Mike Donovan (Sic Alps)
A solo outing from melody kingpin Mike Donovan of the Sic Alps.

Japanther
"Japanther are two punk-rock dudes from Brooklyn, banging on drums, abusing guitars, singing through pay-phone receivers, cutting up distorted tape loops and dumb samples — they make it all seem so easy. Their sound is a scruffy mess, turning their three-chord surf-guitar riffs and organ squalls into surprisingly catchy rock slop." - Rolling Stone

Ninjasonik
"Those expecting the typical braggadocio laden rap event were met smack dab with a set that starts with rage filled shoegazing to Devo’s “Gates of Steel” and fitfully meanders in a bizarre realm of stream of consciousness to ending with an energetic rap cover of Matt and Kim’s “Daylight.” Telli Federline, Jah Jah and DJ Teenwolf are all vastly charismatic individuals in their own way. Telli, the hyperkinetic emcee willing to flow over anything. Jah Jah the loveable and lyrically capable hypeman with more skills than you would expect from initial view, and Teenwolf, the greasy haired white DJ with skills who keeps the whole thing together, crashing together the variable elements of the Ninjasonik experience and creating gold from straw." - The Couch Sessions

Jonesin'
"Hi, We're Jonesin" is the sunny debut album from the fog city’s sugar-sweet and sardonic electro-duet Jonesin'. Matt Jones and his bride to be Jenny, sing catchy tongue-in-cheek tunes about roller-skates, love, and space aliens under a haze of pot smoke and 8-bit Nintendo music tracks. (bio)

The Sandwitches
Cool new band with plenty of catchy hooks, distorted rhythm guitars, shuffling drum beats, and tandem girl/ guy vox. - Tony B

Outrageous Cherry
"It’s been a good run in recent years for Outrageous Cherry. Aside from having a hits compilation curated by Little Steven Van Zandt and their spacey version of Junior Kimbrough’s “Lord, Have Mercy On Me” being picked for the excellent Black Snake Moan soundtrack from a couple years ago, the band has also released a solid ninth album, Universal Malcontents. Ever the American music revivalists, the new record doesn’t break much new sonic territory for O.C. (or rock n’ roll in general), but that’s the point– its self-conscious vintage flavor will make fans of their stripped down psych pop feel right at home in a dreamy version of the Seventies." - Motor City Rocks

Devon Williams
"Devon Williams' debut album, Carefree, evokes '60s girl groups like the Shirelles and the Ronettes and songwriting teams like Goffin/-King and Barry/Greenwich. You know, the kind of music where the singer sounds as if she will surely die if her dreamboat doesn't dock at the chapel of love. It's reminiscent of songs so full of yearning and devotion that they seem to be addressing God directly. That said, Carefree is by no means a genre exercise, a '60s throwback, or hopelessly cloying. It's simply one of the most straightforwardly gorgeous pop albums released in some time." - SF Weekly

Thee Makeout Party
Punky power-pop from Anaheim.

New Radiant Storm King
From Northhampton, MA, New Radiant Storm King: "Imagine Zen Arcade era Husker Du covering Pavement songs after a day of listening to Abbey Road." (bio)

Vir

Midnight Strangers

The Cons

Punk Rock Sideshow w/DJ Tragic & the Duchess of Hazard, every Monday

Karl Blau
"No matter how sunny he gets, Karl Blau's always sounded autumnal to me. Maybe its because he lives in Anacortes, Washington, a place you can't help but associate with his cohort/collaborator Phil Elverum, whose sort of the king of falling leaves and crisp breezes (aka the wind's dark poem). Whatever the case, "Dark Sedan," from Zebra, Blau's followup to last year's Nature Got Away, is a perfect example of what I mean: A horn-lined strut, disco drum snap, and brightly tinny keyboards can't hide the fact that he's hitchhiking in the face of oncoming night, apples and old crow bones littering the side of the road." - Stereogum

Neal Morgan

Casual Fog
"Begun as a solo project by Nevada City native Ryan Donnelly, Casual Fog delivers a style conducive to its name. It rolls on gently and remains but a distant memory when it is done. Still, it does entertain while it plays. The soft vocals, tenderly strummed acoustic melodies and reoccurring piano accompaniment leave one calm and meditative." - Synthesis

Reggie Watts
"It’s easier to describe Reggie Watts’ appearance (imagine if Lisa Bonet and Zach Galifianakis had a child) than his broad range of talent. Here’s a shot: He can do a lot with his mouth and a loop pedal. Here’s another: He can conjure any of the sounds coming out of the noise machine next to your bed or corporate bathroom. Birds, winds, the crashing of waves: done. He can also be a drum set and any number of electro-music knobs. This may all be notable, but much more thrilling is witnessing these skills woven into Watts’ stream-of-consciousness presentation, a playful externalized inner symphony of sound and word drawing on a vast range of musical styles and conceptual influences — it’s completely absorbing, hilarious, and surprising." - Tara Jepsen, SF Weekly

Rory Scovel
Whether discussing drugs, politics, or life in general his infectious stage presence and engaging charisma will quickly shift the vibe of any room and place the audience in the scene of every punchline. He's opened theater shows for such comics as Louis C.K., Daniel Tosh and Nick Swardson.

“You’re not just hearing his jokes, he’ll actually show them to you.” –Rory Scovel

“Every night he stepped onstage his set was remarkably different, thanks to Scovel's near-genius improvisational skill.” – The Stranger (Seattle)

Chris Thayer
Chris Thayer lives in San Francisco. He's performed at The Purple Onion and at Club Deluxe opening for Rick Shapiro. This is Chris' Club Chuckles debut!