Simple Minds (Jim Kerr third from left). Courtesy Dean Chalkley. To introduce Simple Minds fans to the next chapter of their band, vocalist Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill wrote a song that looks backward. “Vision Thing”—the first single from new album Direction Of The Heart, as well as…

FFS (Franz Ferdinand and Sparks). I really like Franz Ferdinand. I’ve caught pretty much all of their shows in the Bay Area since 2003, and have caught a couple of shows in Oregon before, as well. But this isn’t about Franz Ferdinand; this is about FFS. Over the past couple of weeks,…