Yaeji to make it ‘Raingurl’ in the Bay
Yaeji (photo: Rachael Wright) Having wrapped up a sweeping summer tour, electronic experimental artist Yaeji is embarking on a run of fall tour dates. The Korean American artist, Kathy Yaeji Lee, is building a rapidly growing following for music that dives head first into themes of Korean identity, the value of therapy, and artistic creation. Having studied painting and conceptual art at Carnegie Mellon University, Yaeji offers an unconventional but thoughtful concert experience. She's previously hosted concerts where she serves curry to the audience, distributed blindfolds, and performed with other experiential techniques. Check out her song "Raingurl" here: Yaeji will [...]
Mothers prepare to ‘Render Another Ugly Method’
Mothers (photo: Jon Ching) Indie rock band Mothers will release their sophomore album, Render Another Ugly Method, on September 7, 2018. They'll follow the release with a nationwide tour launching on September 19. Mothers first caught the attention of college kids and bloggers alike with their debut record, When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired. Hailing from Athens, Georgia, the band has now put down roots in Philadelphia, signing with Anti- Records for the new LP. Catch the teaser for new song "Baptist Trauma" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF5C260PDGQ&feature=youtu.be Currently touring with Lucy Dacus and Japanese Breakfast, Mothers will be making [...]
Astronauts, etc. launches new single “The Room”
Astronauts etc. (photo: Brittany O'Brien) Oakland-based indie electronic arranger Astronauts, etc. has released the latest single "The Room" from his forthcoming album Living in Symbol. Out July 27, Living in Symbol brings Anthony Ferraro's writing with co-production by Chaz of Toro y Moi. "Addiction, depression, unhealthy love, bad ideology," said Ferraro of the new single. "They're all rooms that can start to feel like home, with its safety and familiarity, if you spend enough time in them. I wrote this song while watching my good friend try and fail to leave such a room. I hoped to represent both sides [...]
Japanese Breakfast to stir up the Bay with two performances
Japanese Breakfast (photo: Ian Young) After a critically acclaimed debut with Psychopomp, Japanese Breakfast is bringing their nuanced and reflective sophomore album, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, back to the Bay. With a date at the Fox on June 25 followed by a gig at Terrapin Crossroads on June 26, Japanese Breakfast will perform to a growing Bay Area fanbase. Touring with bands like Half Waif, Mothers and Ought, Japanese Breakfast is quickly rising in the ranks of experimental folk pop players. Having written her first album after the death of her mother, bandleader Michelle Zauner uses her newest album [...]
Angel Olsen plotting solo dates on ‘Tiny Dreams’ tour
Angel Olsen (photo: Patric Carver) Folk-pop darling Angel Olsen has announced a set of North American solo dates on her Tiny Dreams tour. With gigs planned in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, Olsen will bring her now iconic warble to this side of the pond after having spent the last month playing throughout Europe. Having released her latest album Phases last fall, the artist is promising that the upcoming tour will feature unreleased songs, early tracks, and more from her rich catalog. Phases featured past B-sides and demos from Olsen's oeuvre of the last few years, offering an intimate [...]
DONCAT preparing new album ‘Preservation of the Spirit’
Bay Area psych-pop project DONCAT will be coming to Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco on May 31 to promote his new LP Preservation of the Spirit. The new album, to be released on May 18, will bring eight tracks of psychedelic dream-pop crafted in guitarist/vocalist Duncan Nielsen's signature sound. Nielsen has built his following on a number of self-released albums since 2013. He's also previously performed alongside artists including Hamilton Leithauser, Ty Segall, and Cloud Nothings. At Rickshaw Stop, DONCAT will be joined by King Dream for their video release as well as Mayya & the Revolutionary Hell Yeah. Check [...]
RZA performs live score for ‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’ this week
Ever danced so hard to a Wu-Tang album that your moves felt like a fully realized martial arts experience? It's not all that uncommon. This week, Wu-Tang's own RZA, the hip hop group's founder and producer, is taking things even further, live-scoring the Shaw Brothers' martial arts classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin with music from Wu-Tang's rich catalog. The unique event takes place at the Castro Theatre on April 26. With four platinum and gold studio albums, Wu-Tang became one of the most influential hip hop groups of all time. Through a powerful combination of lyrical wit and martial [...]
Fantastic Negrito announces new album ‘Please Don’t Be Dead’
Grammy-winning blues artist Fantastic Negrito has announced his latest album, Please Don't Be Dead, out June 15. The Oakland-based musician's newest album comes at a time when discussions of race and the safety of Black and Brown people are not only urgently needed, but, in Xavier Dphrepaulezz's hands, sure to be poignant. “I wrote this album because I fear for the life of my black son,” said the arist. “I fear for the lives of my daughters. I am uncertain about what kind of future they will face." Fantstic Negrito's music spans multiple genres, parallel to his own multicultural experiences. [...]
Half Waif announces spring dates for ‘Lavender’ tour
Half Waif (photo: Kaiya Gordon) Experimental electro-pop artist Half Waif will tour this spring to promote their new album, Lavender, which arrives on April 27. Joining Half Waif on tour will be Mitski and Hovvdy. Half Waif, Nandi Rose Plunkett's solo project alongside bandmates Adan Carlo and Zack Levine, first gained attention in 2015 after singles "Nest" and "Turn me Around" made their rounds on music blogs. Plunkett, also an instrumentalist for indie rock band Pinegrove, brings unique synth tones and unconventional melodies to her solo music. Often singing in an attempt to discover the emotions of home, Plunkett achieves [...]
One Found Sound celebrates five years at birthday gala
To celebrate five years together as an orchestra, One Found Sound will be holding their Quinquennial Birthday Bash gala at Heron Arts in San Francisco on April 27. One Found Sound is a conductorless orchestra that's revolutionizing the way modern audiences experience orchestral music. Their performances engage directly with the community, playing music in unconventional venues where the line between performer and audience is far less defined than in traditional concert halls. You can check out their concert experience below. With the birthday bash, the group is inviting Bay Area music fans to support their unique musical experience while enjoying [...]