Music

The SF Mixtape Society Returns Sunday!

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

The ever-satisfying SF Mixtape Society is once again hosting their quarterly mixtape swap party at the Make-Out Room this Sunday afternoon (to get a taste of what the swaps are like, read Jon Skulski's write-up of a damp meet-up from 2011).  The theme this time around is “camp,” and The Society's Annie Lin offers up a little creative guidance:

CAMP can be interpreted in multiple ways: in the Judy Garland/Barbara Streisand way or in the outdoorsy “let's overnight it in Big Sur” kind of way.

As always, the swap is free and bringing mixtapes is optional (but that'd be missing the point).

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Semi Charmed Kind of Music Lessons

— By Zach Perkins |

A friend noticed a bunch of these flyers hung up around the Financial District this week. 

This is certainly one way to get the attention of young professionals who grew up in the 90s and now have disposable income. The statement is also so crass that it goaded me into learning more about the double-threat marketing/musical genius behind it. 

So calling on all of my professional experience as a member of the Cyber Police, I successfully backtraced it to one Steve Dukes (via Googling the phone number.) Steve's list off accomplishments don't end with local legends Third Eye Blind. On one of his many personal websites, Steve first and foremost wants to make it absolutely clear that he “was John Cage's last student.”  The brilliance continues over at SteveDukes.us, which boasts that he's “THE BEST GUITAR TEACHER, OR YOUR MONEY BACK”, and has a fantastic list of super official out-of-context endorsements and quotes, such as gems like: 

  • “I like your rhythm.” Frank Zappa.
  • “You are THE MAN.” Barry Zito, Oakland A’s starting pitcher and Cy Young award winner.
  • “Nice… nice.” Jazz virtuoso Joe Pass regarding Steve’s playing, after performing with Steve live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco.
Is Steve Dukes “legit”? Did Third Eye Blind learn everything they know from him, and therefore from John Cage (via proxy)? Should I enroll in his music rockcademy and learn to shred?
 
Will I graduate?

 

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Jello Biafra to do DJ Pop-Up at Oldie's Night

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

If you're like me, you scroll right past the low-rent and low-effort promotions hawked on Mission Mission, but this week's blast for Primo's Oldie's Night is worthy of everyone's attention: former Dead Kennedy's frontman and Green Party presidential candidate Jello Biafra will follow in John Avalos footsteps and guest DJ this week's edition of Oldie's Night.  And since Jello grew up when Oldie's Night material dominated the radio charts, we trust it'll be a helluva show.

Anyway, its admission is priced at Not Nearly Enough and goes down at 9pm this Friday at Knockout.

RSVP and invite your oh whatever…

[via Mission Mission]

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 
Rap + Indian Food

Tip Jar at Valencia Eatery Asks Question for the Ages

— By Eric Gregory (@mrericsir) |

The Valencia location of Curry Up Now is requiring customers to answer one of history’s greatest questions when tipping: Biggie or Tupac?

When answering such a question, one must begin by determining what criteria is being evaluated.  As both men were hip-hop artists, it would at first appear to be a meritorious evaluation of their output.  But perhaps a greater rivalry is at play here, as suggested by the relative placement of the two tip bins; Tupac is to the left of Mr. Smalls, which is indicative of their representation of West Coast vs. East Coast  hip-hop, respectively.

As a customer I was not inclined to take a stand in this battle as I appreciate both artist’s work equally.  Working in my favor is the particular nature of the tip jar vs. the conceptual nature of duality; as duality in an of itself cannot be manifested in physical form, thus a binary answer cannot be enforced.

So I ripped my dollar in two and put half in each.

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

An Anthem For Bleached Assholes Displaced to Oakland

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

The post title might be downplaying the significance of this AV extravaganza, but take into consideration Persia's “Google Google Apps Apps”:

Yes, it's a song about gentrification—a word I promised myself I suspend using ever since the Chronicle's resident whatshisface Carl Nolte started casually dropping it into articles.  But in spite of the ever-increasing tediousness of the subject matter, Persia delights: catchy hook, catchier tune, humor in the face of displacement, and humping the Bay Bridge.

Persia described the song's backstory to the Bay Guardian back in May:

It all began a few weeks ago, when I received an invite via facebook to “Save Esta Noche,” the only gay Latino bar in SF (where I perform every Saturday at 7pm and 11:30pm with Mitzy Lee, Vicky Jimenez and Lulu). Apparently the bar was in trouble, they had lapsed on some of their bills and the bar was on the verge of closing… All while getting ready to be un-employed from my current job, SFMOMA, when it closes for remodeling.

Facing unemployed from possibly two places had me on edge. My stress level was at a maximum. However, it wasn't until I saw my friends perform at the Eagle, Daddies Plastik (San Cha, Vain Hein, Tyler Holmes), that it dawned on me, “I should write a song, and have my friends help me.” Lately, the Black Glitter Collective (a group of artists and homies I'm in) have all been facing troubling life events; from couch surfing to having problems with our landlords, to losing jobs, having work hours cuts, moving to the East Bay, etc. So, as Daddies Plastik performed their last song, I wrote down lyrics on my phone. I wanted the song to be silly and in your face.

The SF Weekly calls it “an instant classic” and BetaBeat declares it “will be stuck in your head forever.”  We couldn't agree more.

Fishiness at the Bike Music Festival

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

There were a lot of high-points at this past weekend's Bicycle Music Festival: an impressively-large bicycle-drawn stage, hundreds of folks parading from Golden Gate Park to the Mission, an enjoyable set from The Seshen—the whole event deserves praise.

However, allow us to divert your attention to this fish/sea-serpent art bike, constructed out of old colanders and various sheet metals.  Beautiful, isn't it?  It even features a tongue that would make Gene Simmons quake with envy:

More Music For Your Saturday Night: Battlehooch's LP Release Party

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Between the Bicycle Music Festival and Date Night, we're sure you already have enough music on your plate for one Saturday night.  But we'd be remiss to not mention Battlehooch's LP release party tonight at Slim's.  Their latest album, Hot Lungs, has been described by the Bay Guardian as “a chaotic masterpiece jumble of guitars and synths, percussion, hints of horns layered over cello and searing robotic bleeps or vintage printer-reminiscent dot matrix screeches.” (Or, as we more succinct prefer to put it, “sick”).  And their live show has always been one not to miss.

So, if you can work this into your assuredly busy schedule and are above the age of 6, pony up $14 and make it to Slim's around 9pm tonight.

(And here's their latest video, shot in 48 hours during this month's Music Video Race:)

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Brick & Mortar to Thank Complaining Neighbors By Filling the Air With Bacon Scent

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Just four days after Bacon Bacon was forced to close their Haight cafe for making an entire city block reek like a pan-fried slaughterhouse (allegedly), Brick & Mortar Music Hall was effectively shut down by an incredibly shady Entertainment Commission ruling that found the club to be too loud for neighbors.  But with new soundproofing installed and an appeal of the Entertainment Commission's ruling on file, Brick & Mortar must be feeling pretty confident about their future, as they recently invited the smelly lepers from Bacon Bacon to open up in the club:

In the coming weeks, Bacon Bacon is going to return to a brick-and-mortar setting — appropriately, within the friendly confines of the Mission’s Brick and Mortar Music Hall.

On June 12, Bacon Bacon will be offering lunch on weekdays from 11am – 2pm. Beginning July 1, Bacon Bacon will be doing all the bar food for all Brick and Mortar events; the menus will be very similar to the Bacon Bacon truck menu. Perhaps just as importantly, Angelus will be able to use the kitchen at Brick and Mortar to do prep work for the truck.

I'm sure this outcome is exactly what the neighbors had in mind when complaining.  Nice.

(But, really, how many people are going to want to see a show in a sweaty club that stinks like a pork pit?)

[SFGate]

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

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