Though is just started, scores of people are heading their way to Golden Gate Park to hit the Outside Lands Festival 2011. So far many of the attendees have enjoyed the food and music, at least from what we can tell. We've got at least one complaint about the sound system, but our favorite commentary about the music festival comes from Olu Johnson (aka periqueblend), who writes: "So many 17yr olds in short shorts and leather fringed vests. Fringe boots. ALL FRING EVERYWHERE." more ›

-- 19-year-old lad from Felton -- a fascinating, frightening place -- calls cops after his weed gets pinched. Which he was trying to sell in downtown Santa Cruz. And doesn't get arrested. [Chron] more ›

There are no less than three fantastic music festivals all taking place over the weekend of September 14-16. What gives? And how do we choose? Since we live in the bay area, perhaps our decision has been made for us: we're heading to the inaugural Treasure Island Music Festival presented by the fine folks at Noise Pop and Another Planet. The two day festival features 14 bands each day on two stages with mostly hip hop and electronica on Saturday (Theivery Corporation, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, M.I.A.) and a great lineup of indie rock on Sunday (Modest Mouse, Built To Spill, Clap Your Hands). And it all takes place on Treasure Island, that scrap of land you've seen a thousand times but likely have never set foot on. Getting there is sure to be an adventure! Check out the full lineup and get your tickets. We've got a pair of tickets for one lucky winner to go to one day of the Treasure Island Music Festival. (We're not sure which date yet but will update this post as soon as we hear back from our contact! But both days are really good so you can't go wrong. Contest ends 8/22; winner will be notified via email.) more ›

-- "Given" (featuring artists Darwin Bell, Bret Hansen, and Danyol): Winner of SF Weekly’s "Best Polaroid Artist" award, Darwin Bell, makes clever, energetic pieces from the text he finds around the city, snapped up by his trusty Polaroid. Come check out his work, along with equally-talented artists Bret Hanson and Danyol, at this opening reception party starting at 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. at 575 Castro (at 18th St. [formerly Harvey Milk's Camera Store]); admission is free. more ›

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--Have you checked out the footage (above, 4:34) of someone driving their Prius into the N Judah tunnel? The derisive laughter as the driver sheepishly gets out of the car is ) is genius. (We don't know how to get rid of those white edges on that YouTube screen.) [N Judah Chronicles.] more ›

You've still got the Berkeley World Music Festival today, and Indiefest's Hole in the Head fantasy/sci-fi/horror film fest is in full swing! Your other options include: more ›

It's another music giveaway bonanza this week! First up is a prize pack from Sea Wolf. They've been touring with Silversun Pickups (see a few SSPU members in the video for "You're A Wolf"), but they're a far more mellow outfit: Alex Church's vocals and melodies are gentle, strummy and soothing. Sea Wolf open for Devotchka on Friday night at the Grand Ballroom Bimbo's, and we have a pair of tickets for the winner plus a copy of their new EP Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low. Watch the video and download the mp3 for "You're A Wolf" and enter to win (Contest ends at 11am tomorrow! Winner will be notified via email.) more ›

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Tonight we're wishing a great big Happy 4th Birthday to DJ Ted and his baby BAGeL Radio. The party is at Bottom of the Hill with performances by Birdmonster, Division Day and Two Seconds, and yes there will be cupcakes! The show is 18+ and only $10, but for those of you who aren't in the city tonight you can still listen in to the party performances thanks to the fine folks at Lala.com. Speaking of tuning in, this SFist is debuting her weekly radio show on BAGeL this afternoon at 4pm Pacific time. Hear yours truly playing indie singer-songwriters, be they solo artists or band leaders, plus their classic influences. Today's show includes Jose Gonzalez, Jesse Sykes, PJ Harvey, a special sound-a-like between Spoon and Edwyn Collins and more. more ›

What? This isn't Thursday? OK, all this holiday brouhaha has made us a day late from our usual posting schedule but we just know you'll forgive us. To make it up to you, we want to share a brand new video from Trainwreck Riders. According to our buddy Nat, last week the band hit the streets with a super 8 camera and a bag full of costumes that they dug up from their basements. They started the day at 'Drink Liquor' (where they used to buy alcohol at when they were in high school - uh, allegedly), picked up some 40 oz's of Olde English as inspiration, and shot a video at some of the stomping grounds that Pete sings about in the song. more ›

It's not too early to make plans for Halloween weekend, and if you want to make this year especially memorable, hop a plane to Las Vegas for the Vegoose Music Festival. It's an impressive lineup of tons of bands in one place: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Mars Volta, The Raconteurs, Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band (we'll see about that), Gomez, Fiona Apple, Jenny Lewis, BRMC, and a bunch of those jammy/jazzy bands that people seem to like, including Widespread Panic, G. Love, MMW, and more. more ›

We’ve been on tour of sorts this week, but since it’s for our day job we regret to inform you that there’s nothing very rock about it. We are happy to say that we’re meeting some fellow –ists along the way though. Last night we met and chatted with Kyle and Nicole from DCist. We commiserated with Kyle about the burden of keeping up too many blogs (check out his excellent music blog Information Leafblower) and listened with envy about his plans to cover the Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend. Tonight we’ll be meeting some Chicagoists, which makes us think we should create some sort of dorky visualization out of which –ists we’ve met/haven’t yet met, something like those cardboard maps for collecting state quarters. more ›

Sometimes you need to clean yourself up, get serious, and move in with daddie for a few months before you head to Latin America for a new gig. The District bids Jenna Bush adios. D.C.-based television shows have an elderly audience and DCist has some suggestions to fix that. They're also throwing Butterstick the panda bear a birthday bash. more ›

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Perusing the club listings for December, we're seeing an awful lot of blank calendars. We reckon that means many of SFist's great music venues are being rented out for holiday parties. Perhaps even parties to which we were not invited. Party throwers, don't be afraid to invite SFist. We promise not to do anything untoward that might tarnish our sterling reputation. Not like we did last year. more ›

SFist interviews Ambulance Ltd. more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 7/28-8/3. more ›

Photographer Rob Kunkle spent last week taking pictures of the acts at the Mission Creek Music Festival, which was held at multiple locations across The City last week. Pictured are The Gentlekin. Check out all the pics on Flickr. more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 6/9-6/15. more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 6/2-6/8. more ›

Our live music picks for the week of 2/24-3/2. more ›

For those of you who like your ethnomusicology less with the pan flutes and more with the non-Western modalities, the San Francisco World Music Festival is presenting a number of innovative programs for the next two weeks. Headlining the festivitires is San Francisco's own Kronos Quartet, who are playing a special local show, sandwiched in between their European tour and their upcoming BAM Next Wave performance in New York. more ›