I'm asked a lot about which bands I'm currently listening to. Usually this takes the form of "you played this one song that I liked, what other bands do you recommend?" I figured any easy way to cover this since I stopped my CD recommendations with Elliott Smith is to create a list of current bands that I have on repeat either in my car's CD changer, my ipod, or my real rhapsody. In no particular order:

Say Hi To Your Mom - Numbers and Mumbles
An indie band in every sense of the word; self-released records, all headed up by eric, who pretty much plays all the instruments.

Ben Harper - There Will Be A Light
Ben Harper with the Blind Boys of Alabama wins two grammy's. This is
really good stuff.

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake Its Morning
Bright Eyes - Digital Ash In A Digital Urn
Its Connor Oberst with two new kickass albums. Need I say more?

Gratitude - Gratitude
I think Jen would kill me if I didn't mention Gratitude. Their album
is extremely catchy; melodic emo, similar to The Get Up Kids.

Bands that are good but don't have albums out:

Dredg - check out the song "Bug Eyes"
The Get Up Kids - final tour this summer :(
An Angle - New album "We can breath under alcohol" out May 17

Good upcoming shows:

April 17 - Straylight Run + Gratitude @ Great American Music Hall, SF
April 21 - Rooney @ Lower Sproul Plaza, 5-7pm, UCB
May 4 - Bright Eyes + The Faint @ The Concourse at SF Design Center, SF
May 8 - Better Than Ezra + Ingram Hill @ Slim's, SF
May 13 - Taking Back Sunday + Jimmy Eat World @ Henry J. Kaiser, Oak
June 18 - Rilo Kiley @ Grand Ballroom at Regency Center, SF
August 12 - Dave Matthews Band + Black Eyed Peas @ Pac Bell Park, SF
August 13 - Dave Matthews Band + Black Eyed Peas @ Pac Bell Park, SF

Interesting music news

Epic is in the process of signing the The Shins. After the Garden State soundtrack, it seems like everyone likes The Shins. They're the new trendy indie band.

The Counting Crows seem content with not touring. This does not make me happy.