White Crate — March 26, 2021
See which Bay Area artists are playing Outside Lands this year, plus check out the first album in 14 years from Oakland country singer Miko Marks
What if artists didn’t have to worry about promoting their art?
What if artists didn’t have to worry about selling their art?
What if artists didn’t have to worry about money at all?
What if artists could just… make art?
More than 100 San Francisco artists will be guaranteed $1,000 a month for six months under a pilot program set to launch in May, following similar efforts by Stockton, Oakland and Marin County to support struggling residents during the pandemic. (Datebook)
Well, it’s a start.
Peace,
ronny
THAT NEW NEW
I can’t tell if she’s from Mexico City, Los Angeles, or San Francisco, but I love this. Heavy, hypnotic, and immediately satisfying electronic music—reminiscent of the Knife’s work on Shaking the Habitual—“Rainbow Road” is the newest single by Saint Sinner, who has previously collaborated with SF producer Tycho.
It’s the 21st century, and everything is converging. Your latest data point: Death Become Life, the new album from Oakland’s Ensemble Mik Nawooj, creating a nothing-if-not-unique blend of classical music meets hip hop.
A week after releasing his newest full-length, West Oakland-raised rapper Guapdad 4000 appears on “Fall Thru”, a new track by DJ Megan Ryte feat. Flipp Dinero.
Kicking off with a country rocker that would have fit right between CCR and Janis at Woodstock, Our Country is the first full-length in 14 years from Oakland singer Miko Marks. Drawing on gospel, blues, folk, and more, the album is backed by the founders of San Jose’s Redtone Records (aka the Resurrectors). Read more on Datebook.
mxmtoon (aka maia), the Oakland uke player who will be playing Outside Lands this year, covered Radiohead’s “Creep”.
Oakland synth pop group Primal Wound released trippy new single “Disintegration.”
Glenn Donaldson’s indie pop project The Reds, Pinks & Purples released melancholy acoustic songs “Too Late for an Early Grave” b/w “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” (a cover of Lana Del Rey) as well as “The Biggest Fan” from Uncommon Weather, out April 9th on Slumberland Records.
SF synth pop artist Silverware (aka Ainsley Wagoner) released “ Take me with you,” the next single from her upcoming debut No Plans, out April 23.
Positioning himself in the “quirky literate songwriter traditions of San Francisco”—including Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter, Country Joe McDonald, Skip Spence, and Jonathan Richman—Tim Cohen (the Fresh & Onlys, Magic Trick) released You Are Still Here, an indie pop album with production by James Barone (Beach House, Tennis).
SF emo rapper 24kGoldn, who will be playing Outside Lands this year, released his first full-length album El Dorado, featuring Future, DaBaby, Swae Lee, and iann dior.
OUTSOURCED BANDS
You likely heard Outside Lands rescheduled this year’s festival to October 29-31. You know, the festival that—deep breath—assembles 200,000 people in a single location. But we’ll all be vaccinated. And maybe still wearing masks. Outside. So it’s fine, right?
…Right?
Anyway, though I get that it’s one of the biggest music festivals in the world and focusing on local acts isn’t exactly their thing, some of us here would still love to see our hometown favorites represented. So, after a couple conversations with friends last week, I decided to comb the lineup to see how the Bay’s represented. The results:
Brijean (electronic / Oakland)
Kehlani (hip hop / Oakland)
Madeline Kenney (rock / Oakland)
mxmtoon (pop / Oakland)
Rexx Life Raj (hip hop / Berkeley)
24kGoldn (hip hop / SF)
And the ones that got away:
J.Phlip (electronic / Formerly SF via Dirtybird but now Portland-based)
Marc E Bassy (hip hop / SF-born but now LA-based)
Odie (hip hop / Bay Area-raised but now?)
Remi Wolf (pop / Palo Alto-born but now LA-based)
Zhu (electronic / Grew up in the Bay but now LA-based)
LIVE NOT LIVE
San Jose Jazz—a nonprofit that hosts events, education, and other initiatives throughout the Bay Area—is opening a pop-up video recording and performance venue called the SJZ Break Room as part of the SJZ New Works Fest 2021 running April 29 to May 8. Read more on East Bay Times.
SHUFFLE ON
If you ever want to press play on the growing list of artists covered on White Crate, follow this Spotify playlist. Shuffle and crossfade recommended!