10 albums from local bands that you can buy right now
You probably don't need us to tell you that musicians have taken a major financial hit in the last few weeks as Coronavirus fears close music venues across the country. It's been well documented that, over the last decade or so, concerts have overtaken album sales in terms of literal payoff for musicians. The sudden cancellation of not just major festivals, but smaller public gatherings, has left artists, venue owners, and the entire artistic community that we cover daily reeling from surprise and worried about the financial future. The (relatively) good news? There's been a flood of quality releases from [...]
Oaklander Emily Afton releases EP ‘Consideration’
Emily Afton (photo: Ian Young) Fresh off a Noise Pop show at Rickshaw Stop, Oakland’s very own Emily Afton releases her long-awaited EP Consideration. It’s an exploration of Afton’s identity as a queer artist in 2020. She uses her music as a platform to express her discontent with the political landscape. “The Veil,” which is the opening track, was written three years prior after Afton was invited to play at the Women’s March in San Francisco. Her sultry voice is thick with emotion as she takes us on a personal journey in ‘Back in San Francisco’ of how the city has [...]
Noise Pop 2020: The Seshen and Mahawam shine at Rickshaw Stop
Last night, people packed Rickshaw Stop to see the Seshen, the Oakland R&B/jazz/soul/whatever-genre-they-feel-like group that's we've seen in settings as varied as Outside Lands and London. However, the standout to me was Oakland's Mahawam. The Seshen were reliably good (actually, they were great), but during Mahawam's opening set, it became crystal clear why our writers have been praising them since early in their career — they present an alluring mix of R&B, hip-hop, pop, and electronic. The music can be a bit serious, but it's broken up by their charming stage presence: In-between asides were filled with humor, bold statements, [...]
ZOLA, Emily Afton and Sandu Ndu play Cafe du Nord
This Thursday Noise Pop and Everything Ecstatic presents an evening featuring a couple of Bay Area prized possessions. Featured artist ZOLA (San Francisco) is a blend of of folk-pop, jazz, soul, and indie-pop with a very singer-songwriter vibe. This is her album release show, with full band and full energy — watch out for that finger picking. Also on the bill is Oakland delight Emily Afton, whose synth-pop heat is impressive and energetic. She has played to massive crowds in the past couple of years and we're excited to see what she's bringing to Cafe du Nord's intimate stage. ZOLA, [...]
Live This Month: October 2018 — an audio guide to upcoming Bay Area concerts
Download: Live This Month: October 2018 (Podcast #433) In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area. After a month off, Live This Month is back with a mix full of tunes that will make you want to see some concerts! This month's mix is bookended by post-punk, with the lean and atmospheric EXEK starting things off, and Wax Chattels' raw and noisy sounds wrapping the episode up. In between, we've got a wealth of new music, including recent and new-to-us songs from locals [...]
We’re co-presenting Lapel and Emily Afton at Cafe du Nord. Join us.
If you haven't heard Lapel's debut record, Periphery, by now, after all our shouting about it, we aren't sure what it will take for you to do so. One way you can help us help you: Head out to Cafe du Nord on October 11 and hear it live and in person. To be clear, this isnt Lapel's "debut" in the truest sense of the word: Debbie Neigher has been slowly making a transformation from the piano-based balladry made under her given name to the smooth electronic sounds and urgent themes of Lapel. Featuring a backing band bursting at the [...]
Photos: Ohmme at Rickshaw Stop
Ohmme (photo: Ian Young) Rickshaw Stop was host to a fun, diverse selection of indie rock this last Wednesday, September 12, 2018. On the bill was San Francisco singer/songwriter Emily Afton, singer/guitarist (and rapper!) Krishan Abeyatunge, and Chicago's Ohmme. Check out the gallery below.
Noise Pop: Geographer cements its place as a treasured SF gem
A few weeks ago at a the Balanced Breakfast music conference, I heard Mike Deni, lead singer and visionary behind the band Geographer, recount a story from years past in which Deni ran up one of the city's highest peaks and stood looking at the epic views of San Francisco. Some day I'm gonna own this town, he recalled thinking. Well, that has day long since come. As he showed Thursday night at the Independent, headlining a sold-out Noise Pop show, Deni has secured Geographer's place as one of San Francisco's treasured musical gems. If you’re not familiar with the [...]
What’s Happening This Week? A Guide To Shows Around The Bay, Dec 19 – Dec 22
This week catch live performances of A Charlie Brown Christmas with music provided by the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall. Monday, December 19 Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker @ The Warfield Opening for this holiday heavy-hitter will be 20+ Musical Wunderkind violinist and cellist prodigies, young "pre-professionals," accompanying the principal ballerina in Saint-Saëns’ classic “Dying Swan.” Dimond Saints, Gladkill @ The New Parish Wormhole's sensory explosion show series of Burner-esque tendencies will be donating all proceeds towards victims of the Ghost Ship fire and their families. Tuesday, December 20 Nyre @ El Rio Our most recently featured local [...]
Kendra McKinley and Emily Afton take over the Bimbo’s lounge
In November, a North Beach mainstay signaled a new monthly music series featuring local artists for dirt-cheap. The Dolphina Lounge Series, within the walls of Bimbo’s 365 Club, will host Kendra McKinley and Emily Afton this month on Tuesday, December 20. This show marks a perfect combination of musicians who dangled a full album's worth of new music in front of us for most of the year. Jump below to browse through both 2016 releases. Throwing the initial singles our way over a year prior, a much awaited follow-up to McKinley’s Chestnut Street was released in June. If someone in [...]