Who’s in town Ole Bouman, director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute, is scheduled to provide introductory remarks at the opening reception for the Architecture and the City Festival’s 2011 exhibition, “Architecture of Consequence: San Francisco.” [6 p.m., American Institute of Architects San Francisco, 130 Sutter St., Suite 600, S.F.; RSVP: www.aiasf.org]Lectures Read More
When Tiger Army frontman Nick 13 intones, “Sometimes something calls a man to roam/He’s got to leave behind all the comforts of home” on “Nashville Winter” — the opening pedal-steel-underscored track from his self-titled new solo album — he’s not just whistling “Dixie.” To conjure up the retro-country Harlan Howard ghosts that haunt the recording, the Bay Area native left Los Angeles for Nashville, Tenn., where he lived and wrote songs for one unseasonably chilly winter. Read More
While we totally adore Melora Creager and her spooky, cello-driven combo Rasputina and urge you to see them this Sunday night at The City’s Great American Music Hall (www.gamhtickets.com), we have to ask one other little favor: Get there early! Read More
He has a steely, cobra-hooded gaze, tattoos down his sinewy arms all the way to the knuckles, and a singing voice so sepulchral it could give Boris Karloff himself the creeps. Ex-Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan cuts a rather imposing figure. But he’s quick to caution fans that the anticipation of meeting him might exceed the actual event. Read More
Like many young artists, British electronic conceptualist James Blake could disavow any influence from his equally famous father, ex-Colosseum guitarist James Litherland. Read More
Brainy Los Gatos-bred prog-rockers dredg have upped the artistic ante with “Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy,” their sonically adventurous new fifth salvo. First, they developed a masked Jekyll-and-Hyde visual theme for the cover and videos. Then they recruited a legendary producer from the hip-hop world, Dan the Automator, to continue the concept. When engineer Tim Carter told the group that he was once part of a rodeo-clown team called Chuckles & Mr. Read More
The centerpiece of Priscilla Ahn’s upcoming sophomore recording “When You Grow Up” might be a sparkling processional called “I Don’t Have Time to Be in Love,” produced by UK studio whiz Ethan Johns, and recorded on his home turf of Bath and London. But don’t take the track too seriously, cautions the lissome-voiced singer, who counters it with a lovey-dovey devotional, “Torch Song.” Read More
The past year has been a banner one for Justin Townes Earle.The 29-year-old twangsmith landed a cameo on HBO’s New Orleans-based drama “Treme,” playing guitar behind the troubadour character Harley — played by his real-life father, Steve Earle. Read More
The past few years have been strange for quirky Canadian crooner Martha Wainwright. There were downs (she and her brother Rufus dealt with the passing of her mother, legendary folk singer Kate McGarrigle); ups (marrying her longtime producer Brad Albetta, the birth of her baby boy Arcangelo); and in-betweens (a backing-vocal stint on the last Hole album “Nobody’s Daughter”). Read More
