October 21, 2011 – ABOUT OUR HOSTHaving escaped the controversial Children of God cult when he was 16, singer-guitarist Christopher Owens, 32, has no shortage of fascinating stories — so many, in fact, that he says he often leaves ?dinner parties feeling like the TMI guy. His ?confessional style extends to Girls' shoegazing ?second album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost (True ?Panther), a gorgeous collection of heartbreak ?gospels. Take "Vomit," for example, which describes Owens' search for his abusive ex-girlfriend. "There's a Bible verse that says, 'As a dog returns to his vomit so a fool repeats his folly,'?" Owens explains. "It's about codependency. All the songs are written in a moment of becoming overwhelmed."Shot for SPIN in San Francisco, August 29, 2011brightcove.createExperiences();

February 17, 2011 – From February 22-27, San Francisco will be transformed into a music-themed wonderland during Noise Pop, the 19-year-old festival that rocks the city with hundreds of concerts, art shows, happy-hour parties, and rock documentaries. And while national acts like No Age, Dan Deacon, and Ben Gibbard will join the fun, the festival also offers Bay Area bands a platform to break into the big time (Rogue Wave, Mates of State, and the Donnas all started at Noise Pop). To help you get a jump on the future, S.F.

October 18, 2010 – In a few short years, Treasure Island Music Festival has become the quintessential San Francisco music bender. Set on a mostly barren old military island with perfect views of the city's skyline, the annual event taps multiple Bay Area subcultures. The lineup includes top indie rock and electronic acts from around the world spread across two days. Generally, you could tell which side of the genre equation you'd landed on by taking notice of whether your concertgoing peers were donning neon leggings and stuffed animal backpacks (there for Deadmau5, Kruder & Dorfmeister) or knit caps and flannel shirts (there for Superchunk, Surfer Blood). Plus, there were plenty of other amusements -- a lit-up Ferris wheel, ye olde carnival games, and DIY workshops on making terrariums and binding books.