Author: Dakin Hardwick

Single of the Week: “Epilogue” by Cat Ridgeway

This is the last Single Of The Week of the year. The “Epilogue,” if you will, of a year of singles of the weeks. (Singles of the week? Single of the weeks? HELP ME GRAMMARLY!!!!) ANYWAYS! This song is so bloody good. Remember that whole banjo rock movement of the 2010s and how awful it was? This is what it should have been like. Ferocious punk rock with a banjo played fierce and fast, with some Billy Zoom punkabilly riffage mixed in. This is my introduction to Cat Ridgeway, and I can’t wait for more. 

“Epilogue” is out now on all the DSPs. New material, including an album, is coming in 2025! Keep an eye out on the socials!

Sweet Relief presents A Night Honoring Joan Baez

I’ve gotta say… I get really jealous when I see these press releases for big events honoring an important songwriter, where that songwriter performs with a significant acts that were influenced by them. Patti Smith had one in NYC earlier this year, and they are always in New York or LA. NEVER in SF. 

UNTIL NOW! Sweet Relief is paying tribute to local legend Joan Baez, the charity set up to ensure musicians have the money they need when medical issues arise (Y’know, an American issue). And the arena-level acts along for the ride? None other than Bonnie Raitt, Hozier, and Rage Against The Machine lead shredder Tom Morello! Other legends on stage include Emmylou Harris, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Roseanne Cash, Margo Price, Taj Mahal, Joe Henry, and others that aren’t yet announced.  

The event happens on February 8th at The Masonic in SF. Tickets are on sale Friday, December 20th at 10 am here. GOOD LUCK!

How Did Zoe Ko Get Here?

Zoe Ko is a pop/rock songwriter who has gifted the world some great, highly infectious singles and an EP in 2023. 2024 has been incredibly productive for her, and we had a great chat about nurturing your career, finding your people and your sound, and a lot about her future, including touring and what we should expect in the studio.

Zoe Ko’s latest single, “Lucky,” can be found here. Her website is here, but her Instagram is the best place for new news as it drops!

Single of the Week: “So Long, Farewell” by Riki Lindhome

The return of Riki Lindhome as a comedy musician is making me ever so happy… Her latest single, “So Long, Farewell,” is the perfect Christmas drop because, well, it’s not a Christmas song but references the most non-Christmas musical Sound Of Music, and “My Favorite Things,” one of the most depressing songs in history to be recast as a song about getting presents. Was that verbal nonsense? Yes, it was. But, also, I never knew I’d fall in love with a song from the perspective of Baroness Elsa Schraeder, who could do better than Georg von Trapp and his 800 singing children. 

Anyways, Riki Lindhome’s debut solo full-length, No Worries if Not, is coming to your friendly neighborhood DSP on March 14th. (Pi Day!) She’s also bringing her one-woman musical, Dead Inside, to SF Sketchfest! Catch her at Club Fugazi on January 18th. I’ll be there! 

Show Review: The Dandy Warhols’ 30th Anniversary Show at Bimbo’s 365 Club, 12/6/24

It’s insane to me that The Dandy Warhols have been doing their thing for 30 years now. Even crazier is the realization that I’ve been along for the ride (pun intended) for roughly 27 of those years, first seeing them at The Fillmore opening for The Charlatans UK and coming back with zero memory of the headliner. That night, while my friend was desperately trying to stalk Courtney Taylor-Taylor (with limited success), I tripped over Zia McCabe, and she signed the back of my poster. Why not the front? Because I’m an idiot. But she was incredibly kind and remains probably the nicest person in rock. Continue reading “Show Review: The Dandy Warhols’ 30th Anniversary Show at Bimbo’s 365 Club, 12/6/24”

Single Of The Week: Doechii’s Tiny Desk Concert

Is this cheating? 23 minutes of the most ecstatic MC work I’ve ever heard as a “single” of the week? Yeah. It is cheating. But I’m the Music Editor, and I make the rules, so I’m stretching it because this is SO FREAKING GOOD. She burns through 7 songs in a tight 15 minutes and then lets the final number, “Black Girl Memoir,” breathe, allowing the whole band to show off their chops. 

Doechii’s debut album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, is available in stores both virtual and physical now. I hope to see more of her in the coming year because this is AMAZING. 

New Sketchfest Events! ALBERT F’ING BROOKS!!!!!!

Defending Your Life was one of the cornerstone films of my childhood. It wasn’t a kid’s movie, but I was such a nerd and an armchair philosopher that I was obsessed with this film. Albert Brooks became my hero. Of course, as I got older, Meryl Streep ALSO became my hero. But the guy also hasn’t done a lot of public appearances in recent years, so it’s super exciting that SF Sketchfest has managed to snag the dude to talk about his career as a a filmmaker, an actor, and, hopefully even his stand up days! Continue reading “New Sketchfest Events! ALBERT F’ING BROOKS!!!!!!”

Single of the Week: “Young Lion” by Sade Adu

There’s a chance you’ve already uncovered this. There is also a good chance that you are coming out of a heated Thanksgiving dinner where somebody ranted about how there are “only two genders” and something cruel and dehumanizing. You need something warm and comforting from someone of the baby boom generation. God bless you, Sade. This is only her third single in the last 14 years, and it’s a potent ballad dedicated to her trans son. The video is lovely, warm, and affectionate, and it is a lovely, caring antidote to all the vile we expect to deal with over the next four years. 

“Young Lion” is a track off TRAN?A, a compilation from the Red Hot organization to raise money for various trans organizations worldwide. The compilation also features unreleased tracks from Andre` 3000, Wendy + Lisa, Hand Habits, SOAK, claire rosay, Jeff Tweedy, and too many others to list. 

 

Single of the Week: “All Star Breakfast” by Odie Leigh & Field Medic

Odie Leigh might be the artist I found this year that I’ve spent the most time with. Her debut record, Carrier Pigeon, has been on perpetual rotation on my turntable for the last two months or so, and her Outside Lands set continues to eat up important brain space. “All Star Breakfast” is a tender ode to Bob’s Big Boy, a restaurant that I loved in my youth but haven’t seen in real life in quite some time. It’s also a tender ode to love, in general, and is a classic country duet with Field Medic. It’s a nice little ditty, full of warm harmonies and just a wift of fresh coffee eminates through the speakers. 

“All Star Breakfast” is a stand alone single, and can be enjoyed in all the usual places. Her last leg of 2024 hits the west coast soon, and it’s a show that you shouldn’t miss. Those tour dates can be found here! 

SF SKETCHFEST ON SALE SUNDAY AT 10 AM PST

It’s been an embarrassment of riches for those in the market for distractions from the pending end of America. Noise Pop dropped their Phase 1 lineup on Wednesday. Mosswood Meltdown gave us their first five acts on Thursday. And today, SF Sketchfest just pulled out ANOTHER absolutely apeshit lineup. 

I’ll get the annual Nerd’s Guide to you at some point after I’m done digging into the 8,000,000 acts performing. Highlights include Bill Murray doing two nights at Great American Music Hall, Riki Lindhome doing her one-woman show about fertility, the great Kathryn Hahn in conversation with the great David Wain, Tim Curry making his first public appearance in a VERY long time in conversation with Peaches Christ, and just plain TOO MANY THINGS TO LIST—tickets on sale Sunday at 10 am. The schedule and tickets are here.