San Francisco based Blackbird Blackbird released a stellar EP that seems to have gone relatively unnoticed. Blackbird Blackbird’s Boracay Planet EP (Lavish Habits) is a vibrant, intricate and heartfelt album. This electronic, dream pop, indie rock duo has created an album that is pristine, sensual and exciting without being overbearing. While Blackbird Blackbird has just completed a US tour, we highly recommend that you go back and take a listen to Boracay Planet EP in full. You can find the full album, here.

San Francisco based "chamber pop" band, Fox and Woman have released a new two- part single from their debut LP, The Side Down. Their single, Belly of a Whale is one piece that is broken into two halves, and both songs are respectively called Belly of the Whale (Side A and Side B). Fox and Woman’s vintage and innovative release, along with their music composition style makes this band refreshingly unique to listen to.

Their music is beautiful and artfully expressed. You can catch Fox and Woman performing live in the Bay Area, this Spring.

Fox and Woman US Tour Dates:

4/25 @ The Night Light, Oakland, CA
5/31 @ Bottom of The Hill (CD Release Party!), San Francisco, CA
6/20 @ Subterranean Arthouse, Berkeley, CA
6/21 @ Modesto Unplugged Music Fest, Modesto, CA

San Francisco based indie electro pop duo, City Light is preparing to release their new 2013 full length album, Memory Guide on May 21st. Singer/songwriter, Matt Shaw and producer Nick Andre, have released the first track of Memory Guide as the album’s lead single. Devil in the Dark is an upbeat and haunting ballad about the difficulties of a tumultuous relationship. This track is an enticing song that resonates the general tone of the new album which is full of expressions of loss, love and hope. We look forward to hearing the album in its entirety.

17 year old, musical boy wonder, Matt Jaffe was fatefully discovered by Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison at an open mic, and has been on an ascending musical journey ever since. Jaffe’s band, Matt Jaffe and the Distractions is releasing a new single entitled, Backs of Our Eyelids as the first of a series of singles (that are produced by Jerry Harrison himself) that will be released throughout 2013.

You can see Matt Jaffe and the Distrations perform live at their release party on March 30th at Slim’s San Francisco. You can also check out the band’s first beautifully shot music video here.

Anna Hillburg is a veteran Bay Area based musician and performer. This classically trained garage rock extraordinaire has released her debut solo record, after years of performing in a plethora of bands including holding court as one half of the San Francisco powerpop duo, Dreamdate. She has also collaborated with members of local acts like, The Dodos and The Fresh and Onlys.

Anna’s new self titled album is a romantic mix of lounge inspired garage rock and avant folk melodies. Her voice is impressively is smooth, and her songs are well written and composed. Anna’s new album also features members of Joanna Newsom and Gris Gris, making her new collection of songs a successful and strong representation of the Bay Area’s talented music community.

You can listen to Anna Hillburg’s debut self titled album here.

San Francisco based avant folk band, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down have released the fourth installment of short films that are loose biopics of the making of their current album, We the Common. Lauren Tabak directs this youtube webisode, called "Peddling My Wares", where Thao finds herself reluctantly in charge of her own merch table.

You can watch Thao and The Get Down Stay Down’s new installment of their short film series highlighting the behind the scenes life of Thao and her band here. You can order the band’s newest album, We the Common at their website: http://www.thaoandthegetdownstaydown.com.

Thao and The Get Down Stay Down US Tour:

March 25 Brooklyn, NY Bell House*
March 27 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace*
March 28 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark*
March 29 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
March 30 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall*
March 31 Madison, WI Majestic Theater*
April 1 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center*
April 2 Iowa City, IA Mission Creek Festival*
April 3 Kansas City, MO Record Bar*
April 5 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad*
April 6 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom*
April 7 San Diego, CA The Casbah*
April 8 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour*
May 25 Denver, CO Magness Arena†

* with Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
† with the Head and the Heart and Mayer Hawthorne

Oakland based avant lofi rock bands, Disappearing People and Yogurt Brain will be performing live this weekend at local community radio station, KUSF radio’s second benefit show at The Lab in San Francisco on March 29th. Psychedellic rocker, Carlton Meltion and DJs Irwin and The Mixed Bag will round out the bill at this annual event entitled, KUSF-In-Exile’s Blown-Out, Blowout Benefit Show II. Help KUSF stay alive so they can continue to play weird psych and experimental stoner rock for the Bay Area!

This show offers an enticing and strong line up, and this is an event that’s worth attending. There is a suggested sliding scale donation of $5-10 at the door. For more information on how to save KUSF, click here.

Up and coming San Francisco band, Kiwi Time and acclaimed guitar instrumentalist Gretchen Menn (who will be accompanied by The Wellspring) will headline the new local concert series, Ladies Rise Up and Rock. AEG Live and Best Beverage Catering are sponsoring this empowering series that will launch tomorrow, March 23rd at the Regency Lodge in San Francisco. Comedian, Samantha Hale will host the event, and some of the proceeds will go to the GRAMMY in the Schools organization.

You can purchase tickets at: ladiesriseupandrock.com/tickets or call the Regency Center at (888) 929-7849.

Make sure you check out this event, and support a great cause. Ladies Rise Up and Rock promotes, supports, highlights and benefits talented female musicians, and contributes to the advancement of music education for kids!

Brookyln’s fuzzed-out psychedelic rock group, Heliotropes have a sound that would please the fans of Black Sabbath and Sleater-Kinney. Their latest single, Moonlight, is characterized by dark, heavy guitar riffs and melancholy strings that swirl around singer, Jessica Numsuwankijkul’s brooding vocal style. Los Angeles label, Manimal Vinyl will release the band’s first full-length album this Spring. Heliotropes are currently on tour with UK band Esbend and will be playing Mercury Lounge on 03.22 and The Knit on 03.23. – Andy Lambert

Off kilter Oakland based indie pop ensemble, Legs has released a new single and music video called Two Colours. Two Colours is a mellow and jangly, Velvet Underground-esque sadcore track that is making way for the release of the band’s upcoming debut full length album, Pass The Ringo. We encourage you to follow this up and coming band as they play shows throughout the West Coast this Spring. Pass the Ringo is set for release on April 23rd on Loglady Records.

Legs – Two Colours from Loglady on Vimeo.

UPCOMING LEGS TOUR DATES:

3/24 San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout 
4/26 Monterey, CA @ TBA
4/27 San Diego, CA @ Tin-Can Ale House
4/28 Los Angeles, CA @ Ham & Eggs 
4/29 Merced, CA @ The Space 
5/1 Olympia, WA @ Le Voyeur 
5/2 Portland, OR @ TBA
5/3 Sacramento, CA @ TBA
5/4 Oakland, CA @ The Night Light 
5/30 San Francisco, CA @ Knockout 

Nashville by way of Memphis, Tennessee based garage rockers, Useless Eaters are playing two shows in the Bay Area to promote the release of their new album, Hypertension (Jeffery Drag Records). Seth Sutton, the band’s lead singer/ songwriter, and self proclaimed underground protege of the late Jay Reatard, has secured himself with a loyal cult following and will be performing live at Night Light in Oakland, CA on March 22nd and at Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, CA on March 28th. The band’s new album was released on February 19th and can purchased at Jeffery Drag Records.com

Useless Eaters US Tour Dates

Mar 20th – San Diego, CA – Til Two Club*
Mar 21st – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex*
Mar 22nd – Oakland, CA – Night Light
Mar 24th – Boise, ID – Treefort Festival
Mar 25th – Portland, OR – Star Theater
Mar 26th – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
Mar 27th – Eugene, OR – Pork House
Mar 28th – San Francisco, CA – Hemlock Tavern
Mar 30th – Los Angeles, CA – The Overpass
Apr 2nd – Denver, CO – Lost Lake
Apr 3rd – Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
Apr 4th – Springfield, MO – Highlife
Apr 5th – St. Louis, MO – CBGB

* w/ The Spits

San Francisco based alternative jazz band, Tin Cup Serenade is set to release their sophomore LP entitled, Tragic Songs of Hope (Tin Cup Productions) on April 23rd. This incredibly unique genre bending jazz band is said to have incorporated a melting pot of obscure American and Latin music genres like New Orleans Jazz, Calypso, Swing, Mariachi, ragtime, early Country, and traditional Cuban Music, which creates a very ecclectic and surprisingly Universal sound. You can catch Tin Cup Serenade playing live all throughout the Bay area.

Local Live Shows:

March 21st – The Rite Spot – San Francisco, CA
March 22nd – The Revolution Cafe – San Francisco, CA
EVERY FIRST AND THIRD FRIDAY
ERA art bar and lounge, Oakland, CA
Happy hour! 5:30-8:30