Avoiding the masses storming the theaters for Transformers? Here are a few things to keep you busy until the 4th... If you haven't been yet, stop by Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight to check out Back for Seconds, a diverse group show with 37 different artists. 1173 Sutter St, SF. Kick back with Castle Quiz at the Edinburgh Castle with seven rounds of questions about music, history and pop culture. Drink specials and cash prizes......

Tonight at The Lab (2948 16th St at Capp), it's the opening reception for the Corporate Art Expo '07, an exhibition of the "art lie" du jour - artists taking on the guise of corporations with the requisite branding, logos, and jargon, often as a means to critiquing capitalism and consumerism. Curated by Shane Montgomery, the exhibition features faux-corps: the Anti-Advertising Agency, Acclair, C5 Corporation, Davis & Davis Research, Meaning Maker, Death and Taxes, Inc.,......

Last week we got to see one of our favorite new bands Scanners twice, in two different cities. At Cafe Du Nord there were maybe 50 people in the house, but in New York we were sardined amongst a few hundred sweaty, sweater-clad CMJers. No matter the size of the audience, frontwoman Sarah Daly pouts, glowers, stares and gives it her all. This band is talented, comely, exciting, dynamic both live and on record, and......

We headed to Cafe Du Nord last Friday to catch the sold-out early show by Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton. By the 9pm showtime, the band was still soundchecking behind closed curtains and didn't start playing to the crowd until an hour later, but it was worth the wait. Haines crouched behind the keys, bird-skinny and soft-voiced, embodying the delicate yin to her animated Metric persona's yang. Eerie old black and white film clips......

SFist interviews Michael Taylor from the Court and Spark...

The June music issue of The Believer will come packaged with a CD compilation of pure indie rock gold. We hear that local do-gooder and author extraordinaire Dave Eggers is behind the compilation, proving his excellent taste and indubitable influence by convincing the persnickety indie rock elite to cover each other's songs. Local duo Two Gallants made the cut, as did Devendra Banhart, Vetiver and Joanna Newsom. The majority of the songs were recorded specifically......

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......

Our live music picks for the week of 3/3-3/9. We're sad that Noise Pop has ended, but glad to report that a regular ol' week in San Francisco still brings the noise, the funk, and the freaks out to play. Tonight's the night to get out and support local music. Bottom of the Hill has the angular, shoegazer sounds of Xiu Xiu, The Dead Science and The Rum Diary. Pep Love from Hieroglyphics hosts Fusion,......