Can you belive 2011 is practically over? New Year's Eve is this Saturday and if you're still searching for plans, we here at Sacramento365.com have gathered up some activities for you. If you're looking for a great, family friendly New Year's Eve experience, complete with fireworks, be sure to head to Old Sac for the New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular. But, for those of you who are looking for some adult celebrations--no kids allowed--here're a few options to greet 2012 (see even more in our Top 10 & Holiday Event Section). Sacramento nightlife is kickin'! 1. New Year's 2012 Bash with Mickey Avalon: Ace of Spades, 7pm Hailing from Hollywood, Mickey Avalon is known to the world as one of the

It's dirty, it's grimy, it's nasty.   The two musical genres of bass and dubstep continue to spread through the underground and infiltrate the mainstream.  See some of dub and bass music's finest purveyors -- FreQ Nasty, MartyParty and Opiuo -- this Tuesday when the Monsters of Bass North American tour makes a stop at Town House Lounge.  Here's some background on the performers from the Monsters of Bass press release: A major player in London’s mid-nineties dance music revolution, the enigmatic FreQ Nasty is one of the most influential names on the bass music scene. From his earliest work on seminal UK labels Botchit & Scarper and SKINT, FreQ Nasty has since gone on to release a slew of

Day 2 of the second annual Sacramento Electronic Music Festival continued at the Townhouse Lounge on Friday, featuring performances by Little Foxes, Boss Magic, Melee Beats and FAVORS, among others. The three-night festival showcases local and international electronic-centric artists, and the SEMF vision is "to continue to foster a supportive music community while attracting world-class talent to Sacramento, not just at the annual festival, but throughout the year." Friday night Roger Carpio and Shaun Slaughter were among the DJs who held court nonstop on the first floor with a wide range of music (New Order, The xx, Crystal Castles) and kept the sexy people of Townhouse sweaty all night

I got my first taste of electronic music, like most of you, in the mid-'90s underground San Francisco rave scene. You remember the ones. They didn't announce the location (usually a warehouse) until an hour before the party started, or about an hour after the time I now usually go to bed. You'd get there at like 1 a.m. and get loose to some house and trance and German techno (so efficient!) and unz unz unz unz unz unz and not get home ‘til about the time I now usually wake up. You remember, don't you? After college I took a long hiatus from the scene, broken up only by occasional (and usually accidental or coerced, or accidentally coerced. Or in Nevada.) forays into the club scene. I w

It’s hard to say if the ol’ Rundown screening process is easier or harder when there’s a lot going on – but Lord have mercy, is it a big week here in Sactown! And it’s not just this week either. In addition to last Saturday’s Ra Ra Riot show selling out (as has Friday’s Goapele show), has anyone else noticed that the calendar of concerts at Harlow’s has gone completely berserk in the last couple weeks. Just look at some of the names on deck: Kaki King, ALO, Murder by Death, North Mississippi Allstars, Truth & Salvage Co., Zach Deputy, Young the Giant and Rocky Votolato, just to name a few. There’s one more that’s not listed: G. Love & Special Sauce make their return on April 13. Stay tun

Electronic music artists from all over the globe will fill the Townhouse Lounge for three nights this weekend. In its second year, the Sacramento Electronic Music Festival (SEMF) will host 28 live acts, with bands playing simultaneously on two floors. Doors open for the Festival at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Each artist will bring something different, said Adam Saake, the festival’s organizer. Some will incorporate synthesizers, visual projectors and laptop programs, but all of the performers will still fit under the umbrella of the electronic music scene. Saake said his motivation for starting SEMF was to give something back to Sacramento. Being a supporter of musi

Si se puede. There seems to be a collective "now what do we do with ourselves?" out there, now that a raucous Orange October is in the books with the World Series trophy parading down Market Street. Here's a few ideas. The Heavy - I know, I would have thought they were a heavy metal band as well. Even out of the headbanger context, the name works. Hailing from across the pond, the Heavy are just the latest in an upstart string of late '00s bands that are grapevining their influences right back to the sounds of the '60s and '70s. Specifically, these guys are working the neo soul angle, siphoning out the spirit of the Isaac Hayes' and Curtis Mayfields of the day, and zipping forward by mi

 Sacramento band The New Humans celebrated the release of its debut EP, “Avalanche,” with a high-energy show at Townhouse on Saturday. “Avalanche” comes out later than expected, after the band experienced a futile lead singer search (synth man Scott Simpson eventually took on vocal duties) and scrapped six months’ worth of recording, but these past hurdles were not apparent at the show. After a quick warmup set by Favors downstairs and a rare performance by Dusty Brown side project Little Foxes upstairs, Simpson wasted no time going crazy onstage and setting the tone for the rest of the night. The New Humans also includes Robbie LaCasse (bass), Mike Steez (drums) and Cole Cuchna (keys).

You wouldn't guess when you listen to her new album, "Songs for the Ravens," that 25-year-old singer-songwriter Julie "Julie Bee" Baenziger hadn't heard The Beatles or the Rolling Stones a year ago. "I didn't grow up listening to music except for my mom's Barbra Streisand and Cher," said the lead singer and main creative force behind Sea of Bees. "I've been kind of sheltered my whole life, so it was like a whole new world for me." Sea of Bees, which is sometimes just Baenziger and other times a full band, will hold an album release party for its debut record Saturday night at the Townhouse Lounge. Sea of Bees will perform as an eight-piece band, opening for local band Doombird, as well a