Noise Pop Sweet 16 in 2008

NOISE POP FESTIVAL RETURNS IN 2008!
MAGNETIC FIELDS, THE MOUNTAIN GOATS, THE GUTTER TWINS (GREG DULLI & MARK LANEGAN)
AND CURSIVE TOP LIST OF CONFIRMED ARTISTS SO FAR
NOISE POP is February 26 – March 2, 2008

The Mountain Goats

The Noise Pop Festival returns in 2008 from February 26 to March 2. Over six nights, Noise Pop 16 will take over the best-loved venues in San Francisco, to host unforgettable performances by Magnetic Fields, The Mountain Goats, The Gutter Twins, Cursive and dozens of other important indie rock, electronic, punk and cutting edge musical artists, transforming the city into an almost week-long celebration of the finest that the underground and not-so-underground has to offer, nationally and locally.

2007 marked Noise Pop’s 15th year as San Francisco’s premier celebration of independent music, art, film and culture and 2008 is the festival’s sweet 16 party. Established in San Francisco in 1993, Noise Pop started as a one-night event featuring the best underground rock bands that the Bay Area could dish up. Flash forward to 2007 and the Noise Pop Festival is another beast entirely. With live music as it’s focal point, Noise Pop has developed into full-scale cultural happening, adding gallery art shows, a music-themed film festival, educational panel discussions with musicians and music industry professionals, an indie designer trunk sale and a number of planned as well as spontaneous shin-digs.

Stephin Merritt‘s Magnetic Fields will headline two shows at the beautiful Herbst Theater as part of Noise Pop in support of their long-awaited new album, “Distortions.”

Lo-fi legends The Mountain Goats will perform three shows at three different venues during Noise Pop.

Another exciting addition to Noise Pop 2008 is The Gutter Twins, the anticipated collaboration between Afghan Whigs‘ Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan. Dulli and Lanegan have been working together periodically since 2000. In July 2007, Pitchforkmedia.com announced that “two of the alt-rock era’s greatest frontmen,” had signed to Seattle label Sub Pop. The Gutter Twins will perform for Noise Pop in support of their debut album Saturnalia, currently set for an early 2008 release.

Other confirmed performers for Noise Pop include Omaha NE’s Cursive, who are currently readying the release of Bad Sects the second single from the band’s acclaimed 2006 album, Happy Hollow which includes a user-submitted remix of the song and a string arrangement by Olafur Arnolds.

Cursive joins a festival roster that will include over 100 artists. More Noise Pop performers will be announced in the weeks to come. As usual for the festival, nationally-known artists will share the stage with the best new Bay Area talent from opening night on February 26 through March 2 at legendary San Francisco venues such as Great American Music Hall, Bimbo’s, Café Du Nord and The Bottom Of The Hill, The Independent, Mezzanine, Rickshaw Stop, 12 Galaxies and others.

Click here for JamBase’s 2007 coverage of Noise Pop.