Chris Pureka
May 11th | 10:00pm | $5

When you team up with a childhood friend to produce an album, things are bound to get a little out-of-control—especially when that childhood friend is tUnE-YaRds creator Merrill Garbus. On How I Learned to See in the Dark, songwriter Chris Pureka lets her wild side run loose with a few pages out of Garbus' playbook: percussion alternatives, abstract lyrics, and unshackled vocal control. This isn't to say Pureka's songs get tune-YaRds berserk; she's still in full control of her elements, fostering the same cozy alt-country sensibility she's always had.

LISTEN:  “Wrecking Ball” :: How I Learned To See In The Dark

Emy Reynolds Band
May 11th | 9:00pm | $5

If you've spent any time watching TV in the last year, chances are you've subconsciously heard a song by Emy Reynolds. Her music has been featured in a variety of commercials ranging from shoe and car ads to PSAs raising the awareness of domestic violence. This just goes to show Reynolds' diversity as a singer-songwriter: one minute she could be playing a bright glockenspiel on her own cheery tune "Best Day Ever" before putting herself on vulnerable display, covering Peter Gabriel's forlorn ballad "Mercy Street."

LISTEN:  “Tonight” :: Emy Reynolds

Halsted
May 11th | 11:00pm | $5

Despite the collapse of the financial world, Halsted remains determined enough to follow their calling with what they have in their own pockets. Songwriter Ryan Auffenberg discusses their hardships on the band's website, having recorded their most recent album Life Underwater on a budget cheaper than most reels of tape. Yet they've crafted it with a mature alt-rock poise, reminiscent of bands like The Jayhawks and Wilco: songs driven by a jangly acoustic guitar, immaculate rhythm section, and a frontman with a voice soaked in equal parts whiskey and honey.

LISTEN:  “Hey Mona Lisa” :: Golden Gate Park

Ramona Falls
May 12th | 11:00pm | $7

After a decade-long commitment to Portland indie rock darlings Menomena, Brent Knopf left the group early last year to channel all of his efforts into his own experimental rock project, Ramona Falls. If one thing is evident in the erratic drizzle of instruments on "Spore," the first single off of their brand-new album Prophet, it's that Knopf applied his upbringing in Menomena to empower the songwriter in himself, to not only be a knowledgeable contributor to the music at hand, but also its passionate creator.

LISTEN:  “Sqworm” :: Prophet

Social Studies
May 12th | 10:00pm | $7

With a name like Social Studies, it's expected of this San Francisco-based quartet to explore the intricacies of the human condition: among them are discontent, nostalgia, ambition, and joy. These emotions form the core of the band's latest album, Wind Up Wooden Heart, in which they've coalesced the lighthearted verve of twee-pop with complex indie rock song structures and a dancer's desire to get up and shake it out, all of which are held together by frontlady Natalia Rogovin's pining vocals. Expect this group to shake out the California music scene in the years to come.

You Are Plural
May 12th | 10:00pm | $7

While they now reside in the Pacific Northwest, Nor Cal will always know that You Are Plural was born in the heart of San Francisco. Jen Grady and Ephriam Nagler, the duo behind it, transplant a few of Baroque music's central traits into their modern indie pop: contrapuntal vocal harmonies, lush yet simple orchestration, and most importantly, candid emotions. Pair these Baroque undertones with vibrant synthpop tendencies, and they're left with music that is equal parts soul-stirrer and toe-tapper.

Extra Classic
May 18th | 11:00pm | $5

Similar to how LA’s Lord Huron are the indie reimagining of Trinidadian calypso, San Francisco ensemble Extra Classic are today’s reincarnation of the original reggae vibe. Recording their tracks with equipment from the 1970s, their latest album Your Light Like White Lightning, Your Light Like a Laser Beam sounds like it was conceived right alongside those of Sly & Robbie or The Wailers. But unlike Huron, who are pop-folksters foremost, Extra Classic won’t mix other modern genres into their style—a clincher for reggae purists.

LISTEN:  “Give Them The Same” :: Your Light Like White Lightning, Your Light Like A Laser Beam

Dirty Ghosts
May 18th | 10:00pm | $5

When Allyson Baker recognized that her contribution to Toronto's underground punk scene had finally run its course, she packed up and moved to San Francisco. While continuing to play punk here, she also began writing her own songs on the side, using hip-hop drum loops provided by her well-informed husband, Aesop Rock. One song became several, which then became Metal Moon, the debut album of Dirty Ghosts, a project with which Baker glues Aesop's fragmented beats together with her own funky guitar riffs and gritty vocals.

LISTEN:  “Shout It In” :: Metal Moon

Emily Wells
May 19th | 11:00pm | $7

Long before she was of legal drinking age, New York native Emily Wells had been presented with an avalanche of major label hook-ups, including a lucrative record deal where she'd work with award-winning producers. Instead, the young folk-rocker decided to abandon these and travel the country, pursuing the artist's most valuable asset: creative control. Years later, Wells is back on the road, promoting her new album Mama with a sound more abundant than ever, having both her familiar loop pedals and The Portland Cello Project in tow.

LISTEN:  “Passenger” :: Mama

Portland Cello Project
May 19th | 10:00pm | $7

Let's hope Emily Wells isn't bringing along the entire Portland Cello Project to Sophia's, as it would be impossible to fit well over a dozen musicians onto our makeshift stage. Although their lineup changes with every tour, the group's energy remains remarkable, no matter how many members are present at a time. To preview just what this genre-crossing string ensemble is capable of, watch their interpretation of Pantera's "Mouth for War" via YouTube, where a unique case of melodic shredding ensues using little more than five cellists.

Gardens & Villa
May 24th | 10:00pm | $6

It doesn't seem that there are that many places left on Earth where no one really gives a crap - which might explain why it sounds as though Santa Barbara's Gardens & Villa boarded a mythical rocketship and headed for outer-space to start a dance party with the comets and nebulas. Their throw-it-to-the-wind brand of cosmic electro funk and bass-driven indie pop is a cosmic voyage away from the day-to-day, the kind of adventure we used to dream about when we were kids wearing foil helmets and yielding plastic blasters. They'll fly you back to the grassy hills of Central California eventually, but that doesn't mean the party will stop.

LISTEN:  “Star Fire Power” :: Gardens & Villa

Doom Bird
May 24th | 8:30pm | $6

Kris Anaya and Joseph Davancens are DoomBird, a duo out of Sacramento who, on their self-titled album, have taken to exploring dissonant Baroque pop reminiscent of the Beach Boys’ later works...or even Akron/Family’s earliest. Take a listen to the track “Petty Lies,” in which DoomBird finds inspiration from the overlapping styles of both bands: the sea-wandering bass line, sun-drenched guitar strums, and several tranquil voices working together to navigate the open waters. No need to send out a distress call here.

LISTEN:  “Sick Of Fighting” :: Doom Bird

TV Girl
May 26th | 11:00pm | $5

Trung Ngo and Brad Petering, the San Diego-based friends behind TV Girl’s indie pop, recently confessed to the flack they received when their first popular single “If You Want It” sampled a Todd Rundgren song without permission. Coming out of this circumstance, the rebellious duo have begun learning to incorporate more live instruments in recordings and shows, while still displaying their ardor for classic doo-wop vibes. Their strength lies in layering that inimitable nostalgic feeling under sweet vocal harmonies, brash beats, and an air of synthpop urgency.

LISTEN:  “If You Want It” :: TV Girl EP

Seapony
May 26th | 10:00pm | $5

Most of the songs on Seapony’s debut album Go with Me adhere to a common formula: three minutes, three chords, three instruments smothered in fuzz. While this may sound like the setup for a repetitive collection, short and sweet works to this Seattle trio’s advantage, as the dozen tracks on the album fly by in an instant while each retains their own distinct identity. Their dreamy coast rock is suitable for a westbound highway drive, jamming out until the album ends and you suddenly find yourself staring at the Pacific Ocean.

LISTEN:  “Dreaming” :: Go With Me

Dreamdate
May 26th | 9:30pm | $5

Dreamdate get right to their business of brightening our day with their short, snappy tunes. The overall sound of Dreamdate can readily be spoken of in the same breath as early '90s crushworthy indie pop a la Lois, cub and Tiger Trap. As the unaffected and uneffected electric guitars strum away happily and the drums keep things simple with an uncluttered beat, you might find yourself hummin' along with these gals' warm, smooth female vocals. Nice.

LISTEN:  “Have I Told You” :: Patience