Garfunkel & Oates’ Riki Lindhome Announces Debut Solo Album

It’s been nine long, arduous years since the amazing Garfunkel & Oates’s last record, and their brilliant TV series did the “fade away” far too early. And Oates, aka Kate Micucci, has been bringing us TONS of great music, including last year’s best children’s album, My Hat. But Garfunkel? Ms Riki Lindhome? She hasn’t been silent, as she’s had a hit series and has gotten plenty of acting and writing work. But she’s finally putting out music again! And on March 14th, she’s releasing an album with the single most relatable title ever: No Worries If Not. And I am very excited. 

Preorder links are not ready yet, but you really should follow her on Spotify to keep in the loop. In the meantime, indulge in the brilliance of the first three singles below: Continue reading “Garfunkel & Oates’ Riki Lindhome Announces Debut Solo Album”

Ashe Announces A Return To The Road!

As a Bay Area music blog, we are always excited when one of our own overcomes something big. San Jose Native Ashe had to cancel the tour for her brilliant album Raye last year to deal with mental health issues. I honestly thought she was moving away from music in general. Instead, she gifted us with an amazing new record, Willson, and is doing a tour supporting her three most recent albums, making up for lost time while still touring the brilliant new record. 

Tour Dates are below, and everything goes on sale 11/1/24 at 10 am local time:

May 28—Variety Playhouse—Atlanta, GA
May 30—9:30 Club—Washington, DC
May 31—Royale—Boston, MA
June 3—Brooklyn Steel—Brooklyn, NY
June 5—Danforth Music Hall—Toronto, ON
June 6—Saint Andrew’s Hall—Detroit, MI
June 8—Metro—Chicago, IL
June 11—First Avenue—Minneapolis, MN
June 13—Ogden Theatre—Denver, CO
June 14—The Depot—Salt Lake City, UT
June 16—The Showbox—Seattle, WA
June 17—Revolution Hall—Portland, OR
June 19—The UC Theatre—Berkeley, CA
June 20—The Bellwether—Los Angeles, CA

Film Review: “Anora”

Baker’s latest proves one of the year’s best

Ivan (Mark Eidelshtein) and Anora (Mikey Madison) have a good time.

 Filmmaker Sean Baker first gained acclaim with his 2015 iPhone-filmed indie Tangerine. He continued his ascent with the equally well-received The Florida Project (2017) and Red Rocket (2021). Now, with his new movie Anora, writer/director Baker may finally find himself on the receiving end of an Oscar, for screenplay, directing, picture, or even all three. And his leading lady, Mikey Madison, is bound to earn an acting nomination for her incomparable performance as the titular Anora.

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How Did Jennifer Clavin (Dear Francis) Get Here?

Jennifer Clavin has been near the top of my interview bucket list since the inception of this site a whopping 15 years ago. (!) I’ve followed her career through Mika Miko to Bleached, watching her mature as a songwriter while I’ve matured along with her, with her music helping me navigate my life. She’s recently stepped out from behind the comfort of a band and has released three singles as a solo act under the alias Dear Francis. We discussed her career and craft and even hit on the joy of rescuing animals.

She’s been posting links to her new music here as it’s ready to share. She’s playing Heavy Manners Library in LA on Sunday, October 27th. This is her first solo show EVER, and I’m sad I can’t come down for it. But you should if you are in Southern California. Tickets here!

Single of the Week: “On Her Side” by Vaquita

Fun Fact: Bob Motherbaugh has a daughter in a punk band that doesn’t sound anything like Devo. Vaquita’s chops are closer to the classic pop-punk sound but aren’t afraid to toy with the listener’s emotions a bit and give a few surprise tempo changes. This leads to an awkward mosh but an enjoyable listen. 

“On Her Side” is the first single off Vaquita’s latest record, Secrets, on Real Gone Music today. 

Show Review: Nilüfer Yanya with Angélica Garcia at August Hall, 10/22/24

There is nothing I love more than music that doesn’t fit into a tidy little box. And on this late fall Tuesday Night, August Hall presented two very different performers: Nilüfer Yanya and Angélica Garcia, two artists whose only thing they have in common is that I have to look up how to type diacritics to write their names. Oh, and their 2024 albums, My Method Actor and Gemelo, respectively, are works of genius likely to end up on everyone’s EOY lists.  And when they came together at August Hall, they presented a thing of beauty.

Continue reading “Show Review: Nilüfer Yanya with Angélica Garcia at August Hall, 10/22/24”

Show Review: GWAR at The Regency Ballroom, 10/20/2024

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ARPhotoSF 

As with every four-year election cycle, this 2024 United States presidential election season has been equally as boring as it is annoying, with the 24/7 news coverage and the debates and the spam texts and emails and the constant ads on the social feeds as well as in the physical mailbox.

Thankfully, the greatest live band in the universe, Antarctica’s very own GWAR, has once again stepped up to help out the American public… by executing all of the presidential candidates, present and past.

Spinning Platters is never one to avoid a good ole bloody mess, and with the expensive camera equipment properly covered, GWAR marched onto the stage and wasted no time in chopping off heads, hands, arms, and anything else available to spew their fluids onto all of those awaiting their bloody destiny.  

Continue reading “Show Review: GWAR at The Regency Ballroom, 10/20/2024”

Show Review: TsuShiMaMiRe with skapeche mode at The Moroccan (DTLA)

What do you know about sex and food?
TsuShiMaMiRe destroys Los Angeles.

I’ve never been to the Moroccan Lounge in DTLA adjacent to Little Tokyo –the heritage center is right across Vignes Street–, but its homey charm immediately won me over. Most of the venues I cover have been on the larger size so it is always refreshing to be somewhere closer to the tiny clubs of my youth. If that sentence sounds familiar, it’s because that’s my nostalgia. It was also quite fitting that our proximity would be so close to the Japanese heart of Los Angeles since we were about to get our faces rocked off by a Japanese band, but first…

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Show Review: The. Best. Aftershock. Ever.

Review and All Photos by: Alan Ralph @ARPhotoSF 

For decades, Europe has led the way in the heavy metal and loud rock music festival space. Monsters of Rock (the originator, which started in 1980!), Wacken Open Air, Dynamo Open Air, Hellfest, Graspop, Copenhell, Rock am Ring, Rock im Park, Summer Breeze, Sweden Rock Fest and Download have always dominated the landscape with their amazing lineups year after year. 

United States was never close in offering an equivalent heavy metal experience. Sure, there was Ozzfest and Mayhem Festival, but those have been gone since 2017 and 2015 and Americans have always leaned more towards indie rock music festivals like Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonaroo, and Outside Lands anyway.

For the last twelve or so years, Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) has been chipping away at the supremacy of the European heavy metal festivals, with Welcome To Rockville, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple, Inkcarceration, Rock on the Range, Rocklahoma, Carolina Rebellion, and Northern California’s very own Aftershock Festival. With the best lineup it has ever had, West Coast’s Biggest Rock Festival definitely lived up to its name in 2024!

Continue reading “Show Review: The. Best. Aftershock. Ever.”

Single of the Week: “SHELL (OF A MAN)” by Saya Gray

QWERTY II by Saya Gray is one of my favorite releases of 2024. It’s a sonic adventure that takes more twists and turns than expected in a single EP. But her psych prog soul jazz pop mega opus didn’t prepare me for “SHELL (OF A MAN).” All those elements are in play in this song, but if Gray landed in Nashville in 1976 and recorded the song with session players on Music Row. In a decade, Gray will be making music that strengthens your eardrums. 

“SHELL (OF A MAN)” is the first single of Gray’s first full-length, SAYA, coming your way on February 21st. Pre-order / pre-save here!