Indy Art Goes Pop at SF Noise Fest

If you don't make much money to begin with, the crappy economy is not going to effect you that much.

Ah the advantages of being an indy rocker in 2009, who can stick his middle finger up to the man and say the San Francisco Noise Pop Festival will go on.

As mega stars such as Celine Dion and the Wu Tang Clan struggle to sell out venues across the country, the Noise Pop festival is filling up venues across the city from the Apple Store downtown to the Bottom of the Hill.

The annual event started Tuesday and runs through March 1 at venues throughout San Francisco. There are more than 50 independent artists signed up for the the Bay Area's largest independent music, art and film festival.

In its 16 year, this year's festival boasts the likes of Antony & The Johnsons and New Pornographers front man AC Newman, Bob Mould, From Monument to Masses, the Mountain Goats and several other interestingly named indy artists.

But the noise at the festival comes in more than one form. The festival will also feature films, including the screening of of "Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison" (check out the preview of the movie below) and more. Several of the screenings will include Q&A discussions with the filmmakers.

The festival has also gotten some local media love. On Tuesday it started an hour long conversation on KQED Radio about the future on independent music. Bob Mould joined a panel of experts on Michael Krasny's Forum show to discuss the issue (listgen to the conversation below).