Friday, February 22, 2008

Noise Pop 2008 Adds Q & A's With Jello Biafra & Shane West/ Hot Freaks Bloggers Consortium & Daytrotter Sessions/ Fu Manchu At Slims

The Noise Pop 2008 Festival takes over San Francisco February 26 through March 2 with a celebration of the best independent music, art and film. This year's festival features live performances by Magnetic Fields, The Walkmen, Cursive, Fu Manchu, Mountain Goats, and the live debut of She & Him, the new musical collaboration between Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, plus more including the best Bay Area bands. Noise Pop also includes an indie film festival, art gallery events including an Elliott Smith photo exhibit, and the Noise Pop Expo with free music business panels and an indie design fair, daily happy hours, after parties and more.

Noise Pop 2008 is pleased to host the San Francisco premiere of WHAT WE DO IS SECRET, starring Shane West and Bijou Phillips is a biopic that chronicles the tumultuous life of iconoclastic singer/songwriter Darby Crash and his band, The Germs, the seminal and pioneering force in the Los Angeles punk rock scene from 1977 to 1980, After the screening there will be a special Q & A with Shane West (E.R.), producer Todd Traina and writer/director Rodger Grossman. (WED 2/27, 9:15PM - ROXIE)

WESLEY WILLIS'S JOY RIDES a beautifully crafted portrait of the self-proclaimed rock 'n' roll star and "Chicago City Artist" will also be screened as part of the film festival. Despite impossible odds, Chicago native, Wesley Willis became an underground rock icon, revered artist and hero to many before his untimely death in 2003. This film follows the prolific artist on his journey from obscurity to fame. After the screening there will be a special Q & A with Jello Biafra and Director Chris Bagley. (FRI 2/29, 7PM & 9:15PM - Artists' Television Access)

Noise Pop 2008 will also feature a special literature and film collision presented by the Rebel Reading Series and Wholphin. Entitled "Noise From Other Rooms" the evening will begin with readings by best selling author Beth Lisick (Everybody Into the Pool), Frank Portman (aka Dr. Frank of the band The Mr. T Experience and author of the successful young adult novel, "King Dork"), Greg Giles (20 Minute Loop) and more musicians turned writers/writers turned musicians. Then a number of compelling short subjects will be screened courtesy of Wholphin, the brilliant short Film/Video DVD magazine published by McSweeney's. (Thursday, February 28, 2008; 12 Galaxies, 7 - 9 PM)

This year, Noise Pop has teamed up with Hot Freaks!, a consortium of bloggers, music lovers and artists that have joined together to promote independent music. Hot Freaks! inspiration comes from the confluence of new media sources that are creating amazing content about the music we all love. Hot Freaks! involves some of the most respected music blogs around - Brooklyn Vegan, Gorilla vs. Bear, My Old Kentucky Blog, An Aquarium Drunkard, La Blogotheque, Chromewaves, and You Ain't No Picasso. Hot Freaks!' bloggers consulted with the Noise Pop staff to program artists and special elements of this year's festival, offer exclusive news and content, plus extensive coverage during and after Noise Pop. Director Vincent Moon will be screening a number of La Blogotheque's "Take Away Shows" - live music performances filmed in one shot, without any cut, and recorded live in an outdoor setting - as part of the Noise Pop Film Festival.

Noise Pop 2008 will also host Rock Island, IL's Daytrotter in San Francisco to record a series of sessions during the festival. Influenced by John Peel, Sean Moeller and engineer Patrick Stolley launched Daytrotter.com to showcase MP3s of studio sessions with some of indie rock's best-loved artists and future favorites. Since it's launch in March 2006, Daytrotter has become a favorite destination for music fans and their Futureappletree Studio One is a welcome tour stop for independent bands. Daytrotter will set up shop at Studio Paradiso in San Francisco studio to capture intimate performances of Noise Pop artists, to be made available free from Daytrotter.com

And don't forget Wednesday, February 27 will include a special performance by stoner rock heavyweights, Fu Manchu. Fu Manchu's latest album, 'We Must Obey' was released in February 2007 after which they hit the road for the rest of the year in support, playing shows all over the U.S. and Europe twice. Their most recent limited edition vinyl-only single "Knew It All Along" features a cover of 80's DC punk band Void. Oakland's own Saviours, who are on tour supporting their own new album, "Into Abbadon," on Kemado Records, join Fu Manchu for this special show. Drowned In Sound called the Saviours' latest "some sort of sick genius, designed perfectly to bring out the animal in the tamest of indie dorks. It'll rank as the best album of its kind in 2008." A.S.G and Orchid will also perform.

Individual Noise Pop shows are quickly selling out but tickets and a limited number of Festival badges for Noise Pop 2008 are still available. Noise Pop Festival badges are offered exclusively from Noise Pop's website, www.noisepop.com. Noise Pop Festival badges grant access to all general admission Noise Pop shows, film screenings, happy hours and other happenings during the festival.

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