Music

My new favorite hip-hop group Blue Scholars are rockin’ the house at the Poleng Lounge ($8) in San Francisco on Thursday, November 30. My old favorite neo-swing band, Royal Crown Revue will be swingin’ like there’s no tomorrow at The Viper Room ($20) in Los Angeles on Friday, November 24. For Bay Area RCR fans, they’re also doing a show at the Red Devil Lounge on December 28, which I sadly won’t be able to make — but I’ll be…

I listen to Soma FM pretty much nonstop while at work. These are my three favorite tracks as of late: Klee – Gold Les Sans Culottes – Allo Allo We Are Scientists – The Great Escape That is all.

When I lived in New York, I was invited to get cheap drinks and attend some great live music once a week at The Underground Lounge by my good buddy and Columbia cohort Jennifer Weiss. She had a regular gig rockin’ the back room on piano and killer vocals. Jen and I also shared a radio class together at Columbia, and after having been exposed to various musical performances at the Underground, and in dire need of a subject for…

Catherine pointed me to the music video for The New Pornographer’s “Sing Me Spanish Techno“. It’s pretty funny.

These guys just came up on SOMA FM. Sweet Estonian rock music — The Tartu Pop and Rock Institute. Here’s some of their tunes, here and here.

My favorite Senegalese rap group, Daara J, is on tour right now, and will be playing in Boston this Friday night. They’ll also be doing a bunch of outdoor free summer shows, including in Detroit, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (July 29). Hear NPR’s piece on them from 2005. Becky and I saw them last fall, and they were amazing. I’ll be at the SF show, in my Fadiga jersey.

Every so often you get in a funk with your own music collection and want to listen to something a bit different. After being exposed to Soma FM, courtesy of my co-worker, Curt Poff (who gave me a Soma FM sticker), I finally tuned in. I’ve been loving their Indie Pop Rocks! feed, which is exactly the kind of music I love, but it’s fresh and new every day. I’m sold.

Check it. A real exchange from the interview: AVC: You said this album has the only autobiographical song you’ve ever written, “Hold On, Hold On.” What do you mean by “autobiographical”? NC: I mean that the song is actually about me. It’s not metaphorical about other people. It’s not little pieces of my life made into a story about someone else or someone fictitious.

I will be performing in the pit orchestra for a middle school production of “The Music Man” this week in San Leandro! Come see a really fun and great show! May 3, 5-6 at 7:30 pm Bancroft Middle School Gym 1150 Bancroft Ave, San Leandro, 94577 General Admission: $8.00, Students/Seniors: $7.00

I’m going to Sasquatch, the Sunday show. Of these bands, what 10 tracks should I buy on iTunes? What I’ve already bought: Blue Scholars – Blue Scholars Pretty Girls Make Graves – “Speakers Push the Air” Pretty Girls Make Graves – “Ghosts in the Radio” We Are Scientists – “It’s A Hit” We Are Scientists – “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” Update: The DJ from Blue Scholars is Persian!