Lo-fi love: torch songs of the indie realm
I learned about the term “torch song” a while ago, during a session of listening to covers of pop songs (my unfortunate guilty pleasure) when one was labeled “in a torch song style.” The majority of the...
K.Flay slays at the Great American Music Hall
Kristine Flaherty, known as K.Flay, has come a long way since writing her first rap parody track over 10 years ago, performing in front of a sold out crowd in her hometown of San Francisco last Thursday, Octo...
Max Frost to funk up Brick and Mortar
Austin-based multi-instrumentalist Max Frost originally caught the attention of influential ears in 2013 with the track “White Lies” and its incredibly flexible sound. Equal parts The Love Below-era Andre 3...
Grouplove is a Big Mess – in the best way possible
Thursday night in Oakland on the evening of October 6th was a little more vibrant than usual, thanks to the presence of indie-pop band Grouplove. The five members performed at the Fox Theater on a stage of brig...
Joyce Manor (the band you will never get out of your head) rocks Great American Music Hall
Joyce Manor kicked off their Fall 2016 tour on October 5th at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. After roughly a 3 month break since their last full US tour with Modern Baseball, the band returne...
Bear’s Den no longer cubs
I first heard Bear's Den in the summer of 2013 - on the precipice of college and actual adulthood - sitting on some grass in southern England with my best friend and someone named Charlie, sipping the sorcery ...
Frankie Cosmos Would Prefer Staying in Bed, If Possible
Greta Kline wishes she’d written “Good Intentions Paving Company” by Joanna Newsom. Greta Kline says that Eminem’s “Stan” is the greatest song of all time. Greta Kline is Frankie Cosmos, and Greta K...
Savoir Adore return for The Love That Remains
By coincidence, we are perhaps starting to associate Savoir Adore with the end of (holi)days. The last time lead song architect Paul Hammer and company were in town, we were trying to make the most of the final...
Interview: Out for tea with Japanese Breakfast
I wait to meet Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast in the darkened game room at the back of Brighton Music Hall. After some time a woman that was unmistakably her walks in the room. She wore a black crop to...
BRONCHO deliver bold set at Teragram Ballroom
After first stumbling upon BRONCHO a few months ago I was excited to see they would be on tour in my hometown. The Teragram Ballroom, located on the edge of downtown Los Angeles can be described as a more intim...
The Hush Sound’s comeback tour comes to the Bay Area
After a five-year long hiatus, indie pop-rock band The Hush Sound continues their comeback tour in San Francisco's Social Hall on June 2nd.
Since their last album release Goodbye Blues (2008), band member...
John Mark Nelson tells us not to be afraid
Singer, songwriter, and producer John Mark Nelson has been crafting his introspective, ethereal sound since a young age, releasing four studio albums that reflect his personal, artistic growth and echo the tra...
Frankie Cosmos plays stellar show at Swedish American Hall
The roots of indie-pop band Frankie Cosmos trace back to a collection of numerous online recordings released under the alias Ingrid Superstar. Back in 2010, Greta Kline released a wave of songs online, init...
On Repeat: Bandcamp heroes’ new single
It’s hard to explain the type of music Colorado-based band On Repeat makes. You could use the words “alternative” or “indie” or “rock” or even “alternative indie rock” but they don't really en...
The blurring line between hip-hop and indie rock
Hip-hop and indie rock have always existed as largely separate genres, complete with their own musical touchstones, cultures, and roles in society, outside of the odd collaboration or sample. However, despite t...