When The Lights Go Down In The City

Special chock-full-of-mp3s-from-great-local-bands edition!

Hailing from Helsinki, Husky Rescue blends the rich, cinematic production and songwriting of Marko Nyberg with the gorgeous, honeyed vocals of Reeta-Leena Korhola. The result is a hypnotic combination that lies somewhere between futuristic and backwoods. Listen to "New Light of Tomorrow" and enter to win a copy of their record Country Falls. Be sure to see their live show on Friday at the Rickshaw Stop. (Contest ends 9/13; winner will be notified by email.)

It's a great week for those of you who love bewitching female singers, and those of you who want to support local music. Tonight the matriarch of kook-folk Vashti Bunyan gets ethereal with Brightblack Morning Light at Great American. On Friday, the incomparable Feist will no doubt bring the house down at The Fillmore. She's one of those rare performers that channels a fresh energy each time she plays live, so that no two shows are the same. Her holdover release, Open Season, contains mostly remixes of songs off her brilliant debut Let It Die but maybe she'll play some new songs at The Fillmore. The local boys in The Matches celebrate a CD release with Street To Nowhere (who are about to embark on a tour with Cold War Kids and The Futureheads) at Great American. Don't miss Husky Rescue at Rickshaw Stop.

Listen to The Matches' "Sick Little Suicide"
Listen to Street To Nowhere's album stream from their website

More show recommendations and mp3s after the jump.

On Saturday at Golden Gate Park, the 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival presents Michael Franti and Spearhead, Blackalicious, Brett Dennen and more. Fans of Paul Simon should catch young Brett Dennen's set of contemplative folk songs. The Black Keys play their throwback swamp rock at The Fillmore. The Court and Spark, who brought us one of our favorite albums of 2006 Hearts, play at The Independent with Sean Hayes. Citizens Here and Abroad, who have a new record out on September 26th called Waving, Not Drowning (buy it here), play with Thee More Shallows are at Bottom of the Hill. Catch one of the most promising bands coming out of the bay area, Cold War Kids, with Dr. Dog at Cafe Du Nord. Supernova producer and co-writer Butch Walker plays with Damone and The Adored at Slim's.

Listen to Brett Dennen's e-card
Listen to the Court and Spark's "Your Mother Was The Lightning"
Listen to Citizen Here and Abroad's "Accelerator"
Listen to Thee More Shallows' "Freshman Thesis"
Listen to Cold War Kids' "Hospital Beds"

The May Fire On Sunday The Silver Jews play the cavernous Mezzanine with Monotonix and Continuous Peasant. On Tuesday Hem play gently crooned dream folk off their new record Funnel Cloud at Great American. On Wednesday Laura Veirs and the Tortured Souls are at Cafe Du Nord. We love her records Carbon Glacier and Year of Meteors but were a little underwhelmed by her solo set at Noise Pop this year. Hopefully the addition of a band will bring the sound closer to what we love in her recordings. We've been falling for local band The May Fire after listening to songs off their website. See them play with Stiletta and Tiny Power at Bottom of the Hill on Wednesday.