The Olympic torch relay is at present, struggling it’s way down an alternate route in Downtown San Francisco after protesters scared organizers away from the original planned route:

The procession of the Olympic torch through San Francisco descended into farce today when the flame-holders ran only a few yards before disappearing into a warehouse, then re-emerging on a bus.

After furious clashes throughout the morning between ‘Free Tibet’ protestors and pro-China demonstrators, the authorities seemed to panic, and by 1.20pm, local time - 20 minutes after the published start time - even the TV news helicopters were confused. Then, for a few seconds, the runners were glimpsed, but within seconds they had disappeared from the starting point at McCovey Cove and disappeared into a nearby Pier 48 warehouse. Finally, there were reports of the procession leaving the warehouse on a bus.

However, the protesters are starting to catch up. Keep up with the latest news in pissed hippies and even more pissed cops and Chinese government officials on SFGate’s Torch Page.

I’m happy to announce that it took nearly a year after its renovation for our downtown park to once again attract drug dealers. Walking through the other day I heard a “hey you!” whistle, and a scruffy older hippy approached, asking if I wanted a 20 sack of “the kind.” Ah, the perks of being a longhair… Hippies like to use the word “the kind” around here to denote quality marijuana, and although Seattle’s The Kindness Kind includes a longhaired drummer, I’d like to think their band name has more interesting connotations than the sticky weed. Maybe they’re just super nice…

I’m really feeling their track “The Rain came late,” expansive indie-pop with twinkling keyboards and sultry, sleepy vocals. Then it gets WAY big with churning waves of guitar and retro-tone synthesizers. That they recorded their album A Novel at Bear Creek where Blonde Redhead laid down tracks is fitting. You can purchase their new album, A Novel Here.

Check out their West Coast tour stops after the jump;
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While I’m really tempted to lambaste the hippies with world music, this is actually true world music, not your typical mid-40s find yourself world music. You gotta admit, the part with the water flute is super legitimate.

Music of the heavens, man, music of the heavens… Hermeto Pascoal

Love Andrew Bird. Great songwriter, lyricist and arranger, and the only name whistler in modern rock. He’s going on tour and utilizing (some) biodiesel to get him and his crew around. Using Biodiesel is great and all, but what’s this about “select dates?”

C’mon hippie, get with t.

Continuing his eco-friendly efforts, Chicago native Andrew Bird will hit the road aboard a bio-diesel tour bus for select dates in the US
and Canada this fall, including appearances at the Austin City Limits Festival and Bumbershoot.

Earlier in May, a concert at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC was webcast by NPR and is available for download here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10213407

On August 16th, the music video for “Imitosis” will debut on Andrew’s Myspace page for one week. Filmed in Seattle by noted short film director Britta Johnson, this video features Andrew and his band, Martin Dosh and Jeremy Ylvisaker, performing in a part science-film, part dream-world drawing from the palettes and photographic style of science books from the late 1960s.

Be sure to watch tomorrow!
http://www.myspace.com/andrewbird

tour dates after the jump. (more…)