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Brandon E. Roos on April 22, 2014
Finally, the hip-hop pendulum is swinging back to the West Coast. After roughly a decade of Southern rappers dominating the charts, the rise of Kendrick Lamar and a handful of other rappers in LA, and the burgeoning success of the Bay Area’s own Iamsu and Sage the Gemini, are creating momentum that California rappers have not experienced since the 1990s. Continue reading »
With slow, chugging riffs, growling vocals and a penchant for large concept albums, Louisiana sludge metal band Thou have, by their very nature, always discouraged mainstream attention. However, lead singer Bryan Funck thinks Thou’s latest album, Heathen, is their most accessible to date. Granted, the songs are longer, slower and centered on the theme of nature and the physical world, with references to authors Thoreau, Kipling and Landstreicher. Continue reading »
Fifteen years is a milestone for any band, especially for one that formed while its members were still in high school. Local pop-punkers 5606, now in their late 20s, have accomplished a lot in the past decade and a half, including releasing four albums and going on dozens of tours. They celebrate their 15th anniversary this Saturday at Homestead Bowl & The X Bar. Continue reading »
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Brandon E. Roos on April 9, 2014
A well-dressed yet casual crowd of varied age sips craft cocktails as they’re serenaded by the timeless voice of Marvin Gaye. While the legendary crooner’s delivery remains untouched, he’s supported by a hip-hop backdrop, complete with booming 808 kick. It seemed like the day’s rain may scare some away, but it’s 10:30pm on a Monday and 55 South is full. Continue reading »
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Richard Faulk on April 2, 2014
It’s a new album and a new start for Dee Dee Penny and her brainchild the Dum Dum Girls. Though it’s fair to say that each of her three albums has been its own departure, 2010’s I Will Be introduced the band as a more than competent low-fi act that understood its roots in ‘60s girl groups and garage rock. Continue reading »
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Jennifer Wadsworth on April 2, 2014
A white pickup pulls up to the Back Bar on South Market Street in downtown San Jose. A couple men hop out, pull a ladder from the truck bed and prop it up outside the storefront. They proceed to take down a black-and-white sign bearing the bar’s name. Minutes later, they hoist it into the vehicle, casually get back in the cab and drive off. Continue reading »
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Brandon E. Roos on March 25, 2014
On last year’s Long Live the Jazz, South London DJ and producer Swindle seemed to aim for the same lofty goal Daft Punk attempted with their Grammy-winning album Random Access Memories: instilling humanity in computer-driven music. Continue reading »
