Bound together through their affinity for music, one SF State student and his friend are giving a helping hand to Bay Area bands, allowing undiscovered musicians a chance to showcase their talents.

SF State student Guy Culver, a third year humanities major, founded Pretty Blue Presents along with his longtime friend Marshall Brooks. The two friends started the project nearly nine months ago to help local bands gain recognition.

“Pretty Blue Presents started with house shows and I thought 'let’s get into real venues,'” said Brooks. “We want to make something out of nothing. Let’s make something out of house parties and demos.”

Culver also described the project’s tight knit community, and how Pretty Blue Presents emerged.

“Me and Marshall have been friends and recording live shows for so long,” said Culver. “[We] were really involved in the scene here and the Central Valley. It seemed like the logical next step.”

The two friends help bands book shows, promote and even release CDs at no cost to the musician. However, don’t call them a label or a band, said Brooks. Instead, they described their musical endeavors as a charitable service.

“We’re just trying to do a service for the community by helping bands book shows that weren’t playing much, so we got them some exposure,” said Culver. “We’re just trying to better the artistic community in the Bay Area.”

Brooks recalled burning nearly 400 CDs of various Pretty Blue Presents affiliates, and passed them out for free. But being charitable comes with a price, and for the two friends, the funds are coming out of their own pockets.

"I believe Marshall has paid more than me at this point," said Culver.

And aside from traditional flyers as a means of promotion, the two friends are taking advantage of social networking sites such as MySpace which helps keep costs low. Users can preview some of the bands affiliated with Pretty Blue Presents and view a list of upcoming shows.

“It’s the easiest way to promote any type of music,” said Culver. “It used to be message boards or going to a band's site to check out if you like them, but it’s all done on MySpace now.”

Traditionally, Culver and Brooks handpick bands, but just recently bands have started seeking them out.

"We find a lot of bands and if we like them, we ask them to hang out with us or we just won’t bother with them," said Brooks. "Brother, from Sacramento, found us on the Web and wanted to be part of our family. It was weird, and they loved us for some reason, I don’t get it."

Bands supported by Pretty Blue Presents are scattered along the West Coast from Sacramento to Los Angeles, accounting for the varying styles and sounds posted on their Web site.

And of the varying sounds of Pretty Blue Presents, Culver’s voice can be heard in the band, Pigeons or Panthers.

“It’s four people writing their own music and playing it together how we know how,” said Culver. “It’s definitely a product of the four members in it, and we’d never do a cover song because cover songs suck. If you’re not going to write your own songs you’re not a musician.”

Commonly used instruments in Culver’s band are keyboards, synthesizers, and “hella” maracas, he said.

Pretty Blue Presents puts on shows at least once a week in the Bay Area and most shows are free. Culver also emphasized that while they might not have the best packaging or venues, they provide quality content.

“At our shows you can expect group sing-a-longs with a bunch of drunk people, and plenty of noises you don’t typically hear at concerts,” said Culver. “There’s not many guitars, and pretty vocal lines. Overall enthusiasm, we’re very enthused about what we’re doing.”

Catch Pigeons or Panthers with Brother and The Definite Articles at their upcoming show on Feb. 29, 2008. The show is $5 in San Francisco at The Retox Lounge and starts at 9p.m.