A name is powerful; it brings meaning to an otherwise empty space or thought. The Watkins Family Hour conjures an older time that harkens back to the Grand Ole Opry or the Johnny Cash show, but with a contemporary twist of new wave bluegrass and Americana goodness. Friday, August 14th at the Freight and Salvage...Continue Reading

“I imagine your dead body lying in my bed..” Bent Knee vocalist Courtney mused, playing a light tinkling of bell sounds across her keyboard. With these first few notes the audience plunged into the depths of Bent Knee’s sound- depths sometimes murky and dark, sometimes clear and cutting, and always shocking to a new audience,...Continue Reading

On a warm Saturday night during Pride weekend, the Great American Music Hall bustled with excitement. Not only were three amazing Bay Area bands about to share one of the most beautiful stages in San Francisco, but the Supreme Court had declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states just in time for LGBT Pride...Continue Reading

Way José sounds equally familiar and strange. An eclectic mix of the past, it melds motifs from 60s folk, R&B, funk, and shamanistic world music. Each song is different. One’s subdued, yet still intense and introspective, then another funkier and grooving. Way José is the solo recording project of the producer/multi-instrumentalist Daniel DeMento (also of...Continue Reading

If you haven’t heard of Dangermaker by now, then you haven’t been reading San Francisco blogs, and probably haven’t been clued into what Balanced Breakfast is … yet! Light the Dark I – EP by DANGERMAKER (This isn’t a dig at you, mind you, more of an acknowledgment that I’ve written about them before. In...Continue Reading

I take for granted the fact that if you are reading this post, (either by way of I Heart SFBands, Sf Intercom, or social networking links) you are familiar with Bay Area Balanced Breakfast… …turns out that assumption might not be true. How can other people know what it is when there are times when I’m baffled as...Continue Reading

I just listened to the 2014 release Diconnect::Reconnect from start to finish twice. The first time I simply lost myself. The second time I became mesmerized by the intricacies of their artistic flight. Don’t waste your time getting a sense of this band on your cell phone speakers or you will miss all the nuances and...Continue Reading

I saw Not Sure. Not Yet at their Grow EP release show on July 31 at Milk Bar, where they celebrated the record’s music as well as some new tunes. The two opening acts were Tremor Low (SF) and Old Monk (Brooklyn). First Up: Tremor Low Taking a journey through ’80s brooding dance-pop, Tremor Low...Continue Reading

This Friday, in particular, was a show I’ve been looking forward to. When a man claims his show has the late great Dr.Hunter S. Thompson as in inspiration (in the good Dr’s city mind you) you’ve grabbed my attention… … The Damn Fanatics, The Street Hearts, and WhaleSoundz @ Neck of the Woods (Richmond District,...Continue Reading

This is a review I’ve been looking forward to writing. I never know for sure what I’m going to get when I go see a band. Yeah, I can listen to the new single from a band, stream the album online and even enjoy the music on a CD (Yes I still listen to cd’s)…...Continue Reading

As a youth, Duncan ‘DonCat’ Nielsen’s grandma gave him an odd pile of European released Beach Boys tapes, which lead him to the record store searching for other oddities. Coming from a family of music enthusiasts, including a dad with a penchant for Cream and the blue shades of Jimi Hendrix, a brother with drum...Continue Reading

San Francisco music community, I love you but some times you bring me down… (ala James Murphy) When I was going to SHOWS back in lil ol’ Wyoming, it was a given that a SHOW meant going to see EVERYBODY playing that evening. Its basic D.I.Y etiquette really; that all bands playing on a bill...Continue Reading