This interview can also be found on SFist.

(photo by Rez Avissar)

While you really can't go wrong with just about any of the Noise Pop weekend options, we are particularly looking forward to catching Memory Tapes as Bottom of the Hill tomorrow night. The solo project of New Jersey based stay-at-home dad Dayve Hawk, Memory Tapes 2009 debut LP Seek Magic was one of the most talked about and downright enjoyable albums of last year, earning a well-deserved place on endless best-of-year lists. Up until a few months ago, however, not much was known about the reportedly reclusive artist -- Dayve had yet to play a live show as Memory Tapes, and rarely seemed to sit down for interviews. We had a chance to catch up with Dayve earlier this month, where we had a lengthy discussion about his love of small shows, his desire to be a distinctly blue collar musician, his approach to remixes and much, much more. And guess what -- it turns out Dayve Hawk isn't quite the enigma people thought he was after all.

Memory Tapes play Bottom of the Hill Saturday (2/27) with Loquat, Birds & Batteries and Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Advanced tickets are sold out, but a limited number of tickets may be available at the door.

While your debut LP Seek Magic was released back in September, you just got around to playing live shows as Memory Tapes in late January. How have the shows been so far?

They have been good. The first one was in Manchester, and that was fun, because there was no stage -- I have always really liked playing at places without a stage. And then from there the shows got progressively bigger, and thus progressively a little bit weirder for me. But they have all been pretty good. Nothing terrible has happened.

I am always a big fan of those nontraditional venues, where the artist is forced to just kind of play in the crowd. Do you see yourself getting the chance to play more places like this, even if you wind up having to play them somewhat covertly?

I’d like to, and I know no one around me likes it when I say that. Coming home from England I was telling everyone that I only wanted to play shows to a 100 to 150 people from now on. [laughs] I like it better. I always like house shows and shows that are not in normal venues – it’s just more fun. It’s more like you are in a room with a bunch of people at a party or something and are playing. It’s not so much like the grind of -- you are in a bar, and you wait, and you go up on stage, and you do a sound check. It just gets boring. So I would like to be able to do that kind of thing in the future more.

(Photo by shin2chilism)

As we discussed Monday, Mighty has quite the treat lined up for us Saturday night with LA's rising electronic star, Nosaj Thing. We had a chance to catch up with the 24-year-old beat maker earlier this week, where we discussed his hip hop fundamentals, LA's infamous DIY venue The Smell, his beta stage visually synced show and much more.

Nosaj Thing plays Mighty Saturday (2/6) with Daedelus and Jogger. Tickets are $12.

Your 2009 full length debut Drift was one of the year's most unique and compelling records, clearly drawing inspiration from an endless range of genres. At its core, however, I really see Drift as a hip hop record. Was hip hop part of your earliest musical foundation, or was it an influence that came later in life?

I guess it all started when I was in 3rd grade. My parents enrolled me in an after school program at the YMCA, and the bus driver that picked us up always had on the local hip hop stations -- Power 106, or it would be 92.3 The Beat. I would hear that everyday, and when I would get home I would want to listen to it more. I had this clock radio that had recording capability, and I would just record the shows that I liked and from then on just listen to it.

One thing that separates you from many artist in the hip hop and electronic world is your ability to do something truly memorable live -- you use your midi controller as an instrument, improvising a unique set each night. While it is something we are starting to see a bit more of, it is still a relatively new and exciting direction in music. What was your early inspiration for this type of approach?

What inspired me to do live shows was actually going to this venue The Smell, in downtown LA. I started going there when I was in high school and saw a lot of DIY acts – lots of noise and punk artist, just doing their thing. I remember seeing this one artist that would do a whole set with a variety of pedals. I thought it was really cool that he could express himself like that, and do such a cool show with just one man.

Computer and music technology was also just booming with all the midi controllers and stuff at this time, and growing up this was just more affordable. So I started experimenting and getting into it -- I just started doing it.

Note: The following interview is also featured on SFist.

As previously discussed, we are eagerly anticipating The Rural Alberta Advantage's return to to San Francisco tomorrow night. We recently had the chance to catch up with singer Nils Edenloff via phone, where we talked to him about his bands debut Hometowns, their signing to Omaha's Saddle Creek, the Frank Slide and more.

The Rural Alberta Advtange plays Bottom of the Hill tomorrow night (12/16) with Sonny & The Sunsets and The Shaky Hands. Tickets are $10.

Your last San Francisco show landed on quite a big week for you guys. Saddle Creek had just re-released your 2008 debut Hometowns, and Pitchfork had given you that big 8.0 review. The response from the audience that night was really remarkable -- I imagine it was quite a change from the Toronto open mic nights where the band got its start. How has this transition from local favorites to must-see touring act been for you guys?

It’s been really fun! [laughs] I think we have all just been really excited about the response we have gotten -- it sort of amps us up when we are playing. I think everyone in music, they hope that they will play for a responsive crowd that is really into it, really excited for the music. And now that this is happening -- it hasn’t diminished how much we enjoy it.

But we have said before in different interviews, Bottom of the Hill was one of our favorite shows. It was such an amazing response. Hopefully our hopes aren’t too high for coming back again.