In a musical landscape over-saturated with glamour and ego, Eliot Sumner is an honest breath of fresh air. You may have heard of her famous parents (look it up, if you must) but Sumner’s talent is so undeniable that no connection made to these two is necessary; she is a force all her own. The...Continue Reading

I am very surprised that I never stumbled upon Ben Abraham when I was living in Melbourne last year (Jan – May), as I would have surely stopped in my tracks if I heard ‘Speak‘ as I passed by the usual buskers on Melbourne’s famous Bourke Street (wonder if he ever busked there). Speak is...Continue Reading

A former pre-school teacher in the days before his budding music career, Damien Jurado (Secretly Canadian record label) was well equipped to handle the crazy “kids” (all grown adults that were probably “secretly Canadian”) that were shouting out requests for their favorite songs. “My name is Damien ‘Jurado’… not Damien ‘Jutebox’…I’ll play what I want...Continue Reading

I first saw Radical Face back in Nov 2014 at Iceland Airwaves music festival, thanks to a girl standing next to me up front who said I MUST stay for his set (and boy was I glad I did). Not having known anything about him, I was quickly taken back by the clever tales that...Continue Reading

This new radio-friendly rock-pop-anthem from The Y Axes will have you montaging by the first chorus. Where bubble gum singles celebrate a “shake it off” superficiality, lead singer Alexi Rose Belchere belts out a deeper more angsty dedication to loyalty with a contagious hook. No escapism here, but rather an appreciation for someone who makes you feel whole. Beautifully patterned guitar arrangements from Devin Nelson...Continue Reading

Oakland’s own Tumbleweed Wanderers play their first hometown headlining show in over three years on Friday, April 8th. Tumbleweed Wanderers, who released one of the best Bay Area albums of 2015 in June, have managed to sidestep the Oakland spotlight as of late. They’ve opened up for big names like Jackie Greene and Greensky Bluegrass but consistently avoided the headlining slot in the East Bay....Continue Reading

  Last Tuesday night, Brad Byrd entered the stage at Hotel Utah with a calm self-assurance that carried throughout his entire set. Long, sonorous melodies floated atop driving rhythms powered not only by Byrd’s guitar, but also his feet: alternating between kick drum and tambourine. A chiller version of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins....Continue Reading

As someone who actively seeks out new bands on a regular basis and averages about 2-3 shows a week, it’s always REAL REFRESHING to stumble upon new musical treasure when you LEAST EXPECT IT. That was the experience I had last Thursday when I walked into the Rickshaw Stop with zero knowledge and zero expectations...Continue Reading

Join us for a 2 day Bay Area Showcase, presented by Music City SF and sponsored by the music industry meet-up Balanced Breakfast. We will feature 12 prominent bands from San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. Don't miss any of the excitement at The Jackalope in Austin, TX on Tuesday March 15th and Wednesday the...Continue Reading

SO STOKED that I got to catch the DREAMY Day Wave for their first ever headline show at The Rickshaw Stop last week as part of SF’s NoisePop festival. It was no secret that Day Wave was to be playing NoisePop this year, for the musical mind behind Day Wave – Jackson Philips– was actually...Continue Reading

Formerly known as The Tropics, the SF Bay Area band named HEARTWATCH recently released their self-title, debut record: HEARTWATCH. In fact, they did so the same day of their SOLD OUT NoisePop show at the Independent on Wednesday. After streaming the album on Itunes and Spotify the week earlier, I was stoked to finally hear...Continue Reading

SO GLAD to have FINALLY caught the amazing Joe Purdy last Saturday at The Independent after wanting to see him live for SUCH A LONG TIME. I was an instant fan from the moment my friend Jensyn -a Arkansas native like Joe- introduced me to his stuff nearly 5 years ago, but living abroad in...Continue Reading