March music madness is upon us, with SXSW happening in Austin mid-month (this SFist will be covering) and the Noise Pop Festival starting at the end of the month. Start your own music marathon this Saturday at the Rickshaw Stop when Mesh Magazine kicks off its third year with a party featuring The Herms, Tussle, The Ebb and Flow, DJs, artwork and more. We're giving away two tickets to the extravaganza. (We'll pick a winner by Friday at 5pm).

If you're a UC Berkeley student, or look young enough to pass for one, there's a fantastic free show happening on Tuesday at Heller Lounge with Minus the Bear and singer-songwriter Rocky Votolato. The former Waxwing frontman just released a new CD entitled Makers on Barsuk Records, home of John Vanderslice and Nada Surf. Listen to some tracks off the record here and enter to win Rocky's new CD (contest ends 3/8).

Thursday 3/2
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Gris Gris @ Bimbo's
Popscene presents guest DJ Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs plus The Lashes @ 330 Ritch
Last of the Blacksmiths, Scrabbel, The Waxfire @ 12 Galaxies
Stereolab @ The Fillmore
Loop!Station's album release with Broun Fellinis, Tim Bluhm of Mother Hips @ The Independent

Friday 3/3
Birdmonster, Street To Nowhere, The 88 @ Cafe Du Nord
Afrirampo, the Mae Shi and the Husbands @ The Hemlock
TurntableMania VI with Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), DJ Swamp (Beck's DJ/1996 DMC Champion), Sake 1, Mr. E, Solace @ Club Six
Club Loaded w/ Monsters Are Waiting @ Rickshaw Stop

Saturday 3/4
2pm FREE! Hot Chip @ Amoeba
Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins plus Willy Mason and Whispertown 2000 @ Bimbo's
Low, Damien Jurado @ The Independent
Stereolab @ The Fillmore
Mesh Magazine party w/ The Herms, Tussle, Ebb & Flow and DJs Jenny Young & Marco Vega @ Rickshaw Stop
Citizens Here and Abroad, Vervein, The Stevenson Ranch Davidians @ Slim's
Opening night of the 21st Annual Jewish Music Festival: New Orleans Klezmer All-stars @ 1st Congregational Church in Oakland

Sunday 3/5
Matt Pond PA, Youth Group @ Slim's
Animal Collective with First Nation, BARR @ The Fillmore

Monday 3/6
KFOG Presents Ben Lee, Leona Naess, Caleb Kane @ Great American
Cinema Drafthouse presents Walk The Line @ The Independent
FREE & all ages: Rocky Votolato and Minus the Bear @ Heller Lounge at UC Berkeley

Tuesday 3/7
Legal fund benefit for Playing in Fog with Goh Nakamura, Ted Edwards of The Music Lovers, Liam Carey (Mandrake) @ Make-Out Room
The Academy Is... with Acceptance, Panic at the Disco, Hellogoodbye @ The Fillmore

Wednesday 3/8
6pm FREE! Exene Cervenka & The Original Sinners @ Amoeba
Exene Cervenka & The Original Sinners, 7 Shot Screamers, Peter London@ Red Devil Lounge
Isobel Campbell, Magnet @ Cafe Du Nord
Teenage Harlets plus The Bowel Tones, The Struts and The Scrawnies @ Elbo Room