New age legend Laraaji joins Oakland sound explorer Agnes Martian on "Coincidence"
Go By Ocean (aka Ryan McCaffrey) returns to Royal Oakie Records with a six-song suite of heart-healing acoustic outtakes and instrumental
Ear-to-the-ground indie rock by R.E. Seraphin and UFO Baby in an alley.
Mystical jazz dance jams by Mild Universe, Healing Potpourri, and Abracadabra.
Astral ambient meditations by Arushi Jain, Nihar, and Elias Agogo.
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— White Crate
GALACTIC IMPROVISATIONS
Like galaxies of dandelion strewn across a meadow, the music of Coincidence is just… there. It is there and fully alive, constantly becoming new through moment-to-moment improvisations—sweeping arcs of synth and organ, methodical bass as big as the room, wailing voices, wind and brass.
They musicians play like pioneers because they are: Laraaji is a new age legend, and the artist joins Oakland sound explorer Agnes Martian, Music for Connection, and Hair and Space Museum in weaving together the four expansive pieces contained here.
Available on cassette with a companion risograph zine, Coincidence was recorded in September 2023 at Oakland DIY space Beauty Supply Arts and released in part by Working Name Studios.
— Ronny Kerr
INDIE PAINKILLER
“I’ll tell you what I felt and learned today:
Love’s the only natural painkiller”
We need music that speaks truthfully about pain and tumultuous times, but we also need feel-good music to help us dream of the other side. A year after the release of Can I Communicate With the Unknown?, an album that “wrestled with themes of addiction and existentialism,” Go By Ocean (aka Ryan McCaffrey) returns to Royal Oakie Records with an EP of outtakes, remixes, and acoustic versions on Communications With the Unknown.
The Novato-based singer-songwriter worked with the same producers as the first album—Tim Bluhm (The Mother Hips) and David Glasebrook (Sugar Candy Mountain, Sandy’s, Iain Mann)—to craft this six-track suite, stripping down each composition to its shining spirit. There’s no filler here, but highlights are the acoustic renditions as well as the instrumental, carefree plucking of “Ascending Ghosts” featuring Michael Nau on modular synthesizers.
— Ronny Kerr
SHOW RECS
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[hip hop] NightLife ft. LaRussell, 3LH — August 1 at California Academy of Sciences
[rock] Michael Michael Motorcycle, Grooblen, Perhapsy, For Your Pleasure — August 1 at Rickshaw Stop
[rock] Comfort Fashion, comets near me, Youngest of Elders — August 1 at Bottom of the Hill
[rock] Sugar Candy Mountain, Joel Robinow — August 1 at the Chapel
[alternative] Spiritual Cramp, Ultra Q, Cold Gawd — August 2 at Rickshaw Stop
[hip hop] Solidarity Records Presents Monk HTS & AMK's B-day Pull Up with San Quinn, Ozer, Alien Mac Kitty, Monk HTS, Rich Iyala, Ka'ra Kersey, Equipto, Mike Marshall, DJ Sean G., DJ Boriqua 1 — August 2 at Neck of the Woods
[indie] Marika Christine, The Flying Propeller Group, Jack Erin Brown's Family Meal — August 2 at the 4 Star Theater
[rock] Camellia Boutros, Christie Aid and the Free Press Music, Sucker Crush — August 2 at Ivy Room
[latin] San Cha, Healing Gems, Peña, DJ Brown Amy — August 3 at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell
[r&b] Christian Kuria — August 3 at Salesforce Park
[punk] Naked Roommate, Harry the Nightgown, Juicebumps — August 3 at the 4 Star Theater
[fest] Bliss Festival ft. Orchestra Gold, Qiensave, Ritmos Tropicosmos, Salami Rose Joe Louis, Yea-Ming and the Rumours, Hectorine — August 3-4 at the Presidio Theatre
[hip hop] Alex G, Fake Fruit, J Boogie (DJ) — August 4 at Stern Grove
[rock] Color Green, Magic Fig, Galore, DJ Cosmo Dante — August 5 at Thee Stork Club
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