First, the bad news, then the good news -- isn't very funny. It hurts to say, since the premise is so appealing: a fake cheesy sitcom, set in the days after Stonewall in 1969 Greenwich Village, starring a lesbian and her gay friends (including a clumsy drag queen and nosy landlord). Doesn't that sound neat? The folks who were around back then all have such interesting stories; and dropping those stories into a mainstream medium from which they'd previously been excluded is such a cool idea. more ›

Did you get your tickets to see Menomena on Friday night at Cafe Du Nord? Hopefully you did, because the show is sold out. As we've said before, this record is already on our top 10 of '07, so if you haven't checked the band out yet - what are you waiting for? OK maybe you're broke or you've fallen and you can't get to Amoeba, so we're going to hook one of you up with their amazing album Friend and Foe plus a really nice poster courtesy of their label Barsuk. Since we're currently locked out of our fancy contesting tool, only you close readers will be rewarded with a chance to win: just email yours truly for your chance. more ›

Monday night's show at Café Du Nord was evidence that San Francisco loves Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos. This makes those of us from their hometown of Indianapolis quite proud, especially considering how dauntingly aloof San Francisco audiences can often be. more ›

We had a great week of music last week, starting on Thursday night when Live 105's Madden invited us to join him on air. Along with SFists MattyMatt and Jon we talked for a half hour about local music, Muni and of course Gavin's hair. Madden was a friendly and gracious host and we thank him for inviting us! On Monday night Cursive packed The Fillmore for a straightforward set of songs from their new record and a few older tracks. We could see the crowd in the front singing, screaming and dancing right along for the entire set, so we were a little surprised when the band didn't return for an encore. But we won't complain too much, it just leaves more time to hang out after the show. Tuesday night brought the Twilight Singers back to Great American for another soulful, sultry set. more ›

We're not crazy about instrumental music (in case you haven't noticed) so we're especially impressed when an artist can break through our predilections. RATATAT's music is so melodic, varied and compelling that it makes vocals and lyrics seem superfluous. The Brooklyn duo expertly mixes snakey synth lines with sneering guitar, cello, sleigh bells and samples like the appropriately primal roar in "Wildcat". It's a little early to tell, but RATATAT's Classics just might make it on to SFist's Best of '06 list. File under: Things That Make You Go "ROWR!" more ›

You know how it is sometimes to look at photos from the 80s, where it's all cute young cheeks and happy tow-headed promise, and now twenty years later all the kids in the pictures have been worn down by their dreams falling apart and everything they love being taken away? (Or at least, that's how we feel when we listen to Bright Eyes.) So anyway, issue three of Joshua W. Cotter's "Skyscrapers of the Midwest" is like that. We'd like to thank the folks at Isotope Comics for putting us in a mood resembling that of Winona Rider in "Beetlejuice." more ›

Turn around, bright eyes..... -- Eclipse of the heart, eclipse of the moon -- same diff! So at 2:55 a.m. PST tonight, there's going to be a total lunar eclipse. Problem is, the lunar eclipse is only visible in South America and Europe. What's a Bonnie Tyler fan to do? Well, the Exploratorium's come to the rescue! Local science fans who like to stay up late can check out the Exploratorium's live webcast of the eclipse -- or if you're in the mood for a pajama party, the Exploratorium will be open for partying all night, and broadcasting footage from a telescope they've hooked up in Turkey that'll be recording the whole event (from a Roman amphitheater, no less.) Since the eclipse is traveling over Brazil, the Exploratorium is featuring capoiera dancers, and Turkish dancers will perform too. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 kids, and $8 members, and will be on sale until either 11:00 p.m. or 2:00 a.m. (it's unclear from the materials we received -- maybe to be safe, reserve in advance at 415-561-0308.) And after the moon comes back, go to the 24-hour IHOP on Lombard to celebrate! more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 10/27 - 11/2. more ›

Listen up! Two of our favorite indie rock bands are coming to town this week. "Indie" as in they're actually on independent labels ("indie" is not a genre); and "rock" as in crunchy guitars, dirty reverb and gratifyingly dour lyrics. Rock as in, we salute you. Those bands are Criteria and The Constantines, playing at Great American Music Hall on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. Fire up your devil horns. more ›

Friday night's show with CocoRosie and Antony and the Johnsons at Great American Music Hall felt like a night at the underground opera. More than a few audience members came dressed in costume, with jaunty hats, face paint and all manner of fancy plumage adorning their frocks. The capacity crowd was fervent in their love for Antony, yet they were quiet and respectful, not uttering a word during either performance. In fact, the only distraction came from the wait staff snaking through the maze of tables and chairs to fulfill drink orders. more ›