Noise Pop 2020: Ami Dang, Lower Dens sift through societal pressures at Rickshaw Stop
In the midst of a consistently volatile social environment, one trope continues to prove true: the personal is political. It's rampant in our our self-expression and how we view ourselves, our social lives, and of course, in our art and music. Even if you're not aiming to posture in such an overtly calculated way, the undercutting subtext of simply existing is enough for a narrative to be created, intended or not. This hyper-awareness, or, rather, overexposure to the elements in our culture is enough for anyone to feel debilitated, demoralized, and violated by forces that are not in our control. And while [...]
Independent to host Lower Dens on Thursday
By releasing not one, but two sterling records last year, Baltimore’s dreampop duo Beach House deservedly received a ton of acclaim from critics and love from fans. The albums maintained a near-flawless run of releases (there really isn’t a non-great one in the bunch), and both landed on numerous year-end best-of lists. Still, I can’t help but think that the success of Beach House has steered some attention away from one of Baltimore’s other great bands, Lower Dens. Led by the fearless Jana Hunter, Lower Dens combine a love for krautrock beats and lush, expansive, '80s-style pop. Their 2012 release, [...]
Sharon Van Etten: powerful, charming, and funny at The Independent
Seeing an artist play the same venue three times over their career doesn't necessarily mean that they haven't grown a wider audience. Brooklyn singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten is too crowd engaged, too intimate of an artist to thrive in a larger venue like the Fillmore or the Fox. Van Etten's history at the Independent includes supporting Junip in 2010 and The War on Drugs in 2012, and now two sold out nights headlining for an adoring crowd in celebration of the fourth record she's put out, Are We There. Last night, Van Etten and her band started powerfully with the [...]
Recommended, 11/1-11/7: Free shows abound, The Uptown’s 3rd anniversary, Lower Dens and Sun Airway visit The Independent
Every Monday, we'll be offering you some early picks for the week's best concerts with an emphasis on Bay Area-based bands. Do you think we omitted something worthwhile? Let us know in the comments! Also, we've launched a new Local Concert Calendar, which you should be sure to check out for an expanded set of daily listings. Bands/promoters/managers, feel free to submit your own shows to the Calendar too. Free shows dominate the week's offerings Three free highlights to a busy week of shows. Wednesday's Rumble party at Milk features a psych and garage rock lineup capped by SF's Burnt [...]
The Baths, Future Islands, Lower Dens at El Rio Monday 5/24
This Monday, May 24th, El Rio will host local band the Baths, joined by two bands from Baltimore:  Lower Dens, a new band by Jana Hunter, along with Future Islands. This show will act as preparation for the Baths' mini-tour of California, as well as an East Coast tour with fellow local Ty Segall starting August 3rd. Check out the Baths' MySpace for more dates. Lower Dens - "Hospice Gates" Additionally, Lower Dens are playing here in San Francisco in support of their debut album release (Twin-Hand Movement), out in July via San Francisco label Gnomonsong. The first single from the [...]