Sizzle & Fizzle: Highs and Lows from the Last Week in S.F. Music

A A A Comments (0) By SF Weekly Staff Wednesday, Aug 29 2012

Sizzle

Hillbilly music at Great American

Karmin. Yuck.

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• Much of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass lineup for 2012 is finally out, and it looks good: Notable performers so far include Patti Smith, Elvis Costello (solo), Chuck Prophet, Todd Snider, Glen Hansard, and Les Claypool. The fest takes place Oct. 5-7, the first editionsince founder Warren Hellman's passing.

• The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit headlined a backwoodsy stomp at Great American Music Hall, drawing all sorts of mustachioed and Mary Jane-wearing revelers for a night of roots music. There was some Outlaws-galloping Southern rock in their sound, thankfully minus the half-hour six-string solos, and even a wide-sky country space jam.

• Bob Weir's fancy new TRI Studios in Marin is holding a contest to give one artist or band a full day of recording, with video. The studio features a soundsystem that can replicate the acoustics of any size room, from a cathedral to a basement. Get your entry in by Sept. 14.

Fizzle

• Having tainted pop radio, wine, and nearly every rock club in the city, the awful S.F. band Train is now out to ruin Ghirardelli chocolate. The band just announced new Train-branded Ghirardelli bars in three flavors: Chest Hair, Desperation, and Viagra. Kidding — but the actual descriptions of the flavors ("creamy mouthfeel," etc.) read pretty gross next to a picture of Train singer Patrick Monahan.

• The Worst New Song of the Week was "Hello," by Internet-famous pop duo Karmin, which contains the line "the girl was biting on my lips like Jeffrey Dahmer." Between that, aping "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and rapping that makes us feel like we've got bugs in our ears, Karmin finds a whole new low here.

• What's the best thing about being in S.F. this week? It's Burning Man! That means the hula-hoopers, unicyclers, possessors of smelly dreadlocks, and pyromaniacs, are gone — so enjoy the next few days.