Juicebumps hammers away a deranged post-punk on their spooky new record "JUMBO"
Duster delivers the 25th anniversary reissue of their debut "Stratosphere," plus new experimental club from Only Now and Bay Area-inspired D&B by Shibumi
Dani Offline.
Talk about understanding the assignment.
The jazz-inflected R&B artist wheeled in the Wurlitzer, her soul-fluent voice, a tight rhythm section, and? So much more.
WC03 last Saturday was completely curated by Dani Offline, featuring the moody sun-sinking feel-good explorations of Azuah, the completely alive love manifestations of Cheflee, and—throughout the night—an eclectic always high-quality series of selections from Mizu’s DJ set. Plus we’re thankful to Sea2Sea for keeping us all well-fed throughout the event.
Thank you everyone who came out with love and support, thank you to all the performers and volunteers, and the biggest most brightest shining thank you to Dani Offline for making this beautiful day possible.
See a quick reel of highlights from the event.
And if you love what we do, support us on Patreon!
— White Crate
SPOOKY GOOFY POST-PUNK
How could Devo sound more unhinged? Have them reborn in roaring 20s Oakland and ask them to record an only-so-slightly-subtly spooky post-punk record right in time for Halloween. JUMBO by Juicebumps (Rocks in Your Head Records, Time Room Records) is a wild, cheery ride—think Knott’s Scary Farm—packed with kooky duets, spangled synth syncopation, and dozens of other sugar-bursting musical treats. Believe it: The live show is even more thrilling.
— Elliot Engel
STONED PLUCKING DRONES
“Best listened to from inside the womb.”
Or while taking off in an airplane. Or while watching 2001: A Space Odyssey. Or while trying to fall asleep. Or all of the above.
Duster formed in San Jose in the mid-90s, and their debut album Stratosphere just turned 25. Yeah, even the slowcore kids are old now. Alternating between calm stoned plucking pieces and heavy droning repetitive jams with mumbled verses, the lofi cult hit remains as impressive and enjoyable as ever, soundtracking the numb malaise of the 1990s as much as the super-informed depression of the 2020s. Another link in the indie rock chain, and a hell of a good one.
Luckily for Duster fans, the band is actively playing shows again, and just announced “Remote Echoes,” a collection of home-tracked demos originally only available on cassette in the 90s.
— Ronny Kerr
ELECTRIC TWISTED RIDDIMS
How much of your life is predetermined since ancient history—and how much of it is up to you? On Fate / Will, Berkeley producer Kush Arora (as Only Now) continues probing the big questions about time and existence through purely sonic meditations. Soaring, expanding dark ambient gives way to electric twisted riddims assembled from Hindustani classical instrumentation and more, unconsciously entangling the listener in a frenetic, claustrophobic web of confusion. But still, time beats on, and the end always draws near.
“Trance Return”—the album’s droning closer—is a rework of a long-form piece that Arora made for his performance at the 2022 San Francisco Electronic Music Festival.
— Ronny Kerr
BLISSFUL CRISP & VICIOUS DNB
Smoothly blissed out two-step with Too $hort as spiritual leader? That’s “Golden State Dub” the newest single from Shibumi, bringing Bay Area vibes to the rest of the world via UK drum and bass label Skankandbass. On the flip side is “Fillmore,” a crisp and vicious lockstep beat that marches its dancing feet into gritty industrial territory.
— Ronny Kerr
SHOW RECS
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[punk] Juicebumps, Gumby's Junk, Everyone Is Dirty — Oct 13 at the Knockout
[rock] FREQz, Same Girls, Big Hongry, Mommy Mommy — Oct 13 at Eli’s Mile High Club
[club] Mapamota, DJ Juanny, Ritchrd — Oct 13 at Underground SF
[club] Blood Rave ft. SNAQ, YungerAdrian, Tom Marsi — Oct 13 at TBA day of
[hip hop] Lyrics Born, QUITAPENAS, Octopretzel, Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra, Orchestra Gold — Oct 14 at Freight & Salvage
[club] AYLI ft. Ben UFO, Eris Drew, DJ Haram, Infinite Jess — Oct 14 at Public Works
[hip hop] Family Not a Group, So Vicious, TYSF, Feline Finesse, Deuce Eclipse, Forced2Fly, Frisco Baby — Oct 15 at India Basin Shoreline Park
[fest] DJ Qbert, DJ Sep, MF Mama, Olly, Ruko, Tiktak — Oct 15 at Golden Gate Bandshell
[r&b] Janelle Monáe, Dreamer Isioma, DJ Nana Kwabena — Oct 17 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
[experimental] Cheree, Angel-Maker, Plattenbau, Tricky FM — Oct 19 at Thee Stork Club