Will alternative energy ever become as popular as alternative music was in the 90s? Talking with Arnie Jensen, who co-owns an auto   repair shop called El Camino Smog and Repair, I get a sense that alternative energy shifts in the automotive world are already  happening, whether they are being noticed or not. In a SacTV.com video Arnie gives his views about the direction green cars are alreadymoving and where they are headed in the future.      Arnie compares different types of engines from steam to hydrogen to magnetic. He also explains  the concept of an emissions-free engine. It shows how far alternative culture has come since Nirvana blasted onto the scene in 1991, ushering in an era

Internet radio has been brewing since the dawn of the internet itself, but it hasn't been practical for most people until recent years. Pandora is the most popular internet radio service at the moment. What's monumental about Pandora is the Bay Area-based company now earns more revenue than any radio company. Radio still has strength during commute traffic, but the car is about to be invaded by multiple channels of internet radio. Although radio industry statistics point to 88 to 92 percent of the 12 and older population still consuming terrestrial radio (traditional AM or FM stations) on a regular basis, the amount of time people devote to the 20th century medium has dwindled the past de

Indie music is commonly thought of as edgy hard rock off-limits to the mainstream. That's the exact stereotype that has kept its culture under the radar for so long. it's perfectly hip to go along with that notion if that's what your small circle of friends are telling you and you happen to like music that is built on aggressive electric energy. The problem is, most people don't really like hard rock. Let me say that again. Most people do not like hard rock, even though some of the top selling bands of the past two decades fit that category. But as album sales have diminished over that same timeline, the overall indie scene has grown, but not because of punk or anything hardcore. The top

Rock 'n' roll filled the stage Sunday at Ace of Spades thanks to Eve 6, The Audition, Hero’s Last Mission and Taking Not Stealing. Chicago-based band The Audition performed right before headlining Eve 6 and came out with a large amount of energy. Lead vocalist Danny Stevens brought passion and artistry to the stage. Alongside Stevens was drummer Ryan O'Connor, guitarists Jimmy Lopez and Timmy Klepek and bassist Joe Lussa. Performing an eight-song set, The Audition gave the audience a mixture of their four albums paired with some of their material from their newest EP, “Chapter II.“ From the beginning, Stevens rocked the stage with strong vocals, opening with the lyrically fierce song "

Building a home recording studio to produce the indie music album of your dreams can take a lot of time and work but the end result is worth it if you want the best sound without sacrificing artistic control. Many bands become frustrated with their recordings at expensive pro studios because the finished product doesn't meet the standards of the music industry or the artist's own expectations. Part of that problem has to do with the clock, which adds stress when studio time is limited. At the same time the clock drains a budget that also may be limited. You can end up with a recording that costs over $10,000 but does not sonically measure up to the major label recordings heard on radio, wh

With the aroma of coffee in the air and couches to lounge upon, Shine, located on 14th and E, offers the community great coffee and a great venue for musicians. Coffee shops aren't the norm when it comes to live music, but Shine gives a great alternative to the traditional music venue. There is plenty of space, so enjoy a cup of coffee and listen to music and what it is Shine aims to do. Bringing touring bands into the shop at least once a week, Shine welcomed indie band Is It Is and rock 'n' roll band Sioux City Kid this past Friday. Opening the night was San Francisco based seven-piece band, Sioux City Kid. The band is composed of lead vocalist Jared Griffin, Dave Odell (guitar), Adam

With the cover art pattern used on their seminal debut LP, "Highly Refined Pirates," as their backdrop, and a light show on acid, Seattle's Minus the Bear thrilled a packed house at Ace of Spades on Monday night. The band is wrapping up their 10 Year Anniversary Tour, celebrating a decade of music and performing “Pirates,” released in 2002, in its entirety. The popular math-rockers put on a tremendous performance for a very jazzed audience. Featuring guitarist Dave Knudson's signature complex finger-tapping guitar work - used on every song on “Pirates,” the band combined powerhouse indie band swagger with down-to-earth Northwestern charm. Songs like "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Wa

  In the mood for a low-country Regina Spektor-meets-Jimmy Buffett-on-whiskey act followed by a Dave Matthews crossed with a beached-out Buddy Holly number? Well, you can... this coming Tuesday, November 8 at the Naked Lounge in downtown Sacramento (1111 H St.), starting at 8:30. This all ages show features two of California's up-and-coming, on-the-scene singer-songwriters, Jo Elless (www.joelless.com) and Mike Macchia & Tyler Canaday (Mike's Lost and Found, http://www.youtube.com/TheMikeMacchia). Midwest and northeastern roots, with a little dixie thrown in for good measure, Jo Elless is a Berklee-trained multi-instrumentalist who arranges her songs for wind orchestra (all of the instru

The domestic housewife is modernized, upgraded and vilified through Teri Gender Bender, lead singer of Le Butcherettes. Long, dark tresses do little to hide selected performance attire of black hosiery, floral aprons and bloody makeup. The musical style, just as creative, reflects typical garage punk band elements, and then adds experimental aspects which reflect the “artistic project” explains Bender, that is Le Butcherettes. Emerging out of Mexico City, this trio has been showcased at esteemed festivals such as Outside Lands and Lollapalooza, and has opened for the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deftones and currently, The Flaming Lips. Their debut album, “Sin Sin Sin,” released January 2011

The Hair Garage salon in Folsom hosted a fashion show to showcase Nini’s Boutique summer collection. The Hair Garage is located at 990 Riley Street in Folsom and it opened in 2008. In addition to the fashion show on Friday night, two live bands entertained guests. A barbecue and drinks were provided free of charge. Designer tops, jeans and handbags were available for purchase and many of Nini’s Boutique items were available for special prices. The salon was packed as many came to see the fashion show and stayed to listen to Rise From Within and Silence of the Grimm. Both are local bands and both were quite entertaining. Christina Mercadel, advance stylist, provided me with information

Taking their name from the 2004 PJ Harvey album of the same title, L.A.-based Uh Huh Her is a sultry electro-pop duo made up of ex-Mellodrone bassist and keyboardist Camila Grey (who has collaborated with Busta Rhymes, Kelly Osbourne and Dr. Dre) and musician and actress Leisha Hailey, formerly of the Murmurs (and who you might recognize from her role as bisexual journalist Alice Pieszecki on Showtime's “The L Word”). The pair creates lush, layered synth-driven pop, complemented by soothing, ethereal vocals and driven by up-tempo electronic beats. The band most recently released their dark and moody "Black and Blue" EP in May and is currently preparing to release their second album, "No

Mirah played Sophia's Thai Kitchen concert series in Davis Thursday night.  Girls In Trouble from Brooklyn opened the show. Mirah's (full name: Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn) Davis show was a warmup as she is scheduled for a 24-date tour in May and June with Thao Nguyen (of San Francisco's The Get Down Stay Down) as Thao & Mirah. The tour does not include any Sacramento-area stops but does hit the New Parish in Oakland on May 3rd and the Great American Hall in San Francisco on June 23rd. The tour will be supporting the release of the duo's "Thao & Mirah" album on April 26.

"Escape the Fate! Escape the Fate!" With appetites violently whetted by the three-guitar screamo attack of the final opening band Alesana, the loud chanting of hundreds of eager fans filled Ace of Spades Sunday night, beckoning Escape the Fate, the headliners of the Dead Masquerade tour. The sensory onslaught began with appropriately named opener "Massacre," as the Vegas post-hardcore band pounced on the young crowd like a rabid pack of hyenas on defenseless baby gazelles. The response to ETF's latest Facebook wall posting before the show ("Sacramento Ace of Spades tonight it's on! You guys ready?" – 1,429 Likes and 539 comments at the time of this writing) indicated a large and dedicat

No discussion on alternative rock circa 2000 would be complete without mention of Papa Roach and their radio-ready hit single “Last Resort,” especially if you were in high school or college during that time. The Vacaville band (also known for singles “Scars,” “Forever” and “Lifeline”) broke out of Sacramento and went on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide. They return this weekend for a two-night stand at the recently opened venue Ace of Spades, touring behind their seventh album, "Time for Annihilation." More alternative rock than nu-metal now, the band can probably still be counted on to deliver a high-energy rock show filled with heavy guitars, sharp hooks and “guy liner.”

Ace of Spades hosted its second event Saturday night, an "all locals" show called "SacShows Presents: Soundcheck", featuring performances by Oneira, Above The City, Carcerys Vale, Batten Down Your Heart, City of Kings, The Winter Formal and Ten After Two. The theme for the night seemed to be "screamo," and it was delivered in spades (pun intended) with the exception of maybe The Winter Formal, which leans more toward sung vocals. The tattooed and skintight jeans-wearing band members whipped their hair through quick 20- to 30-minute sets, cheered on by pierced and gauged teenage boys and girls, while overly aggressive males swung their fists around and ran into each other hard in the circ

There was a surprisingly small turnout for Sugar & Gold and Yip Deceiver, two quality indie acts, at Blue Lamp Saturday night. Maybe the numerous free options of Second Saturday kept folks away, but, despite the numbers, both groups turned out solid performances. Yip Deceiver — featuring Of Montreal members Davey Pierce and Nicolas Dobbratz — took the stage late and kicked things off with their take on experimental electro pop, performing songs including "Sadie Hawkins Day" and "For All the Haters." Pierce bantered with the crowd constantly — "People who know me, who truly know me, know I like two things: karaoke and meth. We're going to do some karaoke, because that's fun for us." — and

No, Murder by Death is not a screamo or metalcore band. But the band does explore some dark themes, like revenge, the devil and drinking away your troubles with whiskey. Taking their name from the 1976 Robert Moore/Neil Simon film of the same name, the four-piece rock band from Bloomington, Ind., takes their listeners on a ride through a "country gothic" soundscape, led by the powerful Johnny Cash-meets-Nick Cave baritone of frontman Adam Turla. Armed with galloping punk-country, somber themes and interesting concepts — their 2003 "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them?" is an album about the devil being shot in a small, Western town and the aftermath that follows — this show ha

Attention hipsters and indie dance music fans! Head on over to Blue Lamp this Saturday to catch indie dance duo Sugar & Gold with special guest Yip Deceiver. Shaking off comparisons to MGMT and Hot Chip, the San Francisco-based S&G weave together elements of funky disco, melodic electro and smooth R&B to create dance-heavy pop grooves with their unique signature. Rated "Best Local Dance Band" in 2007 by SF Magazine and "Best Party Band 2008" by SF Weekly, S&G are known for their energetic, outrageous live shows that will have you sweating in your skinny jeans. Davey Pierce (Of Montreal) side-project Yip Deceiver opens. Sugar & Gold and Yip Deceiver perform at Blue Lamp this Saturday at

San Francisco art-pop band Deerhoof kicks off a new tour at Harlow's Thursday in support of the hot-off-the-presses LP release "Deerhoof vs. Evil." The quartet is recognized by many as pioneers of improv-style experimental pop, with its distinctive sound influencing many others: Sleigh Bells, Of Montreal, Xiu Xiu and more. Count on a striking sonic mix of poppy melodies, waves of noise, and chaotic fun from these former Radiohead tourmates. Potentially challenging, but sure to be fresh and different. Deerhoof performs at Harlow's at 9 p.m. Thursday, and tickets are $12. Nervous Cop opens.

This Thursday you'll have a chance to end 2010 on a good note by catching indie-rock fave Pinback at Harlow's. The heart of the San Diego band has always been Zach Smith and Rob Crow, and with an upcoming album on the horizon and to stay fresh creatively, the duo is taking a different approach to performing on their current outing. As Smith explains: "We've decided to have some fun and present our songs in a new light. Instead of playing our songs the traditional way by having a backup band play all of our extra parts we thought it would be entertaining and fresh for just the two of us to play live. The idea is to present our music at times in a more broken down manner very similar sound