Live This Month: December 2011

For a month when few new records are coming out and music journalists spend a lot of time meticulously crafting numerical lists of their favorite albums of the year, there are still a wealth of great live shows hitting the San Francisco area in December. Bands that had big years in 2011 — including Other Lives, Cass McCombs, and Baths — are making return visits, while locals like The SHE’S, Trails and Ways, and High Castle celebrate recent releases with nearby concerts.

About the bands:

Marc Bianchi is currently on his final tour as Her Space Holiday (“Ghost in the Garden”). The band heads to Bottom of the Hill on December 16. Silver Swans and City Light open the show.

The Baths (“I Just Saw”) song we’ve included in this podcast is a cover of tourmate/labelmate Raleigh Moncrief. Both electronic pop craftsmen perform at Slim’s on December 15 with the equally-skilled Dntel.

Tamer Animals, the second LP from Stillwater, Oklahoma’s Other Lives (“For 12”), is a lush, moody record that’s one of the year’s standout releases. The band headlines Cafe Du Nord on December 6.

SF dream-pop band Papercuts (“Do What You Will”) top a compelling Rickshaw Stop bill on December 3 (TONIGHT). Dominant Legs and Tim Cohen perform in support.

Local indie-pop band The SHE’S (“Jimmy”) has been winning crowds over at live shows for a while now, but the band’s first LP just arrived in November. The quartet’s record release show is December 3 (TONIGHT) at Bottom of the Hill with Tijuana Panthers and Melted Toys.

In support of A Turn in the Dream-Songs, Jeffrey Lewis (“Cult Boyfriend”) and his band are headed on a West Coast tour in December. On the December 6, he’ll play at the Rickshaw Stop with SF’s The Yellow Dress and Tortured Genies.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin‘s (“Yellow Missing Signs”) new album, Tape Club, collects 26 rarities and B-sides from the Missouri indie-pop band. The band plays a sure-to-sell-out show at Hotel Utah on December 8.

Trails and Ways (“Chills”) is a newer Oakland band crafting some dynamic, layered pop songs. Catch the group at Kimo’s on the December 7.

NorCal native Cass McCombs (“The Same Thing”) released two terrific albums this year. He’s returning to SF for a December 4 show at the Great American Music Hall with White Magic and Liza Thorn.

Singer-songwriter Marissa Nadler‘s (“The Sun Always Reminds Me of You”) new self-titled album has received uniformly strong reviews. On December 18, she will be performing alongside Emily Jane White at Cafe Du Nord.

Races (“Big Broom”) is a young Los Angeles band set to release a full length on French Kiss Records next year. You can see the group December 14, supporting the terrific White Arrows at the Brick and Mortar Music Hall.

White Fence (“The Pool”) performed one of our favorite sets this year, and rock and roll fans should seek out the chance to see them live. The band caps off 2011 at the Brick and Mortar Music Hall on New Year’s Eve with The Fresh & Onlys.

Young Prisms (“Weekends and Treehouses (acoustic)”) has been touring like crazy over the past several months. The local shoegaze-pop band’s latest jaunt is a series of dates with Ganglians that arrives at The Independent on December 8.

East Bay art-punks High Castle (“Crustaceans Demise”) perform at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records on December 7 with Uzi Rash and Lenz. The show follows the recent release of the band’s debut LP, Spirit of the West.

Synth-punk band Total Control (“Retiree”) includes members of Australian acts Eddy Current Suppression Ring and UV Race. The group’s US tour with Thee Oh Sees concludes at The Verdi Club on December 4.