Author: Dakin Hardwick

Single of the Week: “Mythologize Me” by Eliza McLamb

I know, it’s the first day of Outside Lands, and, sadly, the first year in a while without an Outside Lambs area, so, of course, I have to pick a “McLamb” for Single Of The Week. Well, the pun is unintentional. The song? Purely intentional. A warm and hooky song about the lengths people go to in order to become an idealized sexual partner? Well, that ticks all the boxes for me. I love the song, and I’m ready to dig further into McLamb’s catalog. 

Eliza McLamb has recently signed with Royal Mountain Records, so expect more to come. Until then, you can enjoy “Mythologize Me” in all the usual places, and check out her podcast, Binchtopia, here! 

Show Review: Blondshell with Hello Mary at Cafe du Nord, 8/4/23

Every great once in a while, an artist comes along that is impossible to shake. I found Blondshell in the most old school of manners- a late-night TV performance. Since then, her self-titled debut record has been in perpetual rotation. Bright Eyes was first introduced to me as the sound of someone inserting their hand into their chest, ripping out their heart, and handing it to you. Blondshell, on record, essentially does just that. I’ve been aching to experience this live show for months at this point. 

Continue reading “Show Review: Blondshell with Hello Mary at Cafe du Nord, 8/4/23”

Single of the Week: “New York Transit Queen” by Corinne Bailey Rae

It’s been about six years since the last Corinne Bailey Rae single. And I’ve always known that Rae has been unafraid to showcase a wide variety of influences, but I never would’ve expected a super sweaty, 1:57 driving rocker to come from her. It’s so fast you could miss the song, but if you jump in before it gets away from you, you get a concise story and a solid HIIT workout all at once. 

“New York Transit Queen” is the first single from Black Rainbows, a multi-media project that Rae has been working on for the past six years, inspired by Theaster Gates’ collection at Stony Island Arts Bank. The audio portion can be pre-ordered here and will be out on September 15th. 

SPELLLING Presents: Through The Looking Glass Festival

Another day, another festival announcement… But this one is special, mostly because it’s bound to be the loveliest and weirdest event of the Fall. Atlas Obscura, the only travel website that I ever use, has teamed up with Sacred Bones Records and Oakland’s very own SPELLLING to curate a very special evening in, of all places, Children’s Fairyland. 

There will be art; there will be amusements; there will be tarot readings; there will be SUN RA ARKESTRA, for crying out loud! And, of course, SPELLLING, and LA’s Sasami (possibly the most dynamic performer I’ve ever seen on a stage), and so much more! And did I mention it’s at Children’s Fairyland from 7 pm-11 pm on Saturday, September 16th? 

Tickets are $70 and available here. Only 1200 tickets for sale, so buy fast so you don’t miss out! 

Outside Lands Set Times Announced!

It’s the time of year again!! When you get to stress over the Outside Lands, schedule for a week and a half, attempting to both optimize your experience and agonize over clashes. Not only that but there are now TWO dance music areas instead of one… So get ready to figure out the fastest way between the SOMA Tent and Dolores’ stage. Feel free to plot your own schedule here. And, obviously, if you are foolish and haven’t picked up tickets yet, you can still get Sunday GA and Golden Gate Club tickets here. 

Now, on with the schedule: Continue reading “Outside Lands Set Times Announced!”

Single of the Week: “Under The Sun” by SPELLLING

Oakland’s SPELLLING has released two of the most impressive dark-pop records I’ve ever heard, and the cries of “this generation’s Kate Bush” are all well deserving. She’s also been on the road for about two years straight with an AMAZING live band that has given these tracks a bigger, more organic energy. Instead of doing a live album, she’s brought that band into the studio to record “live” versions of these tracks, and this version of “Under The Sun” is a world away from the lofi synth of the original. 

SPELLLING & The Mystery School is coming to your eardrums on August 25th, and preperations for it’s arrival can be made here. SPELLLING is bringing her band and other friends as well as a myriad of other oddities and exciting things to Children’s Fairyland in Oakland on September 16th for a very, very special evening of… Well, it’s co-presented by Atlas Obscura, so your guess is as good as mine. Tickets for that are available here! 

Top 10 from the Bottom Half of the Outside Lands Poster 2023

It’s late July / early August, which means it’s time to start plotting out your Outside Lands plans! This means you get to hear MY OPINION on the best acts from the “lesser known” half of the poster! There is a lot of good stuff happening early in the day, so get your money’s worth, load up on coffee, and get to the park when the gates open! A full slate of performers can be found here, and there are still *some* tickets left as of press time, and those limited ticket types can be found here. 

In addition to the list below, Outside Lands added a new, gay-centered stage named after every hipster’s favorite Castro-adjacent park, Dolores‘! On Friday the area is being taken over by Fake & Gay. On Saturday, SF Drag Laurette, D’Arcy Drollinger is bringing her club, OASIS, to the park. And on Sunday, the most legendary local party, Hard French will be making sure you feel very French all Sunday long.  Continue reading “Top 10 from the Bottom Half of the Outside Lands Poster 2023”

HOW DID I GET HERE with Bethany Cosentino

You may know the name Bethany Cosentino as 1/2 of the popular LA duo Best Coast. After nearly 15 years of plugging away, they decided it was time to take a break. In the meantime, Cosentino has recorded a brilliant solo album on par with the best of Linda Rondstadt and Jenny Lewis. We had a lovely opportunity to chat with Bethany about her time in Best Coast and her noise band Pocahaunted. We talked about having a famous cat, about always being in the eye of the indie rock press, and about what she’s doing now.

Bethany Cosentino’s debut solo album, Natural Disaster, is in stores and online on Friday, July 28th, and can be preordered / presaved here.

Picks Six Reasons To See Paramore This Year

Last Saturday night, I was moments away from calling a Lyft to take myself to the Chase Center after one of the most exhausting Saturdays I’ve had in years. Literally right before I was going to “Select Lyft” button, I got a text from a friends letting me know that the show had been postponed. Someone appears to have gotten sick in the touring party. OH NO! The worst part about it was that I was kind of relieved… I ended up introducing my four year old to Oliver & Company instead that night, and it was an excellent decision. The SF Show was moved to August 7th, as well as Seattle moving to the 9th, Portland to the 10th, and the 2023 tour is now closing up in Seattle on the 13th. This is sad news for most people, but excellent news for folks that were sold out of these shows, as the postponed shows are allowing for refunds for a week. You can snag those tickets as they become available here! 

In the meantime, here are my six favorite tracks from Paramore’s catalog. Continue reading “Picks Six Reasons To See Paramore This Year”

Single of the Week: “Tiny Garden” by Jamila Woods featuring duendita

Jamila Woods never ceases to surprise me. Her heavy lyrics are always full of layers, often political or spiritual, or a mixture of both. So, after spending hours with “Tiny Garden,” trying to determine what she’s getting at, only to find that she’s gifted us with… A straight-ahead love song? A stunning, honest love song, centering on the work and the joys of being in a long-term relationship. And that middle lyric: “If I’m awkward, let me rock,” sent shivers down my spine. It’s the most real, relatable, and kind song I’ve heard on a while. 

“Tiny Garden” is the first single off Wood’s upcoming album, Water Made Us, which is sure to dominate all of the end-of-the-year lists. So do the prep work to make sure you are ready for it on October 13th here!