The 22nd annual Noise Pop Festival kicks off on February 25th and the week-long party, now a solid San Francisco institution, will be taking over many of the premiere venues in town.They’ll be hosting some of the best independent music acts from our city and around the world. With so many shows to choose from (not to mention all the free happy hours, art shows and gatherings at the new Noise Pop HQ), it’s a tough job to pick and choose which bands to check out. If you’ve looked through the festival’s stacked lineups and still can’t decide which ones to see, we’ve created a definitive Guide to Noise Pop to help aid in your decision making. -Lauren Espina
If You Like Sunny, Surfy Indie Rock: Real Estate, The Shilohs, Dominant Legs / Dream Boys
Brooklyn based band, Real Estate makes indie rock music, but they do it better than anyone else. Soaked in dreamy washes of surf and lo-fi pop, and sometimes even revealing traces of psych and alternative country styles, this band is the archetype of modern indie rock. They are set to headline not one, but two back-to-back shows at The Independent on February 28th and March 1st for this year’s Noise Pop festival. Joining Real Estate for their first gig on Friday, February 28th will be Vancouver’s melodic, folk-infused power pop outfit The Shilohs,and San Francisco’s shimmery pop band Dominant Legs. For Saturday’s show, from Los Angeles will sub in for Dominant Legs with their folk-psych tunes rounding out the lineup on March 1st.
http://schedule.noisepop.com/event/2014/03/01/real-estate
If You’re Looking for Diversity: The Soft White Sixties, NO, The She’s and Cannons and Clouds
This is one of those lineups that makes no sense, and therefore makes awesome sense. The San Francisco-based outfit The Soft White Sixties churns out some soul-infused rock and roll, while Echo Park’s (Los Angeles) NO,encased by the baritone vocals of Bradley Hanan Carter, offers lush indie rock that can be both dark and uplifting at the same time. The She’s of San Francisco make pop tunes reminiscent of the 1960s, but add their own modern edge. Rounding out the lineup, Cannons and Clouds, also from San Francisco, offer an earnest brand of indie rock infused with multi-part harmonies. It’s going to be weird and so, so rad. This unlikely mix of bands will all play together on Friday, February 28th, at The Chapel.
http://schedule.noisepop.com/event/2014/02/28/the-soft-white-sixties
If You Know What’s Good For You: Dr. Dog, Saint Rich, Moses Sumney
The underground masters of Dr. Dog are finally getting the recognition they deserve. With subtle threads of blues, folk, soul, 1960s rock and roll and modern country blended together into one infectious sonic fabric, this band has transitioned from the experimental hodgepodge of its debut album to the tighter, sophisticated songwriting of their 2013 LP, B-Room. Joining Dr. Dog will be New Jersey’s Saint Rich, an Americana-flavored rock and roll outfit, as well as Moses Sumney, a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles who has mastered his own brand of poignant folk-soul. Catch this show on March 1st The Warfield.
http://schedule.noisepop.com/event/2014/03/01/dr-dog
See Also: Strange Vine, French Cassettes, Dante Elephante and Irontom on Wednesday, February 26th at Bottom of the Hill