Live This Month: February 2011

February can only mean one thing in Bay Area indie music: the annual and much-celebrated Noise Pop Festival, now in its nineteenth year. There's so much good Noise Pop stuff that we'll be devoting a separate podcast to it in a few weeks.

Before the fest, there are plenty of great shows to occupy your time, including Beach House, The Radio Dept. and MINKS on tour, and locals Sic Alps, Exray's and Sugar & Gold celebrating recent releases. Enjoy this mix and then go check out some shows!

About the bands:

The debut self-titled album from SF's Exray's ("You Forgot") is out now, an engaging collection of experimental lo-fi pop songs. On February 3, the band celebrates the record's release with a show at Cafe Du Nord, with Tim Cohen's Magick Trick, Fiveng and DJ Cyclyst.

The Radio Dept. ("The One"), from Sweden, recently collected singles and B-sides for the two-disc Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 compilation. The band is playing two nights at The Independent with Young Prisms, on February 14 and 15.

On February 14, Chloe Makes Music's ("The Duel") Chloe Roth releases her first album The Puppeteer, which was produced by Chris Chu of The Morning Benders. That night, she'll be at Cafe Du Nord alongside Honeycomb and Magic Leaves.

Ben Schneider's Lord Huron ("When Will I See You Again") project released two well-received EPs in 2010. Tennis and Air Waves round out the bill at Bottom of the Hill on February 3.

Captured Tracks just released the first LP from New York indie pop band MINKS ("Cemetery Rain"). See them on February 16 at Bottom of the Hill with Dum Dum Girls and Dirty Beaches.

LA's Puro Instinct's ("Stilyagi") new single features Ariel Pink, and it's the first offering from Headbangers In Ecstasy, out Feb 22 on Mexican Summer. You can catch them at the Great American Music Hall on February 24, with Holy Shit, Tim Cohen's Magick Trick, and Sam Flax & Higher Color.

Sic Alps ("Do You Want To Give $$?") just released the acclaimed Napa Asylum double-LP and are launching a U.S. tour at the end of the month. Locally, the trio will be at the Great American Music Hall on February 9 and on February 21, and at The Eagle on February 24.

After releasing one of 2010's best albums, Teen Dream, Beach House ("I Do Not Care For The Winter Sun") are touring this month with Papercuts. The two bands will be at The Fillmore on February 18.

Michael Beach ("The Exhilarating Rise") is now San Francisco-based, following several years in Australia with the band Electric Jellyfish. He'll join Lazarus and Colossal Yes at the Hemlock Tavern on February 8.

Fuzzy-pop band Smith Westerns ("Weekend") is heading on a cross-country tour in support of the brand new album Dye It Blonde. On the tour, the band is stopping at Bottom of the Hill on February 13. Also performing: Yuck and Grand Lake.

SF's Sugar & Gold ("Bodyaches") headlines the Three Kinds of Stupid party -- at the Rickshaw Stop on February 5 -- as part of the band's national tour with Yip Deceiver. The electronic pop group also just released the Bodyaches EP on Antenna Farm Records.

Norwegian electronic disco artist Lindstrom ("Baby Can't Stop (Aeroplane Remix)") will be holding a rare live performance in SF this month. He'll be at the Mezzanine on February 12 with Jonas Reinhardt, Corinne, BT Magnum and Pickpocket.