Jaden Smith’s SYRE exceeds expectations Anthony Vega November 21, 2017 Album Review The first time I ever became aware of Jaden Smith’s existence was when I watched Pursuit of Happyness (2006), starring him and Will Smith, for the first time as a child. I encountered him again in The Karate ...
What happened to Chris Brown? Devyn White November 16, 2017 Blog, Columns and Opinions 4 Comments TW: Domestic Violence While I was scrolling through Spotify’s New Releases page the other day, I noticed that Chris Brown had come out with a new album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon (2017). I honestly didn’...
BROCKHAMPTON stops by Social Hall SF twice for their first-ever tour Anthony Vega October 4, 2017 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews BROCKHAMPTON is a hip-hop super-collective with 17 members, composed of singers, rappers, producers, designers, and videographers. They are an aggregate of close friends who have come to be a polarizing group o...
Welcome to Redgate Ranch Fiona Duerr September 26, 2017 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews, Multimedia, Photos, Reviews Save the Waves is a nonprofit organization with a mission to protect coastal ecosystems around the world. For a couple years now, they have been putting on a small music festival involving good tunes, DIY campi...
Fordson Labs shatter stereotypes with two new singles Brendan Redmond July 19, 2017 Reviews When I heard that one of my co-workers, Carter Ward, produces hip-hop music after work, I assumed that it would essentially be a manifestation of memes targeting hometown rappers -- a classic case of a Soundclo...
Madison McFerrin: a cappella with a twist Meaghan Allen July 10, 2017 Interview 1 Comment You may recognize her as the singer of the national anthem before Hillary Clinton’s speech accepting the official presidential nomination for the Democratic National Party in June 2016. You also may recall th...
Crazy, sexy, cool, and female: The influence of 90s R&B girl groups today Shelby Mayes June 16, 2017 Columns and Opinions Everyone has heard singers, songwriters, and producers reference and use samples from the girl groups of the 90s, but it’s time a proper light was shed on how and why these women had the cultural impact that ...
On Roadhouse 01, Allan Rayman would prefer you meet his alter ego Jordan Aronson March 3, 2017 Album Review, Reviews On the cover of Roadhouse 01 (2017), Allan Rayman stares down the camera, bearded and underexposed. It’s probably the first time listeners have seen him, not that that would upset him – the social-media-and...
Interview with pop soul’s Valentine, Kevin Garrett Kavitha George February 20, 2017 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Reviews, Interview Kevin Garrett is an authentic young/old soul, incredibly talented, and a little bit of a dork. His music (just two EPs so far) is a modern iteration of Sam Cooke, Robert Johnson-era soul beats and vocal dexte...
Jon Bellion’s dreams come true at Pixar Animation Studios Kenneth Zhang November 14, 2016 Columns and Opinions 1 Comment For most of us, Disney and Pixar animated movies take us back to our childhood. For Jon Bellion, these movies represent more than just that -- they are the core of his inspiration and his artistic evolution. Th...
NxWorries make sweet, safe love on Yes Lawd! Adil Siddiqee October 25, 2016 Album Review, Reviews 2 Comments If you and yours are tired of studying/chilling/euphemism-ing to Top 40 R&B, try some neo-soul. It's a good time to get into it, considering artists like Solange, Xenia Rubinos, and Frank Ocean have release...
Con Brio on spirit, soul, and Paradise Vivian Chen October 11, 2016 Concerts, Festivals, and Live Previews, Interview, Previews Con Brio's music is a dynamic collaboration of funk, soul, R&B, and jazz elements, elements that appear in infectiously groovy compilations of tracks on both their EP Kiss the Sun (2015) and newly released...
Frank Ocean’s Blonde is lightyears ahead of 2016 HR Huber-Rodriguez September 9, 2016 Album Review, Reviews The enigmatic Frank Ocean rewrote the book on R&B with his landmark second album, 2012’s Channel Orange, and the anticipation surrounding his latest release has been bordering on sensational. Ultimately, ...
Drake’s Views pedestrian, uninteresting HR Huber-Rodriguez May 15, 2016 Album Review Drake once said that by the time he turned 30, he planned to no longer be rapping. I remember feeling respect for this; he was an artist in his prime recognizing that aging artists rarely come close to their ca...
Exclusive interview: Motown’s latest Malachiae Warren has got the juice Kenneth Zhang May 3, 2016 Interview, Mixtapes Atlanta native and rising talent Malachiae Warren is about to become your favorite R&B singer of the summer. After making videos on YouTube, the 20-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer has captured ...