Thursday July 2

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
KRAFTY KUTS
(finger lickin records, UK)

So far in a glittering career he has gained dance music’s top accolades including Best International DJ at the Australian Dance Music Awards, Breakspoll’s Face of Breaks 2003 and Best Breaks DJ at the M8 Ibiza awards 2006, in only his first year as a resident on the white isle. A stunning haul at Breakspoll 2007 saw him claiming Best Album for his debut long player ‘Freakshow’, Best DJ for a record third consecutive year and to cap it off, the richly deserved Outstanding Contribution to Breakbeat award that acknowledged his long journey to the acme of club culture.

Inspired by the hip-hop and electro sounds that were rocking his world, Martin first stepped behind a pair of decks when he entered a DJ competition and incredibly, as a complete novice, he made it all the way to the final. With his love affair for the wheels of steel well and truly cemented, Krafty Kuts set about learning his art, perfecting the cutting and scratching that was to become the core of his DJ sets.

Immersing himself in the music he loved, Martin went on to run one of Brighton’s most popular record shops throughout the 90s. Building an encyclopaedic knowledge of dance music in all its forms, Krafty’s expertise marked him out as a prime supplier of dance-floor bullets to Brighton’s musical elite, including the town’s most famous son Norman Cook. Having built a fearsome DJing reputation for himself across the south-coast, with a string of high-octane gigs it was during 1996 that Martin took the next logical step, transferring his dance-floor knowledge to the studio, creating his own tracks to take his sets to the next level.

plus
MALARKEY


+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Friday July 3

HopMonk presents...
SAMBADA
brazilain / samba / funk

SambaDá musically unites the Americas, drawing from percussion-based styles of South and Central American samba and salsa, and blending them with the funk and reggae beats so familiar to crowds of North America. While Brazilian natives Papiba Godinho and Dandha da Hora bring their profound knowledge and respect for the roots of Brazilian song and dance, the entire band has developed a unique musical style with a universal appeal. The septet, which was formed by Papiba Godinho, has conquered the club and festival circuit with its wildly explosive Carnival-like performances. The band is known for its high-energy percussion, danceable grooves and visually dynamic show. SambaDá is dedicated to making people dance by creating an ecstatic non-stop dance party that appeals to all ages and cultures!

The addition in 2005 of singer and dancer Dandha da Hora, a member of the renown group Ilê Aiyê of Brazil, brought authentic Afro-Brazilian flavor to the band's already potent mixture of styles."Ile Aiye" means "house of life" in the African Yoruba language. Ile Aiye was founded in 1974 when it fought to become the first Afro-Brazilian group to participate in the yearly Carnival celebration in Brazil. Inspired by the black power and civil rights movement in the United States, the group challenges racism and promotes self-esteem through education, culture and tradition. Da Hora began performing with Ilê Aiyê at the age of 6 and toured internationally with the group for many years. Honoring Ilê Aiyê’s legacy as well as their own activism, SambaDá works (and plays!) for social justice, peace and the respect of all cultures and peoples.

After a decade of delivering Brazilian grooves, SambaDá realized it was time to up the musical ante and create a sound that truly defined the collective as whole. Currently, SambaDá delivers its signature infectious dance grooves with a newly inspired sound. When SambaDá crossed paths with Grammy-nominated music producer Greg Landau to create the 2006 sophomore release "Salve a Bahia", the band created a new sound that not only paid homage to folkloric music but also captured the spirit and musical background of each band member and added a modern, funky edge.

The culmination of this collaboration with Greg Landau and SambaDá is the current album to be released this spring 2009. It will surely push the envelope and re-define the band once again as a truly unique force in the ever-evolving face of music and live performance. It is the goal of SambaDá to inspire a positive change in our world by creating a "togetherness" that blurs the line between performer and audience!

Along with...
DJ MALARKEY

Saturday July 4

HopMonk presents...
BLANE LYON & THE REAL
soul / electro funk / r&b

Blane Lyon’s voice, words, performance and presence echo his deep history and commitment to soulful uplifting music. With over 500 live concerts to his credit, his performance is crafted and inspiring. With over 200 original songs, in multiple genres, Blane Lyon’s music is evolved and beautiful. Singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, dancer and producer Blane Lyon performs original works of Funk, Soul, Reggae, Electronica, Dub, Acoustic and many other forms of groove.

Born a San Francisco native, to a radical political family, Lyon was influenced young by a vast mix of different music, from the latin sounds of the mission to the soulfully psychedelic funk of the 70’s and the birthing hip hop. Lyon started writing poetry at 13 as an antidote to the overwhelming sadness accompanying personal tragedy. Upon setting his words to music he stumbled into a lifelong passion and has continued to confront political and spiritual challenges with a trademark lyrical urgency ever since. After completing a degree in music and dance composition at University of CA. at Santa Cruz, he traveled and performed extensively in Europe, Thailand, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest with guitar and notepad close at hand. Eventually returning to California he formed the popular funk collective Family Soul, which became a crowd packing mainstay of the Northwest club circuit throughout the late 90’s. Lyon was also the founder and singer for the punk/funk Sonoma County group, The Louies in the late 1980’s and the Santa Cruz based Brothers of Other in the early 90’s.

Blane is a prolific songwriter and music producer. In 2003 he established B-Luv Recording studios in Fairfax California where he continues to write, record, and produce music for himself and other musical projects. Releasing his first solo album, “All People” in late 2005, Blane formed his present band The Real, which maintains Lyon’s conscious tune-smithing with a penchant for booty shaking grooves, and fat backed soul anthems. Lyon also performs solo, both acoustic and electronic live sets. The “All People” cd released thru Blane lyon productions has experienced steady sales throughout 2006 and 2007, and is available on iTunes, and many other digital downloading sites. The new Album “Rebel Lion” will be released summer 2009. Recently Blane wrote the funky theme songs for the US Bicycle lobby safe routes to school program ,” Ride My Bike” & “I Want to Walk!”. He also volunteers by performing in mental institutions thru the Bread & Roses Foundation. Cleaning up the great mass of plastic in the ocean “the Gyre” has also been a focus of this year. Lyon has performed several benefit concerts in California and Hawaii in order to promote awareness about this environmental tragedy/responsibility.

Also appearing:
SAHSA "butterfly" ROSE

Thursday July 9

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
BLVD
(live) (OAK, SF)

2008 was a dizzying blur of firsts and foremosts for the San Francisco based band BLVD. While whipping up crowds across the US with their fresh urban sounds this four-piece has positioned itself as a new champion of the burgeoning live electronic movement. The fallout of BLVD's blitz on premier west coast festivals in '08 (High Sierra Music Festival, Earthdance, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Lightning in a Bottle, Shambhala, etc) lead to several licensing deals with conglomerates such as Victoria’s Secret, AOL, CBS, MTV and more. The band dropped its full length release (Music for People) last summer and toured heavily as the album garnered critical acclaim and remained in the top 40 on CMJ charts for 6 weeks. The release also got BLVD named to the "Hot 100 Unsigned Artists" of 2008 by Music Connection Magazine. The group topped the year off with a show stealing set at Sea of Dreams, the largest indoor NYE event in the US, alongside Thievery Corporation and Bassnectar. 

2009 is expected to be an equally exciting year for this scene setting collaboration. They’re currently in the studio with well known producer Jeff Saltzman ( Killers, Fischerspooner, Two Gallants, The Sounds) crafting their follow up to 08’s Music For People and a spring tour will take them up the west coast, east to Hampton, VA for a Phish after show, and to the SXSW festival in Austin. The tour ends with a string of dates alongside Lotus as they stop at the premier theaters in the North East.

BLVD's genre bending, life affirming music inspires a frenzy on the dance floor that rings in the ears and minds of its audience long after the party is over. Few bands can provoke the kind of electric atmosphere that BLVD has at its shows. This unconventional mixture of hip-hop vocals, rock guitars, street beats, and sub woofing bass is enough to galvanize and convert any crowd into a devoted fan base.

+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Friday July 10

HopMonk presents...
GINA VILLALOBOS
americana / folk / rock

Gina’s nothing if not dead serious. Her music is deeply rooted in time, place, and history. She’s the real thing: an artist, someone who can show you where you are. Hailed as the new “Queen of Country Rock” and seemingly out of nowhere. Gina has rapidly established a growing cult following in the UK and the US for her infectious, raw, simply irresistible, roots rock influenced songs. Knowing when to whisper and when to unleash, she finesses words into new meaning with the slightest inflection.

And for her live performances, where her willingness to expose herself completely takes her audience’s out of the moment, to a place up above the chaos, alone with their thoughts. Eventually nothing else exists...it is a truly transcendent experience. For those who have yet to experience Villalobos, it is enlightening to consider her in the company of artists like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Patty Smith, or Lucinda Williams – people so ill-fitted to categories that they had to carve out spaces of their own. But such comparisons are also misleading, because individualism is as essential as talent for admission to this group. Despite certain similarities to their work, Villalobos sounds like none of the above.

Along with...
ELLIOT RANDALL
americana / folk / rock

Twenty six year old country-rock troubadour Elliot Randall is an emerging musical stylist who writes songs that "defy his tender years. He seems to have done it all and has the required levels of hurt and angst that far older songwriters take years to experience." (Americana UK) Randall's discerning style has garnered him comparisons to the likes of Ryan Adams and, some of his great musical predecessors like Guy Clark and Gram Parsons. The young Randall spent much of his childhood exploring the marshes of the Ashley river near his grandparents' home in Charleston, South Carolina. This lush, southern environment, coupled with his musical father's love of the piano had a great influence on his future. "I pretty much only remember hearing Willie Nelson and the Eagles played", he says. Pair that with an intellectual mother (a published writer and former Assistant Dean of English and Literature at Northwestern University) and an obvious young songwriter is incarnated.

Elliot taught himself to play the piano and guitar and the writing came naturally. His mother always kept him reading, "whether I wanted to or not" he jokes, and stressed the importance of poetry for the soul. Randall moved on to college life spending his first year on a golf scholarship at Arizona State. Out of pure wanderlust, he returned to California one year later, where his family had relocated in his high school years. He attended Santa Barbara Community College, where his song writing began to be noticed by the school's music department. "In my second year at SBCC, a song writing class and my first heartbreak converged to turn me into a songwriter."  

Along with...
JESSE BREWSTER
rock / acoustic / alternative

Saturday July 11

HopMonk presents...
BLUE TURTLE SEDUCTION
rock / bluegrass / americana

When Blue Turtle Seduction played their first show in 2001 it Was... well... rough around the edges, sloppy, chaotic, and ... one hell of a great time. From the beginning there was a raw and original sound, a clear and intense vibe, and the energy was through the roof. It was the rebellious outdoor spirit of South Lake Tahoe, CA (work hard, play harder) wrapped into electric guitar and mandolin; harmonica, harmonies, and adrenaline; drums, bass, and violin.

Fast forward to 2007 and find a band that dedicated itself to practice and playing as many shows as possible to polish that rough sound into something that has been winning fans over night after night from small town to big city, from Hawaii to New York City, and from dive bar to famous theatres all while marching to beat of their own drummer.

And while the big question spreads from mouth to mouth, "What kind of music is it?!" The band and fans alike scratch their head and offer, "Well its jam-newgrass?, how about gypsy rock?, no its Duran Duran meets String Cheese Incident, meets the Clash ... no its not, its Blind Melon meets the Samples... forget it, just come to the show! And whether its the show, the three studio CDs, or internet downloads you'll find music with meaning, lyrics that dive into two feet of fresh snow and ride the wave through the apocalypse landing on a sunny beach with tequila in hand with a spirit that kind of dares, "Go big or go home!"

Sunday July 12

HopMonk presents...
RAMBLIN JACK ELLIOT
folk / roots / folk

Ramblin' Jack Elliott will release his long-anticipated follow-up to his 2006 ANTI- Record debut I Stand Alone on April 7th 2009, entitled A Stranger Here. Working with producer Joe Henry (Bettye LaVette, Solomon Burke, Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint), the 77 year old Elliott sings and plays acoustic guitar, and is backed by a stellar collection of musicians handpicked by Henry, among them Van Dyke Parks and David Hidalgo (Los Lobos).

Revered for his interpretive take on traditional American music, on A Stranger Here Elliott steps out of the country/folk arena that has shaped his legend, 50+ years in the making. Haunting and evocative landscapes crafted by Henry construct a mood that is enhanced by Elliott's world-scarred voice. Together, musician and producer examine a carefully selected number of pre-WWII blues songs in a wholly unique way.

From the liner notes of A Stranger Here, Henry writes: "I pitched the idea that he interpret country blues music from the Depression era of his birth... songs as dark, funny and strange as is he and the times that produced them, and also ones that still resonate in these turbulent days: songs from the blues masters Jack had known during their latter-day resurgence - and his own ascension - in the early sixties (Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis); songs that share shape and subject with many folk songs of the same period but speak with a particular poetry to struggle, love, justice and mortality - off-handedly and all at once... I needn't have pitched so hard. Jack seemed intrigued by the notion from the start, and had no trouble reading the songs as pertinent to him. He pounced on each one as it came up during the four days of recording in my basement studio, gave each a face of suave cunning, and was as unexpectedly arch as Bob Hope might've seemed strolling through a Fellini tableau. He's using an old language but always speaking in the present tense."

One of the great American musical treasures, Elliott has had a rich and storied life. As a budding musician, Jack developed his voice under the tutelage of Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, truck hitching across the country off and on for a couple of years with Woody, carrying "only razors and guitars." The pair eventually landed in the McCarthy-free enclave of Topanga Canyon CA in the 1950s, where Elliott played for James Dean and later married Dean's former flame. On the other coast, Elliott was also a fixture of the Greenwich Village scene, and once spent "three days and a lot of wine" listening to Jack Kerouac read On the Road. But it is his relationship with a young Bob Dylan that Elliott is perhaps most famous for, though back in the 1960s the up-and-coming Dylan was often mistakenly dubbed the "son of Jack Elliott." Today Elliott simply states "Dylan learned from me the same way I learned from Woody."

Monday July 13

Blisswave and Double D present...
Lazer Sword (SF)
Ana Sia
Savoy(Boulder,CO)
Synchronic(New Zealand)

Live Painting by:

• Des10 & Ian Ross
  
• Crystals and Gems by
  
• Light-Records & Crystalline Dream

Thursday July 16

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
BOOGIEBURG SOUNDSYSTEM
(blacksburg, VA)

plus
MALARKEY


+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Friday July 17

HopMonk presents...
NEW MONSOON
rock / jam / alt

New Monsoon represents the best of the San Francisco jam scene. Formed during the El Nino rains of Northern California in the late 90's, this band has distilled their original sound with top-flight musicianship, tireless live performing and a thoroughly open-minded musical perspective. NM's unique style blends free-flying rock with acoustic stylings, tight vocal harmonies and lyrical songcraft. With a fearless pioneering spirit, they've become one of the most cutting edge bands on the scene today.

"New Monsoon was formed around Bo Carper's acoustic finger-style picking and the sharp, driving leads of electric guitarist Jeff Miller. The interplay of warm acoustic tones and charged electric bite-born from a shared love of Led Zeppelin III-has remained at the heart of it's sound through various line-up changes, now a streamlined quintet with Phil Ferlino (keyboards), Marshall Harrell (Bass) and Sean Hutchinson (drums).

New Monsoon is built on the pillars of the 60's SF scene-a healthy dose of improvisation, a psychedelic character and a broad stylistic reach-without expressly emulating anyone" - Dennis Cook, Relix Magazine

Along with...
Bourgeois Gypsies

Featuring freewheeling musical wanderings through countrified blues, slinky swamp ballads and homespun hillbilly heartbreaks, the Bourgeois Gypsies mix slow-burning, porchsetting music with poignant punk lullabies that make you tap your feet, clutch your heart and shake your head all at the same time. With incessant gigging in jukejoints, festivals and smoky roadhouses across the country, the Gypsies are quietly building their following the old fashioned way, one night at a time.

The Bourgeois Gypsies formed when Arnold Mitchem, a high desert troubadour collided with Kaisa MacDonald, the inn-keeping, firespinning spawn of a gypsy in the café of a clothing-optional hot springs resort. Thrown together for an impromptu open mic session, the two musicians realized that their styles clicked and their abilities complemented each other. Two cd’s, countless gigs and a few additional band members later the Gypsies are gearing up for prime time with their latest release.

 Their second original CD “Faulty Fairytales,” resonates with songs of knightless dragons and princesses without towers and captures a shambling syncopation flirting with dissonance that clings to your soul and peeks through windows of a bygone era, and leaves you with one word … “More”.

Saturday July 18

HopMonk presents...
GOOFERMAN
powerpop / alternative / funk

In the summer of 2001, the gods got stoned and, among other miscues, let loose upon the Earth what would amount to one of the modern age's most innovative, inexcusable oddities:

Behold GOOFERMAN, kings of klown-fi and master purveyors of ding-dong euphonics!

Based in San Francisco, GOOFERMAN originally materialized as an unsanctioned back-alley experiment in lo-brow, improvisational aural expression. Then things turned electronic; things got carbonated. This led to that, and that to this: A trip to Miami's Winter Music Conference in 2003 pushed one too many buttons, and the gods of the Red Nose spoke: "Abandon all pretense. Gather the klowns. Fight the power." So the klowns were gathered. The power was fought. Pretense was shoved off a cliff.

Thus, in August of 2004, GOOFERMAN found themselves out at Burning Man, land of the truly strange and eccentric, tripping just the right amount of balls on a perfectly Technicolored, junkyard stage. The klowns' instruments - some conventional, some not so - took on a life of their own. Things got hybridized; things got thumpity. And once the dust settled, it became plainly evident that GOOFERMAN had undergone its own Big Bang.

Behold GOOFERMAN: an ever-morphing micro circus of klown-fi and auxiliary circus performers built on an entirely unique bedrock of breakbeat, funk, drum & bass, raggaeton, rock, hip hop, and whirled beat, all parlayed to the audiences of the world by a new-fangled, super-styled breed of klown. Pack DNA from Oingo Boingo, Fatboy Slim, George Clinton, Soul Coughing, Basement Jaxx, Prince, The Police, and Looney Tunes into an Amsterdam cafè pipe, sneak it into a big top, inhale, exhale, and you've pretty much got the picture. Gooferman's performed throughout the US -- including festival appearances at Vegoose, Bumbershoot, Download, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Burning Man, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Lightning in a Bottle -- while purveying their signature klown-fi through endless local and regional high-octane micro-circus spectacles both above and underground (including SF's acclaimed Bohemian Carnival, with co-host and frequent collaborator, the Vau de Vire Society).

As of last year's Lightning in a Bottle (in Santa Barbara, CA), Gooferman now also offers a van-top show as an alternative to our stage show: a turn-key, fully self-contained (power, tech, etc.) presentation featuring Gooferman klowns and auxiliary performers performing atop and around Gooferd, our circusified '66 Chevy Van.

Sinisterly familiar, informally peculiar... brought to you without commercial interruption... Such bump! Such grind! A living, breathing carnival of a cartoon! This, yes THIS, is GOOFERMAN

Along with...
BABY SEAL CLUB
indie / alternative / rock

Baby Seal Club conjures a musical alchemy of the most whimsical sort. Shades of playa-scopic, 60’s rock and ear-candy harmonies flirt with the quirkiest post-modern, indie art-pop. Delicious costuming with sideshow flavoring adds to Baby Seal Club's lusty, rabble-rousing performance. Pelvic-pleasing rhythms and heart-thumping vocals whirled into a frothy serving of free-range chaos. Step right up and enjoy the experiment...

Thursday July 23

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
NICKODEMUS
(wonderwheel records, NYC)

Sun People CD release party

After a strong first album release entitled, "Endangered Species," Nickodemus is finally ready to unleash the second solo album, "SUN PEOPLE!" Inspired by the big fireball in the sky & some wonderful people, it features some uplifting dance music from all parts of the World including Guinea, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Romania, India, Turkey, UK & his hometown in Brooklyn, NYC! Some of the original Endangered Species cast is on the album including Jay Rodriguez, Quantic, Hector "Tempo" Alomar & the Candela Allstars, Zeb, Nappy G & Real Live Show. New additions to the signature Nickodemus sound on "Sun People" include Guinean born singer Ismael Kouyate, Indian classical & pop singer Falu, Richard Shepherd of Radio Mundial, MC Kwasi from the UK, Brazilian born singer Liliana of the band Maracatu, the versatile voice of Nuriya, the younger members of Taraf de Haidouks & The New York Gypsy Allstars.

With over 30 original songs & 40 or more remixes in the past 10 years, Nickodemus has carved a niche for himself in World Music & Dance Music by intersecting World & Urban sounds to make a unique dancefloor fusion of his own. Remixes for artists such as: Billy Holiday, Nina Simone, Thievery Corporation, Sultan Khan, Astor Piazzolla, Gilfeme, Dublex Inc, Boozoo Bajou, Karuan, Madrid de los Austrias, Truby Trio & more... Along with songs selected for Sex & the City & various feature films, the first song, "Mi Swing es Tropical," on his debut album, "ENDANGERED SPECIES," has been used for the recent itunes+ipod advert.

Resident dj @ Giant Step functions (NYC) from 1995 - 1999. Supporting DJ for live concerts with the following acts: Gil Scott Heron, Jazzmattazz, The Pharcyde, Mos Def & Kweli, KRS-One, Us 3, Thievery Corporation, Groove Collective, Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers, Angelique Kidjo, Femi Kuti...

Resident dj & producer for Turntables on the Hudson (NYC) functions from 1998 - present

DJ & effects for the Mino Cinelu 4 piece World Fusion band from 1999 - 2001.

Featured DJ at various clubs throughout the World including Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, London, Kosovo, La Coruna, Barcelona, Madrid, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, Playa del Carmen, Seoul, Tokyo, Australia, New Zealand + all major cities in the USA.

plus
MALARKEY + iNi


+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Friday July 24

HopMonk presents...
MUSIC FOR ANIMALS
indie / alt / rock

Music For Animals from San Francisco is coming home to play Hop Monk in Sebastopol. Two of the bands members, Jayson Martinovich and Eli Meyskens are graduates from Analy High School and have since toured the U.S. four times, played the Van’s Warped Tour, partied with Twisted Sister, been in the CMJ top 200, grabbed a music video nomination and been regulars on Live 105 105.3 KITS in San Francisco. The band is currently playing sold out shows from San Diego to San Francisco and has the featured song form Janeane Garofalo’s upcoming movie “Love Hurts”. Their music has been compared to everything from 80’s rock to current acts like Bloc Party, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs. The band itself has an affinity for everything from the Talking Heads to Radiohead. The band is currently supporting its self-released EP “If Looks Could Kill” following up its 2007 Three Ring Records self titled debut album and independent released EP “Transmission”.

Along with...
WENDY DARLING
indie / folk / rock

Wendy Darling, the new San Francisco-based indie outfit, is fronted by lead singer and occasional mutli-instrumentalist, Cori Rush, a raw, stunning 6’ barefoot talent who, on stage, enjoys her share of PBR tall cans. With pipes to back up the look, Rush’s unique vocal stylings have been compared to the likes of Natalie Merchant, Karen O, Kim Deal and Jenny Lewis just to name a few.

Formed in San Diego, this young band was originally visualized as an acoustic singer-songwriter duo of Rush and Nate Heller (guitar, vocals). They had an instant musical chemistry and as they developed their sound, they realized the music deserved fuller arrangements. Cue high school buddies Jon Freeman (bass, synth) and Hector Verdugo (drums, piano). The marriage of playful melodies and the soulful indie sound has since been reintroduced to audiences. 2008 was the break out year for Wendy Darling, playing to packed venues throughout California, inking a record deal with Surfrock International in Japan and reaching the top 50 on the international charts after the release of its debut album, “Half-Told Bedtime Stories” which has received rave reviews, solid airplay and loads of media coverage.

Wendy Darling has continued to fine-tune its style, incorporating more complex instrumentation (including banjo, glockenspiel, samplers and accordion), but have focused on keeping Cori's sultry, honey-dripped vocals the essence of the band. The resulting live shows are a blend of indie rock and folk, with touches of electronica. There is sincerity, innocence and just the right amount of zest in the music that comes out of Wendy Darling. The band loves to share its music, and after listening to a track or two, you’ll most assuredly want to do the same.

Saturday July 25

Double D presents...
“WOMP SESSIONS” v 9.3, featuring
SEXYTIME

Double D Productions brings you the third installment of the North Bays hottest underground monthly party, “WOMP SESSIONS”. 

SexyTime is a San Francisco based production collaboration between SleepyHead (lowe pro lounge) & Mimosa (muti music).  This red-hot duo is cranking out some of the biggest dance-floor packing crunk-steppers in the west coast underground scene. 

Blend the guttural dirtiness of dub-step, complete with wobbly bass lines and dub snare echoes, with up-tempo hip hop infused glitch/crunk beats.  Layer in a few of your favorite MC’s, plug in the extra bass bins and you’ve got a SexyTime party.  This ensemble is growing in popularity at an astonishing rate so see them in a small venue while you can cause these guys are blowing up!!

CHECK SOME FREE MUSIC >

Sleepyhead has been releasing collaborative material with KnowOne (as KnowSleep), as well as with Mimosa as SexyTime. His most recent available release is the self-titled album from KnowSleep, available on Addictech.

Mimosa's debut EP, Hostilis, is out now on Addictech, and features appearances from Colorado MC Souleye and Canadian vocalist Sasha Rose.

along with...
iNi
Dr.Dylon

Sunday July 26

HopMonk presents...
Big Fat Budget Busting Comedy Tour 2009
comedy / comedy / and more comedy

Featuring:

• Will Durst
• Debbie Durst
• Johnny Steele
• Michael Bossier

As the sacred cows routinely paint targets on their foreheads practically begging for someone to puncture their pomposity, America cries out for a man with the aim, strength, and style to hit them where it hurts the funniest.

Will Durst is that man. Sweeping both sides of the aisle with a quiver full of arrows dipped in common sense, Durst transcends party ties, having performed at events honoring former Presidents Bill Clinton and George HW Bush as well as acclaimed appearances at both a Mayors Convention and Governors Conference. Outraged and outrageous, Durst is as current as today’s headlines, as accurate as a sniper, and universally acknowledged by even his peers as the nation’s foremost political comic.

Thursday July 30

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
DANNY MASSURE
(tickle junk allstars, SD)

plus
MALARKEY + iNi


+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Friday July 31

HopMonk presents...
LYRICS BORN
soul / hip hop / funk

Saturday August 1

HopMonk presents...
THE THUGZ
jam / americana / psych

Behind the stage at the Pink Elephant tavern in Monte Rio is a painting of an old-time bar scene in which a large-breasted, scantily clad bartender serves a customer while a similarly adorned woman dances with a bear in front of the bar. This picture served as the backdrop on a misty December night when the band, The Thugz, brought their road show to the tavern known to locals as "The Pink", every Thursday. 

The band's name is an abbreviation for the phrase "Tribal Hippie Underground Zone."
Their music consists of originals and Grateful Dead songs, mixed with songs by Bob dylan, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Coburn, Donovan Leitch and other artists. 

Mike Campbell, who founded The Thugz, said he and the band members like the Dead because "their music encompasses so many styles and has an element of improvisation." The dance floor at The Pink was alive with bodies, young and old, grooving to Mike  Campbell on guitar, Sylvia Murphy on keyboard, Chris Lushington on a headless, 5-string bass(for an extended lower range), Terry Anne Gillette on violin, Andre de Channes on guitar and Ian Favell on Drums. Mike and Sylvia do most of the singing, and the band harmonizes well, working from a repertoire of over 150 songs. 

Campbell was born in Bangor, Maine but was transported to Fremont, CA at age four by his parents. The family had a cabin in Cazadero where they took frequent holidays. When Campbell fled Fremont in the 1960s to "escape the asphalt," he said, the river area seemed a natural connection to his past, as well as a place with many live music venues.
"All the San Francisco bands like the Grateful Dead came from the city to play here," Campbell noted. He recalled long-gone venues like the old Rio Nido dance hall and the roller rink behind the Rio Theater. 
  
Nowadays, Campbell observed, the music scene is shrinking. "There are a lot of musicians but not many venues," he said.
Campbell lives up the coast in Timber Cove where and Murphy also lives in the Timber Cove area.
Both Campbell and Murphy are teachers by profession. Campbell taught music at Tomales High School and Murphy, a Berkeley native, currently teaches at Fort Ross School.

Campbell, whose first instrument was a bugle his father brought back from World War II, found it a natural progression to join the school band as a trumpet player. He had learned to enjoy "making a lot of racket," he said.
When the Beatles hit the scene, he immediately wanted a guitar, like everyone else. His parents told him only "riff-raff" play the guitar and bought him a ukulele instead. Campbell recalled with a smile that listening to him try to play rock music on a ukulele drove his parents "nuts," so they finally gave in and bought him a guitar and he hasn't looked back since.

One of the new additions to the band is Andre de Channes on guitar. He is also a DJ at The Krush (KRSH 95.9 Santa Rosa), a native of Montreal, and played in such bands as "East Of Eden", and Los Angeles based band, "Velvet Chain".

The other stellar addition to The THUGZ is drummer extraordinaire, Ian Favell who is a talented multi-instrumentalist. Ian's sense of timing along with his excellent musical sense, make him seem like he's playing the drums melodically and not just beating them up. Ian has also played bass with the Bob Lucas Trio (jazz), The Heavies, Soulvine, and The Crazy.

Wednesday August 5

HopMonk presents...
MICHAEL ROSE
roots / rock reggae

Rose started his recording career as a solo artist for record producers Yabby You and Niney the Observer. He joined Black Uhuru in 1977 after the departure of Don Carlos and Garth Dennis. He led them to international success in the early 1980s, having written most of their popular material. They won the first-ever Grammy Award for reggae in 1985 for the album Anthem, with the hallmark voice of Rose in the forefront.

After the release of Anthem, Rose left Black Uhuru and retired to the Blue Mountains in Jamaica to start a coffee farm. He released a string of singles in Jamaica, but nothing much was heard of him outside the island until 1989, when he was signed to RCA and released the strongly pop influenced album Proud in Europe and Japan. The deal with RCA was short-lived however, and Rose returned to Jamaica to record a new string of Sly and Robbie produced singles. He also recorded for other producers but the only albums during this period were the Japan only releases Bonanza (1991) and King Of General (1992). The Sly and Robbie produced singles were eventually released on the vinyl only Sly And Robbie presents: Mykall Rose - The Taxi Sessions in 1995 also saw his American debut as a solo artist with the album Michael Rose on Heartbeat Records. The single "Short Temper" reached #2 on the Gavin reggae chart.

In the period 1995-2004 Heartbeat Records released a total of nine albums including Party In Session: Live and a compilation entitled Happiness: The Best Of Michael Rose. Next to these albums, a great amount of different recordings appeared on dozens of Jamaican vinyl singles and several albums, including "Last Chance" which was #1 on the UK reggae charts for several weeks. He also recorded "Michael Rows the Boat Ashore" in 2001.

In 2002, Rose recorded two albums: Babylon 9/11 Tip Of The Iceberg (released on Love Injection in 2004), and a yet untitled album for African Star records. In August 2002, Rose was reported arrested in Miami Airport by U.S. Marshals in a case of mistaken identity. Although he was released, it resulted in Rose losing his U.S. work permit.

Rose re-joined Black Uhuru in February 2004, and performed several concerts in Jamaica and Europe with the group. They also released a Jamaican single "Dollars" and reportedly have recorded a yet untitled and unreleased album. Yet, in spite of his reunion with Black Uhuru, Rose still tours, records and releases material as a solo artist. In 2007 he recorded the number 1 single "Shoot Out" for producer John John. His latest album was released early 2008 on the Rhythm Club record label, entitled Great Expectations.

His distinct vocal style, his tu tu tweng, and other scats, have inspired many singers.

Also
WBLK dj's JACQUES & GUACAMOLE

Thursday August 6

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
J BOOGIE'S DUBTRONIC SCIENCE
(live) (om records, SF)

J-Boogie has delivered his masterful mix up of culture, soul, rhythm and beats
both at home in the Bay Area through his award winning radio program
“Beatsauce” on KUSF, and around the globe spinning DJ sets in countries like
Colombia, India, Japan, and Spain. J-Boogie’s local success has earned him
awards such as "San Francisco’s Best Radio & Club DJ" by citysearch.com and
"Best Hip–Hop Radio Show" by SF Bay Guardian. His global success has earned
him acclaim and opportunities world wide, including spots on Japanese radio and
television, sportswear sponsorships, and the opportunity to DJ the Tokyo Dome
for an NFL football game.

By popular demand, J-boogie’s DJ skills have landed him bookings in top notch
world class clubs around the globe such as APT, Turntables on the Hudson,
ESL, Five, Halo, Temple Bar, Afro Funke, Root Down, Firecracker, The Do Over
and Sonar. He has also graced the stage on tour with Widespread Panic,
Bassnectar and Spearhead, and has opened for legends like Breakestra, RJD2,
PPP, Nickodemus and George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. Throughout the
years, J-boogie has been providing musical ecstasy for millions, blowing it up on
the festival circuit at Bumbershoot, SXSW, WMC, Harmony Fest, Earthdance,
Power to the Peaceful, New Kingdom and Burning Man.

J-Boogie’s widespread success and longevity in the music industry can be
attributed to his one of a kind style and ability to constantly revolutionize music.
As one of the first DJ’s to incorporate musicians and vocalists into a live band /DJ
fusion set, J-boogie has truly re-defined the concept of what it means to be a DJ.
With this groundbreaking concept J-Boogie has been able to create a new realm
of live performance and a new type of record. J-Boogie brings this exclusive style
to life with his band “Dubtronic Science” in live sets as well as in their self titled
debut album that dropped in 2003, featuring artists like Goapele, Gina Rene,
People Under the Stairs, Capital A and Tony Moses.

For his new and highly anticipated sophomore album, Soul Vibrations, which
drops September 23, 2008, J-boogie has put together a new “Dubtronic Science”
band featuring a horn section, Latin percussionists and MC’s. Like its
predecessor, J-Boogie’s second album features an impressive line up of artists
including The Rebirth, Rich Medina, Lyrics Born, Ohmega Watts, Zion I, Crown
City Rockers, Jennifer Johns, Deuce Eclipse, Capitol A, The Mamaz, Jazz Mafia,
Lunar Heights, Jrod Indigo, Tony Moses and more.

J-boogie has also contributed his genius sounds to a wide array of mix tapes,
remixes, and albums. He has released several remixes for artists such as DJ
Vadim, Miguel Migs, Karsh Kale, The Rebirth, Zeph & Azeem, Mark Farina, and
Soulstice as well as being featured on Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz 5 & 6, Om
Lounge series, Ubiquity compilations and remix projects.

J-boogie’s vast contributions to the music world and his ongoing commitment to
his own projects as well as the projects of other artists, have allowed him to
make fans and friends out of some of the most respected artists in the industry.
The game’s most well respected DJs are already buzzing about J-Boogie’s
newest creation, and always have nothing but the best to say about not only his
creations, but his character as well.

plus
MALARKEY


+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Friday August 7

HopMonk presents...
THE 808 BAND WITH ROBERT HERRERA
"West County CD Release Event"
soul / reggae / hip hop

The 808 Band is a collective of the area's dopest musicians that backs independent artists and performs original break-based compositions, specializing in Hip Hop, Reggae and Soul music.

Bubblin up from mid-90's Oakland, Cali, The 808 Band began with Big G performing on drums with The Living Legends Crew, consisting of Mystik Journeymen, MURS, The Grouch, Eligh, Bicasso, Arata and Asop. The 808 Band soon expanded to the trio of Big G on drums, J-Mage, DJ Raw B on the tables. From there, the duo of J-Mage and Big G put in work in the bay as house band at La Pena's legendary Collective Soul series, backing such artists as: Zion I, Planet Asia, Goapele, Destiny Wolf, Aya De Leon, and recording with Pep Love, The Grouch, Deuce Eclipse, Bicasso and Maya Azucena. The 808 Band has also backed Andre Nickatina, Bicasso, Maya Azucena, Lost Souls.

Big G is heard playing drums on SonicBloom's fresh new release "Paradigm Lift." The 808 Band can be seen (and heard) most recently backing Robert Herrera, Dublin and Deuce Eclipse.

Also
DEUCE ECLIPSE of ZION !
hosted by DUBLIN of s.w.q.

Saturday August 8

HopMonk presents an evening with
FREE PEOPLES
americana / folk rock / electroacoutsic

Free Peoples is a Americana/Rock/Jazz hybrid direct from the San Francisco Bay Area. Their music conjures up images of the wild west, but will take you on a journey to Mars and back before depositing you safely back by your campfire. Through intricate melodies and delicate three part harmonies, they offer up a synthesis of both the old and the new, incorporating styles as diverse as the many paths we all travel. With Free Peoples, musical horizons are ever-expanding.

Recent times have seen Free Peoples performing farther and wider still, with tours encompassing CA, NV, OR, WA, UT, ID, CO, WY, KS, TX, MS, and NM - including jaw-dropping sets at events like High Sierra Music Festival, Sawtooth Music Festival, Harmony Fest, Oregon Country Fair and Burning Man - and a victory in the Relix Magazine Jam-Off! With an increasing online presence, Free Peoples is steadily becoming a band of extreme note, through exceptional song-writing, mind-blowing guitar leads, and the highest levels of musicianship and emotion rarely found in today's popular music. Check out archive.org for new live shows soon, browse the website for upcoming tour dates, and tell your friends - Free Peoples is a band on the move and on the rise!

Thursday August 13

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
U9LIFT
(ben maybe, SF)

plus
MALARKEY + iNi


+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Thursday August 20

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
BEATS ANTIQUE
(live) (sweet snacks, yards dogs road show, OAK)

plus
MALARKEY


+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Friday August 21

HopMonk presents...
PREZIDENT BROWN
roots / rock / reggae

Prezident Brown (Fitz Cotterell) was born in the hills of Clarendon, Jamaica. His mother called him Junior Ranking because he would grab the microphone and chant at schoolyard and country dances. He was first known as Slim Brown because of his resemblance to and similar DJ style to his mentor, U Brown. The most formative influence on Prezident Brown was producer and sound system operator Jack Ruby. Ruby saw something special in young Slim Brown; he took Slim Brown under his wing, re-named him Prezident Brown and appointed him resident M.C. of his Hi-Power Sound System.

In 1989 Prezident Brown began recording with Grove Music and Roof International but it was Barry O'Hare's label, X-Rated, that provided a home base for Prezident Brown and with Runn Records helped launch
his career in Europe. X-Rated took off just as a massive roots revival swept across Jamaica, washing gun and slackness lyrics out of the dance halls, paving the way for conscious reggae music. 1996 he signed a lucrative 5 album artist deal with Island Records, which didn't work in his favor. He then made the timeless To Jah Only album with Jamaican based record label Kariang in 1998.

At the turn of the millenium he worked with German based label Chet Records and released the album Generation Next which is distributed by Sony Germany. A 46 show tour in the summer of 2002 put together by Jahmani Productions took Prezident Brown all over the United States, including
performances at The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival and Reggae On The River. Also, Jahmani Productions released Showcase Volumes 1 and 2 that year with Showcase Volume 3 following in 2003.

Prezident has since done repeat performances at both festivals and has added may other prestigious ones to his list. Now he releases Showcase Volume 4 Health and Strength which he decided to sell on his own, independent of any record label.

Additionally he is working towards making all past and future works available on this site. Prezident Brown has been very well received in the United States and is building a large fan base, and as a champion of the new roots and reality consciousness reggae movement he entertains, informs and inspires.

Also
WBLK dj's JACQUES & GUACAMOLE

Thursday August 27

The JUKE JOINT (every thursday)
funk / breaks / boogie

featuring
ALI B
(air records, fabric, UK)

plus
MALARKEY + iNi


+ live visuals by ELO
+ live painting by NEAL BARBOSA
+ live b boys by SUB-4
+ troop dance by K & the ELECTROLYTES
+ vending by Abstract Elements, & Must Bust

Friday August 28

HopMonk presents...
POOR MAN'S WHISKEY
bluegrass / acoustic / roots

Poor Man's Whiskey plays "High Octane Hootenanny" music…Dance, laugh, sing.

Emerging from the San Francisco bay area music scene this quintet has developed a sound that is eclectic and engaging. PMW has been winning over national audiences with their upbeat performances, zany stage antics, and infectious songs. While seamlessly integrating acoustic and electric instruments the band weaves tales of everyday life, inviting the audience to become a part of each show.

PMW has released two studio albums, "Train to California" (2003), "Roadside Attraction"(2005), with a third to come in 2009: "Dark Side of the Moonshine" (a double disk set featuring original music as well as the bluegrass interpretation of the Pink Floyd classic album).

Notable festivals and shows: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Kate Wolf Music Festival, The Fillmore, SF; Harmony Festival; Strawberry Music Festival; The Great American Music Hall; The Summer Melt Down, Las Tortugas; finals of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Along with...
BUXTER HOOTN'
rock / pysch / rock

""Buxter Hoot'n's, self-produced first album, Here in America, has the independent rawness and creative brilliance that leads to a cult classic." --Relix Magazine

""Buxter Hoot'n just might offer a glimpse into the future of San Francisco's psychedelic songwriting scene." --San Francisco Guardian

"Digging in deep with a disarming intensity that almost overwhelms the stages they play on. Catch them in a small venue while you still can!" -Richard Rice, San Francisco Folk Festival