Beyond The Bay: Brandon’s guide to European record collecting
Oye Records, Berlin. (photos: Brandon Roos) For some, a vacation may mean snapping famous sights, sampling local foods, or simply taking things slow. As a vinyl junkie, anytime I go somewhere new, my focus is on unearthing stacks of a town’s local record shop. The premise of record shops is largely the same everywhere you go, but the personality and selection can vary dramatically. My European getaway revealed shoebox shops with loads of personality, near-obsessive organization, and kind shopkeepers willing to accommodate tardy shoppers. During my two-week stint overseas, I visited Amsterdam, Munich, and Berlin, and was lucky enough to [...]
UK songwriter Sampha back in SF for two sold-out shows
With an album on the horizon, London vocalist Sampha is back in the Bay Area this weekend, where he will be performing before two sold-out audiences inside the Swedish American Hall on October 29 and 30. https://youtu.be/_oM1DFL43Lk So far, there’s been no official release date for his upcoming full-length, Process, but Sampha (born Sampha Sisay) began to roll out new music in May with “Timmy’s Prayer." Last month, he dropped an official video for “Blood on Me,” a surreal portrait of paranoia echoed by the song's frightened chorus, a continued refrain of “I swear the smell the blood on me / [...]
Kero Kero Bonito bring ‘international tanoshi sound’ to Swedish American Hall
London trio Kero Kero Bonito head back to the Bay Area this Sunday with a return appearance at Swedish American Hall in San Francisco, arriving a week before the release of their debut proper, Bonito Generation, out October 21. Comprised of producers Gus Lobban and Jamie Bulled and bubbly lead singer Sarah Midori Perry, the trio perform songs in a style they’ve labeled the “international tanoshi sound,” a seemingly uber-sincere, extra-bright slice of musical optimism that pulls equally from both J-Pop and Jamaican dancehall, and contains a bevy of direct and indirect video game references. It can feel a bit overwhelming on first listen [...]
UK vocalist Anne-Marie makes Bay Area debut Friday at POPSCENE
This Friday, British vocalist Anne-Marie makes her Bay Area headline debut when she performs at Rickshaw Stop as part of floating SF party POPSCENE, making her the latest artist to step out from a featured role with DJ quartet Rudimental to pursue her own mainstream success. The 25-year-old native of Essex, whose sound is considered a "well-rounded fusion of electro, R&B, hip hop and pop," joins a list of vocalists who have utilized supporting appearances with the group as a springboard to solo success. So far, Rudimental has helped jump-start the careers of Ella Eyre, Sinead Harnett, MNEK and John Newman, who [...]