This weekend is gonna be ginormous, with Bay to Breakers,the Maker Faire, the Prince and Bjork shows - so dive right on in with tonight's top picks: more ›

SFist interviews James Elkington of the Zincs, opening for The Sea and Cake at Bimbo's tonight. more ›

In our ongoing effort to bring music to your ears, this week we're giving away two special prize packs from a long-standing Bay area band, The Mother Hips. Formed back in 1991, it's been six years since the band last released a full album. They're back with a new studio record on April 3rd called Kiss the Crystal Flake. Said singer/guitarist Tim Bluhm: "It is very different from anything we recorded in the past. You know that saying about wishing you knew then what you know now? Kiss The Crystal Flake is that coming true." To celebrate, the band is playing two record release shows - on April 6th and 7th - at The Independent. We're giving away two prize packs, each with one pair of tickets to one of the record release shows, plus a copy of the new CD and the accompanying DVD. Listen to The Mother Hips' "Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear" and enter to win below (contest ends 4/4; winner will be notified via email.) more ›

Mountain biking is a grass-roots sport that is only about one bake sale above your local group ride in terms of publicity and prestige, but it is an exciting sport that requires intense fitness, training, and dedication. At SFist, we understand the sport and the culture around it. We also understand what makes a good mountain bike race. To that end, we've reviewed the 2007 MTB racing season in order to provide our readers with a summary of this year's most interesting Northern California events.

So grab your bike, sharpen your elbows, and strap on a number plate for some challenging dirt action, or pack up the camp chairs, the cooler, and the kids, and head out to the races for a cheap day of fun and entertainment. Even if you aren't interested in competing, check out some of these events. You will see amazing feats of cycling prowess, discover the latest in space-age materials and designs, and probably pick up an armful of free posters, stickers, and other industry schwag.

This week we give thanks for the amazing music coming out of the bay area, and the best venues in the nation to see it in. Listen up to the local music you can hear this week, and let's show our appreciation to these hardworking musicians by heading out to catch some shows. more ›

The indelible "Polly Jean Harvey" rocked "the Great American Music Hall" Thursday night. The sold-out show was a must see for PJ fans, who have only dreamt of seeing her in such a small and intimate setting--and with no opening act! Ms. Polly arrived onstage in a bright yellow dress (with her name embroidered on the back), and pink stillettos. The dress marked this burst of sunshine's entrance with rousing applause by the salivating crowd. She immediately started belting out "The Whores Hustle and the Hustler's Whore" from her "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea" album. She played a great mix of music from several of her albums. A highlight from her current album, "Uh Huh Her", was "Who the F***?" "Get your dirty fingers/Outta my hair!" she shrieked; PJ may be small in stature, but that voice is not small in the least. Other selections from Uh Huh Her were "The Letter", "Shame", "Cat On The Wall", "Life and Death of Mr. Badmouth", and "The Darker Days of Me & Him". The high point of the show for us had to be "Taut" from her collaboration with John Parish, "Dance Hall at Louse Point". We literally got chills as Polly writhed around on the floor of the stage, and whispered of a repentant boy named Billy. As she sang "Jesus Save Me", we thought we could die happy at that moment. more ›