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Get Wined and Dined
As the latest home to Pamela Busch, former owner of Hayes and Vine, and Tadd Cortell of The Public, it's no surprise that Cav would boast an exceptional wine list (upwards of 300 bottles) covering a broad spectrum of tastes and regions (roughly 70). But what might be a shocker is that this year-old nook of a wine bar also serves a Cal-Mediterranean-comfort food-inspired menu that might tempt you away from what could end up being a liquid-diet-kind-of-night. Cav has even been known to lure folks away from next-door Zuni and nearby Hotel Biron. |
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Band Returns for Punk Rock Christmas
Who would of thought that The Vandals had such holiday spirit? In addition to recording an album comprised of almost all original Christmas songs (1996's Christmas With The Vandals: Oi to the World), the band goes on tour every holiday season to spread a little extra Christmas cheer. They'll return to San Francisco on December 22nd for a show at Slim's. Guitarist Warren Fitzgerald spoke with SF Station during a phone interview. |
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Released on Drag City, 11/14
Finally, an album with some meat on its bare bones! The streets are filled with three-and-a-half minute pop songs running scared, gawking at the sheer magnitude of Newsom's latest release Ys (pronounced "eees"). It is a mighty album. With five songs clocking an impressive fifty-five minutes, it takes on the attitude of a film score or symphonic overture, but is laced with such moments of sweetness it often times lapses into some kind of childlike fairytale romp. But a word of warning: this album is not for the weak of heart and mind. |
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Released on Mister Records
Few experiences induce more stress in the family pet than a trip to the veterinarian or animal hospital. For those who have (or had) pets, you've probably had the experience of your pet becoming a seething mass of anxiety prior to the trip to the vet. In lieu of a canine (or feline) quaalude or sedative, musician Kevin Micka (aka "Animal Hospital") offers an auditory solution in his self-titled debut album Animal Hospital. |
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Released on Vice Records, 6/6
What does Justice sound like? Remember when the late Linda McCartney used to play backup keyboards for her husband's band, Paul McCartney and Wings? Remember it appeared as though she were struggling with an interactive toy? Now picture that moment of awkwardness with a bit of raw, junky effects from the distortion box and a pinch of lively thump from the rhythm box and - viola - there's your Justice! |
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A Star is Born
Directed by Bill Condon (Kinsey, Gods and Monsters) and adapted from the 1981 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Dreamgirls comes to the big screen after several unsuccessful attempts. Luckily, the wait was more than worth it. Dreamgirls was and is "loosely" (not too loosely, actually) based on Diana Ross and the Supremes, and Ross' later career as a solo artist. The movie's producers picked an experienced hand in writer-director Bill Condon; he also adapted Chicago's translation from stage to screen, an Academy Award winner for Best Picture four years ago. |
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Epically Derivative
If you haven't heard of Eragon, Christopher Paolini's bestselling first novel (begun when he was fifteen), or if you only heard of it via the marketing blitz featuring the film adaptation of the same name, chances are you're not a part of Eragon's intended "young adult" demographic. First published by his family and later by Alfred E. Knopf, Eragon became a bestseller.One hundred and twenty five million dollars later and we get Eragon, an epically derivative fantasy unlikely to appeal to anyone above the age of fourteen (and even that might be a stretch). |
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So Easy Even a Chimp Can Do It
Watching my eight-year old twin nephews bomb down the hill when I was getting my first snowboarding lesson on the bunny slope while in my twenties made me feel like throwing down my board and giving up. Why couldn't I get up on that mountain and fly down it as fearlessly as they did? |
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And the Tummler Rolls Along
Fred Raker's solo show is an exorcism, a thinly veiled vehicle for nonstop impressions, a tribute to great comedians, and a poignant parable, all rolled into one. Riffing on the general shape of the Frank Capra holiday classic of similar title, Raker has crafted a tight, multi-layered, clearly autobiographical piece in which he charts his journey through the Show Biz School of Hard Knocks, exploring success and failure, Jewish identity issues, and his own spiritual transformation as an artist. |
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