Queer Black Oaklander King Isis blends intentional R&B and alt rock on "Shed"
Plus another great release by The Reds, Pinks & Purples on Slumberland Records, an ambient debut by Celestial Trails, and our weekly show recs
Happy springtime! Enjoy the great selection of new Bay Area music below :)
— White Crate
THEY CAN SHRED
Alternative rock’s don’t-care ethos and R&B’s nothing-without-intentionality come together harmoniously on Shed, the latest from queer Black Oaklander King Isis. Released by London’s Dirty Hit, the EP slithers through sinuous synths, grungy guitars, and open heart poetry, presenting a cathartic release of youthful energy and inspiration. If you had any doubt they could shred: King Isis was recently selected as part of the Fender Next Class of 2024, highlighting 25 artists from around the world pushing the boundaries of (guitar) music.
— Ronny Kerr
SINGULAR PINING INDIE POP
“Are you the public art no one wanted?
Standing in the park undaunted
Wouldn’t change your life
Wouldn’t change your style
For anyone that you know”
Led by Glenn Donaldson, The Reds, Pink & Purples return once again to Slumberland Records with Unwishing Well, a 10-track collection of the band’s singularly pining indie pop. Sad poesy and melancholy strumming abound, thumping a floral tapestry of heartbreak, suffering, and times changed and changing. Given the band’s prolific output over the past five years, it seems as if chord progressions and lyrical turns flow from Donaldson’s heart and mind as effortlessly as fog blanketing the city. There’s always something new, and yet even spring’s richness returns to us the same flowers.
We’re hoping to have more local shows from Donaldson et al after their UK tour in June, but for an epic indie rock night later this year, get tickets to see the Reds, Pinks & Purples open for Guided by Voices at August Hall on September 27.
— Ronny Kerr
PARADISE OF THE PRESENT
“We often forget that our planet is smaller than a grain of sand on a beach. Life is a gift, and our time on this planet is limited. We should strive to make this experience easy and pleasant for each other.” — Taner Torun
Monday is Earth Day, an annual event celebrated in the name of environmental protection. But many of us, cynics and earnest lovers alike, know better, noting either aloud or quietly too ourselves that every day is Earth Day.
A new offering to our mother of a speck of sand floating through the vast emptiness of space, Lunar Beachcomber is the debut album by Celestial Trails, an SF-based solo ambient project by Taner Torun. Lush as sweeping ocean views yet gritty as sand between the toes, the album weaves a highly concentrated matrix of sounds and techniques to achieve its sonic sublimity: Close listeners will be able to discern everything from live instruments like piano and guitars to synthesizers to generously applied reverb, delay, and tape manipulated effects. Like existence in this paradise of the present, it is at once overwhelming and yet calming.
For those looking for more in this vein: Torun runs Fluttery Records, an SF label which has released post-rock, ambient, and modern classical by dozens of artists since its founding in 2008.
— Ronny Kerr
SHOW RECS
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[rock] Non Plus Temps, Luxury Skin, Katsy Pline, Grace Sings Sludge — Apr 19 at Eli’s Mile High Club
[club] Madre Guía, Discnogirl, Honeybear — Apr 19 at Radio Bar
[punk] 510 Grindfest — Apr 19-20 at First Church of the Buzzard
[experimental] Ecofutures ft. Zero Charisma, Tomu DJ — Apr 20 at O2 Artisans Aggregate
[metal] Lamp of Murmuur, Gudsforladt, Carrion Bloom — Apr 20 at Eli’s Mile High Club
[club] Body High ft. Sevyn & Varsha, Charles Hawthorne — Apr 20 at Fluid510
[club] Anderson Chase b2b Joe Fro, Kerri LeBon, Nihar Bhatt, Ritchrd b2b Discnogirl — Apr 20 at Underground SF
[club] Max Gardner, Adra, Shane Fontane — Apr 20 at Public Works
[folk] Chuck Johnson — Apr 21 at Vintage Berkeley
[experimental] Matmos, The Dick Slessig Combo — Apr 21 at Great American Music Hall
[pop] PRXZM (album release) — Apr 21 at the California Theatre
[rock] B. Hamilton, Levi Thomas, Easy Ride DJs — Apr 23 at Little Hill Lounge