Woodland, Calif. gave SXSW, Coachella and the Treasure Island Music Festival a run for their money this weekend. Local dive bar Plainfield Station, located on County Road 98, was host to the 11th edition of Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom, a 12-band music festival put on by Davis radio station KDVS 90.3 FM. The UC Davis Samba School, Produce Produce, Kites Sail High, Alak, Moon Pearl, Gaarth, Charles Albrigt, Nobunny, Ellie Fortune, Appetite, Zach Hill and headliner R. Stevie Moore all graced the bar’s backyard stage. With KDVS at the helm, O:RMF was brought to fruition back in 2005 as an outlet for “new, creative music of the most sincere artistic scruples,” and has been held twice a

Author Ishmael Reed discussed his latest novel, “Juice!” at Time Tested Books Sunday. According to owner Peter Keats of Time Tested Books, he said this was the first time Reed had made an appearance and was contacted to host the well-known writer at the bookstore. “We sold lots of books,” Keats said. “Juice!” is about protagonist Paul Blessings, a diabetic political cartoonist who obsesses about the O.J. Simpson trial during the early 21st century America. The novel provides a look into how the media distorted Simpson’s trial and reflects on how the media influences present culture and politics. “The one thing that the case did was expose media’s sloppiness of evidence gathering of the

Happy Twenty Eleven, Sactown! Last week we took a look back at the top 10 concerts from the last year, now it’s time to start auditioning for this year’s list. It all starts this weekend! First, I will dish you up one from the Department of Shameless Self-Promotions. For the insomniacs out there, Michael Tobias and the Acidic Swamp Band will be doing a Live in Studio A performance tonight on KDVS 90.3, which can be streamed online tonight (Thursday Jan. 7, 11 p.m.). Tobias is poised to go ka-boom in this town behind his new record “High & Low,” and this should be a hell of a good time. Reason I mention it: Yours truly will be the M.C. for the evening. I do indeed have a face for radio. H

In 1987, aspiring rapper Timothy Parker met DJ Xavier Mosley in economics class at Kennedy High School in Sacramento. Parker became MC Gift of Gab and Mosley became DJ Chief XCel and together they formed Blackalicious. In the two decades since that time, the duo has become one of the most beloved groups in hip hop, praised for bringing intelligence back to a music form sometimes panned for its shallowness. Rolling Stone called Gift of Gab a "phenomenal lyricist who could battle any of today's multi-platinum-selling MCs," and the Village Voice called XCel "technically miraculous." Gift of Gab, Mr. Lif and Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) will play Monday at Harlow's in a show hosted by fellow rappe

"So what do you mean by noise?" That's probably the #1 question about the Noisefest, except maybe "Do you have any earplugs?" The answer to the latter question is simple (yes, we do) but the first question is more complex. People know what noise is in the general sense, but not very many know what noise is in the musical sense. In some ways, the Norcal Noisefest is intended to answer that question by showing people what noise is, instead of simply telling them. The 2009 Norcal Noisefest, formerly known as the Northern California Experimental Music Festival, is the thirteenth festival in a series orignally started in 1995 here in Sacramento, intended to bring noise music to the public ear

Every year, Davis radio station KDVS holds a record swap where local record labels, record collectors and record stores can trade thousands of records. It's likely that a few CDs, T-shirts and turntables will turn up as well. This year's event will be held Saturday in Luigi's Fun Garden, and music nerds, casual shoppers and passersby can get in for $3. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. people will be able to visit booths of more than a dozen vendors, including punk-rock labels Gearhead and Prank Records. KDVS, Midtown Monthly and the 'Zine Symposium held July 11 will also have tables, according to event co-coordinator Heather Klinger. Also a DJ at KDVS, she's been coordinating the event with Tim Mat