If Morpheus offers you the choice between taking the red score or the blue score, take the blue one. When maestro Michael Francis got on stage last night, he had the red one on his stand for Rufus Wainwright's Five Shakespeare Sonnets; but he needed the blue one, for Milhaud's La Création du Monde and went backstage to fetch it. I know you're impatient for Rufus, Francis joked, it won't be long, but let's do this first. Good thing he did, it ended up the high point of the evening. more ›

Well, this sounds like the perfect (and perfectly frightening) holiday entertainment for both kiddies and adults. more ›

John Vanderslice is someone you can truly count on. Aside from his incredible talent, we're always impressed with his indie rock work ethic. He keeps his studio Tiny Telephone open as an incubator for top quality recordings, he's always good for a genuine smile and a hug when we run into him, and about once every 18 months or so he releases another incredible album through Seattle-based indie Barsuk Records. His latest release Emerald City offers a somewhat gentler take on his always-unique melodies and music and a move towards even more intricate and adventurous lyrics. In the first song alone, he sings about the kookaburra tree, frangipane, bundestag and terabytes. He builds and inhabits fantastical tales and delivers them in such a convincing way as to make you believe he lived through them. In honor of John playing a free show at Amoeba Records at 2pm on Saturday, we're giving away a copy of Emerald City to two lucky winners. Listen to "White Dove" and enter to win. (Contest ends 8/14; winner will be notified via email.) more ›

We've got a really cool giveaway this week. Everyone knows who Rufus Wainwright is, right? Please, tell us that you do. He's still crooning luxuriously behind the piano, wearing fabulously tailored suits and hasn't aged a day since his auspicious self-titled debut nearly ten years ago. His brand new record, Release the Stars, is hot off the presses and he's coming to play a special show at Nob Hill Masonic Center with Sean Lennon and A Fine Frenzy on Friday, August 3rd. Tickets are on sale this Sunday, and we're giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky SFist reader. Enter to win below (Contest ends June 6th; winner will be notified via email.) more ›

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. more ›

Last week's winner, the SF Weekly. Josh Wolf's mom writes a letter, as does transgender activist Chris Daley and an angry rebutter to Hiya Swanhuyser 's article about a rural rock documentary. The Bouncer's article about Huey Lewis and the mentally disabled won an award and is included in the Best Music Writing of 2006 anthology. Congrats, Bouncer! Are you an Apologist for the Blue Angels? If you're SFist Jon, the answer is yes. Skater art in the basement of the Hall of Justice. Cover article: Did a local fisherman get killed in a hit and run boating accident in the Bay? Chris Daly, not the transgender activist, will be at the CELLspace 10th Anniversary party on Saturday. Meredith eats at the Westfield Food Court -- sorry, we meant "Emporium." SFist Ced is so disgusted by this, he refuses to review it. An awesome Shins fan at the Download Music Fest. Lily Allen says some crazy stuff, and Bing Ji Ling picks his favorite ice cream places. And Matt Gonzalez's horoscope: do whatever Rufus Wainwright does. more ›

Our live music picks for the week of 3/3-3/9. more ›

'Tis the season, already, for record companies to inundate the shelves of Target and Wal-mart with gift-worthy releases of greatest hits, Christmas collections, and repackaged favorites. You already know about the huge releases by Destiny's Child and Eminem, and we're betting that critics' darling Rufus Wainwright will be covered extensively elsewhere. Here are some of the releases that intrigued and amused us for the week of November 16th. more ›