When The Lights Go Down In The City
There sure are a lot of fans of The Decemberists, judging by the fact that they're about to play tonight and Friday night here at the relatively giant Warfield Theater. If you haven't heard their new album The Crane Wife, we're giving you a chance to win a copy of it plus a 20"x10" lithograph signed by all 5 members of the band. We'd show you a photo of the lithograph if we had one, but just trust that it'll be a collector's item regardless. That's one thing jumping to a major label will buy you: fancier schwag. (Contest ends 10/25; winner will be notified via email.)
Tonight some of us SFists will be on Madden's show on Live 105, and we're relieved that if we faint or break out into hives you won't be able to see it. Yo La Tengo settles in to the Fillmore for 3 nights. They're celebrating their seniority with a new(ish) record called I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. Words to live by. We keep harping on this but one of our favorite discoveries of this year (though they've been around for a good while) Mew is playing for Popscene at 330 Ritch. Boyskout and Head Like a Kite are at The Hemlock. We already mentioned The Decemberists' shows with opener Lavender Diamond at The Warfield.
Get a Decemberists wallpaper for your computer
Listen to Lavender Diamond's "You Broke My Heart"
On Friday, we hear that Incubus are going to play a secret show at Bimbo's for people who bought cell phones. We're not gonna lie, we like some of those songs off of Make Yourself. Secret Machines do their fuzzed out Zeppelin thing at the Grand at Regency Center. Damien Jurado and Rosie Thomas take it down several notches at Cafe Du Nord. Beirut, who we think is likable enough in a sounds-like-Arcade-Fire kind of way, plays a sold out show with A Hawk and a Hacksaw and Animal Hospital at Great American.
Listen to Secret Machines
Listen to Beirut's "Postcards From Italy"
There's no need to break out your tasers, I'm sure Two Gallants will behave themselves at Bottom of the Hill both Saturday night and Sunday night with openers Trainwreck Riders and Langhorne Slim. Seriously, if that large Houston cop really wanted to stun Adam, he should have just sat on him; brother can't weigh more than a buck forty. Actually we have no idea how much he weighs, but let's not lose focus that Two Gallants make great music. And look at the upside, all press is good press and they now have legal representation in Texas. So go support your boys who are celebrating the end of a long tour.
Also on Sunday night, Now It's Overhead return to Cafe Du Nord with Summerbirds in the Cellar and Subimage. The Moore Brothers are with Paula Frazer and Patrick Main at 12 Galaxies. On Monday, Cursive play songs off their new album Happy Hollow at The Fillmore. Expect all the intensity and musicianship you're used to at Cursive shows, except in a larger venue and now with horns.
Listen to Now It's Overhead's "Walls" and "Let Up" from Dark Light Daybreak
Hear songs and watch a video from Cursive's Happy Hollow
On Tuesday we're all excited about our good friend Jeff Klein returning to San Francisco with his boys in The Twilight Singers. Jeff will play songs from an album he just recorded; we've heard the rough mixes and it sounds excellent. The Twilight Singers will once again surprise you with the sultry energy they exude onstage. The magnificent Lucinda Williams starts a two night stint at The Fillmore which is sure to be magical and Monsters Are Waiting play at Cafe Du Nord. On Wednesday the locals in Honeycut play at Rickshaw Stop.