All Shook Down

MP3 of the Day: Andrew Gold

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:39:46 -0800

Blame it on all the Little Star pizza I ate last night: This morning I woke up so full of cheese. And I'm not just talking about in the belly...my head is overdosing on the stuff as well. And so for today's song of the day, I'm slicing off some vintage fromage.

Last week, one of KUSF's morning DJs played Andrew Gold's "Lonely Boy," and that 1975 hit single has been homesteading in my brain ever since. If you didn't grow up hearing Gold on the radio, you may recognize the song from Boogie Nights -- but then again, perhaps you just remember the Burbank cheddar master's voice from The Golden Girls (he wrote and sang the theme song, "Thank You For Being a Friend.") Regardless of your familiarity with Gold, though, "Lonely Boy" is a song of fist pumping triumph! (Well, until you listen to the lyrics, where the little dude runs home and cries like a baby, but just try and ignore the words and listen to that piano!). And so I give you "Lonely Boy" ... a song with more cheese than a large pie at Little Star, but just as delicious. -- Jennifer Maerz

Arthur Magazine On Another Hiatus

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:31:11 -0800

Arthur Magazine has been through this before: the announcements that ad sales are terrible, that there aren't enough resources to keep the little magazine that could going. But this time, the bad news unfortunately comes at a time when print media as a whole is hitting a rough patch.

Today Arthur publisher/editor/founder Jay Babcock released a statement that his magazine is going on "hibernation." "I am done with self-publishing Arthur," he writes, "which I've been doing since July, 2007. It's too much work for one person to edit, publish and manage a national magazine, month after month, year after year. If/when a publishing partner appears, and so on, Arthur will return to print. That could be in three days, three months or three years." Of course, while Babcock states being stretched thin as his explanation, one imagines the subtext there is that Arthur's financial status is a big reason for holding off on creating new issues. [**Update: Babcock just emailed me: "There is no subtext about money. It's not the ad sales, which were actually going back up. I need a partner, just like I wrote."]

Ok, so even if Babcock says it's about staffing, not money, we're still living in a time when the big publications are all hurting, with layoffs and downsizing hitting everyone from the New York Times to Rolling Stone and Spin. So how does a niche publication like Arthur--one admirably dedicated to the best in new folk, psychedelic rock, spaced out metal, fucked up noise, and a ton of other great fringe genres--make it? The magazine has served--and hopefully will continue to serve, one day--a great purpose. But unfortunately it's operating in a time when print media and the music industry operate on some really shaky ground. Perhaps adding a new publisher to the fold will help the magazine shore up its reserves...

R.I.P. Arthur for now ... but then, who knows. The mag's made impressive comebacks in the past, so perhaps we'll hear from Babcock again some time soon with another of those nine lives put to good use. -- Jennifer Maerz

Magic Theatre May Avoid Closure... If the Checks Keep Coming

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:11:39 -0800

(Magic Theatre Artistic Director Loretta Greco by David Allen)

San Francisco's Magic Theatre -- a 42-year old institution dedicated to showcasing new and emerging playwrights -- has been hit hard by our crap economy. Will Harper previously reported that the space was in danger of shuttering if it didn't raise $350,000 by Jan. 9. While today could have marked the theater's doomsday, the news now is that the deadline for donations has been extended until Monday at midnight. As of this morning, fans and patrons have kicked down an impressive $280,021 (in bundles of $5,000 a "seat"). Magic Theater is looking to scrounge up an additional $70,000 this weekend to stay in business. -- Jennifer Maerz

Femi Kuti at the Fillmore Canceled

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:17:58 -0800

We were getting all good and ready for a red hot Afrobeat throwdown with Femi Kuti this month, but now have belted out a resounding groan. That's because his entire U.S. tour has been canceled due to illness. Yes, that also includes the would-be upcoming scheduled performance at the Fillmore on Jan. 22. No make-up dates have been scheduled, so we'll have to wait indefinitely to see Femi rock the Hell out of that sax. For ticket return info, visit LiveNation.com. --Oscar Pascual

Last Night: Street Eaters at The Stud

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:03:48 -0800

Street Eaters  The Stud January 8th, 2009 Review by Brian Moss Better Than: Staying at home to sulk.   After a week involving a grueling breakup and a bombardment of telephone calls from debt collectors there's definitely something to be said about the cheerful nature of a punk show held at a bar commonly associated with dance and drag nights. Blessed be our fine city for embracing such an amalgamation of culture and blessed be yours truly for perpetuating stereotypes by telling my friend visiting from Montreal who was made slightly uncomfortable by the urinal mirror, "oh yeah, every show in San Francisco goes down just like this." Given my penchant for character-thick, dim-lit watering holes and no-frills, gritty rock-n-roll, this particular night felt ripe with promise. Priding themselves on the fact that they tour in a 1990 Toyota Corolla and refuse to write love songs despite their inter-band couple status, The East Bay's Street Eaters are a relatively new and unknown duo featuring Megan March and Johnny Geek, both of whom have longstanding and notable rap sheets (The Fleshies, Master Volume, Triclops, Harbinger, and Neverending Party). While their music bares subtle traces of similarity to their other workings, the two collaborators manage to cultivate a revitalizing and definitively unique sound. Founded in fuzz-laden, treble-cranked bass parts, dual vocal hooks, relentless rhythmical clamor, and classic East Bay punk undertones pressed through a garage n' noise filter, it's simultaneously infectious and abrasive. It's not overly loose, but far from precise, which works to their favor creating a fun and raucous tonic that's sure to jolt some life into even the most downtrodden set of bones.

Top 10 Albums That We Hope Will Actually Come Out in 2009 (But Probably Won't)

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:56:20 -0800

(Dr. Dre might need an intervention in order to release his long-awaited Detox album)

By Tamara Palmer

With the music industry in a continued state of shambles, even the average consumer is starting to understand that it's a risky venture to release an album and that this holds true for newcomers as well as those who have had a taste of superstardom. But we've still got to tease the artists that continually claim to put out a project and somehow just never quite end up getting there, which is why we're honoring the 10 albums that we hope will come out this year, but probably won't. While we don't recommend you hold your breath for any of these magnum opuses, Guns 'N Roses' hilariously delayed Chinese Democracy did actually come out in 2008, so maybe anything's possible.

Dr. Dre
Detox

2000 marks nine years since hip-hop producer extraordinaire Dr. Dre began speaking about his Detox album project, which is to be the true sequel to his influential 1992 solo debut The Chronic (because the lackluster Chronic 2001 doesn't count). Dre might well need an intervention to actually get this record out, for there seems to be something holding it back from seeing the light. Spark it up, Dre! You don't want to become the next Axl Rose, but are honestly well on your way.

Eminem
Relapse

While Dre is contemplating a Detox, his compadre Eminem has been hard at work on his Relapse, now five years since he released his last effort, Encore. We'll cut him some slack for getting re-married and re-divorced, and for grieving over the fatal shooting of his close friend and musical associate Proof, which all happened in 2008. But how hard is it to fall off the wagon?

Lindsay Lohan
Spirit in the Dark

Motown's newest darling isn't a throwback to Diana Ross or Marvin Gaye; absurdly enough, it's Lindsay Lohan, who landed on the legendary imprint after a shuffle off of her previous label Casablanca, the early home to KISS and many now-obscure disco acts. Her Spirit in the Dark album (her third full-length) was supposed to come out last November and reportedly features songwriting and production work from R&B star Ne-Yo and expensive producer Pharrell Williams. After the leak of the Ne-Yo-penned "Bossy," the promise of a release date slipped away as easily as her sobriety reportedly has gone. Miss Lohan fancies herself a triple threat, but really, she's only a threat to herself. Still, we'd look forward to hearing this certain trainwreck of an album.

Whitney Houston
Undefeated/Untitled

Ms. Houston's last album was a holiday effort released back in 2003, but her industry mentor Clive Davis has been jabbering about a comeback album for the last two years. Two months ago, when this supposed album cover started floating around, blogville was abuzz with compliments of her strong new physique. But it turned out to be a fake, a fan-Photoshopped work that actually hijacked the body of supermodel Naomi Campbell to place under Houston's head. With still no release date and discouraging evidence of her current vocal abilities on display on YouTube, Houston still has a problem.

Hey DJ! Friday Q&A: Green B

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:49:47 -0800

Is it easy being Green? In the case of DJ Green B, we'd have to say yes. The positive-thinking Boston transplant has been broadcasting her love for Jamaican music (and deep bass) from the Mission to the Western Addition and Potero Hill. She says that although dudes are still surprised to see a woman behind the decks, the Bay Area's hot with female DJs spinning her favorite styles, from reggae and dancehall to hiphop. More on this great Green mind below....

Name: Green B aka Beverly

Club night(s): Coo-Yah! Wednesdays @ Bruno's, One Love 2nd Fridays @ Poleng Lounge, Church on Sundays @ Il Pirata

Style(s) of music you spin: Reggae/Dancehall

How you got your start: My love for the music...and a selfish desire to hear my favorite tunes..haha! My crew in Boston -- where I lived for 10 years before landing in S.F. -- were deep into reggae music. I'd see them perform on the regular: The Joint Chiefs, a dope roots band, and my absolute favorite, The Pressure Cooker, an amazing rocksteady/ska band. My boys collected all the hot 7-inches coming out of JA...which kept me wanting more! Anything from Digital B, Jammys, or the Taxi Gang...It was the release of Buju Banton's 'Til Shiloh that sealed the deal.

The Gaslight Anthem Brings Punky Pathos to S.F. in April

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:13:48 -0800

Whenever people talk about New Jersey band the Gaslight Anthem, the name Bruce Springsteen is often not far behind. And why not? First off: They're from Jersey and they don't sound like Bon Jovi. And, more importantly, there's something undeniably Springsteenian about frontman Brian Fallon's vocal delivery and his concise, blue-collar-commiserating story songs that speak of failed dreams, tough loves, and times gone by. But with its punkish electric sound -- kinda like a cross between vintage rock'n'roll, soul, and emocore -- the Gaslight Anthem is quickly asserting its own personalilty on the American music scene. This spring you can see why the quartet gets critics drooling when the Gaslight Anthem comes to Slim's on Thursday, April 16. Advance tix are $17; check out the Slim's website for more info. -- John Graham

Win Free Tickets to Move D Party This Saturday

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:28:15 -0800

(Move D)

San Francisco-based independent electronic label Reflective Records is hosting a party this Saturday, January 10 from 10 p.m. until dawn at a SOMA-based warehouse location. Heidelberg, Germany-based DJ/producer David Moufang (aka Move D) appears alongside Reflective artists Jonah Sharp (who is also the label's founder) and Velocette and DJs John John, Mikebee and Timmmii. The first person to comment on this post with a valid email address will win two spots on the guest list (a $20 value) to this night of deep house, techno and chilled out sounds. Aaaand go! -- Tamara Palmer

The Dead Plan Live Show for May

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:22:21 -0800

Attention Deadheads: the show will go on. After a five-year hiatus, the remaining members of the Grateful Dead (Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart) will hit the road with keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and Allman Brothers Band/Gov't Mule guitarist Warren Haynes this spring. The band, calling itself just the Dead these days, was inspired to dust off more oldies after Hart, Lesh and Weir played an Obama rally at the Warfield last Feb. The Dead will take its trip around the country starting in April but will host its finale on home turf -- at the Shoreline -- on May 10. -- Jennifer Maerz

MP3 of the Day: The Sleepover Disaster

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:06:42 -0800

Remember that time when you invited the girls over for your birthday and you stayed up too late drinking Capri Sun and eating Round Table pizza and then, like, Mindy locked herself in the bathroom and started crying because she said Repo Man was scary (but really she just had never been away from home for the night before?). That was one kind of sleepover disaster. But 'round Fresno, there's talk of another Sleepover Disaster, a band that makes you nostalgic not for creepy movies and sloppy makeovers, but rather for those old 120 Minutes segments with Dave Kendall as the host. With influences like Swervedriver, Ride, and Slowdive easily spotted in Sleepover's heavy-lidded shoegazer sound, the band is helping carry the very popular torch of effects-ridden riffs and dramatic melodies favored by that first batch of 'gazers in the early '90s. Check out "Cathedral" on the band's MySpace page and if you like what you hear, you can make a date with The Sleepover Disaster on January 28th live at the Knockout. -- Jennifer Maerz

Club Night Review: Tipsy Tuesdays at Mix

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:21:39 -0800

Tipsy Tuesdays
Mix (4086 18th Street)
Last seen: January 6, 2008
Review and Photos by Crystal Akins
Better than: The TV sitcom Cheers--where everyone knows your name--because it's in the Castro.

With the tagline "The Neighborhood Bar" and a close-knit cast of regulars, Mix is a shoo-in for the real life SF version of a certain Boston-based sitcom.

"We call it 'everyone's bar,'" said bartender Paul Montwillo. "The crowd ranges from 21 to 70 years old and everyone gets along. It's mostly a gay crowd but we have a lot of straight clientele, too."

For the Castro, it's a cozy, quiet bar where many folks are on a first name basis -- a great alternative for those who seek to escape the hustle and bustle of the main Castro strip. Tipsy Tuesdays offers patrons $2 margaritas while serious sharks congregate around the pool table.

Reverend Horton Heat at the Fillmore in Feb.

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:03:29 -0800

There probably isn't one name synonymous with modern rockabilly quite like the Reverend Horton Heat. Their psychobilly barnburners have lit up the lives of those with pomade-infested hairstyles since the 80s. Oh, and they're also known for that awesome stand-up bass with flames on it. Enjoy martini time when Reverend Horton Heat play the Fillmore Feb. 14. Tickets go on sale this Sunday, Jan. 11 at 10 a.m. --Oscar Pascual

Preview Van Arno's "The Boogie Disease" Online

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:52:48 -0800

Before you go check out the impressive oil paintings of Van Arno this weekend, the Shooting Gallery just put up a preview of featured works from his upcoming solo show, The Boogie Disease. Check it out at shootinggallerysf.com, and don't forget to head out to 839 Larkin St. on Saturday, Jan. 10 for the opening reception. --Oscar Pascual

MP3 of the Day: N.A.S.A.

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:47:40 -0800

Space is the place. At least that's still the deal when it comes to N.A.S.A. (North America South America) whose new single, "Money," features a hot-shit guest list. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge, and Z-Trip are all part of the clan protesting the almighty dollar as the root of all things evil. Well, yeah, but cash also buys you N.A.S.A.'s single on iTunes, no? Check the song for free first here ... and tell me it doesn't remind you of another cash-rich jingle, "For The Love of Money -- Living For the City." -- Jennifer Maerz