Live This Month: August 2011

August hits a high point for live music early, with The Bay Bridged annual fundraiser, Regional Bias, at the Verdi Club on August 6. The event features four great local bands, Little Wings, Royal Baths, White Cloud, and Sea of Bees.

After Regional Bias, is there anything else of note? Well, there is a little event called the Outside Lands Festival, which returns to Golden Gate Park with a really strong lineup full of local bands and big name headliners from August 12-14. Meanwhile, the ongoing Total Trash Fest hosts a ton of great garage rock shows. Finally, as usual, there is no shortage of exciting bands celebrating the release of new albums, including Tim Cohen’s Magic Trick and Ganglians, or groups touring with new records coming soon, like Mikal Cronin and Wooden Shjips.

About the bands:

Moonhearts’ Mikal Cronin (“Apathy”) has a self-titled solo album coming out on Trouble in Mind Records September 20. Before heading on tour with Ty Segall, Cronin will be performing at the Hemlock Tavern on Sunday, August 28 with Mouthbreathers and Cosmonauts.

Little Wings (“How Come?”) is one of our favorite local bands, and we’re really excited to have Kyle Field co-headlining our Regional Bias fundraiser at the Verdi Club on August 6. Royal Baths, White Cloud, and Sea of Bees also perform.

Vetiver (“Wonder Why”) hasn’t performed locally since releasing The Errant Charm on Sub Pop. Andy Cabic and his band are performing at Outside Lands and also playing an Outside Lands night show at the Rickshaw Stop on August 12.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah‘s (“Same Mistake”) third full length, Hysterical, comes out in September. The recently regrouped band is performing at Outside Lands and at The Independent on August 10.

Chicago rock and roll duo White Mystery (“Blood & Venom”) released Blood & Venom earlier this year. Burnt Ones and Mrs. Magician round out the Hemlock Tavern’s bill on August 25.

SF band Lilac (“Cathedral”) recorded their debut EP at Different Fur Studios, and will be performing at Different Fur’s 43rd anniversary party at Cafe Du Nord on August 26. Also playing: Tragik, Grillade, and Dirty Ghosts.

Sacramento’s Ganglians (“Sleep”) are playing at the Hemlock Tavern with Bright Archer on August 21. Still Living comes out on August 23rd via Lefse Records.

Tim Cohen‘s band Magic Trick (“Daylight Moon”) has a new album of lengthy, ambitious songs called The Glad Birth of Love. On August 24, the band performs alongside Magic Bullets, PreTeen and Tambo Rays at the Rickshaw Stop.

Before Wooden Shjips (“Lazy Bones”) release West in September, the band is embarking on a free West Coast tour with Night Beats. The tour stops at Bottom of the Hill on August 18.

Local psych-rock band Howlin Rain (“In Sand and Dirt”) has been working on a new album for some time. See them for free at The Uptown this Friday, August 5.

Mia Doi Todd (“Summer Lover”) is a Los Angeles singer-songwriter whose ninth album, Cosmic Ocean Ship, came out in May. She’ll be appearing with Holcombe Waller and Garrett Pierce at Bottom of the Hill on August 16.

Local duo Water Borders (“What Wiwant”) release their first LP of dark electronica on Tri-Angle Records on October 10. The band is performing at Tri-Angle’s label showcase at 103 Harriet on August 19.