No official proclamation has been released, but with Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass both around the corner, San Francisco is once again on the verge of what many locals consider live music season.
Speaking of Outside Lands: Festival organizers have unveiled some big-name aftershows to keep the music going after dark in Golden Gate Park. They include an August 4 mixtape show from Pussy Riot and intimate bookings with Phoebe Bridgers (August 5, The Independent) and Best Coast (August 6, Rickshaw Stop).
Looking ahead to fall, fans of last year’s Halloween Meltdown at Mosswood Park can start looking forward to its October return, with newly announced headliners Amyl and the Sniffers and hometown favorites Shannon and the Clams.
And before you forget, shout out to Farsight. The San Francisco producer and DJ’s latest EP, Triangulation, was released last month and features a six-track masterclass on clever basslines.
Read on for a preview of five new local releases.
Oakland’s Spacemoth Draws Inspiration From Afghan Heritage
‘No Past No Future’ (Available Now)Listen/Buy: Spotify | band camp Read also : Podcast: A renewed love for local music.
Yes, technically, Berkeley’s Maryam Qudus released her debut album on July 22. But the psychedelic space-pop of Spacemoth is not to be overlooked. Under the moniker, Quodus draws on her upbringing as a first-generation Afghan-American on tracks like “Pipe and Pistol,” which pairs lyrics detailing the challenges of “building a new life in America” with a drum line. in a loop, dreamy voices and shrill synths. The beat slows down a bit on the brooding “UFObird,” while “Asking for You” is a simple, quiet love song. Ultimately, each track on the album benefits from the knowledge Qudos gained from stints with local institutions such as the Women’s Audio Mission in San Francisco and John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone recording studio. To see these songs come to life, grab a ticket for Spacemoth’s record release special on Friday, August 12 at Bandcamp Oakland with support from There’s Talk and Beaunoise.
Small Agency Records Full-Length in Abandoned Downtown Office
‘Don’t Let It Go’ (August 1)Listen/Buy: Spotify | band camp To see also : Sara Haefeli (School of Music, Theater, and Dance) Publishes a Report on Singer Caroline Shaw..
After the pandemic hit the city in March 2020, it took designer Brad Kayal six months to return to the office. In his case, it was an ad agency in downtown San Francisco that as of early 2021 still looked, in Kayal’s words, like “a ghost town.” While everyone was working remotely, Kayal and his friend, designer Matt Wyne, set up drums and other equipment in what would become Small Agency’s makeshift studio. The music video for lead single “Don’t Let It Go” offers viewers a glimpse of this arrangement while showcasing the duo’s talent for lush harmonies and soulful pop. Recorded last summer and mixed by Kayal over the winter, Small Agency’s debut album Don’t Let It Go offers a compelling argument for making the best of a bad situation. Across the album’s eight tracks, Small Agency blends lyrical introspection and sonic elevation in a unique way due to their choice of recording studio. “We recorded some of the vocals in the office bathroom because we wanted a natural reverberation,” Kayal explained. “We also sang into an acoustic guitar to get some sympathetic resonance. We didn’t have any engineers watching the clock, so we could try whatever we wanted.
Grateful Dead Drummer Returns With Percussion Supergroup, Planet Drum
“In the Groove” | August 5Listen/Pre-order: Spotify | band camp See the article : Bald Knob Cross hosts the first “Unite at the Cross” music festival.
It would be a mistake to classify Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart’s sidegig as a member of Planet Drum as a mere vanity project. Winners of the first-ever Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for Planet Drum in 1991, the band won the trophy again for Global Drum Project in 2007. Now, after a 15-year hiatus, the percussive supercollective is back with In the Groove. Released August 5, the band’s latest effort finds Hart collaborating with fellow rhythm masters Zakir Hussain (India), Giovanni Hidalgo (Puerto Rico) and Sikiru Adepoju (Nigeria) for six exuberant and, at times, downright mesmerizing tracks. imbued with percussive sounds. of drums, sticks and hands. Somehow the music sounds even sweeter when we learn that Hussain’s father – the great Indian tabla player Allarakha – was a close friend of Hart and influenced the interest of the dead in time signatures. unusual. Today, that bond continues in the form of Hart’s close friendship with the late Allarakha’s son. Recognized today as “the preeminent classical tabla virtuoso of our time”, Hussain’s friendship and working relationship with Hart is an inspiring testament to a musical partnership now in its second generation. “I thought there was a great need for this,” read a statement from Hart in a statement for In the Groove. “Rhythmic unity across cultures is Planet Drum’s raison d’etre, and with the tormented world it sends a powerful message of healing.”
Members of Boy Scouts & Ezra Furman’s Band Join Forces On New Project
‘Art Moore’ | August 5Listen/Pre-order: Spotify | band camp
When Oakland’s Taylor Vick got together with Erza Furman collaborators Sam Durkes and Trevor Brooks in January 2020, the idea was to write music for film and TV projects. Already acclaimed for her solo work as Boy Scouts, Vick agreed to join Durkes and Brooks at an Oakland studio with no expectations. The sessions will eventually lead to the formation of a new group: Art Moore. On the trio’s self-titled debut album, Vick’s immense talent for lyrics and melodies once again shines on this solid collection of delicate songs. Imbued with subtle electronic flourishes, tracks like the magnificent “Rewind” suggest that the trio of Vick, Durkes and Brooks – each so individually gifted – might somehow be even better than the sum of their parts. Art Moore’s creative appetite even extended beyond the studio to include making the art featured in videos for early singles like “A Different Life.” Catch them live when they perform at Thee Parkside on October 13th.
Osees, Titans of SF’s Mid-2000s Garage Rock Revival, Drop New LP
“A rough shape” | Aug 12Listen/Pre-order: Spotify | band camp
That’s right: Members of The Osees (aka Thee Oh Sees, OCS, The Oh Sees, etc.) have Los Angeles zip codes these days. But where vocalist and guitarist John Dwyer, bassist Tim Hellman, keyboardist Tomas Dolas and drummers Dan Rincon and Paul Quattrone get their mail delivered isn’t the question. Osees will forever be a rock band from San Francisco. The current iteration of the band, first formed in 1997, is set to play a three-night tour at the San Francisco Chapel September 5-7. The opportunity? The release of A Foul Form, a new album the band describes in press materials as “a tribute to the punk bands we grew up with”. Part of the promotional efforts for the upcoming record also includes a message provided by punk icon Henry Rollins. “The Hoseas don’t seem to mutate or transform to the point of remaining extraordinarily open to what drives them to do next and able to make consistently good music,” the statement reads in part. For a taste of what’s to come, watch the Logan Feser-directed music video for lead single “Funeral Solution.”
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