Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Indie on Top: Noise Pop Celebrates 20 Years of Independent Music

Q&A: Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister on Touring with Megadeth and His Forthcoming Solo Album

Rightfully worshipped by headbangers and punks alike, Motörhead and its iconic founder, bassist and principle songwriter Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, have been grinding out their influential brand of balls-out rock for nearly four decades. Founded after Lemmy was fired from British space-rock outfit Hawk ... More >>

The Evolution of A-Trak: From Scratch Nerd To Dance Tastemaker In Five Steps

A-Trak is one of the world's most effective musical tastemakers. These days, the Montreal-born DJ and producer is part of the braintrust behind the Fool's Gold label, which has a proven record of picking up artists like Danny Brown, The Cool Kids, and Kid Sister long before larger labels show intere ... More >>

Finding worldly humor and compassion in the songs of S.F.'s Bhi Bhiman

A-Trak is one of the world's most effective musical tastemakers. These days, the Montreal-born DJ and producer is part of the braintrust behind the Fool's Gold label, which has a proven record of picking up artists like Danny Brown, The Cool Kids, and Kid Sister long before larger labels show intere ... More >>

In Print: Exploring Bhi Bhiman's Funny, Compassionate Folk Songs

Bhi Bhiman​Bhi Bhiman: It might surprise anyone who's heard his booming tenor of a voice, but San Francisco singer-songwriter Bhi Bhiman didn't always want to be a musician. His first chosen profession? Comedian. Which goes some way toward explaining the sharp humor in his lyrics. "I tried to ... More >>

Valentine's Day Warning: These Five Love Songs Are Not About Loving People

​Rob Sheffield's book, Love Is a Mix Tape, meticulously details the many categories of the medium: The Party Tape; The Walking Tape; You Broke My Heart and Made Me Cry and Here Are Twenty or Thirty Songs About It. But there's not a thing in it about Valentine's Day mix tapes. You know, those ... More >>

The Top 10 Worst Film Performances By Musicians

By DAVE GIL DE RUBIO Rock star, singer-songwriter, producer, interior designer -- now we should add thespian to the many creative hats sported by Lenny Kravitz, who performs tonight (Feb. 14) at the Fox Theater in Oakland. In keeping with the family business -- his mom was the late Roxie Roker, a.k ... More >>

Paul Simon Will Headline This Year's Black and White Ball

Paul Simon is the marquee name leading the 2012 Black and White Ball at Davies Symphony Hall on June 2. Whether he'll perform career-spanning hits, selections from his recent Songwriter album, or both, hasn't been confirmed. But regardless of the set list, Simon and his touring musicians will have o ... More >>

The Grammys: A Timeline of Madness and Misery

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards happened yesterday. Which we're sure you know already. If you missed it, however, you may have missed some of the weirdest details. So here, for your convenience, is a timeline of events. Get comfortable, 'cause this thing was a three-and-a-half-hour carnival of absurdi ... More >>

Meet Linda Chorney, the Unknown Singer-Songwriter Who Got a Grammy Nomination

By J. POET The Grammy Awards usually generate an tidal wave of press releases aimed at congratulating the usual superstars for their achievements. This year, there was a refreshing bit of controversy when singer-songwriter Linda Chorney was nominated for Best Americana Album for her Emotional Jukeb ... More >>

Awkward! The Top Five Most Uncomfortable Grammy Moments

​This Sunday, Rihanna and Chris Brown are both going to be present at the always-prestigious Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. It's been just three years since they both were forced to drop out of the show last minute, due to Brown having beaten the crap out of Ri-Ri on their way over. We kno ... More >>

Arthouse Movie Listings February 8-14, 2012

​This Sunday, Rihanna and Chris Brown are both going to be present at the always-prestigious Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. It's been just three years since they both were forced to drop out of the show last minute, due to Brown having beaten the crap out of Ri-Ri on their way over. We kno ... More >>

Eight Taylor Swift Lyrics as Good as Any in Country Music

Smart people I know have argued that Taylor Swift is not a country singer. That argument demonstrates little understanding of country music or of Taylor Swift. It's rooted, I suspect, in a belief commonly held by smart people who don't care for country music: That country music should sound more l ... More >>

Top 10 San Francisco Museum Free Days

Bored, broke, and nothing to do? Think again. Most museums in San Francisco offer regular free days. (Some are free all the time.) Here's your official guide to the best and cheapest exhibitions coming up this month and next.

Tonight: Psych-Soul Outfit Harry and the Hit Men Perform the 1967 Stax Revue Concert Live

In 1967, iconic Memphis soul label Stax took some of its best artists -- Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and more -- on a tour of Europe. The trip put a racially integrated band and some of the era's most feverish black R&B singers in front of mostly staid audiences that had nev ... More >>

Veteran Rappers: Do You Really Need to Continue Making New Records?

There was a time, back in the late '80s, when the legendary Bronx rapper KRS-One was a candidate for the title of Greatest Rapper of All Time. Twenty-five years later, though, the self-anointed Blastmaster's latest long-player, The B.D.P. Album, suggests that compulsory retirement from the recording ... More >>

V-Nasty Wants to Flip Her Rough Background into a Rap Career

There was a time, back in the late '80s, when the legendary Bronx rapper KRS-One was a candidate for the title of Greatest Rapper of All Time. Twenty-five years later, though, the self-anointed Blastmaster's latest long-player, The B.D.P. Album, suggests that compulsory retirement from the recording ... More >>

The Top Five Most Bizarre Superbowl Halftime Shows

​Oh, the hallowed and hyped Superbowl halftime show. This Sunday, we will bear witness to the unholy alliance of Madonna, M.I.A., and Nicki Minaj performing together, which will be -- well, beyond interesting, we're not quite sure. Sometimes, though, the stars align and something truly magical hap ... More >>

Instrumental Hip-Hop Sucks. Ban It Forever.

RJD2​ Instrumental hip-hop should be banned. It's the banal, meandering stepchild of hip-hop. It's a front-runner for the dubious honor of being the world's most snooze-inducing form of music. And, shockingly, there are still producers and fans who insist on validating it like it's anything bu ... More >>

Stretch Armstrong on the Demise of FM Radio and the Inanity of Celebrity DJs

One half of the Stretch and Bobbito Show on New York's WKCR through the '90s, DJ/producer Stretch Armstrong has played an essential part in the integration of hip-hop into mainstream radio. A fixture in the '90s hip-hop scene, he used media outlets such as mixtapes and radio programs to launch the c ... More >>

The Eight Most Memorable Pop Culture References on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

The rap game -- well, any game -- could use more people with the ambition of the RZA and the ability to make good on it. The man born Robert Diggs is more than an MC, a producer, and an actor. His resume also includes "DICTATOR" in big, bold letters: When the Wu-Tang Clan was just a bunch of young b ... More >>

NOFX's Fat Mike on Taking Drugs, Being a Father, and Joining the Mile High Club

You may not have been alive in 1983, when punk rock icon NOFX was started in Berkeley. That was nearly 30 years ago, after all, and the world was a very different place: Ronald Reagan was president, "big" East Bay punk bands like Rancid or Green Day didn't exist, and Thriller was only a year old. Si ... More >>

Wu-Tang Clan: Show Preview

You may not have been alive in 1983, when punk rock icon NOFX was started in Berkeley. That was nearly 30 years ago, after all, and the world was a very different place: Ronald Reagan was president, "big" East Bay punk bands like Rancid or Green Day didn't exist, and Thriller was only a year old. Si ... More >>

Craig Finn's Clear Heart Full Eyes: A First Listen

If I may make two predictions about Clear Heart Full Eyes, the solo debut from combustible, fan-friendly Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn, they are that: 1. It's not going to save rock 'n' roll. 2. It's not going to be a meta-narrative about how it doesn't save rock and roll. If the last Hold Stea ... More >>

Goodbye, Lookout! Records: A Tribute in 10 Songs

You may have heard over the last few days that Berkeley's Lookout! Records -- one of the world's most treasured punk rock labels, and the place that Green Day got its start -- is closing for good, back catalog and all. If you were a punk rocker in the '90s, this news feels a little bit like losing a ... More >>

There's No Trans Like PubTrans

You may have heard over the last few days that Berkeley's Lookout! Records -- one of the world's most treasured punk rock labels, and the place that Green Day got its start -- is closing for good, back catalog and all. If you were a punk rocker in the '90s, this news feels a little bit like losing a ... More >>

Pretty, Funny

You may have heard over the last few days that Berkeley's Lookout! Records -- one of the world's most treasured punk rock labels, and the place that Green Day got its start -- is closing for good, back catalog and all. If you were a punk rocker in the '90s, this news feels a little bit like losing a ... More >>

Prince Paul's "Negroes on Ice" Wants the Rap World to Take a Joke

You may have heard over the last few days that Berkeley's Lookout! Records -- one of the world's most treasured punk rock labels, and the place that Green Day got its start -- is closing for good, back catalog and all. If you were a punk rocker in the '90s, this news feels a little bit like losing a ... More >>

Noise Pop 2012 Lineup: The Flaming Lips, Sleigh Bells, Bob Mould, and More Added

The final More additions to the lineup for Noise Pop's 20th Anniversary festival were released moments ago, and they were worth the wait: Topping the 2012 bill are the Flaming Lips -- who also played Noise Pop in '98, just before finding a second run of success with The Soft Bulletin, the album the ... More >>

This Land is Our Land

The final More additions to the lineup for Noise Pop's 20th Anniversary festival were released moments ago, and they were worth the wait: Topping the 2012 bill are the Flaming Lips -- who also played Noise Pop in '98, just before finding a second run of success with The Soft Bulletin, the album the ... More >>

The Nuns' Jennifer Miro: An Appreciation By Jack Boulware

By JACK BOULWARE [Editor's note: Jack Boulware is the co-author, with Silke Tudor, of Gimme Something Better: The Profound, Progressive, and Occasionally Pointless History of Bay Area Punk from Dead Kennedys to Green Day.] If we're talking the birth of Bay Area punk, there are as many points of vi ... More >>

Why Do People Hate Kreayshawn So Much?

​ This week, NYC rapper Azealia Banks called Kreayshawn a "dumb bitch." The outburst was prompted by Kreayshawn putting a link to Banks' "212" video on Twitter, via a porn website. We understand why a serious lady rapper would be offended by forcibly being associated with pornography, but obviousl ... More >>

Van Halen, Including David Lee Roth, Will Play Oracle Arena and HP Pavilion in June

The incomparable frontman David Lee Roth is on board both for Van Halen's 2012 North American tour -- which stops in the Bay Area in June -- as well as the band's forthcoming album A Different Kind of Truth, the first Van Halen album he's appeared on since the iconic 1984. The tour is set to arrive ... More >>

Banana-Sam: Cops Asking Questions After Zoo Claimed "No Questions Asked"

​The San Francisco Zoo may have made a monkey out of the man who graciously returned Banana-Sam, the celebrity critter who was brazenly snatched from the zoo on Friday. Just a few hours after the squirrel monkey was discovered missing last week, SF Weekly talked to Tanya Peterson, the executive di ... More >>

Idle Warship: Show Preview

​The San Francisco Zoo may have made a monkey out of the man who graciously returned Banana-Sam, the celebrity critter who was brazenly snatched from the zoo on Friday. Just a few hours after the squirrel monkey was discovered missing last week, SF Weekly talked to Tanya Peterson, the executive di ... More >>

Banana-Sam's Brethren: Other Memorable Human-Zoo Creature Interactions

​The disappearance -- and all-too-convenient return -- of purloined San Francisco Zoo squirrel monkey Banana-Sam turned the eyes of the world toward San Francisco and its simian population. It seems the 2-pound monkey is unharmed after an unscheduled captivity amid his regular captivity. All's wel ... More >>

Banana-Sam, Stolen Monkey, Communicates to his Fans via Twitter

He's back!​Banana-Sam, the squirrel money that was snatched from the San Francisco zoo last week, is getting a fresh start in 2012. The 2-pound primate was found roaming Golden Gate Park over the weekend, and is now resting at his more secure home at the zoo. The 17-year-old monkey is currently no ... More >>

Trombone Shorty on New Orleans Attitude, Growing Up With Hip-Hop, and Covering Lil Wayne

Trombone Shorty plays Friday and Saturday at the Fillmore.​ "I've been hearing hip-hop music since I was born." So says Trombone Shorty, the brass-playing band leader who grew up in the Tremé district of New Orleans' 6th Ward and has already amassed a Grammy nomination for his debut jazz albu ... More >>

Banana-Sam, Adorable Squirrel Monkey, Stolen from S.F. Zoo

Did we mention he's on a special diet?​The San Francisco Zoo is scrambling to track down the person or people who brazenly stole an adult squirrel monkey from the zoo overnight. According to Tanya Peterson, executive director of the zoo, the monkey thieves cut through the outside gate of the zoo, ... More >>

The Selecter DJ Kirk on the Sweater-Funk Parties and What's Missing in Current R&B

​Soul and funk guru The Selecter DJ Kirk has been dubbed the unofficial mayor of San Francisco by friends and peers. Born and raised in S.F., he is recognized for his all-embracing knowledge of soul music through the decades, his extensive record collection, and for producing events like Soul ... More >>

"Blek le Rat: 60/30": Street Art's Godfather on S.F., Banksy, and His Legacy

​Soul and funk guru The Selecter DJ Kirk has been dubbed the unofficial mayor of San Francisco by friends and peers. Born and raised in S.F., he is recognized for his all-embracing knowledge of soul music through the decades, his extensive record collection, and for producing events like Soul ... More >>

The Top Five Pop Songs of 2011

2011 was the year Beyonce got knocked up, Lady Gaga arrived at the Grammys in an egg, and a soul singer from London took over the world. Tomorrow we'll be bitching about the worst pop moments of the year, but today, here are our favorite pop hits from 2011. 5. "Till The World Ends," Britney Spears ... More >>

SF's Coo-Yah DJs on Misconceptions About Dancehall and Reggae, and Why It's a Great Time to Buy Records

Daneekah and Green B.​In the male-dominated world of DJs, local selectors Green B. and Daneekah have managed to tilt the spotlight toward the ladies with their dancehall releases and long-running reggae party Coo-Yah. The two met one day on Haight Street while flyering for separate parties, a ... More >>

R.I.P. Warren Hellman, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Founder and Eccentric Banjo Player

Jay BlakesbergWarren Hellman at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass​ Warren Hellman, the billionaire banjo-picker and eccentric who founded the free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival, lost his battle with leukemia on Sunday. He was 77. Hellman was a successful investment banker a beloved philant ... More >>

Marissa Nadler on Funding Records with Kickstarter, Sexism in Music, and Being Shy

"The real Marissa is filled with passion," she says. "I'm fiery, not celestial."​ By CHLOE ROTH Massachusetts-based songwriter Marissa Nadler performs this Sunday, Dec. 18, at Cafe Du Nord with local songstress Emily Jane White. We caught up with Nadler while she was working on a mysterious v ... More >>

Assessing Metallica After 30 Years and Four Nights at the Fillmore

"The real Marissa is filled with passion," she says. "I'm fiery, not celestial."​ By CHLOE ROTH Massachusetts-based songwriter Marissa Nadler performs this Sunday, Dec. 18, at Cafe Du Nord with local songstress Emily Jane White. We caught up with Nadler while she was working on a mysterious v ... More >>

Lagwagon: Show Preview

"The real Marissa is filled with passion," she says. "I'm fiery, not celestial."​ By CHLOE ROTH Massachusetts-based songwriter Marissa Nadler performs this Sunday, Dec. 18, at Cafe Du Nord with local songstress Emily Jane White. We caught up with Nadler while she was working on a mysterious v ... More >>

"Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey": Sweet Documentary Remains Frustratingly Impersonal

"The real Marissa is filled with passion," she says. "I'm fiery, not celestial."​ By CHLOE ROTH Massachusetts-based songwriter Marissa Nadler performs this Sunday, Dec. 18, at Cafe Du Nord with local songstress Emily Jane White. We caught up with Nadler while she was working on a mysterious v ... More >>

Heroes, Villains, and Puppets

"The real Marissa is filled with passion," she says. "I'm fiery, not celestial."​ By CHLOE ROTH Massachusetts-based songwriter Marissa Nadler performs this Sunday, Dec. 18, at Cafe Du Nord with local songstress Emily Jane White. We caught up with Nadler while she was working on a mysterious v ... More >>