San Francisco Music Blog

"He sipped his tepid coffee and pondered how to tell her that, in fact, the pants made the sack dress even less appealing." -- Unhappy Hipster

​What's the price of being young, hip, rich, and urban? According to the droll site Unhappy Hipsters (tagline: "It's lonely in the modern world") you no longer have the energy to smile. The blog, which takes shots at Dwell (the fruit bowl porn mag for design fetishists that was once based in San Francisco), puts witty captions under images of very unsmiley hipsters and their unsmiley hipter kids. [Thanks @kiala for sending out the link]

​Do you have a boss who's into Star Wars (Um, we do. His IM icon is the freaking Death Star)? Are you on a budget because you're still waiting for that pay raise? Well, you're in luck! The kids over at Laughing Squid tipped us off to these kick-ass hoodies, and when we clicked we were all, "Oh, snap, they're on sale, too!"

Pic via Gizmodo

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Because, you know, it's a recession and that means that we shop for our nerdy regalia on the cheap. Clocking in at under $40, you could totally buy one for yourself and your boss, and then you'd be matchy-matchies. (Not that we recommend that.) For some reason (cough, cough) it's only the hoodies that depict characters from the prequels on sale right now. You still have to pay top dollar if you want to look like Boba Fett.

Follow us on Twitter at @sfweekly.

At this weekend's SF Bike Expo at the Cow Palace, fashion-conscious cyclists rolled out their best gear. Check out more in Joe Schell's "Heavy Pedal: The S.F. Bike Expo @ The Cow Palace."

​A bicycle built for too sexy.

Funny little spoof on Where the Wild Things Are, stupid vests, vegans, being over it, Los Angeles hipster bars, smoking American Spirits, music snobbery, and much more...

Afrobeat's Ancestor: Fela Kuti

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It's hard to think of a more iconic artist than Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The founder of Afrobeat, who famously proclaimed "music is a weapon," was both a voice of progressive social change--and often uncomfortably-honest socioeconomic critique--and a musical visionary. Fela's fusing of traditional Yoruban music with American jazz, R&B and funk was ahead of its time, as evidenced by the flowering of the Afrobeat genre a decade after his death and the influence Fela's music has had on a generation of artists--including Afrobeat revivalists (including Kuti's sons Femi and Seun), hip-hop and reggae aficionados, and electronic music heads.

This Saturday, Café du Nord turns into a mini-shrine to Fela, as DJ Jeremiah (aka Mr. Afrobeat) presents a Kuti birthday celebration, featuring a live performance by Afro-soul artist Siji, plus DJ Said and Jeremiah himself. If you like endless grooves with thought-provoking messages,this one's for you.

Yes, He Can: Estria

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The fascinating subcultural (and frequently subterranean) world of graffiti art surfaces this week, as the third annual Estria Invitational Battle, organized by Bay Area spraycan art legend Estria (in conjunction with Marc Bamuthi Joseph's Living Word Festival), gets underway. The festivities begin tomorrow with the Can Film Festival, a free event at the 1:AM SF Gallery featuring screenings of the films "Style Wars" and "Bomb It," and an illustrious panel including moderator Jeff Chang, Estria, Suzie Lundy and Kevin Epps. On Friday, Pecha Kucha Night at East Side Arts Alliance in Oakland presents "Don't Sweat the Technique," an exhibition/discussion featuring 10 graffiti artists showing 20 slides, promoting social change. On Saturday, Oakland's deFremery park becomes ground zero for the culminating event, the Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle, bringing together 16 of the nation's top graffiti artists, as well as workshops and a black book battle.

Waassup: Waajeed

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One of the best things about living in the SF Bay Area--as opposed to say, Bumfu*k, Idaho--is that it's recognized as a cultural center and tastemaking place. Case in point: the Beat Machine tour, a Scion/Turntable Lab-sponsored jaunt through six major cities (including the Sucka-Free, natch) in support of the recent Beat Machine album. The SF edition features three of the hottest urban music producers around: Wajeed (of Platinum Pied Pipers), Blujemz (of Da Hardy Boyz) and Ge-Ology (Blackstar). It's goin' down tonight at 330 Ritch's "PST," which continues to be one of the more interesting Tuesday night weeklies in the whole entire universe! No, seriously. Quote me on that, if you must.

EKAphotography

Havana Good Time: Alex Cuba

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In certain Afro-Diasporan traditions, ritual baptism is a well-worn, time-honored tradition. Voudun in Haiti, Santeria in Cuba, Condomble in Brazil, and Pentecostal Christianity in the Southern United States essentially do the same thing. Any important occasion, be it birth or death; marriage or a funeral, is marked by a celebratory event involving song and libations.

EKAphotography

Salsa Dancing at the New Parish

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Alex Cuba's Friday night show at the New Parish was very much in this vein. Accompanied by just a bassist and drummer, the Cuban-born Canadian world music star's mix of rock and R&B stylings with syncopated Cuban rhythms fit the intimate, somewhat low-key setting to a T. In keeping with the name, the vibe inside was somewhat sanctified, as Cuba (who's little-known in this country, but not for long) blessed the audience--which included R&B singer Goapele, radio personalities Sterling James and Weyland Southon, and a host of Oakland notables--with a performance which seemed to portend greatness, both for him and for the club. Invoking both James Brown and the orishas, Cuba was a perfect match for the venue's Creole-Caribbean theme (which also happens to be the theme of Hibiscus, the club's soon-to-open adjoining restaurant.)

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DJ Bobbito

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While the overall flavor of Uptown tends toward gentrified and/or flashy venues which have little to do with the Southern roots of Oakland's traditional black clubs, the New Parish seemed like a return to cultural antecedents, as well as a new beginning. An early DJ set by Willie Maze and a late set by special guest Bobbito--both heavy on a combination of Latin flavor and classic funk, R&B, and hip-hop--only confirmed this notion. In fact, several folks were overheard remarking that they had just found their new "kick-it" spot.

EKAphotography

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Dude With the Wickedest Slam: Beenie Man

​Dancehall superstar Beenie Man makes a rare Bay Area appearance tonight at the Shattuck Down Low in Berkeley. Dancehall artists come and go with more regularity than tropical breezes in the Caribbean. But Beenie's somewhat of an exception. A stage performer since the age of 8, he ascended to the upper echelon of dancehall artists in the mid-90s, conquering Jamaica with a string of chart-topping hits. His 1996 Island release Blessed was somewhat of a greatest hits collection which established him to audiences outside of the islands, and he's never looked back. For the past decade-and-change, he's continued to notch international hits, while remaining fiercely popular among his core audience. For all dancehall heads, this one is probably as close to a can't-miss show as you'll find all year.

Inaugural Performer: Alex Cuba

​Many years ago, club owner Mike O'Connor told me of his dream, to open a spot in Oakland. The man behind the Informal Nation parties and the legendary Justice League--SF's last dedicated hip-hop venue--had become somewhat disillusioned and disentranced with The City, particularly the lack of anything but a transient community when it comes to nightlife. O'Connor still maintains part-interest in the Independent, arguably the best mid-sized club to see live music in SF on a consistent basis. But O'Connor doesn't book the venue, and it seemed apparent that he missed such direct involvement.

If Oakland was on its way to becoming both a home for culturally-vibrant, ethnically-and-socially diverse folks--some refugees from SF; some not--and a nightlife destination which can hold its own with its more famous and celebrated neighbor a few years ago, it's even closer to that now. The infusion of new residents and new venues has resulted in a new feeling; Oakland's renaissance may be in its infancy, but it takes another important baby step forward this weekend when The New Parish--a joint venture between O'Connor and Skyblaze Entertainment honcho Namane Mohlabane--opens its doors.

Situated in the heart of Oakland's up-and-coming Uptown district, at the site of the former Sweet Jimmie's--a venue known to attract such hip-hop celebrities as E-40 and Too $hort--The New Parish promises to be anything but ostentatious, flashy, and ghetto-fabulous. The bookings for its first shows hint at a more progressive bent for which Oakland currently has no equal. Saturday's opening weekend features Cuban soul singer and Canadian transplant Alex Cuba (who's just reissued his second album, Agua del Pozo), as well as legendary hip-hop DJ, crate-digger, and shoe fetishist Bobbito (aka DJ Cucumber Slice). In the coming weeks, the New Parish serves up a tasty gumbo of shows: Oakland hip-hop/funk revolutionaries the Coup, SF experimental space-rock guitarist Stu Allen, and interstellar bassist-vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello. The New Parish's website offers few details--as of press time it merely said, "Open Soon"--but ads are running in weekly pubs and more info, including links to ticketing details, can be found on the club's Facebook page.

Mark Seliger

She's An Enigma: Meshell Ndegeocello

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I've always had a lot of respect and admiration for Meshell Ndegeocello. Besides being a superlative musician, the African American bassist is one of the most unlikely gay icons of our time; I remember seeing a show at the Independent a few years back where she lambasted her lesbian fan base for not feeling the rawness of her grooves. I can't imagine Pink, Madonna, or Rufus Wainwright doing the same thing.

Meshell is a bit of a musical chameleon - her muse is an active one, it seems. Her sonic journey has taken her into many realms, including alt.R&B, D.C. go-go, hip-hop, electronic music, experimental jazz, classic Motown soul, and Van Morrison covers with John Cougar Mellencamp. Her new album Devil's Halo, which drops October 6, has been called "an irresistible combination of R&B, rock, new wave, and everything in-between," which confirms that she continues to defy categorization. Underlining that point, her MySpace page describes her sound as "Japanese Classical/Christian Rap/Regional Mexican," which may or may not be a joke on her part. Ndegeocello plays the Independent October 24.

Bill Evans

Stevie Wonder sits in at Coda

​What would you do if Stevie Wonder showed up unannounced to your gig?

Would you lose it, knowing that one of the most respected artists of our time was in the building? Or would you just do what you do - jazz music with a whole lot of soul and a touch of funk?

For the Jazz Mafia crew, the latter proved the best option when Mr. Wonderful himself arrived unannounced, with no entourage in sight, at their gig at Coda September 27th. JM don Adam Theis reports that Wonder arrived a bit hungry--for food and for music. The kitchen was closed, so another nearby spot was recommended, though "Chris Pastena (Coda's owner and chef) would have opened the kitchen for him," Theis says. Sometime later, Stevie returned to check out the JM's set--not because he had a show that night or was in town on business, but because he wanted to hear some live music.

"It was a crazy night," Theis says, even before Stevie came in during the JM's second set. Though he admits to feeling a little nervous, Theis and the JM crew continued about their business, while Wonder got his groove on. "Every time I looked up, he was bobbing his head," Theis recalls. "He was really feeling it by his body language."

Then, the JM played their hole card--John Lennon's "Jealous Guy," sung by Joe Begale, but based on the Donny Hathaway version, which has a different arrangement. "We played the whole song," Theis says, "and all of a sudden people are rushing up with cameras. I look up, and Stevie's body guards were bringing him to the stage."

Da Kool Chief Rocker: DJ Premier

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When people talk about "classic" or "Golden Age" hip-hop, nine times out of ten, they're actually talking about DJ Premier . The Texas native, best known as the production half of Gangstarr, boasts an impressive resume , including tracks with Biggie Smalls, Mos Def, Lord Finesse, Mobb Deep, Neneh Cherry, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, Nas, Group Home, M.O.P., Das EFX, Showbiz & A.G., Bahamedia, Jay-Z, D'Angelo, Janet Jackson, O.C., Brand Nubian, Rakim, Afu-Ra, Big L, Common, Rah Digga, J-Live, Special Ed, Devin the Dude, Xzibit, Snoop Dogg, Ol' Dirty Bastard, AZ, Christina Aguilera, Ras Kass, MC Lyte, Kanye West, Maroon 5, and Ludacris (to name a few).

Preemo, as he's affectionately known, will be live, in person, and on the wheels of steel Saturday at 330 Ritch (along with Sake One, Mr. E, M-1 of dead prez and UMI) for what promises to be a night of body-movin' boom-bap. Make sure you get in by RSVPing here .

She Serves Slaps: Pam the Funkstress

​Let's hear it for female DJs. Specifically, the ladies of Everlasting B.A.S.S., the monthly at Poleng Lounge featuring residents Pam the Funkstress and DJ Zita. These women have reclaimed the night(club) and equalized hip-hop and dancehall's gender balance by spinning spectacular selections far above the average, mediocre, or mundane. This Saturday, Pam and Zita welcome guests Similak Chyld and Josie Stingray, plus host Fiyah Lilley. Email here for $5 admission before 11 pm.

All Souled Out: Soulive

There aren't too many contemporary soul/R&B outfits with the grit of late 60s/early70s acts, but in that admittedly small number, you'd have to place Soulive high up on the totem pole. After ten years as a band, with ten albums on six labels (including Blue Note and Stax), Soulive is still going strong. Having recently returned to their roots--soulful, funky instrumentals--with their latest album Up Here, brothers Alan and Neal Evans and guitarist Eric Krasno (joined in their live sets by the Shady Horns), Soulive's anniversary celebrations at both Yoshis locations this week look to be something special. This Tuesday and Wednesday they play Oakland with ex-James Brown trombone player/bandleader Fred Wesley; Thursday and Friday sees them in San Francisco with trumpeter Roy Hargrove. What's a soul/funk disciple to do? Check out both configurations, if possible.

Phife Dawg

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After Q-Tip's masterful set at Outside Lands a few weeks back--one of the best of the fest, and certainly the one which engaged the crowd the most, especially when Phife Dawg emerged as a special guest for one song--I found myself reaching for my A Tribe Called Quest anthology. I hadn't listened to Tribe, as they were popularly known, in years. But there they were, in all their glory: all the seminal 90s favorites, from "Check the Rime" to "Award Tour," to the Dilla-produced "Find a Way."

Besides Tip and Phife's interplay, one of the things which made Tribe so great was their use of obscure samples (like Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay," Towa Tei's "Dubnova," and Weldon Irvine's "We Getting' Down," to name a few). Their veritable musical cornucopia of sounds never settled for the obvious, but instead dug deep into the canon, resulting in truly classic, memorable hip-hop. Which is why the Kev Choice Ensemble is perfectly suited to be the house band for tonight's ATCQ tribute at the Shattuck Down Low. Few other bands, local and otherwise, have the jazz, funk, and soul chops necessary to pull off the intricate arrangements with authentic hip-hop flair, so if you're in the East Bay tonight, that's the blap. What makes the scenario even more enticing is the recent addition of Phife Diggy himself to the bill as host, which makes it seem highly likely he'll grab the microphone and let his words rip.

Forever My Beat: Crown City Rockers

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The Bay Area's favorite organic hip-hop/funk/jazz/soul outfit, the Crown City Rockers, have just announced the date for their record release party for The Day After Forever, their new album on GoldDust/K7: October 2nd at the Independent. Joining CCR will be LA's Breakestra (back together after a long hiatus with a new album, From Dusk 'Til Dawn) and Spaceheater's Blast Furnace (who also have a new album, The Record). Plus, Lyrics Born hosts, and DJ D-Sharp is on the wheels of steel. All in all, sounds like quite the shin-dig for beatheads, funk fiends, and rhyme aficionados.

Todd "Limon" Wolfson

Latin Funk-Rock Revival: Brownout

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While nueva cumbia continues to enrapture hipsters in SF (and everywhere), the progressive arm of contemporary Latin music doesn't begin and end there. Case in point: Brownout's Aguilas and Cobras, a new project by members of Grupo Fantasma and Ocote Soul Sounds, which flips the script with funky, electric Latin fusion with a psychedelic rock tinge. The album officially drops tomorrow on SF's Six Degrees Records, and the record release party happens Friday Sept. 18 at the Elbo Room. A free download of "Olvidalo" is here  and a video for "Slinky" is here.

EKAphotography copyright 2009. all rights reserved

Voodoo Child? Vieux Farka Toure

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It would be somewhat of a disservice to Vieux Farka Toure to call him the Jimi Hendrix of Malian music. Though he's definitely an innovator and an amazing player--sometimes given to playing behind his back, as Hendrix did--and has updated African music much like Jimi gave the blues a psychedelic facelift, Toure belongs in his own box. The last time he played the Independent, he held the crowd in rapture for the length of his set, with entrancing electrified takes on a traditional sound which dates back for centuries, if not millennia.

You can catch Vieux twice in two days this week, first at the free Power to the Peaceful concert Saturday in Golden Gate Park (also featuring Michael Franti, Alanis Morrissette, Sly & Robbie and others), and Sunday at the Independent (again). In the meantime, check out this MP3 of Toure performing "Ai Haira" live.

O. & Co. : The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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There's been some talk around town that Oakland's Fox Theater--which rolled out its snazzy, remodeled digs in February--was being underutilized, especially with promoters Another Planet Entertainment, involved in the massive Outside Lands festival and also booking shows at the Greek Theater and the Independent.

Talk, as they say, is cheap, however. Tonight the Fox hosts the first of eight shows in ten days, with NYC's post-punk trio the Yeah Yeah Yeahs , featuring fabulous frontwoman Karen O, headlining tonight and tomorrow. Ms. O. may be the most interesting female vocalist to hit the rock scene since Chrissie Hynde, and she shows little signs of slowing down or becoming any less edgy, despite the band's success and fame over the past nine years. See what all the fuss is about tonight by clicking here for ticket info ; warm-up for the show by watching a video of "Zero" (co-starring SF's own Warfield auditorium).

Painting by Borish

​One of the coolest SF art galleries around is D-Structure. The Haight Street spot is continually presenting some really interesting exhibitions in the urban art realm, such as The Black Art Show, an exhibit opening on 9/11 presented by Trust Your Struggle. The show features "visual experimentation" with black &white pieces from Borish, Cece, Erin Yoshi, Miguel Perez Bounce, Robert tres Trijillo, Scot LaRockwell, and Shaun Burner, with music by DJs Wonway and Pele. There's also an after-party at Nickies with the Whooligan and Dion Decibels. For more info,or to RSVP, click here.

​How does an "over-educated 32-year old" decide between so many "cute indie girls with ugly indie guys" bands and hyped festivals? According to the smart-asses at Cracked.com, being able to say you've seen a certain hipster act live "feels like 100 orgasms covered in chocolate set to a Radiohead soundtrack." Make your way towards those oceans of cocoa and sonic rainbows by checking out the all-important Indie Music charticle. There's a local hook here too: John Vanderslice and what looks like Treasure Island Music Fest made the cut.

(Thanks to clubs editor John Graham for the tip.)

​This is a good one. Flickr member Aynne has devised a demographic map of Dolores Park so you'll never again have to worry about parking it in the wrong section of the grassy catwalk. From Hipster Valley to Jocks, Bros and Hos and the Latin American Club, Aynne has descriptions of where all the picnicers and peacocks like to sit. If there's any group you'd add to the list, feel free to chime in below.

BombHipHop.com

Available in Purple (and other colors, too)

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Despite your PBR tattoo, pimped-out track bike, and closet full of guayabera shirts and skinny pants, admit it: your life as a hipster was incomplete. You desperately searched for meaning at Kuduro parties, chic art openings, and monster truck rallies. You were halfway through your mashup mix of Brazilian tropicalismo and hair-metal when you realized: if only I had a "Prince vs. Michael Jackson" wristband, my life would be worth more than the $200 I just spent on a nylon windbreaker.

Rejoice, for the PVMJ bands--similar to the Lance Armstrong Livestrong joints, but without the added burden of actually supporting a cause other than classic yet ironically cliched music--have arrived, according to PVMJ/Bomb Hip-Hop DJ Dave Paul. Made out of silicon, the wristbands are available in 8 colors: Yellow, White, Gray, Black, Green, Light Blue, Red and--of course--Purple. Order them online here and you'll be all set for the next SF installment of the now-legendary party (September 19 at Madrone Lounge). If you're a real hipster and not just a trendy one, you'll probably want to get up on the rare vinyl remixes--featuring extended dance mixes of "Let's Work," "Sexy MF," and others--of the Purple One also available on the Bomb Hip-Hop site.

NIMBY Targets: Black Eyed Peas

​In a clear case of covering all one's bases, the SF Chronicle has managed to both support this weekend's massive Outside Lands festival and criticize it. This past Sunday, the three-day extravaganza garnered lots of Pink section coverage, with a Joel Selvin feature whose headline declared "Outside Lands gets ready to rock." The Datebook cover package also included an Aidin Vaziri Pop Quiz with Jack Black & Kyle Gass of Tenacious D, and a list of bands and set times  for those attending the festival.

Sunday Datebook editor Sue Adolphson called the festival a "megamusic event" and compared it to Woodstock, while Selvin's article, which included an interview with Another Planet Entertainment impresario Gregg Perloff, noted "the festival does not lack for star power. But the real pleasures of Outside Lands will be found scattered on all eight stages across the Polo Field, Speedway and Lindley Meadow."

Yet just one day later, in Monday's SFGate, blogger Michelle Richmond took up C.W. Nevius' NIMBY torch with a post highly critical of the festival. Unfortunately, Richmond failed to do even basic research which might have informed her viewpoint. The ticket prices were an easy target for Richmond's ire: "If I want to take my preschooler to the meadows this weekend, it will cost us $89.50 (per person) for the day, $225 (per person) for three days. In this economy, those ticket prices aren't exactly appealing to the masses."

Too Expensive? Tom Jones

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Ok Michelle, we understand that that's a wee bit more than you might expect to pay for two tickets to see Tom Jones  (who appears at OL) at the Starlight Room--although you'd probably want to get a babysitter (in case you feel the need to toss your granny panties at Mr. "What's New, Pussycat"), so you'd probably break even on that one, all told.

And, we have to wonder: is your preschooler a Pearl Jam, Black Eyed Peas or Dave Matthews Band fan? Does your tot rock out with his wee-wee out to Os Mutantes, Atmosphere, Zion-I, Zap Mama, Raphael Saadiq, Lila Downs, Incubus, or Street Sweeper Social Club?

If so, $90 for a full day of incredibly diverse music doesn't seem so exorbitant; lots of folks are paying those prices (which amounts to approximately $4 per band), and as the Chron itself noted back in January, the festival is expected to raise as much as $ 1.7M  ($950,000 of which is guaranteed) for the cash-strapped SF Parks & Rec Dept.

EKAphotography

Michael Franti at 2008's PTTP

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Watch out, Outside Lands and TIMF! Power to the Peaceful--Michael Franti's annual free party in Golden Gate Park--has announced the lineup for this year's throwdown, which is expected to bring between 50 and 75 thousand people. The featured artists this year are not only one of the strongest PttP bills to date, but stack up well against the big-time acts at the other, non-free, music festivals happening later this fall in San Francisco.

In addition to headliners Franti and Spearhead, confirmed artists for the Sept. 12 event include Alanis Morissette, Sly & Robbie (!) with Cherine Anderson, and Vieux Farka Toure. The opening slot was snagged by SF conscious MC Sellassie, and in addition to the main stage, there is a morning yoga practice, "1,000 Yogis for Peace"; a keynote speech by Tibetan Buddhist Namkha Rimpoche, and a DJ tent with Miguel Migs, Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist, and others. More info is here.

Franti has also announced an after-party at the Fillmore, featuring the "Rocking Heads," an ensemble of artists performing at PttP, playing Talking Heads covers. That show, unfortunately, is not free, but sounds like it might be worth the ducats.

Cream of Mushroom: Mark Farina

​Back in the '90s, before there was downtempo and "chilled breaks," there was Mark Farina and Mushroom Jazz. The Chicago-to-SF transplant created a new style of DJing, mixing hip-hop instrumentals, house-style, which evolved not only into its own genre, but provided the impetus for the creation of what has become SF's premier dance music label, Om.

15 years later, Om is still at it--read all about their history here--and they throw down as only they can do tonight at Mezzanine, pulling out all the stops with a star-studded lineup featuring Air Farina himself, along with Metro Area, Lance DeSardi, Rithma, DJ Fluid, J-Boogie, the Jazzual Suspects, the Whooligan, and Al Velilla. Grey Area provides visuals, and presales can be had for $15 by clicking here.

He makes musical statements, too: Quantic

​ Hey there Latin lovers! Er, make that Latin music lovers. If you like rhumba, meringue, salsa, son, cumbia, and other variants on the South-of-the-border theme, you might not want to miss the debut San Francisco appearance of Quantic and his Combo Barbaro.
Quantic --aka Will Holland--is a musical explorer and a bit of an ethnomusicologist who's made forays into soul, Latin, reggae and indie dance music under various monikers, including Flowering Inferno, the Quantic Soul Orchestra, and the Limp Twins. Never at a shortage for musical ideas, Holland's latest creation, the Combo Barbaro, works around a somewhat retro-ritmo theme--imagine '50s/'60s Cuban music infused with a touch of James Brownish R&B. They'll be at Slim's tonight, so be prepared to order some serious mojitos. Oh, and if you'd like a preview, there's a free download of "Arianita" here.

Price Varies: the Margarita

​After I wrote about the opening of new SF jazz club Coda , I got a call from owner Chris Pastena to clarify a few things. First off, Pastena was perturbed that I bitched about paying $14 for a Cazadores margarita, about twice what I was expecting. "We don't even carry Cazadores," he said in a voice mail left on my cel phone. "I'm not sure what happened." However, he added, "14 for a margarita, if it's an anejo, is a really great price."

In a subsequent phone conversation, Pastena speculated I may have been served a Herradura margarita instead of what I actually ordered and not informed by the bartender. He went on to note that, while Coda does carry top-shelf anejos which run $16-$17 a pop, they also have 100% agave tequila in their well, which goes for about $7. Furthermore, "if we do offer a higher-end, we'll also bring in a silver," offering tequila drinkers a choice between quality and value. OK, fair enough.

Pastena also wanted to emphasize that his club is "trying to be musician-friendly," and to that end, he explained, 90% of the door proceeds go directly to the bands, with 10% covering the door person and the sound person. "So when you pay a cover charge at Coda, you're actually helping to support local music," he said. Ok, got it. Thanks for clearing that up, Chris.

Moving forward, in looking at Coda's calendar, it seems that admission for upcoming shows by Kenny Brooks, the Shotgun Wedding Quintet, Alphabet Soup, 8 Legged Monster, Pleasuremaker, and Stanley range from $7-$10, so one could actually pay more for a drink than for the cover. Not bad for live music, since one could easily cough up 10 bones just to see a DJ.

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Officially Hip: M.I.S.' Camilo Lara with Tommy Guerrero and Money Mark

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Cumbia is the new Afrofunk/Batucada/Baile funk/Bhangra/Reggaeton. Hipsters have embraced the quirky Latin dance music, just as they did other global sounds of recent note, with open arms. If you need further evidence of that, you shoulda been at the Makeout Room last Saturday night, when a live set by the Mexican Institute of Sound preceded El Kool Kyle y Roger Mas' weekly "El Superrrrrrritmo!!!" cumbia DJ night. (Listen to a preview of M.I.S.' album Soy Sauce here .)

M.I.S. head honcho Camilo Lara was joined by special guest Money Mark, aka Keyboard Money Mark of Beastie Boys fame, for a raucous set which was punky in energy yet traditional in flavor. At one point, Money Mark held up a skateboard and announced the presence of local hero--and Mission district muse--Tommy Guerrero, who jumped onstage and tapped out the rhythm to Toni Basil's "Mickey" on a drum machine, over which Lara added vocals and MM supplied squealing synth runs. As if that wasn't enough, M.I.S.' short yet sweat-drenched set was followed by local bilingual emcee Duece Eclipse (Zion-I/Bangdata/J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science) who showcased some of the Spanish language cumbiaton tracks he's been working on with El Kool Kyle. All this for only five bones at the door. No wonder the hipsters are all up on this trend--it's kind of like a meal at a taco truck: cheap, filling, and tasty.