Live This Month: August 2014

Any discussion of SF music in August has to begin with Outside Lands 2014. Tickets sold out in the blink of an eye, a well-deserved achievement considering the extremely packed lineup of everything from Kanye to (Mikal) Cronin. It’s great to see Outside Lands continue to soar. Now when do we start talking about extending it to a second weekend?

OSL is the biggest, but it certainly isn’t the only festival happening this month: the 20th Street Block Party returns for another day of free music in the Mission; the First City Festival brings Beck, The National and many more to Monterey; and the Woodsist Festival offers two days of great indie bands in Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library.

Beyond the fests, a number of local and locally-affiliated bands have new albums they’re celebrating with Bay Area shows. Local shoegazers Whirr, who now share bandmember Nick Bassett with Philadelphia’s Nothing, are about to launch Sway, and the song we’ve included here sounds like the group’s best work yet. Luke Sweeney of Vows has a new solo LP of psych-pop coming soon. “Doin’ It to You” has us very excited about checking out Adventure:Us in full. Finally, Oakland’s Mr. Kind is a quintet on the rise; the group brings a new EP to Bottom of the Hill later this month.

Enjoy the podcast and then go see some concerts!

About the bands:

The Rosebuds – “Blue Eyes”
Coming to The Independent with El May on August 26.

The Bilinda Butchers – “Edo Method”
Playing a free show on August 5 at the Brick & Mortar Music Hall and joining the 20th Street Block Party on August 23.

Liars – “Mess on a Mission”
The band performs at the First City Festival in Monterey on August 24.

Whirr – “Mumble”
Headlining the Rickshaw Stop on August 30 alongside Sad Actor and Night School.

Luke Sweeney – “Doin’ It to You”
Celebrating his new LP on August 30 with Magic Trick and Will Sprott at the Brick & Mortar Music Hall.

Alex G – “Harvey”
The Rickshaw Stop hosts the Philadelphia artist on August 5 with Elvis Depressedly and Never Young.

Woods – “Moving to the Left”
Appearing at the Woodsist Festival on August 5, the Brick & Mortar Music Hall on August 9, and at Outside Lands on August 10.

Rat Columns – “Another Day”
Headlining the Hemlock Tavern on August 29 and supporting The Young at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records on August 31.

Joanna Gruesome – “Jerome (Liar)”
Coming to 1-2-3-4 Go! Records on August 20 and the Rickshaw Stop on August 21.

Wimps – “Distraction (Live)”
The Seattle band’s summer tour hits Hemlock Tavern on August 13; Big Tits and Talkies also perform.

Black Cobra Vipers – “On the Road”
The local group’s residency at The Chapel with French Cassettes and Flagship takes place on August 14, 21, and 28.

Drenge – “Backwaters”
UK duo Drenge visits Bottom of the Hill on August 7 along with Wax Witches.

Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks – “Strange Colores”
On August 24, Avey Tare’s band comes to the Great American Music Hall; Raleigh Moncrief opens the show.

Mr. Kind – “Edge of the World”
The Oakland band’s EP release show is at Bottom of the Hill on August 15; MC Lars and Rivvrs also perform.