Category Archives: Local Bands

Rankstravaganza 2014: My 30 favorite songs of the year

Posted on December 28, 2014 by

I basically haven’t posted anything new to this blog since my 2013 year-end roundup. It’s been a busy year full of new challenges and responsibilities, but I’ve continued to listen to new music and compulsively keep track of what got … Continue reading →

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Meanwhile, Elsewhere on the Web: My “Bay Area Mixtape 2013″ featured on the official Avenue Live blog

Posted on February 14, 2014 by

I meant to do a post as part of my End of the Year Rankstravaganza specifically focused on Bay Area bands and musicians. Of course, I didn’t get around to it. As it got later and later in January, I … Continue reading →

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You Really Ought to Go See Kate Kilbane Perform Her Pop-Rock Opera Based on a Gruesome Greek Myth

Posted on March 5, 2013 by

It was worth the price of admission just to watch the girl, maybe 9 years old, in the front row—her mouth agape, her eyes filled with wonder—bewitched by the story of a young woman struggling to control both the powerful magic and emotions roiling inside her. Continue reading →

Posted in Bay Area Music, Events, Local Bands, Music, Worthy of a Shout-Out | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Racking Up Plays: “My Murder, My Love” by The Coup

Posted on November 19, 2012 by

These are the posts where I gush about some song that I’ve got a huge crush on at the moment, and you put up with it and listen because you’re a good friend. “My Murder, My Love,” The Coup Oakland’s … Continue reading →

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Report From the Show: Mark Growden and The Mockingbirds @ Subterranean Arthouse in Bekeley, Calif., 10.19.12

Posted on October 20, 2012 by

Growden has been living in New Orleans for the last couple years, but he’ll be back in the Bay Area for an extended period, which means more opportunities to see him live—starting with a second show tonight at Subterranean Arthouse. Continue reading →

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PHOTOS: Down Dirty Shake, Cool Ghouls and The Lotus Moons at Stork Club in Oakland, 02.17.12

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

It was the type of night where “blues” is spelled “blooze,” the pop is powered and the band asks for as much reverb as the sound guy can give. Five retro-minded bands filled the Stork Club in Oakland with psychedelic … Continue reading →

Posted in Bay Area Music, Concert Photos, Local Bands, Music, Report From the Show, Slideshow | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Read a profile of San Jose band Picture Atlantic on another website because somebody’s paying me to post it there instead

Posted on December 22, 2011 by

You didn’t think I was doing this blog just for yucks, did you? No, I’m in it for the bucks. Ideally, this is a showcase for my writing in the hopes it might lead to paid writing gigs. And that’s … Continue reading →

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East Bay punk band Emily’s Army officially deemed “next big thing” by winning mtvU’s Freshman 5 contest

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

Congratulations are in order for Oakland teenage pop-punk band Emily’s Army, which managed to get its fan base to out-vote the fan bases of four other up-and-coming groups featured in mtvU’s Freshman 5 showcase. Continue reading →

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Racking Up Plays: “Palomino” by Mates of State

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

For years now, I’ve contended that my cat’s favorite band is Mates of State. … You’d think a creature that spends 5/6 of the day napping would go for something a little less manic, but as soon as Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel’s ebullient voices start mixing, there’s always a noticeable reduction in concerned yowls emanating from the cat carrier. Continue reading →

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Why’d You Name Your Band That?: Oakland quartet Kapowski offers a rush of experimental pop as potent as caffeine pills

Posted on September 10, 2011 by

There’s a lot that Jesse Rimler loves about his Oakland-based band, Kapowski, from its sophisticated approach to harmonies to its unusual guitar-less lineup. Its name is not one of them. Rimler has some reservations about the Saved by the Bell-inspired … Continue reading →

Posted in Bay Area Music, Local Bands, Music, Why'd You Name Your Band That? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments