Dios Malos, The Octopus Project, and Private Eleanor at Fletcher's

Last night, went to Fletcher's to see a few bands play on a mellow Sunday after spending the afternoon playing with my friend's baby daughter.
The openers were local band Private Eleanor, a nice little pop outfit. Unfortunately, their sound was a little off initially, but it improved through their set. I wish the lead guy sang a little harder, but the gal in the group was really cute. They were ok.

The second act was The Octopus Project, an Austin band that got a lot of internet hype last year. They were an instrumental group with a lot of energy. Their stage setup was unique with speaker monsters, and they started the set wearing electric sockets. Their music reminded me some of early Trans Am- mixing electronics with a punk aesthetic.
Yvonne, the woman in the band, had great hair, and she was fun to watch playing the theremin.

The last band I saw was Dios Malos, a group from Hawthorne, CA. They have a real solid pop-rock sound, and the band is really tight together. Their lead guy is a huge Mexican, and I loved how their new drummer made crazy faces while he played. It was my first time seeing them, and I was really impressed.
The headliner was Starlight Mints, but I had to wake up at 5 in the morning, and Dios Malos were so good, I called it a night.

Tapes 'N Tapes, Figurines, and Cold War Kids at Fletcher's

Went back to Fletcher's last night to see the Tapes 'N Tapes show. This time a good turnout, but I still don't like the interstitial music. Seemed to me like the sound guy played Weezer and the Pixies' greatest hits cause this was an "alternative" crowd.
First up was Cold War Kids. They were really great- a helluva lot of energy and yelling reminded me of early Modest Mouse. Their drummer and bassist were tight- using a lot of staccato playing to dramatic effect, and all the guys on stage were all over the place- dancing the mashed potato and swinging around.
Second band, The Figurines were not as good. I had previewed their new album at the record store and was unimpressed, and live, this was obvious. They seemed to lack any charisma, and the music was very derivative of garage rockers from Scandinavia like The Hives, Datsuns, etc. The crowd was still hopping after the openers, but seemed to die down in the set - the people into the band seemed to be 3 dorky guys and the bands' girlfriends.
Tapes 'N Tapes were really great, too. They've been getting a lot of internet buzz recently, and I think it's just deserved. These guys play good songs that rock. I especially liked watching the drummer who looked like a little kid with big glasses.

Film School with Margot & the Nuclear So and So's at Fletcher's

First off, Fletcher's has the worst interlude music ever.
My first time at this venue, I went to see SF's Film School, a psychedelic-noise-pop band that reminded me some of the Cure and My Bloody Valentine. Despite the small gathering, these guys were really intense and played a nice set of their songs. No frills and good music.
It turned out more people were there to see openers, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, bad name. Very emo-pop band that reminded me of Bright Eyes but with an 8 member band including the lead "emo" guy, requisite pretty girl, a trumpeter, a cellist, 2 percussionists, and 2 guitarists. Breaking no new ground, but alright to see.