Plants And Animals Play Mercury Lounge Tonight

If you're anything like us here at HAD, then not only do you love Plants and Animals, but you've been seriously digging on their new record The End Of That. Not only is it some of the best songwriting the band's ever done, but it takes them in a whole new direction that is more centered on classic rock and roll, dueling guitars, and lyrical witticism. It is a record that is imminently replayable, but also ideally suited to the live environ.

Given that, as New Yorkers we couldn't be more excited that the band is playing a show tonight at Mercury Lounge. Not only do we get to see one of our favorite live bands (seriously, they fucking KILL it live), but we get to do so in a super intimate venue. It's the late show, so doors aren't untuil 9, and tickets are still available.  We'll see you out there, and in the meantime, enjoy the two official videos from the band's latest record, both of which are well worth your time.  Check them out below!

Broken Social Scene T5 Show Tonight To Be Webcast AT 9 PM EST

For those of you anxiously awaiting the arrival of Canada's favorite indie rock collective, wait no longer: tonight is the night that Broken Social Scene take the stage at Terminal 5. In the meantime, you can check out the band rehearsing for the gig above. For those of you who have yet to get tickets, don't fret too much. For one, tickets are still available. For another, the band will be webcasting the entire gig on YouTube starting at 9 PM EST. Yes, we think you should tune in and check it out. They're amazing. The webcast goes live at this link at 9 PM.

mp3: Broken Social Scene - Antique Bull

Tonight: Kurt Vile and Real Estate At Le Poisson Rouge

Kurt Vile in San Francisco, from the HAD Archive

It's no secret that we love Kurt Vile around these parts, so when we learned that he was playing with Real Estate this summer, we duly noted the date on our calendars. Well now that day has come, and you, dear reader, had better be on top of things.

Not only will tonight's show at Le Poisson Rouge be an awesome chance to hear both Vile and Real Estate in one of the city's best sounding rooms, but it will also be a welcome respite from the heat that's been doggedly lapping at your heels all week. So get yourself out of work, and come down to the loveliest basement in the village for some sweet tunage.

Doors are at 7, show at 7:30. See you there.

mp3: Kurt Vile - Invisibility Nonexistent

mp3: Real Estate - Beachcomber

Nels Cline Singers Are At Le Poisson Rouge Tonight

Nels Cline in Central Park, from the HAD Archive

We'll be the first to admit that our exposure to Nels Cline is firmly rooted in his association with Wilco. However, that does nothing to change the fact that the man is a guitar badass who has a list of musical projects almost too long to comprehend. We caught him last summer at Central Park with Floored By Four, and now the man is back in town with his band The Nels Cline Singers.

The group has a new disc out, Initiate (cover above), and will be delivering two sets (7PM and 9:30PM) tonight at Le Poisson Rouge. While we haven't seen them since a couple of years back in San Francisco, wbut suffice it to say: if you have any interest in modern jazz performance, you certainly won't be disappointed.

BLK JKS Record Release Is At SOB's Tonight

BLK JKS @ The Independent from the HAD Archive

It's no secret that we here at HAD are huge fans of BLK JKS and their killer debut EP. Well, the good news is, we now have a whole lot more music to dig on: the band's full length After Robots drops today, and it's totally killer. What's more, the band will be celebrating the record's release with a show tonight at SOB's.

We're not going to get bossy and tell you what to do or anything, but rest assured: we certainly hope to see you there.

mp3: BLK JKS - Molalatladi

Tonight's Phoenix Show Cancelled Due To Illness

Phoenix at The Paradise, from the HAD Archive

Sorry to say, San Francisco, that Phoenix will not be in the cards this go-round. The band has cancelled tonight's performance at the Regency Grand due to lead singer Thomas Mars being under the weather. From the band's web journal:

"We’re very sorry but we have had to pull out of tonight’s performance at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco.

We are absolutely mortified to have to let you all down but Thomas is unable to sing tonight due to the effects of a viral illness he has contracted. We’re extremely concerned about those of you that bought advance tickets and we will find a way to make sure you can either be refunded or have them swapped for our next SF date in September, which will be announced soon. Please contact your point of purchase for details.

Again, we’re very sorry but there is unfortunately no way for Thomas to do the show and we’d like to thanks you in advance for your understanding."

Total bummer, if we do say so ourselves.

While you're consoling yourself, you may as well watch this killer video (below) of the band performing on Jimmy Kimmel, and then get deciding whether you'll be catching Wilco or Cursive tonight.

It's A Good Weekend For Music In The Bay

Photo via flickr and Mike GK

What can we say? This is pretty much shaping up to be the optimal San Francisco weekend. Not only is it beautiful weather, but there are droves of good shows, many of them out of doors. Could you really ask for more? If you were thinking of being a bore and just going to a bar or something, check your plans; there's tons to see and hear!

Friday:

• David Byrne @ The Greek Theater
• Wilco @ The Mountain Winery

Saturday:

• Wilco @ The Greek Theater
• Phoenix @ The Regency Grand
• Cursive @ Great American Music Hall

Sunday:

• Les Nubians (Free, daytime show @ Stern Grove)
  

Wilco On The Tonight Show Tonight, Webcasting Berkeley On Saturday

Wilco at Jazzfest, from the HAD Archive

As Wilco tours the US and preps for next week's release of their self-titled record, the band is managing to deliver a few mass media performances for those who can't manage to catch them live. This week the band is on the West coast, and is delivering a one two punch.

The first is this evening on NBC's Tonight Show, where the band will join new host Conan O'Brien and presumably deliver a tune from their sparkly record.

The second will be on Saturday night, when the band will stream the entirety of their show at Berkeley's Greek Theater over the glorious interwebs. You can catch it at Wilco's "Roadcase" - frankly, we recommend cancelling your Saturday night plans. It's gonna be delish.

Phoenix Are On Letterman Tonight

Confession time: Phoenix is in the country, and if you keep reading HAD, you're going to have to get ready for a barrage of posts about the band in the coming weeks. We think you'll better for it: the band is delivering some of the best rock music of the decade (if not all time), and backing it up with a live show that proves without a doubt that they've got talent to spare.

The band played Boston last night (more on that forthcoming), and is now headed down to New York, where word is that they'll be making an appearance on Letterman tonight, followed by a performance Friday night at Terminal 5. Regardless of where you find yourself in the country this evening, we seriously recommend you tune in for the Letterman broadcast. If it's anything close to their SNL delivery, it'll be one not to be missed.

UPDATE: The band's also on Jimmy Kimmel 6/26, KCRW 6/29, and playing Central Park in September - it's a media onslaught!

mp3: Phoenix - Lisztomania

The Takeover UK: New Album, Hotel Utah Tonight

Okay, we'll admit it. We're suckers for catchy guitar rock. The bottom line is that if you combine sweet riffs, snarky lyrics about love, and a solid dose of garage influence, it's pretty tough to go wrong. The thing is, it seems that it's inordinately difficult to get the right balance to make it work. There are lots of bands out there that are taking the pieces, putting them together, and yet it somehow doesn't add up. We're pleased to report that for The Takeover UK, it's adding up just about perfectly.

The Pittsburgh band just released their new record Running With The Wasters last week on Rykodisc records, and it's been in heavy rotation here at HAD all week. The record is just about as close as you can get to guitar pop perfection. Each song is full of painfully catchy riffs and choruses, and the album flows so continuously that it blows by before you know it. Even more impressive is that despite the catchy accessiblity and fast play time, the record begs for you to listen again as soon as it's finished. It's that good.

Now, it is worth saying that this record isn't exactly breaking any creative boundries. It's definitely a work of straight shooting rock and roll, and it wears its influences firmly on its sleeve. Between the handclaps, singalong choruses, and crunchy guitars its clearly the product of a band that is well schooled on the wonders of garage rock from both sides of the Atlantic. At various times the band recalls rock bands from the Stones to the Libertines, and everything in between. That being said, they manage to use these influences to their advantage to create a record that sounds immediately familiar, but also carves out its own distinct persona and sound.

We got hooked on this record listening to a free album stream at Spinner, and immediately went to go pick it up. Needless to say, we're pretty stoked for this band, and it's definitely our latest fave. Given that, we were psyched that the band is touring this spring in support of the record (along with Gliss), and that they'll be at Hotel Utah tonight! In all honesty, it's worth getting there for both bands. We've been digging the Gliss record, Devotion Implosion, as well. Although their heavy shoegazing vibe didn't rope us in quite as much, they've got a solid sound and it'll be interesting to hear how it plays out live.

mp3: The Takeover UK - Distant Shores
mp3: Gliss - Beauty

The Takeover UK / Gliss Spring Dates 2009
3/31/09 San Francisco CA Hotel Utah
4/02/09 Portland OR East End
4/04/09 Eugene OR Sam Bond's Garage
4/05/09 Seattle WA El Corazon
4/06/09 Spokane WA BLVD
4/07/09 Boise ID Bouquet
4/08/09 Denver CO Soiled Dove
4/09/09 Davenport IA Redstone Room
4/10/09 Lincoln NE Box Awesome
4/11/09 Chicago IL Beat Kitchen (early show)
4/13/09 Lawrence KS The Jackpot
4/14/09 St. Louis MO The Firebird
4/17/09 Pittsburgh PA Brillo Box
4/18/09 Nashville TN The French Quarter Cafe
4/20/09 Atlanta GA Drunken Unicorn
4/25/09 Hiram OH Hiram College *Takeover UK only
4/28/09 Chapel Hill NC Local 506
4/30/09 Richmond VA The Camel
5/1/09 Thomas WV The Purple Fiddle
5/4/09 NY NY Mercury Lounge
5/5/09 Philadelphia PA The Khyber
5/6/09 Brooklyn NY Union Hall
5/8/08 Hartford CT The Warehouse

What's Going On This Weekend

Image courtesy of PsychaSec

Well, this weekend is one of those fine times when we have a killer show to hit up every night. Which is to say, a weekend after which we will not be particularly well rested. That being said, you can't exactly argue with great live music, so get out there and take your pick!

Friday:

• Dan Auerbach (Black Keys), Hacienda, Those Darlins @ Bimbo's
• The Von Bondies @ Bottom Of The Hill
• Blow Up Dance Night @ The Rickshaw Stop
  

Saturday:

• Plants And Animals @ Bottom Of The Hill
• The Pretenders @ The Fillmore
• Bootie Dance Night @ DNA Lounge
  

Sunday:

• Kurt Vile @ Amnesia
• And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead... @ Slim's
• The Pretenders @ The Fillmore
• Simian Mobile Disco @ Mezzanine
  

Noise Pop 2009: Night Six - End Of The Fest!

Well, it's certainly been an exciting week of killer music, and we won't blame you if you're feeling more than a little worn down. That being said, we're in the final stretch of Noise Pop, so don't back out on us now! Today's schedule is significantly more chill, with just two shows on the menu. We think you'll make it out, and if you don't well, you'll be sorry! (Headliners below, full lineup here)

Noise Pop 2009 Night 6:
No Age @ Bottom Of The Hill (1PM show, commencing now!)
Les Savy Fav @ Mezzanine

Noise Pop 2009: Night Five - It's Saturday!

If you've been rocking the Noise Pop vibe hard this week, then you're probably running on about your last ounce of energy. Well, ramp up, grab a red bull, and get your ass back out the door! There're some great shows tonight, and you certainly don't want to miss out on the tastiness, now do you!?!?!? (As always, headliners below, full lineup here)

Noise Pop 2009 Night 5:
Bob Mould @ Swedish American
Sholi @ Bottom Of The Hill
AC Newman @ The Independent
Portugal. The Man @ Cafe Du Nord
Clues @ Rickshaw Stop
Flosstradamus and N.A.S.A. @ Mezzanine

Noise Pop 2009: Night Four Commences!

Tonight is the first weekend night of this year's Noise Pop, and as such we imagine you should be prepared for slightly more packed (and probably more rowdy) crowds. Tonight's lineup is strong, with more of an emphasis on "fresh blood" - all the headliners tonight are bands that have just realized success in the last couple of years. That being said, new music is just what Noise Pop is all about, so we can't think of a better way to kick off the weekend. As always, headliners below, full lineup here. Start your engines!

Noise Pop 2009 Night 4:
Maus Haus, Sugar and Gold - Benders (Happy Hour, 5-8PM)
Ra Ra Riot (Acoustic Set), Loch Lomond - Diesel (Happy Hour, 5-9PM)
St. Vincent - Great American Music Hall
The Morning Benders and the Submarines - Slim's
Ra Ra Riot - The Independent
Telekinesis, Dear and the Headlights - Bottom Of The Hill
Port O'Brien - Cafe Du Nord

Noise Pop 2009: Night Three Is Here

We're still reeling from the goodness of Noise Pop thus far, and we're not even half way through! Nights one and two brought us so much awesomeness, that we're hard pressed to see just how it could continue to stack up. Still, that's the key to Noise Pop: it continues to hit home with awesome tunage every night! Here's what's in store for this evening (Headliners below, full lineup here):

Noise Pop 2009 Night 3:
Scissors for Lefty - Benders (Happy Hour, 5-8PM)
Thao Nguyen - Swedish American Music Hall
Josh Ritter - Great American Music Hall
Martha Wainwright - Slim's
Goblin Cock - The Rickshaw Stop
From Monument to Masses - Bottom of the Hill
Thee Oh Sees - Cafe du Nord
Kool Keith: Dr Octagon vs. Dr. Doom - Mezzanine

Noise Pop 2009: What's On For Night Two

Well, after a killer night one, we're more than a little psyched for Noise Pop 2009's night two. If you have any reservations, throw them out the door, because tonight's lineup is just as good, and quite frankly begging for your attention! Headliners are below, check out the full lineup here.

Noise Pop Night Two Lineup:
Girls @ Diesel (Happy Hour, 5-9PM)
The Aimless Never Miss @ Benders (Happy Hour, 5-8PM)
Stephen Malkmus @ Great American
The Mountain Goats @ Swedish American Music Hall
French Kicks @ The Independent
Matt Costa @ Slim's
Deerhunter @ Rickshaw Stop (yes, we know it's not officially Noise Pop, but come on!)
Ashes Of American Flags (new Wilco doc) @ The Roxie (9:15 PM)
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison @ The Roxie (7 PM)

Noise Pop 2009: Noise Pop Starts Tonight!

Well, here it is: tonight San Francisco's own Noise Pop festival gets rolling, and with it some of the most anticipated shows of the year. You can check out HAD's guide to the fest right here, but in case you're just scoping out tonight's activities, here's what's in store:

Antony and The Johnsons @ Nob Hill Masonic Center
John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats) @ Herbst Theater
Deerhunter @ Mezzanine (Free!)

Remember kids: stay safe, and have fun. See you out there!

Reminder: The White Stripes Are On Conan Tonight

If The White Stripes had been showing some semblance of unity in the past year or so, the bigger news would be that it's Conan O'Brien's last night as host of Late Night. However, things being what they are (cancelled tour, no new material in a year and a half), we have to say we're pretty damn psyched to see the Stripes together again and tearing into some tunes.

Word on the internets is that the band has been working on a new record, but we haven't seen anything official yet. While we're hoping tonight might offer up a taste, we're guessing they might defer to more classic material. If classics are your thing, you might also want to check out the band's website, where they're liquidating a bunch of old tour merch dating back to 2002.

Reminder: High Places Contest Ends At One

Looking for something to do tonight? Want to hear some quality tunage? We're giving away two tickets to High Places at the Bottom Of The Hill tonight, so get your entries in by one!

Reminder: The Walkmen And Beach House Are At The Fillmore Tonight

Picture from the HAD Archive

Okay, so it's raining for the first time in a while, and despite the positive impact on the environment, you're a little bummed. Well, what better way to alleviate the rainy day blues than to attend a sweet rock and roll show? No better way, we say!

The Walkmen and Beach House are playing tonight at The Fillmore, and we're more than a little psyched. We haven't seen the Walkmen since their much-loved-around-these-parts-record You & Me dropped, and by all accounts Beach House can really deliver in the live enviro. The combination should be, well...stellar.

Tickets are already sold out, but you can always dig about...

mp3: The Walkmen - There Goes My Baby (YouSendIt, click through)