Rays premiere enchanting video for “To The Fire”
For years now, Oakland darlings Rays have produced artful rock that fascinates and provides solace to the weirdo-rock enthusiasts of the Bay. It's jangly and fun, and builds from lush grooves, bright lo-fi vocals, drums, and guitars. On Rays' 2018 album You Can Get There From Here, released by Trouble In Mind Records, they've polished their sound a bit, but remain tied to the enchanting melodies and deeply poetic lyricism. They're taking up a residency at the SF Eagle for the month of February, focusing their attention on a series of live performances that include the friends and family that have [...]
Listen to RAYS’ new jangle-pop gem “Yesterday’s Faces”
RAYS' self-titled debut was one of 2017's highlights. The band's recently debuted "Yesterday's Faces," a wonderful two-minute slice of jangly pop, indicates that the upcoming You Can Get There From Here will be another winner. Now a quintet with the addition of keyboardist Britta Leijonflycht, the Bay Area band exists at the intersection of indie pop, punk, and post-punk, and Trouble in Mind Records suggests that the new album will draw more heavily from the outsider pop of acts like Television Personalities and Cleaners From Venus. You Can Get There From Here by RAYS Catch Rays at The Knockout on [...]
Mixtape: Highlights from Bay Area Music in 2017
This episode originally ran on KQED.org. http://media.libsyn.com/media/thebaybridged/2017_Highlights_Mixtape.mp3 Download: Mixtape: Highlights from Bay Area Music in 2017 (Podcast #419) With each passing day, 2017 appears increasingly determined to solidify its place as the worst year in recent memory. Despite all of the hardships being experienced locally, nationally, and around the globe, the year has offered a wealth of impressive albums from Bay Area musicians. For some of the notable artists featured in this mixtape, their 2017 successes built on the previous year's achievements. Jay Som followed up 2016's buzzed-about Turn Into compilation with her first proper LP Everybody Works. It's a [...]
Oakland’s RAYS bring their banner year to a close
Words by Jordan Martich A new member, a fantastically received debut album, and a successful recent tour have made this year an important one for Oakland band RAYS, who bridge an artsy folk-psychedelia vibe with proto-punk and garage. After their Midwestern trip to play Cropped Out, the low-key festival for weirdos that's been happening in Louisville, KY since 2010, the group is recharged and ready to craft a new record. The experience was inspiring, according to drummer Alexa Pantalone, especially sharing a bill with Bonnie “Prince” Billy, David Nance Band, the Cowboys and more. “It's amazing – you're camping outside [...]
Oakland’s Rays turn it up with debut album
It's rare to find garage rock that sounds as authentic as Rays' self-titled debut. The no-care groove of this Oakland-based group delivers a jangly pop-forward collection of tracks that is at once abrasive anarchistic punk rock and easy listening (in the most rock and roll sense of the term). The album comes by way of Trouble In Mind Records and includes veteran Bay Area players: Stanley Martinez, Eva Hannan, Troy Hewitt, and Alexa Pantalone, formed from notable local acts including, The World, Life Stinks, and Violent Change. Have a listen to their debut album below and see the band plug [...]
Mixtape: Fourteen San Francisco Bay Area Artists to Watch in 2017
http://media.libsyn.com/media/thebaybridged/Artists_to_Watch_2017.mp3 Download: Mixtape: Fourteen San Francisco Bay Area Artists to Watch in 2017 (Podcast #400) This episode first aired on KQED.org. Our first mixtape of 2017 is our annual survey of some of the best new and emerging San Francisco Bay Area performers to watch over the coming year. The fourteen up-and-coming local acts showcased in this mix come from a wide variety of genres, and whether it's the experimental hip hop of Siri, Marbled Eye's urgent post-punk, or the heavy psych of Feral Ohms, to highlight just a few, there's a wealth of talent on display here. As in [...]