Live This Month: February 2012

The twentieth installment of the Noise Pop Music Festival takes over a wide variety of local venues later this month — and we’ll be covering many of those shows — but there are also plenty of pre-NP events worth checking out. Locally, two bands are seeing the release of records for which it feels like we’ve been waiting forever: the debut LP from ultra-catchy punks Terry Malts, and the latest Rick Rubin-produced effort from Howlin Rain.

Speaking of new albums, Laura Gibson’s bringing her newest folk-rock set to SF for a February show. Meanwhile, Montreal’s Grimes has already sold out her Noise Pop date at the Rickshaw Stop, which will come just one day after the release of her new album, Visions. Enjoy this mix of tunes and then go see some shows!

About the bands:

New York seven-piece band Ava Luna (“Wrenning Day”) is currently touring with Twin Sister. On February 4, they’ll both be performing at the Great American Music Hall.

The Situation EP is the first release from local band Future Twin (“Yuka”). The group’s EP release show is an exciting one that also features Twin Steps, Exray’s and Death Cheetah all at the Hemlock Tavern on February 2.

Eleanor Friedberger (“My Mistakes”) is one-half of The Fiery Furnaces, but her solo record, Last Summer, is probably her best work yet. Friedberger and band come to The Independent on February 4. Dominant Legs supports.

Sea Lions (“Grown Up”), from Oxnard, released the delightful jangle-pop collection Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid To Ask last year. The quintet performs at Cafe Du Nord on February 3 with Jeremy Jay and Tremor Low.

Laura Gibson‘s (“La Grande”) new album, La Grande, was inspired by the Oregon town that shares the record’s name. The folk performer and Breathe Owl Breathe will appear at Bottom of the Hill on February 6.

Visions is the buzzed-about new album from Montreal’s Claire Boucher, also known as Grimes (“Genesis”). She’s co-headlining a sold-out Noise Pop show at the Rickshaw Stop on February 22.

Experimental electronic pop artist Matthew Dear (“Headcage”) will be performing a live set at Public Works as part of Noise Pop. Maus Haus, Exray’s, and Tropical Popsicle appear alongside Dear at the February 24 show.

Skygreen Leopards’ Donovan Quinn (“Shadow on the Stone”) recorded and produced Honky Tonk Medusa, which comes out on February 14. Quinn will be at the Hemlock Tavern on February 19, with supporting acts to be announced.

Los Campesinos! (“By Your Hand”) is a Welsh indie pop band. Hello Sadness, the act’s fourth album, came out late last year, and the group will be performing with Parenthetical Girls at the Great American Music Hall on February 10.

Shawn Foree leads Digital Leather (“Young Doctors in Love”), a band championed by the late Jay Reatard. On February 11, Digital Leather will be at Oakland’s 1-2-3-4 Go! Records, joined by Blasted Canyons and Glitz.

Terry Malts (“Nauseous”) are one of our favorite local bands, so we’re really looking forward to the group’s first LP, Killing Time. The band’s record release show is February 17 at the Hemlock Tavern with Airfix Kits and Cocktails.

The Russian Wilds is the long-awaited new album from SF’s Howlin Rain (“Phantom in the Valley”). The band is touring the country over the next few months, with a hometown stop at The Independent on February 18.