The 2008 Noise Pop Festival takes over San Francisco yet again from February 26 to March 2. Over six nights, Noise Pop 16 will come to life, transforming the city into an almost week-long celebration of the finest independent music, art, and film that the underground and not-so-underground has to offer.

The musical lineup this year is hot off the press, and includes groups such as The Walkmen, Helio Sequence, MSTRKRFT, The Mountain Goats, The Gutter Twins, Cursive, and The Dodos. MSTRKRFT will also team up with Stellastarr for a dual concert along with many more artists.

But that's not all! Visual art has always been an important part of Noise Pop and this year's festival will continue to explore the intersection of art and music. This year, Noise Pop will present a showcase of Autumn de Wilde's startling and rare images of Elliott Smith, an artist whose intensely personal music has left a deep mark on a generation of fans and musicians. The art show will be at Queen's Nail Annex with an opening reception on Thursday, February 28.

The 9th installation of the Noise Pop Film Festival will also return and be headlined by two movies: Jamie Kennedy's comic documentary, Heckler, which expores the increasingly critical world we live in. George Lucas, Mill Maher, David Cross, Rob Zombie and many more will be featured in the film. Jamie Kennedy will also participate in an exclusive Q & A after the film. Noise Pop will also host the SF premiere of What We Do Is Secret, starring Shane West and Bijou Phillips. The movie is a biopic that chronicles the life of iconoclastic singer/songwriter Darby Crash and his band, The Germs, the seminal and pioneering force in the L.A punk rock scene from 1977 to 1980.

All of this will be happening at over 10 venues in the city, and there's no excuse not to go to at least one of the incredible shows that this year will offer. For more info, check out the Noise Pop website.