Friday, the local music scene takes us by storm with MiGGs over at Red Devil Lounge and Maldroid at Bottom of the Hill. Both bands are from Oakland, though technically Don Miggs just moved South. It's a hard choice, but we're off to Red Devil Lounge. It looks like MiGGs got a record deal and are working on some new stuff. There'll be a new single and video in March.

Basia Bulat, a Canadian pop music singer/songwriter will be headlining at The Bottom of the Hill on Saturday night. "Oh My Darling," her first full-length album, was released earlier this month on Rough Trade Records. You can watch the video to "In the Night" here. We have a feeling that she's gonna be the "Feist of 2008." Grupo Fantasma, the finest and funkiest latin orchestra to come out of the United States in the last decade is playing at Slim's. They were just featured as NPR's "Song of the Day" and Prince is apparently in-love; how sweet.

The real excitement this weekend is at Great American Music Hall where St. Vincent (seen below) and Foreign Born are playing. Foreign Born (die-hard Obama fans) have been working on "shit tons of new material" which will land in stores fall 2008. Hopefully, they will play some new material. St. Vincent, (aka Annie Clark, along with her full band) is known for her work with Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens. New York Times called her recent release "an extravagant collection of songs..." We just can't get enough.

Take the jump for full listings...

Now, at Sfist we use the collective and most sacred "we", but this time, this is strictly mine. I invented the list. (Tomorrow, check out what the rest of the Sfist staff picks as their top album of 2007.) It seems that I always have some sort of emotional connection to my favorite music. These artists bring back specific moments and memories from 2007 that might have been forgotten without these incredible albums.

This list covers the artists that I found provocative and interesting throughout 2007. Obviously yours will be different, so let us know what your favorite album of 2007 was. Here's my top 15:

Check out the list, after the jump...

Our top 5 moments at Feist's Fillmore show on Tuesday, June 26th:

     5. Hearing a cash register clang at the back of the venue in the middle of the set, and realizing that the sold-out crowd was perfectly silent. San Francisco concertgoers can really take their music seriously. You stay classy.
     4. Instead of playing to the crowd, Feist literally played the crowd by dividing us into three sections (by type of shoe sole: leather, rubber, wood) and then giving us three notes to harmonize on, which she caught like a surfer on a wave and rode right into the first song.
     3. When Feist asked if anyone in the crowd was a pianist, and audience member Melisssa stepped onstage without warning to play the piano beautifully to cheers and hollers.
     2. The second time Feist ordered the stage lights dimmed and spotlights trained to the giant disco ball in the middle of the room. It made us marvel at all those times we've been to concerts at the Fillmore and the bands didn't take advantage of that giant disco ball!
     1. The point during the extended jam at the end of "Sea Lion" when Feist broke into the riff from The Constantines' "Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)". You didn't have to recognize the song to acknowledge it's a monstrous guitar riff, but the semi-obscure reference to one of our favorite bands was a real thrill.

There are no less than three different shows tonight that we would love to see. It's a testament to the insane amount of entertainment served up to us in this city. A moment of silence for our good fortune...and on to this week's show recommendations:

Two bands that are playing tonight - As Tall As Lions and Fair To Midland - reminded us of a blog post we wrote last August. As Tall As Lions were on heavy rotation for us, and we'd just heard Fair To Midland highly recommended (and blasted at deafening volume) by none other than Jason Newsted. Fair To Midland are dynamic and grandiose, like Mew or the subdued sides of Tool or Mars Volta. As Tall As Lions' sounds are more mellow, but still melodic and complex. The singer reminds us so much of Craig Wedren it's uncanny; they don't list Shudder To Think in their influences on their MySpace page, which is probably an oversight or it means that someone's gonna blow this guy's mind by handing him a copy of Pony Express Record. See Fair To Midland on the Angels Love Devils tour tonight at Slim's, and Popscene presents As Tall As Lions at 330 Ritch. Speaking of beautiful voices, also playing tonight are The Veils at Cafe Du Nord. Singer Finn Andrews' voice is rumored to channel both angels and demons, and these rare Stateside live shows have proven him to be a captivating character.

Best show you've ever played
MacDonald's at 7 in the morning in Rochester NY. I knew I had finally made it.

Favorite venue?
The Rickshaw Stop

Where are the best fans?
Spain

Dream musicians to perform with?
Gil Scott Heron, Dionne Warwick, Levon Helm, Prince, Leslie Feist, Farmer Dave, Steve Miller, Busy Bee, Melle Mel, Kelley Stoltz, Phoenix, Quincy Jones, Bert Jansch, Mike Love

Favorite collaborators?
Hervé Salters, Tony Sevener, Etienne DeRocher, The Moore Bros, Kings of Convenience, Michael Urbano

Lamest request from a crowd?
We've only had lame requests from single persons, not crowds. Crowds usually know what's up. They get together and ask for things that are utterly reasonable. But if the day should come when they demand that I "battle Jelly Donut!", well, I might have to decline.

Any advice for aspiring musicians in the Bay Area?
Quit your day jobs. Go into debt. Its only money. Who needs food and shelter, when you have the gift of music?

John Vanderslice may well own the hearts of the San Francisco crowds he plays to, at least it seems that way. Taking the stage at 9:20 (SFist isn’t at all ashamed to admit that they’ve been enjoying the earlier show times at Noise Pop this year), Vanderslice and crew played a tight 35 minute set. In addition to saying hi to his mom, Vanderslice reminisced about his first ever show, which was opening for The Mountain Goats and Bob Mould at a Noise Pop show a few years back. Vanderslice also demonstrated that he really is one of the tightest writers in pop music, both in terms of his jazz-ish compositions and interesting lyrical twists and turns. The only disappointment was that he didn’t play more from Pixel Revolt, but the performance overall was anything but disappointing.

Leslie Feist has a voice that makes you wonder if she’s made a deal with a devil. In recordings, here voice is amazing, but live it induces awe. The range, control, huskiness and beauty of it make you think of smoky jazz clubs in the 1940’s and maybe Billy Holiday and Cat Power singing a duet. Known for improvising and looping her own vocals during live performances, Feist added new twists to her older songs and played several new songs from her upcoming album, much to the delight of the crowd. She also brought out Kevin Drew from her former band, Broken Social Scene to perform a song.

Feist proved that she may be the best musical sports ever. Midway through her set, Bimbo’s sound board blew. Only one “1964 mike” that was running through the guitar amp, and Feist’s own guitar could be heard. Undaunted, Feist said she didn’t “want to leave yet” and proceeded to perform a couple of songs in Lo-Fi. Sound techs (SFist never knew they could move that fast) managed to fix the sound for the end of the set, but it blew again a song into the encore. Although it was frustrating to not be able to really hear some of the songs, Feist forever endeared herself to SFist and the rest of the crowd with her good natured attitude about the problem and because she kept playing throughout.

Photo by Julie Schuchard

Hopefully you're the lucky winner of the Feist tickets tonight so that you can catch John Vanderslice opening. This interview first ran last August, and SFist is republishing it to enhance your Noisepop fun. At the time of the interview Vanderslice had just released Pixel Revolt, and album we're still listening too.

Has your music been inspired by San Francisco?
Oh yeah, there are three songs on my new record specifically about San Francisco: "New Zealand Pines" takes place in the Strybing Arboretum "Dead Slate Pacific" is about the Bay and "Golden Gate" wonders why we have the world's leading suicide location.

Best venue in the city?
Great American Music Hall, Bimbo's, Independent, Fillmore

Advice for other musicians here?
Oh man, the musicians I know here are pretty damn savvy. One thing I could say with certainty: musicians need to be a lot more involved and cynical about the recording process. Anything you can buy at Guitar Center probably sucks. There is a nefarious and all-powerful digital lobby that's pushing you to buy new, disposable recording equipment that's the aural equivalent of fast food.

What do you like best about the new album?
That the nine months Scott Solter and I spent making it are over! Touring on a record is the payoff pitch.

When can fans here see you play next?
I have two shows until next spring:
August 23 | San Francisco, CA Amoeba Records, 6pm, duo
(with Dave Douglas on drums, Moog Taurus and Moog Source)

November 5 | San Francisco, CA
The Independent, full band show

Picture by Peter Hughes from an interview on six eyes' blog

Enter to win a pair of tickets. (Contest ends at 3pm today; winner will be notified via email.)

Other Noise Pop music tonight:
Noise Pop Happy Hour hosted by Fernet Branca & Jackpine Social Club @ Thee Parkside
Every Move a Picture, Scissors For Lefty, Communique, Push To Talk @ Bottom of the Hill
deadboy & the Elephantmen, Ex-Boyfriends, Rum Diary, Stephen Fretwell @ Cafe Du Nord
ISIS, These Arms Are Snakes, Zombi, The Holy See @ Great American

These are my top 12 favorite albums of 2005. That's right, I said "my" not "our." That's because once a year at SFist we get crazy and write a post in the first person (and also because my fellow SFist music writers probably have wildly different favorites of their own).

Sufjan Stevens Illinois
Young, ambitious, talented, and accomplished, Sufjan Stevens has topped the majority of 2005’s Best Of lists his own way, on tiny independent label Asthmatic Kitty. Most people are still mispronouncing his name (say it with me: ‘soof-yawn’) but most music lovers have definitely heard of him. You know the story by now, he’s making an album about every U.S. state. He’s done Michigan, and this year he released his magnificent ode to Illinois. This concept is not a crutch; it’s a great way for him to focus his overflowing talent and vision. His voice, his melodies and lyrics, the arrangements and instrumentation, it’s all layered and transcendent. The controlled chaos of his live show is a celebratory spectacle: more than a dozen players mill about onstage, in uniform, performing songs and cheers with sincerity and a sense of humor. If I ever get the chance, I want to pinch Sufjan to make sure he’s real.
Listen to Sufjan and the Illinoisemakers spinning on WNYC. Buy Illinois.

Read the rest after the jump.