When The Lights Go Down In The City
Is your wallet looking slim this week? Fret not; there's plenty of free music to be had. Check out any of Amoeba's stellar in-store offerings, including Prefuse 73, Zion I, locals Six Organs of Admittance, and a rare acoustic performance by Trail of Dead. Local label Six Degrees Records presents Niyaz at Virgin Megastore on Saturday at 2pm. And SFist is giving away a free copy of Citizen Cope's CD The Clarence Greenwood Chronicles (enter to win here).
If you have scratch to spare, there are plenty of ways to spend it. Tonight catch a full show by Prefuse 73 at Great American along with math-rockers Battles and Beans or get grimy with The Lashes at Thee Parkside. Sample some world beats at the Blue Cube as Cheb i Sabbah kicks off a weekly residency (Niyaz opens). Popscene welcomes Andy Rourke of The Smiths with a camera crew in tow for a documentary about Smiths fans. Coif your hair up Morrissey style and brood along to a preview of the new Oasis album and a performance by The Dead 60's.
On Friday afternoon, NY-based band Buddahead participates in a free music mentor workshop presented by Music in Schools Today and Guitars Not Guns at the Boys & Girls Club of the Excelsior. Bring the kids for free guitar, singing and songwriting tips starting at 4pm. Friday night you can check out Soul Coughing's Mike Doughty at Cafe Du Nord, head to Bottom of the Hill to celebrate Captured! By Robots' double CD release party, or dance the night away with Autechre at Mezzanine. True Skool presents some "Fresh: New Music from Emerging Artists" at the Elbo Room. We think you should join us at Slim's to see Okkervil River. Their new record Black Sheep Boy will speak to your inner Jeff Mangum and has already secured a spot on our 2005 top 10. They're opening for Earlimart, so indie rock fans have no excuse to miss this show.
This weekend the SF branch of the Paul Green School of Rock presents two matinee shows of Pink Floyd’s The Wall performed by students ages 8-16, if you're into that sort of thing. Starting Saturday night, Erasure unpack their suitcases for five sold out nights at the Independent. Our friends in the Heavenly States headline the Hemlock for a show co-presented by BAGeL Radio. Sam Prekop plays sweet and soothing songs from his new album Who's Your New Professor at Great American. On Sunday, Iron & the Albatross take over the Make Out Room.
Join our friends at Mesh Magazine Tuesday night at the Hemlock for what's sure to be a scene with Rykarda Parasol and the decadently doomy swing of Two Ton Boa. Both bands are fronted by toothsome lasses -- let the ogling begin! On Wednesday, The Heavenly States play a rare acoustic set at Swedish American Hall, opening for Glen Hansard of The Frames. Ted will still play his guitar upside down and backwards, but we'll actually be able to hear Genevieve's violin clearly above the din. The Dears play at Great American and then adjourn to Club Six to DJ their own after party. The Trail of Dead will have stored up angst aplenty from their acoustic set at Amoeba and will no doubt release it at The Fillmore with openers The (International) Noise Conspiracy.
Black Sheep Boy album cover from Jagjaguwar's website. Two Ton Boa photo from their website.