San Francisco Music Blog

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"Jonathan Lethem's last two novels -- 2003's Fortress of Solitude and 2007's You Don't Love Me Yet -- steered away from the sci-fi leanings of his early work. The talking kangaroos, post-apocalyptic telepaths, and alien hermaphrodites were replaced by flying children and mysteriously endowed songwriters. Okay, so pretty much everything the one-time local author concocts has some element of magic to it.

Lethem's latest opus, Chronic City, is no different, offering up chocolate-scented fog, an unseen tiger that destroys whole buildings, and ancient "chaldrons" that may or may not serve as portals to other planes of existence. Even though it's set entirely in Manhattan, the book sprawls like a bored teenager, spilling profundities and confusions like so many Cheetos. Lethem delights, as always, in language, coming up with goofy names, brilliant metaphors, and absurd cultural jokes.

Lethem has mentioned that Chronic City was influenced by Saul Bellow, Philip K. Dick, Charles Finney, and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, which is only one of many things that could use further explanation when he's interviewed by Paul Lancour tonight at as part of the City Arts & Lectures series at Herbst Theatre (8 p.m., $20)" -- Dan Strachota

Scott LaRockwell

The Shootist: Trevor Traynor

Just as classic rock shutterbugs from Jim Marshall to Jay Blakesberg have added visual impact to that genre's iconographic landscape, so too have hip-hop's photographic chroniclers, people such as Jamal Shabazz and Ernie Pannicioli. Add to that list Trevor Traynor, whose new gallery show of hip-hop photography, "I Shoot People," opens May 1st at D-Structure on Haight and Fillmore. In addition to Traynor's masterful portraits and t-shirts, the evening's soundtrack will be provided by Richie Cunning, Melina Jones, and DJ Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist. Admission is free. For more info or to RSVP (required) click here.

Rudy Rucker

Yes, He Is: RU Sirius

Eccentric oddball and author RU Sirius --best known as onetime Editor of cyberpunk bible Mondo 2000-- has just released a new book, "Everybody Must Get Stoned: Rock Stars on Drugs." Sirius calls the book, which details the drug-induced exploits of such noted artists as Keith Richards, Bob Marley, and Paul McCartney and includes a chapter on rap stars and steroids, "a funny, tragic, silly and occasionally lucid piece of excellent trash," while Booklist wrote, "Sirius manages to place James Brown and Charlie Daniels cheek-by-jowl in a list of rock stars against drugs--closer than they ever came corporeally or musically." Sounds like a must-read for your coffee table or bathroom. The book is available from Amazon.

Gay Rock Icon: Jon Ginoli

Ever wonder what it's like to be a gay rock star? Jon Ginoli lived that life, as the lead singer and guitarist for Pansy Division, SF's pioneering queer punx, who rose to infamy after opening for Green Day on the "Dookie" tour. Now Ginoli has written a book about his experiences--the groupies! The spandex! The matching drapes on the tour bus!--entitled "Deflowered: My Life in Pansy Division."

Ginoli has launched a 60-city book tour, which coincides with the release of PD's eighth album, That's So Gay, and will include live performances and screenings of a PD documentary. Ginoli appears tonight at Books, Inc, tomorrow at Artists' Television Access, Saturday at the Book Zoo in Oakland, and Sunday at Book Passage in Corte Madera.

Artist Derek Hess is best known for his striking, physical cover art for numerous punk and metal albums, but lately he's started infusing politics into his pictures. His new book, Please God Save Us, features lots of disturbing drawings, paintings, and collages that lambaste right-wing hypocrisy; in case you don't get the point from the artwork alone, writer/politician/"community organizer" Kent Smith adds essays that correspond with the art's themes of religion, war, environmental exploitation, and so on. Trust me, it's rad (i.e., "radical" in all meanings of the word). As if that weren't enough, Hess is also giving away copies of his limited edition Obama poster (as seen here) with every copy of Please God Save Us sold. That is, until the supply runs out. Visit Hess' website for info. — J. Graham

By Meredith Brody

I’ve bought many a book at the two shops operated by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, the teensy one by the entrance to the Main Library and the spacious one at Fort Mason. And I’ve gone to the huge, several-day sale held at Fort Mason, and walked out with more, much more, than I intended.

But, led by my Southern California pal Suzanne, my one-time editor at New Times Los Angeles, who now sells books on the internet and frequents book sales in and around LA, I had a much more intense though marvelous and almost spiritual experience at the most recent sale, which runs through Sunday.

Suzanne flew up to attend the Member’s Preview, which was on Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. I picked her up in SF around 11, and she insisted we drive by Fort Mason before lunch to check out the lay of the land. “In LA, people drop off boxes to mark their place in line the day of the sale,” she told me.

Never was I more sorry not to have my little digital camera in my pocket. Sure enough, there was a neat line of boxes, augmented by a few folding chairs, perhaps three dozen in all, making a crisp 90-degree turn down and out from the Festival Pavilion, without a human being in sight tending them, looking kind of like a toy railroad.

Geeks should be happy to know that Jonathan Lethem, author of the best-selling superhero novel Fortress of Solitude, has wrapped up a miniseries for Marvel Comics. Instead of injecting his take on major fixtures like Spidey or the X-Men, Lethem resurrects Omega the Unknown, an obscure 70s character that Lethem affectionately references in Solitude. Listen to Lethem discuss his jump to the comics medium at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco Sept. 23. Get your tickets here. --Oscar Pascual

Irvine Welsh has brought us tales of drug abuse and soccer hooligans from Scotland for years now, with releases like The Acid House, Glue, and Porno. And of course, you can't mention Welsh without bringing up Trainspotting. His latest work, Crime, features all that trademark ribaldry set on the streets of Miami, meaning considerably less soccer hooligans and lots more cocaine. You can catch Welsh read from the new novel at Edinburgh Castle Pub on Sept. 20. Peep Laughing Squid for all the info. --Oscar Pascual

You can stop calling Achewood a webcomic now. Creator Chris Onstad is set to release the latest collected edition on fanboy favorite Dark Horse, so plain old "comic" should do the trick. Have Onstad sign your copy when he makes an in-store appearance at Isotope Comics on Sept. 13. Or you could get him to sign your computer screen, but that's just ridiculous. --Oscar Pascual

Book Passage in Corte Madera is always a bustling center of author events. But the store has a doozy of a literary double-feature planned for Tuesday evening, with Tales of the City genius Armistead Maupin (discussing Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories) at 6 p.m. and Christopher Ciccone speaking on his book Life with My Sister Madonna at 7 p.m.

By the way, Ciccone is scheduled to speak with us on Tuesday afternoon. Cross your fingers and toes! —Tamara Palmer

Christian Lander was in the Bay Area last night promoting the book adaptation of his popular Web site, Stuff White People Like. Unless you work for Google, you would have missed him: Lander spoke at the Internet giant's HQ in Mountain View in a private event for the company's rich and spoiled employees.

Lander didn't get paid for his gig at Google, according to his publicist.

Interestingly, Lander is not scheduled to make public appearances in either city white people like: San Francisco or Portland. -- Will Harper

Someone once said that the best writers will totally sell their loved ones out. David Sedaris has done just that. His works abound with intricate detail of his life -- such as dealing with his homosexuality throughout an awkward childhood -- recounting hilarious and sometimes painful moments with his family, teachers, and friends. In support of his upcoming collection of essays, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Sedaris will share some personal anecdotes at the San Francisco Opera House on Oct. 27 as part of a national tour. Ticket info soon to come. --Oscar Pascual

"Live Fast, Write Often." Am I the only person who thinks that this line in a full-page ad in Tuesday's NY Times for the new book A Wolf at the Table is hilarious?

"The First Memoir In Five Years From Augusten Burroughs."

Hey, Augusten, stop slackin'!

(And this, also, struck us as amusing: "Available on CD and Digital Download from Macmillan Audio. Featuring Exclusive All New Original songs inspired by A WOLF AT THE TABLE from: Ingrid Michaelson, Tegan Quin from Tegan and Sara, Sea Wolf, and Patti Smith." We guess it's not enough to have a horrible, abusive, aloholic father. Now you have to have songs inspired by him.) --Meredith Brody

If you've got some free time around 7 p.m. tonight, Keith Gessen will be reading at Booksmith up on Haight Street. He got a glowing profile in the NY Times on Sunday, although the article dug into his controversial stand in the writing community -- he's taken on our local Bay Area icons Dave Eggers and McSweeney's, among other beloved writing stars. The n + 1 editor reads from his new book, All the Sad Young Literary Men. And look, even moms like him (scroll down for his name). -- Jennifer Maerz

(Photos by Jeff Enlow)
WonderCon has been a fantastic Xanadu of geekery thus far, with Saturday containing the majority of big money exclusives. Panel discussions from the X-Files creative team and Jon Favreau's upcoming Iron Man film were the sweetest payoffs, but there were lots more surprises lurking about. I wish I was a patron saint bringing you bootleg footage of all the juicy clips exclusive to WonderCon, but that wouldn't be right for the attendees that paid to get in. That, and the security was extra tight. However, here's a list of highlights and observations. -- Oscar Pascual

-- The panel for the upcoming X-Files sequel presented a teaser that was downright mysterious. But hey, that's why it's called a teaser. The new footage suggested nothing about the plot but featured Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly and...Xzibit? The cast wasn't concerned that the former Alkaholik turned Pimp My Ride host might tarnish the X-Files name. In fact, during the discussion Gillian Anderson revealed that they loved him.

Another major bombshell dropped when a fan posed the question of whether recurring characters such as the Cigarette Smoking Man or the murderous Alex Krycek would appear in the film. Apparently creator Chris Carter adopted a comic book cliche and hinted at the possibility.

"Nobody's ever really dead from The X-Files," said Carter.

(Click "More" for all notes of importance, or just downright awesomeness.)

Sometimes literature and music make a good combination. Reading about music is always fun and informative, but listening to music about literature? Whaaa? Folk singer Jim Post makes it possible this weekend with his performance of Mark Twain and the Laughing River at the Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Click "More" to learn about the whole shebang. -- ASD Staff Report

If you've read Transmetropolitan or The Boys, odds are you were thoroughly entertained as well as grossed out by some of the art. You can thank Darick Robertson for that personally next week when the Comic Outpost has him over as a guest. Get your issues signed or maybe even get a neat Spider Jerusalem sketch if you're lucky. -- ASD Staff Report

There's no historical monument that inspires a massive boner quite like the Mitchell Brothers' O'Farrell Theatre. Former dancer and Artie Mitchell's girlfriend, Simone Corday put together a memoir detailing all the lurid ribaldry-- 9 1/2 Years Behind the Green Door. You can get your very own copy this weekend at the bookparty:

Saturday, 1/19, 8 pm

SIMONE CORDAY BOOKPARTY: 9 1/2 Years Behind the Green Door -- A Mitchell Brothers memoir

The Center for Sex & Culture, 1519 Mission St

Simone Corday's just-released, compulsively readable memoir will be available -- and celebrated! -- at this fun book event. With refreshments, a reading, and a special Green Door experience.

Lake Superior State University's new, 2008 Banished Words List needs innumerable additions. In addition to some excerpts we present our own suggestions of overused words and cliches that need to die in 2008:

ORGANIC

BLACK FRIDAY

RANDOM

SWEET

AND OUR #1 BANISHED WORD: HIPSTER.
Stop it. Just, stop it. Wanton use of this epithet for urbane, white, early 20s consumers of music, movies, film, and fashion has reached a new high, often by people who qualify as a hipster. Let's put it this way, if you know hip lingo like "hipster", you are a hipster.

How did we get here? My theory is: A primordial river of hate flows through us all, but here at the zenith of political correctness, old-school hating of poor people, black people, and immigrants can be socially hazardous. The only group that's fair game for primordial labeling, generalizations and carte blanche derision are those outside the PC safe zone — namely young, white, middle class kids.

Ergo, the rise of "hipster" hating.

Stop it. Use a different word. They're more than just hipsters. They are:
emo kids, vegpunks, scooter dweebs, sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, and dickheads. The list of subgroup epithets go on and one.

Branch out from hipster, people. Besides, who would you rather be stuck on an island with: a hipster with a great record collection or a jock douchebag who likes date rape? I'd want the guy with the Lou Reed records and hash, thank you. More banished words after the jump. — David Downs

For those of you who missed Comic Outpost's Halloween sale, or couldn't get a single volume of Doom Patrol or The Walking Dead because I bought them all, fear not. There is another. Sale, I mean. Check the flyer for the info.

--Oscar Pascual

Disregard all those pictures of Nikki Sixx on your milk carton. Somebody pulled him out of limbo so he could put out a book:

Nikki Sixx has written a book, The Heroin Diaries, which is a number 7 New York Times bestseller! The book is comprised of old journals that Sixx kept in 1986 and 1987 while struggling with his drug and alcohol addictions. It's an extraordinarily compelling story, and is actually the first ever book with a corresponding soundtrack.

Nikki's promotional book tour will be swinging through SAN FRANCISCO on October 28, 2007, at Barnes and Noble, 11 West Hillsdale Blvd Hillsdale Shopping Center starting at 2:00pm.

Where would drug awareness be without the help of washed-up rock stars?

Sure. You could spend your Halloween having fun out in the streets. You could also spend it reading a bunch of awesome discounted or free comics you got at Comic Outpost's Halloween Sale:

Save your teeth and feed your brain. We need to make it healthy enough to eat!!

In celebration of our favorite holiday (conveniently falling on a Wednesday) and our Expansion Grand Opening we are having a one day Halloween Sale and FREE COMIC GIVE AWAY. Yes we will have those treats as well that keep all those dentists on my block very rich.

Personally, I'll be catching up on Doom Patrol, The Invisibles, and Preacher trade paperbacks. Maybe some Transmetropolitan if I don't blow my wad. More on the sale after the jump.

Vice Magazine's photos are so raw, it's best that you listen to Ol' Dirty Bastard's first album while perusing them. From the horse's mouth:

For the last 13 years, Vice magazine has been known for showcasing a wide range of provocative, hilarious, and beautiful photography from the most exciting young photographers on this or any other planet. In fact, the photos they've published in Vice could fill a book - a big, luxurious coffee table book... Hey wait a minute! Bet you didn't see this coming, but yes, VICE Books is set to release The Vice Photo Book, a compilation of over a decade of photos from Vice Magazine, this December.

But December is, like, months from now. Until then, Vice's MySpace has some cool flicks.

The 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac's On the Road has cast his famous book under new light, but the best essay I've read about both the novel and the pals who populated it is in the new issue of the New Yorker. Writer Louis Menand authors a piece that notes the complexities of the male bonding Kerouac evoked, both in his writing and in his everyday life. -- Jennifer Maerz