Although she was born in the eighties, Nicole Simone has always been fascinated with nostalgia and old films from a very young age. She writes all her music with love for creating a mood and environment of her own in which one gets transported into old movie scenes set in a David Lynch-ian smoky nightclub, where Nicole takes the stage in front of the red plush curtains. Her haunting, intoxicating and timeless music is illustrated by a unique instrumentation of guitar, marxophone, orchestron, trumpet, mandolin, vibraphone, piano and ukulele. Nicole just completed her first EP, which will be released on March 9th 2010. On the opening track entitled, “The Wedding Song” actor/musician Jason Schwartzman lent his talents on drums and banjo. Nicole Simone’s music can be heard in the Sundance film The Good Life starring Bill Paxton, Zooey Deschanel, and Harry Dean Stanton, as well as in the indie film Alone With Her starring Colin Hanks. Her diverse artistic influences range from Frederic Chopin to Tom Waits and New Orleans funeral processions to the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Billie Holiday and Cesária Évora. Nicole Simone’s first music video for the song “Melt” was shot near the Joshua Tree desert. The video is an homage to one of Nicole’s favorite films, Wim Wenders Paris, Texas as well as inspired by French New Wave directors such as Jean-Luc Godard and Louis Malle. You can see the stunning and intriguing music video here.magazine featured Nicole in their music issue alongside Bryan Ferry, Ryan Adams and Charlotte Gainsbourg. She has played support slot for artists such as Ed Harcourt, Jesca Hoop, Maria Taylor and Diane Birch. Nicole Simone co-produced her EP with Zac Rae and Woody Jackson. Gavin Lurssen mastered the EP.

January 19th, 2010 — San Francisco, CA— The 18th annual Noise Pop Festival will take place February 23rd through March 1, 2009 at venues throughout San Francisco, CA. Noise Pop is pleased to announce our 2010 film festival line up!

We’ve selected some amazing new films for this year’s festival, all focusing on music but each approaching the subject with a distinct voice and fresh perspective. There’s P-Star Rising, the incredible story of Priscilla, a 9 year-old rapper with undeniable talent and charisma, as she goes from performing shows on the street corner to sold out shows in the clubs. Blood Into Wine follows Tool frontman, Maynard James Keenan as he makeshis way as a pioneer winemaker in the hostile desert of Arizona.New York City makes an appearance in Downtown Calling, a retrospective portrait of the underground scene in the late 1970s, featuring Fab 5 Freddy, Mos Def, TV on The Radio, Debbie Harry and many more. We even take a scholastic journey into the question of “Why do humans make music?” in Christopher Pomerenke’s The Heart is a Drum Machine, featuring MTV’s Kurt Loder, KCRW’s Nic Harcourt, Elijah Wood and Jason Schwartzman. 

With screenings at the Roxie, Viz Cinema and Artist’s Television Access (ATA), each show is not to be missed! For full schedule and to buy tickets in advance go to http://www.noisepop.com/2010/film.php 

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros will be our featured artist for the Noise Pop closing night party. As part of the festival they will be joining Magnetic Fields, YOKO ONO PLASTIC ONO BAND (with Cornelius, Yuka Honda, Sean Lennon), The Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra collaborative performance, !!!, Harlem, Deerhoof, Mark Kozelek, Rogue Wave, Atlas Sound, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Four Tet, John Vanderslice, We Were Promised Jet Packs, Wallpaper, Zee Avi, Memory Tapes, The Fresh and Onlys, Scout Niblett, Far (Reunion Show), The Mumlers, P.E.E (Reunion Show), Mirah, Laura Gibson, Nico Vega, Japanese Motors, Princeton, Free Energy, The Growlers, Nurses, Magic Wands, The Lonely Forest, The Hot Toddies, Tempo No Tempo, Judgement Day, The Limousines & Foreign Born. 

Noise Pop Festival Badges are onsale NOW for $150. A limited number of badges include access to the Magnetic Fields show at the Fox Theater on Saturday February 27th, or the Herbst Theater on Monday March 1, 2010. Tickets to individual shows are also onsale NOW. YOKO ONO AND PLASTIC ONO BAND and Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra shows go onsale on Sunday January 10, 2010.

Buy tickets HERE