We're excited to announce, although you savvy folk are most likely already aware, that Noise Pop is finally upon us! Chaos will enrapture the City next week when nearly a dozen venues fill to capacity with indie bands, rare film screenings, and irresistible happy hours. Get ready SF, here's our must-sees.

2/18 Noise Pop Pre-Party with Brookhaven + The Frail + DJ Sleazemore + Disco Shawn @ The California Academy of Sciences: Because really, it's already cool enough that you can booze with the penguins, but now you can do it in Noise Pop-approved style. Tickets sell out fast, so we highly suggest braving the lines around 5pm.

2/23 Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band + Deerhoof @ the Fox: Check out Lennon's, er, muse, in her re-incarnated experimental collaboration featuring her son, Sean Lennon and Japanese-based Cornelius and Yuka Honda of Cibo Matto.

2/24: Rogue Wave + Princeton + Man/Miracle + Two Sheds @ Bottom of the Hill: Tough call. Local indie legends, Rogue Wave (and veteran Noise Pop-ers) are bursting with excitement to show off their new complete line-up on home turf. They're supported by infamously perfect stage performers, Princeton, catchy Bay area indie pop, Man/Miracle, and the husband and wife duo (with supporting drummer) of Sacramento's Two Sheds.

OR Foreign Born + The Fresh & Onlys + Free Energy + The Splinters @ Rickshaw Stop: Meanwhile former SFSU students, Foreign Born's uniquely dramatic sound comes with high recommendations. They're supported by persistent work-a-holics The Fresh & Onlys, the decidedly classic rock outfit of Free Energy, and East Bay all-female quartet The Splinters.

2/25: Art of Noise Soiree @ Project One THEN The Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra Collaborative Performance @ Palace of Fine Arts: Head to the on-going art installations inspired "to create work that traverses the two timeless muses of art and music" at Project One. After a few cocktails, choose between local superheroes, The Dodos, in a special collaboration with Magik Magik Orchestra, a rotating cast of Northern Californian classical musicians between the ages of 18-35.

OR The Heart Is A Drum Machine film screening @ Viz Cinema: If you prefer indie films, check out The Heart Is A Drum Machine, featuring a very impressive cast of musicians, critics, and historians explaining their obsession with their craft. Directed by Christopher Pomerenke, it's one of the most anticipated of the festival.

2/26: Atlas Sound + Geographer + Magic Wands + Nice Nice @ Great American Music Hall: Peep the frontman from Deerhunter doing his solo thing under the moniker Atlas Sound. He's supported by Bay Area favorites, Geographer, named by SPIN as "one of three undiscovered bands you need to know now." Synth-poppers, Magic Wand, and psychedelic trance experts, Nice Nice also support.

OR Wallpaper + The Limousines + Butterfly Bones + Battlehooch @ Slim's: On the other end of the spectrum, Oakland's outlandish electro-pop and auto-tuned super-group, Wallpaper, co-headlines with synth-heavy duo, The Limousines. The first EP from SF's Butterfly Bones has been garnering some positive feedback as of late. Their clever combo of instruments and looped beats makes for an overall enjoyable experience. Last, but not least, Battlehooch brings their wacky underground following of freak-noise fans that like a little rambunctiousness to their live shows.

2/27: Listening Party for Taxes @ Mini Bar THEN Memory Tapes + Loquat + Birds & Batteries + Letting Up Despite Great Faults @ Bottom of the Hill: Listening parties have really become a thing of the past. For the sake of its revival, head to Mini Bar and join in a listening party for Taxes. Afterwards, there are big choices to make. Head to either this one-man band, Memory Tapes, known lately for his epic remixes of everything from Tanlines to Yeasayer and beyond.

OR We Were Promised Jetpacks + The Lonely Forest + Bear Hands + Tempo No Tempo @ Slim's:We Were Promised Jetpacks starts their first headlining gig after a long stint opening for Frightened Rabbit. Check out what they have when 7x7 sits down with them for a one-on-one later this week.

OR Thao Nguyen + Mirah Collaboration @ Swedish American Hall: Also tonight, a huge collaboration between Thao Nguyen and Mirah in what's shaping up to be quite the performance.

OR !!! + Maus Haus + Sugar & Gold + My First Earthquake @ Mezzanine: The proper way to pronounce this next headliner's name is by making 3 clicking or clucking sounds in a row. !!! isn't picky, but most commonly heard as "chk, chk, chk," or some other derivative. Their perfected live show is somewhat legendary.

Closing Show 2/28: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros + The Watson Twins + AB & The Sea + The Northern Key @ Bimbo's: Cool down at Noise Pop's closing show with this eclectic crowd favorite, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. This traveling band of misfits uses everything from trumpets to banjos, accordions to mandolins, their sing-a-long inspired songs capture the hearts of any who hear them. We couldn't think of a better way to conclude our 2010 Noise Pop experience. Get out there and enjoy!