leyna Noel sings you songs by which to light your lantern--often solo--on the piano, guitar, or cello. She "sounds straight out of '92, a rough-edged-but-lovely singer-songwriter [whose] high,fraying voice [is] arresting" (Time Out New York).

tbd

Liam Carey plays an intimate and bone-stripping blues/americana style with influences that include blind willie johnson, alan lomax, and m ward. From the new york subway to local supper clubs, he's played all over the country opening for a number of well-known acts including two gallants, rogue wave, and the fruit bats.

dark americana/folk-rock

From the ashes of seminal San Franciso Mission band Fantasy, Little Fuzzy formed in Fall 2001 and has been playing and recording steadily since then, leading to the April 2004 release of it's self-titled debut. The band plays everything from shiny pop gems to rock anthems, but all slightly askew and faintly echoing everything from Prince to T-Rex, from The Beatles to MC5, from the Beach Boys to DEVO, from Beck to the Kinks, and has performed at the Make-Out Room, El Rio, The Hemlock tavern, The Bottom of the Hill, The Adobe Bookshop, The Hush-hush, Cafe Fais Do-Do in LA, and the Fillmore, where they opened for the Monkees...

folk pop that crashes and yelps out passionately and feels a little like Neutral Milk Hotel without ripping ’em off—or, really, jumping anybody’s game. Dannie’s vocals soar, crack, scream out, but always sound like she’s deeply feelin’ it, deeply into what’s she’s singing about and dead-on synched to the immediacy of her band’s hiccupy, junkyarded American avant-something. You can find them on myspace. Try “Japanese Candy� first, which has a kind of broken-down desperation that gives me chills.

Blissful doses of swirling guitars epitomize the psychedelic sound of LSD and the Search for God. With playfully flirtatious male and female vocals resting on a sonic bed of pop hooks and fuzzed-out drones, these spacerock shoegazers take you on a futuristic trip that's somewhere between waking and dreaming.

Madelia has been a local SF band since 2001. We have released three EPs and just got our first full length pressed and done (self-titled and available upon request). One part hardcore/post-rock-agressive rythms, one part ambient textures, one part dance bass, one part dark pop. We run an old fender rhodes through a bunch of distortion. Some Bands we have played with are: the Mall, Death of a Party, Boyskout, Astral, I am Spoonbender, Scarling, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Tartufi, the Walkmen, the Lovemakers, the Evening, Black Ice, Elephone, Von Iva, and many others.

Mandrake has a unique, melodic take on the indie/rock genre driven by double bass and classical guitar and with influences spanning classical music to prog-rock.

"One can be forgiven for thinking of a certain milk-eyed harpist upon first encountering Mariee Sioux, another singer-songwriter from Nevada City with a knack for expansive song structures and textured wordplay. That said, it only takes a few spins of the artist's debut six-song set, A Bundled Bundle of Bundles, to register its particularity. While Sioux doesn't sound like a trained musician-most of the songs are based on simple, circular chord patterns-she nonetheless has a subtly commanding craft: gentle guitar lines pull at complex cascades of words until the whole affair seems a swirl. The effect is hypnotically beautiful, the kind of music you want for a sunrise drive....Sioux's tree-stump folk made her a shoo-in as a Brightblack Morning Light tourmate, and one imagines others will take note if she keeps spinning musical weaves as ambitious as these." - Max Goldberg, San Francisco Bay Guardian

"Short jolts of super raucous and lo-lo-fi, truly garage-style pop. Primitive thumpin' drumbeats, trashy guitar chords, girl gang vocals and the howl of uncontrolled feedback." - Aquarius Recs.

"This much we know for sure. There's a guy who sings, and some other guy who plays guitar, and then another guy who plays drums. Rumor is the drummer guy appeared as a child on a clown-hosted kiddie show in the Motor city. The one that sings jumped out a window and sailed on a ship. To this day the guitar guy remains aloof. They sound nice. Music lovers seem to like them. They are unique. They make colors go." - Herbert Eagle, Munich Springs Bi-Weekly Intelligencer

Solo acoustic fingerstyle guitar. Sometimes a louder Frippish/Eddie Hazelish electric guitar set with Sam Flax Keener in support.

MERCH is a trio comprised of bandleader Joe Medina who plays guitar/banjo/keyboards while singing/screaming and just causing a general ruckus. Next up is Myra on electric cello whose background is based in classical, Irish, Celtic, and Yugoslavian folk music. Eric handles the drums with a raging punk fury. MERCH isn't crap.

Fronted by Julie Napolin of Citay, Meridians is musing, sedate rock that incorporates folk, 60s rock, and experimental influences. Composed of guitars, keys, drums, bass, and viola, the songs move from the deeply personal and bare to the anthematic and driving.

Hard on the heels of a critically-acclaimed orchestral chamber-folk record with his Rain of Frogs, Michael Zapruder is adding new layers to his charmingly removed artistic mud-hut. 2007 has already yielded a new solo record, recorded with Scott Solter at San Francisco's Tiny Telephone Studio. Entitled Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope, it explores the concepts of negative capability, freedom, and dub music, all in the context of Michael's idiosyncratic, auteurial songwriting. Michael's Fall 2006 stint as a rider on the soon-to-be-legendary Wave Books Poetry Bus has generated a dozen or two poetry vs. song collaborative pieces, some of which Michael will perform in New York in April at the Poetry Society of America's New American Poetry Festival. Michael is recording the pieces in his Oakland basement studio this Spring. Look for a series of 7" releases starting soon. And of course the Rain of Frogs continues to grow and evolve. The long friendship-chain of instrumentalists who live within the band's metaphorical walls are working on new music in rehearsals. The band will be starting their new record this summer, with an eye to an early 2008 release date. Michael Zapruder's first record was a quadruple record of songs written and recorded one per week for the year of 1999 (www.52songs.org). His debut solo record (This is a Beautiful Town) was recorded at Neil Young's house. About The Rain of Frogs' New Ways of Letting Go "... a masterful blend of piano balladry, multi-genre brilliance, baroque pop lilt, and broad range... it's probably not too much of an overstatement to hang the genius tag on multiinstrumentalist Michael Zapruder. --Amplifier Magazine "Collaborating with some 20 musicians, including Jonathan Siegel of Camper Van Beethoven and Nate Query of the Decemberists, Michael Zapruder makes beautiful folk-pop ballads resonant of the voice of Rufus Wainwright and wordplay of Andrew Bird" - Pitchfork

when we're in sf we usually bring 7 people or more to do shows - kind of an indie rock earth wind and fire thing without the spaceships, afros, tight trousers, and good vibes. we use strings and horns along with the usual indie rock suspects to make what you'd probably describe as pretty music with sad and nasty lyrics about death and disasters. we like indie bands like calexico and of montreal because they're musical without being geeks about it - we like low and cass mccombs and stephin merrit and people like that because they are awesome. something like that, anyway...

structured improvisations mixing drones, soundtrack weirdness, junkyard percussion, and quirky touches. Somewhat in the noise rhealm but more fun and dynamic than those harsh noise peeps.

Sonic explorers by nature and rooted in improvisation, these multi-instrumentalists take the torch from early pioneers such as SUN RA, THIS HEAT, CAN, and KING CRIMSON and run along side of more modern magicians such as NELS CINE, GASTR DEL SOL, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE and JACKIE-O-MOTHERFUCKER. Heavy use of pedals, loopers and analog syths create warm atmospheres of color. The results can become many things; beautiful sonic textures, prog-like riffs, epic crescendos, ambient raga drones, avant-jazz grooves, an endless array of organically created music, a beautiful balance of melody, tension and release. THIS IS MAGIC MUSIC, filled with a firey spontaneity that is unhearlded among today's modern musical ranks.

Moe! Staiano, formerly of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Vacuum Tree Head, does text/graphic scores for a massive collective ensemble for what he calls MOE!KESTRA!, which employs many musicians, well at least between 15-45 players (and sometimes more, sometimes less than those numbers), and play scores Moe! has written including a piece for destroying a piano (Piece No.1: Death of a Piano), sex toys (Piece No.2: Death by Dildo; which once got sponsored by Good Vibrations...seriously) among four other pieces that have been performed though 1997-2005 (seven pieces in all; about 40 performances & counting). Fellow employees has included ROVA's Bruce Ackley, George Cremaschi, Michael de la Cuesta, Cheryl Leonard, Matt Ingals, Fred Frith, William Winant, John Shiurba, Bill Horvitz, Tom Yoder, Aaron Bennett, Dan Plonsey, Garth Powell, Peter Valsamis, Kris Force (Amber Asylum), Jonas Muller, Adam Lane, Matthew Sperry, Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven), Tony Maimone (Pere Ubu, They Might Be Giants), Michael Evans (God Is My Co-Pilot), Sean Meehan, Shelley Burgon, Danny Tunick (Guv’ner), David First, all past and present members of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum among many other musicians. In 1999, he wrote & conducted a piece written for the Seattle ensemble, the Degenerate Art Ensemble, entitled "Piece No.6: And They Swore They All Slept Soundly", which was also performed by the Moe!kestra!. The debut disc of Moe!kestra! was released in June of 2003 of two conducted improvisations entitled "Two Forms of Multitudes: Conducted Improvisations". A new Moe!kestra! CD, "An Inescapable Siren Within Hearing Distance Therein and Other Whereabouts" wil be release by late April/early May. The said mentioned piece was written for guitars (played with all low E-strings played with a coiled implement), strings, percussion, u-bolts, wine glasses and sirens. He finished writing a new piece that was performed at the San Francisco International Arts Festival called Piece No.8 for strings, percussion and prepared guitar.

No Way Jose is a Southern California punk band that has been building a buzz in the LA music scene. NWJ mixes their Southern California punk, Tex-Mex, and Mexican-American influences to create their own sound they call "Spanglish Punk." They have been featured on radio stations such as: Indie 103.1FM, KJLA - LATV, Mania TV, El Calabozo Radio, KXLU 88.9 FM, KSCR Radio 1560AM, KMXN 94.3 FM, KULV 107.9, Titan Internet Radio, on print and website such as Skratch Magazine, Alborde, Absolutepunk.net & Drivenfaroff.com. Founding member Jose started No Way Jose, in December of 2001. NWJ has toured in the US, Mexico, UK, Wales and Scotland with no label support. In the summer of 2006, No Way Jose was selected to play the Hot Topic Kevin Says Stage at The Vans Warped Tour. The following year the band headed into the studio to record their much anticipated EP at Westbeach Recorders (Rancid, Offspring, Blink 182, Sublime, Pennywise, Bad Religion, Face to Face, NOFX, MXPX). NWJ released their EP on Pee Shy Records in the summer of 2007. Recently they made the top 12 on Rock Alternativo charts in the US alongside mainstream latin international acts such as: Panda, Alison, Café Tacuba, Molotov, Motel, Jumbo, and Manu Chao amongst others.

Unlike a lotta so-described "free-rock" bands, Oakland's Oaxacan takes a pulsing, clattering, chittering, hammering, groaning, barfing, tapping rainstorm of noise and organizes it into head-nodding, tribal-ish, hypnotic rhythm. While the drums free-jazz themselves into the cosmos, guitars rasp all dry like grasshopper wings, and vocals make whale songs and wolf cries, an invisible conductor snatches everything from space and structures it into dance music. Or more so, freak-the-fuck-out music. Or lie-on-the-club-floor-and-convulse-and-reenact-your-birth music. Even if you haven't heard of this band, don't let it stop you. Break free from the shackles of your comfort zone!" -Adam Gnade, Portland Mercury

We play psychadelic rock inspired by the likes of Stones/Cream/Kinks/JAMC/Low/Spiritualized, etc. We're from San Jose and have been playing since the end of Summer, 2005.

With a voice that brings together the intimacy of Songs:Ohia and the ethereal force of Sigur Ros or Jeff Buckley, Odessa Chen's music has been described as wintry, intelligent, haunting, and tender. Her debut album, One Room Palace, explores themes of love, longing, beauty and death with accomplished lyrics, a fingerpicking guitar style that is almost classical, and arrangements both sparse and complex. For live shows she is joined by Rich Douthit (of The Drift, Winfred E. Eye) on drums and Devin Hoff (of Nels Cline Singers and Good for Cows) on double bass. She has been interviewed on NPR, has an international audience, and is a guest vocalist on recordings by Charles Atlas and Thee More Shallows. She is currently at work on her second record, The Ballad of Paper Ships.

or, the whale is a 7 piece alt-country/rock band based in SF.

I play solo voice,violin & guitar. aquarius records: "Ora's voice possesses that haunting, soulful quality that seems like its source is coming from deep deep within or beyond. Like a mysterious transplant from decades past, it's as though she opens her mouth and a lilting voice from the '20s comes drifting out."

Needing to keep myself out of trouble, I periodically churn out a number for a musical that will never be finished. Musician friends of mine are nice enough help me record these things and have been working overtime to get me to actually play live again, mostly because none of them are in bands anymore either.

A new SF heavy folk duo (Kyle Ranson/ Kim Pierce) with haunting harmonies, one guitar, and unpredictable tambourine beets. Pale Hoarse has played at Adobe Books, Triple Base Gallery, El Rio, Mama Buzz Cafe, Atlas Cafe, Make-Out Room, and live for Neighborhood Public Radio. Pale Hoarse is currently being recorded by Jesse Parsons; hoping to put out their first album this year.

Veteran singer songwriter with a wildly varied resume that includes Penelope Houston, Royal Trux, Charlie Pickett and Dave Gleason's Wasted Days. Described recently by Kurt Wolff as "criminally overlooked."

Peloton is an indie pop/rock band based in San Francisco, California. Its members come from diverse backgrounds with distant roots in Japan, Dallas, and Detroit. Their unique blend of influences and origin is instantaneously evident in the music they create. Songwriting and singing duties are split between keyboardist Miyako Ueki and guitarist Brian Jackson. They began working on music together in the spring of 2003. After completing a home demo, they set out to form a proper band. Dustin Robinson, a childhood friend of Brian’s from Texas was recruited on drums. William Taylor was brought in on bass and Peloton was ready to take their first steps. The band spent the better part of 2005 writing, rehearsing, and recording their self-titled EP. The group’s debut release is bursting with well-written melodic songs ranging from lush space rock to traditional upbeat pop, to more plaintive, head-on-the-bar numbers. In October of 2005, Peloton played their first ever live show at the historic Fillmore West. Since then, the band has been playing shows in San Francisco as well as promoting their EP online, in record shops, and at their infectious live performances. On songs like Blue Field, the band creates visions of luscious Japanese hillsides as viewed from a bullet train. Their fuzz-washed, sun-scorched track “We Could Be” best sums up the bands intent in its opening line, “We could be melancholy or we could be the Right Stuff.” Peloton moves forward and the music world will want to follow close behind.

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Singer/songwriter Angelina Moysov while growing up in Russia was influenced by her mother who loved Russian Folk and Gypsy music, as well as her brothers collection of British and American music and the underground Russian punk and New Wave that helped Russian youth through hard times. Angelina came to America in 1993 and soon met guitarist Tom Ayres, who was immediately drawn to her strong melodies, lyrics and unusual songwriting style. Their first self produced LP, City of Love was nominated for the best debut album at the California Music Awards in 2002. The word of mouth buzz caused by their live shows earned them a 2001 SF Weekly Award for Best Pop Band, and led them to share bills with Cake, BRMC, Jonathan Richman, and many others. Persephones Bees have earned a reputation of not only being a strong live act, but one with a vast catalog of original songs due to Angelina Moysovs prolific songwriting. While winning over audiences with their live shows, they also caught the attention of producer Eric Valentine who had over 40 original songs to choose from in recording their latest album. Eric found the music so engaging that he ended up playing drums for the sessions. When asked what her influences are, rather than listing favorite records, Angelina replied Literature, films, smells, colors, interaction with people and my observations of the human condition.

Petracovich is one woman, Jessica Peters, playing songs on keyboards, synths, bells and woodblocks, singing ethereal but foot-tapping music. She mixes beats with dreamy melodies, expressing songs in a spectrum from trip hop to ragtime. The thread holding it together is a nest of intimate ambience. "Petracovich mastermind Jessica Peters produces a hypnotic dreamtime soundtrack…a surprisingly enduring album of muffled bedroom folktronica wrapped in the silken sheen of Peters' subdued songbird voice.� Pitchfork Media "Rarely do electronic and organic come together with such a comfortable, tactile sheen as on Blue Cotton Skin (Red Buttons), the gorgeous debut from San Rafael 's Petracovich.� San Francisco Bay Guardian

Here's a comment from a listener on Garageband: "Charming indie-rock pop song with a lovely lilting quality and a sound like a cross between Pavement and Elliott Smith... Generous spirited feel... Happy/sad and sunshine smiling thru the sadness... This has a really sweet natured vibe."

"Picastro does what Billy Corgan has futilely tried to master for more than a decade: make scary and realistic sorrow seem like pop". Comes with a Smile

"Whereas two-piece bands and girl bands are usually perceived as having some sort of schtick, the fact that Pillows is a female duo is completely irrelevant. These lovely ladies from Oakland play bare-bones melodies, and the vocals are simultaneously joyous and melancholy. Just when you get all cozied up in your own pillow start to drift into dream land, they kick up the tempo with post-punky, gritty, revved-up electric distortion, slipping in and out of genre counterparts with the greatest of ease." - Devan Cook, Willamette Week (Portland

ed by Joe January as the only constant member, the band features a changing cast of musicians. Their recent west coast tour featured Scott McPherson (Elliot Smith, Earlimart) and Shawn Neary (Tapes n' Tapes). Other notable musicians involved include Tim Luntzel (M. Ward, Gillian Welch) and Ryan Sawyer (Fiery Furnaces, Tall Firs). Bands they've played with include Figurines, Earlimart, Pere Ubu, Chad VanGaalen, Death From Above 1979, Chris Whitley, Mono, Jesse Sykes, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, and Lou Barlow.

2 piece from L.A. Guitar, Bass, Keys, Drums, and Samplers all going at the same time. We get a work out on stage... lots of running around to get to the next instrument in time (and on beat). Sounds like Eno, pavement, modest mouse.

Roman Ruins is Graham Hill's mound of sound, a place for the deconstruction of all things rhythmic and devotion to the re-discovery of weathered melodies. The music is a blend of simple pop/folk arrangements and rich sonic collage -- all delivered with Hill's warm vocal toppings. The first formal Roman Ruins release was a 7-inch single on 2/16/07 on Gold Robot Records. The vinyl-only issue has received warm critical reception, and a full-length is forthcoming later this year on Daly City Records. Before this, life was different. Raised in a commune in West Virginia, Hill drifted over and through the US, eventually finding himself on the generous side of a wishbone somewhere between Oakland and San Francisco. The seeds of Roman Ruins were sown in 2003 when he rented a four-track from the UC Berkeley Architecture library. Ever since, Hill has kept busy, playing shows with friends like Street to Nowhere and Mochipet, and considers working with such contemporary songbirds to be a significant influence.

Delivering smoky tarnished red velvet rock with just enough rawness to make you feel as used as you are loved. San Francisco’s Rykarda and Band are not unlike rock’s darker heroes Nick Cave, Nico and the Velvet Underground, or Johnny Cash. Faulkner-like lyrics paired with her thick, deep vocals and the haunting melodies of the instruments, gives her music a soul that is purely gothic Americana.

San Francisco based Rykarda Parasol (\reh-kaer-dah\) and her newly named band The Tower Ravens play "rock noir" that evokes moody atmospheres and gin-drenched romanticism. Aptly describing the sound as underhanded and white-collar criminal, the music draws comparisons to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Nico and the Velvet Underground, Black Heart Procession, and Johnny Cash. These cinematic songs tell stories of bad deeds and betrayed loves with stark simplicity.

Here's a review we were given by the infamous MOos Club in Bath, UK: Moles Club, Bath, UK (Live Review): This was a band with a big instrumental presence, the kind of textural sonics that Grandaddy does so well, or perhaps a bit like those long and winding intros that The Cure used to do at their peak. As the set progressed, a sort of hypnotic ambience took over, courtesy of the effective instrumentalism, and Jens vocals I would have been perfectly happy to listen to the Schande for the rest of the night.

in the vain of the Aislers Set, Mates of State...etc. We are a 6 piece band w/ drums, guitars, bass, cello, organ, vocals...etc.

Darkly harmonic, wistful folk-rock group with pop/psych sensibilities.

"Blonde Redhead met the Dirty Three, had a fight, then had a baby with King Crimson contributing ancillary sperm. The bundle of noise was named Sholi and was greeted with oohs and aahs from psych-heads, prog-maniacs, and cut-the-BS rock and rollers, all frozen in unison to take in the babe's darkly romantic and roomy wails. What meets your ear should be mathematically ethereal and strangely danceable – the group hides its pop-imp self under a trench coat festooned with knives and chain saws, like that of the woman in the Far Side who told her date she was going to slip into something more comfortable." -SF Bay Guardian

Someone said "Guided By Voices meets Pink Floyd"--we can live with that. There are both electric and acoustic incarnations of the band, with 3 to 10 members at any given time.

The International Citizen/Deathrock/Gold Wave

bioelectromagnetic stir-fry

“As Snowblink, songbird Daniela Gesundheit makes hushed and eerily gorgeous music with a rotating cast of musicians, backup singers, and assorted whisperers. Gesundheit's voice is exquisite — a warbly, smoky, and delicate thing, somewhere between Jolie Holland and Cat Power. Her alias means "a white sky glow reflected from snowy fields," which aptly captures her sound, which is as crisp as a clear morning after a blizzard. "Ruby" is a showstopper.� --- Flavorpill SF Snowblink is the songs of Daniela Gesundheit featuring a rotating roster of four or more boy back-up singers, trumpet, fiddle, and pedal steel. The boy back-up singers accompany Gesundheit’s delicate vocals and electric guitar with four-part harmony, whistling, percussive pom-poms, floor toms, bells, and party trumpets. While Snowblink is currently based in San Francisco, the project has members all across the US and Canada. The band members comprise a veritable "little black book," on call should a tour bring Gesundheit to their city. When in New York City, the men's back-up choir may include members of Brooklyn-based MGMT; when in Montreal, Gesundheit may be joined by a group of Quebecois chanson singers. Snowblink has released two records independently since 2004: Interim at Afton Villa and My Oh My Avalanche. The first track on My Oh My Avalanche, Ruby, was featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered in September of 2006. Gesundheit has toured extensively throughout the US and Canada in support of My Oh My Avalanche, playing a breadth of venues ranging from small house concerts and art galleries to opening for Patti Smith or playing her songs for Nick Zammuto of the Books’ wedding guests. She will return to the East Coast and Canada in the Spring to sing on a record with string arrangements by Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, and to complete another tour. Gesundheit’s training in South Indian Classical Vocals, Composition studies with Anthony Braxton and Alvin Lucier, experience with various performance art and dance troupes in Los Angeles, and being a published poet bring an undertone of complexity, both in composition and performance, to the deceptively simple form of quiet folk songs.

the HIGH CHIEFS of Cosmo-Sound, rewire the future -- poptones for interstellar embryos going barefoot in the head down a tangletrail of motorik blooze and starshine harmonies YES YES. If they made it we can break it, be a root under the pavement

Strength perfectly exemplifies the high-energy, urban, dance-rock sound that is dominating DJ playlists around the world. Their 2006 debut album, Going Strong, establishes them with an undeniably great dance record. With sensibilites for disco cuts and late 70's/ early 80's remixes, this Portland trio has thoughtfully packaged every track. Keyboardist, John Zeigler, and beat-maker/guitarist, Patrick Morris, create a backdrop for Bailey Winters' Jaggeresque vocals. Disco elements, such as oscillating basslines and keyboard swells, fuse with Gary Glitter cheers in "Let's Cruise (In A Non-Cruisin' Zone)." Strength has the ability to turn even the smallest space into a dance floor. Their swaggering, effervescent stage performances remind audiences why they seek live music in the first place.

Sugar and gold have played the last two years of mission creek, and look forward to another great year!!!

Funkadelic meets the Everly Brothers in a Sade kinda way.

a three piece that confidently self deprecates in a loud/soft manner a la black sabbath, come and neil young. 2006 release 'good luck investigationship' is in best of 2006 pazz & jop poll Village Voice.

Studio project longing to get out of the studio, using various electronic and acoustic means. No main-man, no singer, occasional spoken word, best with lights out.

Of debut CD "Jewelt Galaxies": "Glistening soundscapes well-suited to gazing at frosty mountain peaks such as those of their namesake. Quite Beautiful." - AQUARIUS RECORDS "The Alps manage to turn the aural aspects of space travel into something wholly organic. No easy task. It's like floating down a mountain stream and eventually hitting some serious rapids. One listen to this and you'll be ready to explode into tiny bits of cosmic dust. The Alps are a great new band. Highly Recommended." - FOXY DIGITALIS

We are an Austin, Texas quartet; We play electric guitars,make yip/jump/rock music, but are also well adjusted. Rock writers might reach for names like Pixies, David Bowie, Roxie Music, Van Halen, or Radiohead as shorthand for describing our sound. We are rock musicians.

We are a brother/sister electronica duo out of SF. Our music is laiden with classical and jazz influences (please see our bios on the website) asa well as hiphop rock and blues. We work with a rock rhythm section and program live and sing harmonies We do all original material.

Like experimental pop running mates Blonde Redhead, Deerhoof, and Xiu Xiu, The Dead Science infuse their songs with sometimes abrasive, sometimes unsettling doses of avant classical, free jazz, and other musical esoterica, while maintaining a heady pursuit of the perfect pop moment. Featuring Sam Mickens on guitar and vocals, Jherek Bischoff on upright bass, and Nick Tamburro on drums, The Dead Science present art songs of harrowing passion and palpable intimacy. Combining the hyper-active looseness of improvised music with the economical arrangements of classic pop, the group has achieved a new and strange model of the "power trio," which owes equal debts to Prince, Einsturzende Neubauten, and John Coltrane.

Formed in the summer of 2003, the Death of a Party began in the Oakland house party scene and quickly earned a loyal band of followers. With a dark, often dancey, post-punk sound and a manic live show, the Death of a Party has put their own stamp on the musical landscape. The band is fronted by Gareth Lloyd, whose commanding stage presense and propensity for diving into the audience highlights their live show. Adam Beck teases with sparse guitar lines, Alex Restrepo gets the audience moving with melodic bass grooves while Patrick Lynch wails away on the drums. The Death of a Party has played with the Lovemakers, Bloc Party, The Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower, Deerhoof, evening, Scarling, Von Iva, The Mall, Hey Willpower, Black Ice, Vanishing, the Phantom Limbs, and Get Hustle amongst others. A tour with Metric crossed the United States, while brief tours with Boyskout and The Holy Kiss have also stormed into Southern California.

5 piece band ala Flamin' Groovies, Nikki Sudden & the Jacobites with Velvets style pill Jangle.

Made up of Iranian, Russian and American players, this Bay Area indie rock collective's music is as complex and captivating as the geographical points that spawned it.-- SF Chronicle "The Ebb and Flow is a retro futuristic trio that glues together the geniuses of a Russian Jew, an Iranian native and a Midwestern girl. On this record they sound like a Siamese experiment that caught everyone in the lab off guard. Their aim consists in recycling good old synthesizers with upfront electronic twists and moves, delivering a sweet aroma that blinks an eye to the swell sound of the 80s while still harassing last week’s disco-goers--Lost At Sea

Band Bio: Simple carbon-based, lives in the Bay Area, writes songs bravely, plays them courageously in the styles of modern day. Includes R. Kheshti a key player, S. Cassetti a stick drummer and S. Tsitrin a string puller. Voice can be heard also. First U.S. tour following the release of "Time to Echolocate" on Three Ring Records and culminating at the CMJ Music Marathon in 2005. Another tour in 2006, another record finished, and the band finds itself experimenting more with the pop song form, frequently juxtaposing up to 5 styles and melody heads in one tune. Much more can be said at a later date, or telepathically.

somewhat frantic

The Great Auk (bandis musicas) A known living pair that nests year round in the Bay Area. Living on a sparse diet of guitar, violin, and vocal harmonies, GA musicas has a distinctive call, and regurgitates songs about skin, bone, eggs, paradox, love, dressing gowns, firewood, and canoes. The Great Auk = Carrie Bradley + Bernie Jungle Past Lives include: Ed's Redeeming Qualities, The Earl Rays, The Buckets, Warm Wires, 100 Watt Smile, The Lipsey Mountain Spring Band, Timid Fiddle and The Breeders.

The Hobbyists are a joint production of Antonette Goroch (Liesl's Wet Dress, Amazon Mollies, Smile God Loves You) and Greg Turner (Chantigs, Liesl's Wet Dress, Dying Echo). Relentless in their pursuit of the amateur amid a world of dreary professionalists, this East Bay twosome is pioneering a new cult of Hobbyism characterized by persistent irreverence, infectious duet harmonies, old & weathered acoustic guitars, rapid mood-cycling, autoharps, crafts-appreciation, harmonicas, cut'n'paste, banjos, pump organs, fine dining and high-speed trains.

the Ian Fays are an all-girl indie pop band from Arcata, CA. The group is fronted by twin sister singer-songwriters and has had an ever-changing backup band (featuring everything from xylophones, to casios, to kazoos.) The Fays recently returned from their 2nd European tour and relocated to the Bay Area.

If you want to call The Jonah Kit's hard-bitten acoustic music folk, you've got to qualify it - this is acidic Aggro-Folk that's just as at home in a raunchy barroom as it is in an intimate coffeehouse; this is folk music with blood in its veins. It's a sound that takes a refreshing spin on the singer-songwriter tradition, while drawing inspiration from the indignant, inflexibly at-odds-with-the-world misfits of decades past - Hank Williams, Fred Neil, Townes van Zandt, The Velvet Underground. A sound that churns folk, punk, country and rock with rich and honest lyrics into something new, impassioned and real.   From the unpredictable vocals and guitar of Jonah Daniel - soft-spoken one minute, explosive the next - to the dynamic grooves of upright bassist David Herman and drummer Taylor Still, this band set themselves apart with their attention to stylistic range, _expression, and boldness. Each song conjures its own scene, a combined evocation of character, location, atmosphere, and emotion - reminiscent of the dark, immersive grit of old Westerns or classic Film Noir. In fact, The Jonah Kit can catch audiences off-guard if they're expecting a milder brand of acoustic music. But, when an audience catches on to what this band is doing - when it sees that the trio is taking Folk to its outer limits - it responds with the kind of cheers and howls reserved for only the most original acts, for only the true genre-breakers.

The Junior Panthers are: Edwin, Alvin, Arlo, Charlie.
With influences such as the Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and the Rolling Stones, the Junior Panthers like to shake it up with their own style of raucous riffs, driving rhythms, and addictive melodies. The band has toured the US with Mark Gardener (of Ride), played festivals including CMJ and Noisepop and has shared the stage with The Soledad Brothers, Moving Units, Persephone’s Bees, The Pattern, Mates of State, Comet Gain, the Lovemakers, Go Go Go Airheart, Loquat, Oranger, the Love Scene, Creeper Lagoon, Imperial Teen, Whysall Lane, Gram Rabbit and BRMC.

RELEASES:
“Derelicts� (2006)
“The Junior Panthers� (2003)

PRESS (“Derelicts�, 2006):
“...Delicious indie pop nuggets...and infectious hooks galore.� -Aquarius Records

“This EP from the Junior Panthers has made perfect listening for the unseasonably warm, sunny weather we’ve had in the City for the past week, the kind of music that makes me want to drive down Highway 1 with the top down (if I had a top to put down), volume cranked to ten. The follow-up to [The Junior Panthers]’ 2003 self-titled debut album, Derelicts features five songs (and one untitled bonus track) that show the growth of the band through a solidified lineup and a greater depth to the music, while still bringing the jangly, shake-your-booty guitar pop that fans have come to rely on from this San Francisco four-piece. Clean production showcases the band’s breezy harmonies and tight rhythms as they channel Going Blank Again-era Ride, especially on ‘Paranormal,’ with singer Edwin Gomez doing a spot-on Mark Gardener. Other highlights include the ebullient power pop of the lead track, ‘Pills,’ and the Dandy Warhols guitar fuzz on ‘No Turning Back.’ Call it the feel-good record of the year; the Junior Panthers will help keep things warm and sunny long after the end of our Indian summer.�
– Jennifer Elks, Skinny Magazine

that's tricky.....

"The term 'indie' doesn’t do justice to The Love X Nowhere's lush blend of pretty and trippy. The [San Francisco] group laces together its shoe-gazer tendencies and obvious taste for Zeppelin-era prog-rock with oblique, psychedelic flourishes reminiscent of Blonde Redhead." -- Bill Picture, San Francisco Chronicle, October 2005 The Love X Nowhere (say it with us: "The Love TIMES Nowhere") makes San Francentric music that drops like sparks from the MUNI lines on a rainy night. Growing from the fertile soil of San Francisco’s historic music scene, TLXN pushes forward a new version of indie-psych and post-rock, abandoning the restraint usually associated with those genres. Cocteau-heavy guitars dripping with the sway of chorus and delay; analog synth as at home with The Cars as Meddle-era Pink Floyd; a rhythm section adept in the kind of thick, explosive grooves (and awe-inspiring dynamics) that would make Bonham and John Paul Jones proud, and a saucerful of psychedelia that'd make most jambands blush. At the same time, the back-to-birth dynamic of brothers Michael and Brett Chulada brings a layer of sensitivity and depth to which the kids aspire and their contemporaries relate. This musical bedding surrounds the harmony-and-melody-driven songs of writing team Brett Chulada and Gabriel Leis, two vocalist-guitarists whose teamwork and playful competition is already knocking out gem after gem of original songs. All of these factors collide to animate the anthemic dream called TLXN.

There’s something about The May Fire that grabs you by scruff of the neck. Perhaps it’s the cowbell chug or brilliantly fuzzy guitars that demand your attention. Or maybe you’re lured in by a voice that slithers like a lustier Patti Smith or Kim Deal. Whatever it is, it doesn’t take more than a few notes to realize you’re in the presence of a band that knows how to meld indie rock, simmering ache and indestructible pop chops into just the kind of ear candy we have all been secretly craving. San Francisco based garage rock band The May Fire founders El Pipe (pronounced "peepay") and Catty Tasso met in LA's alternative rock scene in 2004 and shortly after moved to San Francisco where they joined forces with Nachito on guitar and Rob Gwin on bass. Their sound, described by the San Francisco Chronicle as "brimming with charisma, punky attitude, and sirloin-thick hooks," carries happy echos of modern practitioners like Stereo Total, Jack White and Queens of the Stone Age and channels older voices like David Bowie, The Stooges and The Pixies. This can be seen on their raucous 2005 debut full length Right and Wrong which is immediate, sassy and full of twists and breathless adrenaline pumped gems. With origins from Chile (Cat), Colombia (El Pipe and Nachito) and Connecticut (Rob), The May Fire brings four different interpretations to edgy, pop laden rock. Currently The May Fire is working on finishing up the third EP which will complete the trilogy that includes the recently re-released Plastic Army and La Victoria EPs. Since the release of La Victoria, the band has been touring up and down the West Coast to steadily growing audiences and has gained national attention with a recent stint with Latin super group Zoe, an appearance and videos in rotation on the MTV3 show Indie 101 as well as the Spanish show Pepsi Promueve. Locally, The May Fire enjoyed achieving the status of Band of the Month in The Deli Magazine SF for the month of July. "A charismatic appeal and energy that is undisputable ... it's quite apparent that there's no end in sight for the young band" -- Zero Magazine "A fearless maturity and an unrelenting tone that achieves both an aggressive punch and an acutely sensitive touch" -- Performer Mag "Deja claro que lo suyo es la energi�a" -- Rolling Stone "Very immediate and raw; definitely got a fire under its ass" -- NASCENT