Songbird Festival

Thursday, October 13 – SF Arts Market and Songbird Festival Fall Music Series presents Mid-Market Music Affair in the Plaza Noon – 4:00 pm FREE

United Nations Plaza, 1 United Nations Plaza, Market and 7th Streets
artsmarketsf.org; songbirdfestival.org

11:00 –  11:45 pm  Clangin and Bangin
“As members of Bay-Area band Calafia, Kirby Lee Hammel and Jake Alexander started Clangin’ & Bangin’ as a fun side project and another way to spread the good vibes of blues, honky-tonk, and boogie music to the masses. Equally influenced by the music coming out of Chicago in the 20s and 30s, the pre-jazz era, and the honky-tonks down in Texas, Clangin’ & Bangin’ takes to the streets like many of their idols before them. Armed with an upright piano and drum kit, they’re bringing that feel-good music and spirit back to the streets where it all started.”

12:00  – 12:45 pm – Jascha Hoffman – Jascha Nova

Jascha Hoffman is a journalist and songwriter in San Francisco. His debut album A Cure for Sleep has been praised for its “deceptively simple, deeply weird pop songs” that earn him comparisons to Sufjan Stevens, Magnetic Fields and “Leonard Cohen without the attitude.” He plays regularly at intimate venues such as theRockwoodMusic Hall inNew York City. His next recording, due in late 2011, is The Future Limited.

About the debut album

It began with a nightmare. When he woke, Jascha Hoffman decided to keep track of his dreams on ablog. Then he began to set them to music with his friends. In this way he accumulated a sort of pop dream diary, a set of vulnerable and eccentric songs at the heart of his debut album, A Cure for Sleep.

With their unexpected twists, the songs on A Cure for Sleep open up a world of intimacy and loneliness. They have the playfulness of Regina Spektor, the earnestness of Sufjan Stevens, and the wit of the Magnetic Fields. Like dreams they cover a wide range of moods and registers—lullabies and laments, hymns and whodunits.

A Cure for Sleep features an impressive roster of musical talent, from string players Loren Ludwig and Dina Maccabee to Norwegian guitarist Bjørn Solli. It was produced by Jesse Olsen and recorded inSan Francisco by Scott McDowell, with a dreamlike cover designed by Shawn Feeney.

Since cutting the record Jascha (ya-sha) has embarked on an experiment in open-source songwriting by inviting fans to critique budding songs at jaschavsjascha.com. As a result, hundreds of listeners on Facebook and other social networking sites will have the chance to contribute to the next album

Kat Covell

Kat Covell is a native of Louisville Kentucky. She decorates sets for films, plays drums in a band called Female Trouble, and is a proud member of the Fish Soup Writing Group. She is also an avid record collector and board game enthusiast.

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Classical Revolution 

“”The exponential growth of Classical Revolution points to a broader trend in classical music – with its traditionally lofty image and high ticket prices – of making it more approachable.” 
-Chloe Veltman,NY Times 8/4/2011

2:30 – 4:00 – Con Brio

San Francisco’s Con Brio is a force to be reckoned with.  Led by Xandra Corpora’s powerhouse vocals, the band has taken San Francisco by storm, with 2011 performances to packed houses all over the city, including Great American Music Hall, Regency Ballroom, The Mezzanine, Bottom of the Hill, Cafe Du Nord and The Boom Boom Room.  This fall they take to the road with shows from Seattle to Arcata, Reno to LA.  You can catch them at a choice few San Francisco shows, including the [mid-market art fair] Oct 13 and at a Halloween bash at The Indepent on October 29th.

“…sophisticated and mature sounding music, fusing jazz, blues, soul and folk all together into one fantastic live experience”

-Remezcla

“They’ve made the rounds….winning over crowds with vocalist Xandra Corpora’s powerhouse voice and a blend of soul, blues, and funk.”
-SFWeekly

“…a jazzy, bluesy, funky fresh sound backing up one of the Bay Area’s best female vocalists…”
–Shalaco Shing

“Lead singer Xandra Corpora commands your full attention.”
–Indie Shuffle

“…an exciting find.”
–Deli Magazine

“…one of the staples of the San Francisco scene.”
–The Citrus Report

Show Info

 Saturday, October 22, 2011

 Amnesia

853 Valencia St. Between 19th & 20th

 Early Show at Amnesia 5:00 – 8:30 pm

  

Bridgit Jacobsen

Michael Musika

Conspiracy of Venus  

$7-$10 sliding scale

Highlight:   Conspiracy of Venus

Conspiracy of Venus is a women’s community a cappella group based in SF. CoV sings original arrangements of contemporary music.  Under the artistic direction of Joyce Todd McBride, the 40 women of CoV interpret her daring and inventive arrangements of songs ranging from the classic (Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi) to the cutting edge (Bjork’s Possibly Maybe) with dazzling technical verve and tons of personality. The group’s repertoire also includes works by Bill Withers, Rufus Wainwright, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Roger Miller.

Conspiracy of Venus has played to sold out crowds at many San Francisco venues, including The Great American Music Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts, The Independent, The Swedish American Hall, The Rickshaw Stop, The Make-Out Room, and others, sharing bills with John Vanderslice, The Mountain Goats, The Mother Hips, Blame Sally, Emily Jane White, and Rupa and the April Fishes, to name a few.

The choir is active in community service. We have performed at Dublin State Correctional Facility and played benefits for the Awamaki Peruvian Women’s Weaving Collective, The Gulabi Gang, The Ursa Freedom Project, In Search of Good Food, and the Fairmount Elementary FestiVal. Wherever the group performs, Conspiracy of Venus is hailed by audiences as a groundbreaking musical experience.

Show Info

 

Saturday, October 22, 2011

 Amnesia

853 Valencia St. Between 19th & 20th

 

Late  Show at Amnesia 9:00 – Close

The Mano Cherga Band

Chernova

 Makru Musica

Dj Zeljko

 

 $8-$10 sliding scale

 Highlight:

 Makru Musica

Landing in San Francisco from different parts of the world, various characters got together for different motives, goals and because it had to be that way, at the end of 2008 the became Makrú, a musical tool to express their points of view, ideals and support the causes they believe in, chasing equality and unifying people along the way . With influences of anything that can shake it Soul, Makrú sounds like smashing the earth and play it on a record player. Diana Gameros from Mexico, an amazing voice trained in Mexico & U.S, also an incredible composer and guitarist. Raúl Vargas from Madrid, fed by Spanish art and at the age of 20 left to collect music and knowledge around the world learning, guitar, cajón,, different percussions, didjeridoo, and more… with his compadre Javi Monge, from Barcelona who ended up in la Habana, Cuba dedicated to percussion under the wing of Yaroldi Abreu the amazing percussionist for Chucho Valdés among others. Vinicio Peñate raised equally In U.S and El Salvador brings the Cumbia-reggae-rock flavor that fits perfectly with the Californian drum set of Bob Sanders, who didn’t have enough and got himself also into flamenco guitar world. All this highlighted by the magical flute and melódica of, the called “Fantasma”. Issac Weiser, multi instrumentalist, born surrounded by musicians in Washington State U.S

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Songbird Fall Series Presents:

The Anita Lofton Project

Seth Augustus

Wheeler Brothers

Amnesia

853 Valencia St. Between 19th & 20th

Doors at 8 pm, Show at 8:30 pm

http://wheelerbrothersmusic.com

 

www.sethaugustus.com

http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=180874
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWf_rcoPCWw&feature=youtu.be
http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/the-anita-lofton-project
http://www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artist/show/1170
http://www.examiner.com/events-in-san-francisco/anita-lofton

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Kamp Camille and Songbird Festival Presents:
Kamp Americana with:

Momo’s Birthday Bash

Kamp Camille
Toshio Hirano
Montana Rose
The Titan Ups

3-8 pm

$8-$10
El Rio – 3158 Mission St (@ Cesar Chavez), San Francisco

Songbird Summer Series Show – Thursday, August 18th at El Valenciano – Live Music by Xandra Corpora and More… Spoken Word and Poetry by Ginger Murrary, Kat Covell and Baruch Porras-Hernandez. 1153 Valencia Street, El Valenciano – $7-$10 Cover Doors at 7:30 pm show at 8 pm

Pocket Full of Rye

Pocket Full of Rye is Cristian Ortiz (Cello), Chris Harrington (Guitar), Elan Hawtrey (Cajon) and Jamie McKenzie (Voice) who play acoustic, romani-folk, 50′s love song-influenced melodies about happy people in sad situations. Sounds like: Brandi Carlile singing Danzig, Beach House on anti-depressants and/or a less-stoned version of Jolie Holland singing the blues.

“Pocket Full of Rye showed off a sound more dynamic and full than you might expect from arrangements comprising simply cello, guitar and voice. The songs lurched from a raucous gallop to quiet, intimate moments.”

“Part of McKenzie’s appeal is a big, strong voice tempered in musical theater. She also capably captures the heart-on-her-sleeve combination of jazz unpredictability and bluesy soulfulness that we used to hear from performers like the semi-legendary folk-blues singer Judy Henske.”

–Tucson Weekly, Live, December 2010:

Lalé Shafaghi

Lalé has produced ten-minute play competitions and music shows. She received an M.F.A. in Playwriting from San Francisco State University, was a member of Rococo Risqué Collective political vaudeville burlesque cabaret, and has worked with Traveling Jewish Theater and Three Drops Of Blood Cabaret. In 2007 she received four grants to produce her first full length play, The Breeze At Dawn, including the SF Arts Commission and CA$H grants. She is co-founder of the cross-genre writing group, Fish Soup Writing Group. While wondering and wandering, she discovers what is.

Baruch Porras-Hernandez

Baruch is the Co-Host/Co-Organizer for The San Francisco Queer Open Mic and performs poetry throughout North America. Bay area credits include the Garage Art Space, The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, TOO MUCH: a Queer Art Marathon at MaMa Calizo’s Voice Factory, Artfag, SMACKDAB at Magnet and The Vetted Word Showcase. National credits include Noches de Poesia Poetry Cabare (the 2011 Montreal Fringe Festival) the Berkeley Poetry Slam, Sparkle Series at BusBoys and Poets (Washington, DC) , Pace University’s Annual Poetry Slam in NYC and the 2010 Capturing Fire Queer Slam Summit where he was a Finalist. Other performance highlights include, Live from the Tender Nob 2010 and Return to the Tender Nob 2011 both a combination of Poetry and Music which he hosted and curated (International Home Theatre Festival). He was born in Toluca, Mexico and grew up in Albany, California. He lives in San Francisco.

Kat Covell

Kat is a native of Louisville Kentucky. She decorates sets for films, plays drums in a band called Female Trouble, and is a proud member of the Fish Soup Writing Group. She is also an avid record collector and board game enthusiast.

Emily Palen

Emily, violinist and composer, performs her tenaciously original style across the Bay Area, constantly chasing the edge of new creativity. With a strong foothold in her classical training, Emily ventures into new territory bringing her haunting melodies and sense of experimentation into the realms of rock, jazz and electronica. Combining her deep understanding of the fundamentals of music and a passion for the cutting edge, Emily has created an unforgettable sound. As a soloist, she performs in every arena from classical to avant-garde. She has also been a contributing member to many powerful musical groups in the Bay Area, including Dolorata, The Valence Project and The Goldenhearts.
http://www.emilypalen.downloadsnow.net
http://www.thevalenceproject.com

A glimpse of Emily -  http://youtu.be/qYGvGWY1FDs

Ginger Murray

Ginger is the Editor in Chief of Whore! magazine and the founder of The Cat’s Pajamas She writes, she tells stories, she does drag and she is dedicated to celebrating and exposing the underground.

Editor  and Chief~Whore!Magazine

www.whoremagazine.net

http://twitter.com/Whore_Magazine

Host ~ The Cat’s Pajamas

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=69037410223&ref=ts

Matthew Welde

Matthew (Uncle Rebel, Family Folk Explosion) is a musician that emphasizes ‘feel’ above all else. His attention to composition as a songwriter is in beautiful conflict with the freedom he seeks as a player. However visceral and raw the qualities of this music are, it is the mystery and wonder that are clearly the driving force behind his art.  AVULU; Awareness, Vision, Understanding, Love, Unity.

Gabby La La & The Mushroom People are performing at Brick and Mortar in San Francisco on August 13th 2011!

“Mix one part Hello Kitty with one part Minnie Mouse, add a sprinkle
of George Harrison and Bjork. Then top with a healthy scoop of Les
Claypool.” (JAMBASE)

Gabby La La is the hottest, most talented ,totally inspiring
mulit-instrumentalist (sitar, ukulele, accordion, theremin, voice)
this side of the emerald city! She is a sitarist extraordinaire and
Nintendo 8 Bit Beat master. One of the founding members of DAKAH Hip Hop Orchestra, La La went on to play for several years with Les
Claypool as a member of his Fancy Band. Claypool also produced and
released La La’s first album “Be Careful What You Wish For…” on his
record label. Gabby’s latest CD is completely produced and performed by La La, using Sitar, Ukulele, Theremin, Voice and Nintendo DS LITE!

The New CD “I Know You Know I Know” is available on CD BABY!
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/gabbylala

Gabby La La’s band, The Mushroom People are Zachary Morris on Drums, Josh Fossgreen on Bass, and Ananta on Electric Fiddle!  They bring La La’s music to life, engaging the audience in a musical dance trance!

Gabby La La’s music is a mixture of freak-folk, indie-pop, funk, and
North Indian Classical music- La La cannot be defined by any one genre and perhaps that is exactly what makes her so compelling to such a wide and varied audience.  Since 2005, she has made waves not only in the night clubs, and festivals internationally, but also in the classroom and for families wherever she goes.  As Gabby continues to make breakthroughs in cross cultural and generational music, look out for multi-media projects featuring her music and visual concepts.

Watch Gabby’s latest music video for the song “Alarm Clock”
http://youtu.be/C2fv4BnPgqc

Gabby is currently fundraising via KICKSTARTER to create a brand new music video for her song “Nap Time!”  Don’t miss your chance to
contribute to this creative project and be a part of the magic!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gabbylala/gabby-la-la-nap-time-music-video

and this video from the Album Release Party!
http://youtu.be/YPvue3L0nVw

www.gabbylala.com  www.facebook.com/gabbylalahappy
www.twitter.com/gabbylalahappy  gabby@gabbylala.com

Also gracing the stage are:

Somehow at Sea: Before Cameron Jasper joined Rogue Wave in 2008, He and fellow funkateer Mike Walti were concocting dumpster-diving songs/beats as Somehow at Sea. The production duo self-released “The Wonder Years” in 2007. Reviewers noted the junky space sounds reminded of “…an Oakland Stereolab”. Jasper and Walti are also collaberators with Raashan Ahmad (Crown City Rockers) and Tommy McElroy (Producer: Tony! Toni! Toné!, En Vogue, Club Nouveau) on a yet-unreleased project. Currently, Jasper and Walti have completed producing Lateef the Truthspeaker’s (Quannum Records / Latyrx / Mighty Underdogs / the
Maroons) latest album schedule for release in the fall of 2011. They
are currently writing for their own Quannum Records release.

With Pat Spurgeon of Rogue Wave joining on the analog drums, Jasper and Walti have played shows around the Bay Area with groups like HarMar Superstar, Hot Tub, Sugar and Gold, and The Heavenly States. Somehow at Sea always get the floor moving with sweaty live shows that include additional live musicians and odd video projections synched to the songs.

Somehow at Sea’s new EP “Tasha’s Mixtape” begins with gangster-ish beats, throws in some obscure Russian synthesizers, syncopated R&B guitar angles, and tops it off with sharp tongue-in-cheek lyrics all creating a unique melange of indie-electro pop. “Mixtape” is the first video for the EP and was filmed mainly at the Oakland Rose Garden.
www.somehowatsea.com

GHIANT is a Los Angeles, CA based folk/indie/experimental music
entity, founded by Don Black (of UMIAK) as a solo recording project
and whose sound is sometimes loud and sometimes quiet but all times tuneful. GHIANT combines elements of folk music with experimental sounds (via vocal loops and alternative percussion) to make the “band’s” unique sound. Don started out crafting and recording lo-fi music alone in his room in 2009, to document his diary of the previous 4 years. A number of these tunes were discovered and used to soundtrack the feature film “Bicycle Lane” and when asked by documentary film director Jim Granato to provide a live soundtrack to his San Francisco Exquisite Corpse Super 8 film project (LA screening) in 2010, Don brought on board pal Eric McCann (of The New Amsterdams/AHouse For Lions) on upright bass, to co-write and co-perform the show. Following the initial live performance they were asked to bring this new GHIANT iteration to a number of venues and film festivals which they did with gusto.  They now continue to play the GHIANT songbook live together with new records on the way! www.ghiant.net