Send your music to the SF Public Library for a chance to be featured on the Bay Beats platform
What's new: Funky indie space opera by Salami Rose Joe Louis, high-quality breaks by Bastiengoat, catchy minimal post-punk from Low Praise, and more
Libraries do a lot more than just offer books—a lot more. They hold art exhibits, host talks on niche subjects, and in places like Berkeley, lend out tools, reflecting the pulse and the culture of the communities they serve.
Bay Beats is a new program set to debut this fall curating works by local musicians on a digital platform run by the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL). Based on similar programs run in Nashville, New Orleans, Minneapolis, and other cities across the nation, Bay Beats will give out a $250 honorarium to any artists selected for the platform.
Submissions for Bay Beats are being accepted until July 31. The main restriction is you must live in one of the nine counties to apply (sorry, Sacramento and Santa Cruz). More specific details on how to apply here.
— Jody Amable, writing for White Crate
ETHEREAL TECHNO SYMBIOSIS
“I am enamored with the concept of listening to a sound when we don’t know the source. The act of listening in this great expanse of the universe, for answers, for questions, or just for something undefinable that we seek.” — Lindsay Olsen
I wasn’t ready. I’m not sure you’re ready either.
The setting is funky indie space opera, where Lindsay Rose Olsen dares to explore the mind-melty techno-symbiotic relationship between plants, humanity, and machine in an almost endearing post-apocalyptic sandbox “after dimensional collapse.” With a little ‘70s jazz tea infusion, and ethereal synthy and vocal magic, we look down to find our fleshly vessels evolved: “the earthlings have their heads and hands transformed into screens, which is where we begin the new album. The earthlings get stuck in a never ending video feedback loop between their heads and their hands.”
The Salami Rose Joe Louis project is no stranger to making-strange. There’s some serious craftsmanship to this album, from the production to the imagination, to the life-world Salami Rose Joe Louis and her collaborators breathe into being. In a world literally overwhelmed by too many screens, too much noise, and way too much B.S. as we witness climate disaster and toxic social structures collapse in real time, let Akousmatikous breathe some life back into your tired bones in hopes of innovative and fulfilling relationships, collaboration, and a genuine spirit of collectivism.
Celebrate the new album tonight with Salami Rose Joe Louis at Bandcamp Oakland: Matinee show / Evening show
— Elise Mills
BREAKS BREAKS BREAKS
Everybody in the club… getting tipsy? It’s hard not to feel a little unsteady listening to these late night sweat-drenched jams from Oakland producer Bastiengoat. While his last release SIDESHOW was all in on hyphy-tinged jungle, HARMONY branches out a bit, exploring big booming rave sounds (“everybody in the club”), spooky minimal UK garage (“slippery when wet”), and speedy techno (“need you” – the only track here that goes beyond the 135-145 BPM mark). Highlight: the brain-melting Missy Elliot flip on “double take” that materializes, vaporizes, and stretches out for a full seven minutes. Breaks, breaks, breaks. Amen.
You have a couple chances to see Bastiengoat play Public Works in the next month with Gerd Janson on Friday, June 9 and jungle legend Goldie on Saturday, June 17.
— Ronny Kerr
CATCHY AS HELL
Well, this is catchy as hell. Funky minimal post-punk perfected, Dressing is the full-length debut from Oakland three-piece Low Praise. Its eight tracks were recorded in two sessions separated by the chasm of the pandemic, but it all comes together into a cohesive thrashy package. The songs here are so supremely upbeat and danceable that you may find it easy to forget that they’re inspired by COVID-induced “anxiety and helplessness.” Just try not to sing along to the hook on the opening track (“Forget That It’s Summer”) your first time around.
— Ronny Kerr
PRIMAL AND SENSUAL
“I think this was our first time at levitation but our millionth time in the amazing and tough as nails city of Austin, Texas. Brigid Dawson, Mike Shoun, Petey D and myself had already laid the live show out in front of crowds here, so it wasn’t our first rodeo and certainly not my last. Our love is obvious here as we bring forth a short but sweet set of hits and deep cuts. This is also the version of the band with Lars ‘Fingers’ Finberg of Intelligence fame as second banana drummer. So enjoy some primal and sensual double drumming and as a side note, no one died at this show. Thanks as always to Levitation for making shit happen.” — John Dwyer
A decade ago, the psych garage rock lover would be hard-pressed to find a live show as cutting and exhilarating as Thee Oh Sees. Before they moved to LA and got even more progged out, they were the champions of the Bay, having moved on from teeny tiny Eagle Tavern and Daly City bowling alley shows to tearing it up at Outside Lands, the Uptown (in the space that’s now Crybaby) in Oakland, and their soon-to-be-perennial home at the Chapel.
Perfectly encapsulating their sound and energy from that time, Live at LEVITATION (2012) is their latest live album release, recorded when they first performed at Levitation, the three-day music festival formerly known as Austin Psych Fest put on by the aptly named Reverberation Appreciation Society. The set is bursting with their hits at that time (“The Dream”, “Tidal Wave”, “Enemy Destruct”, “Block of Ice”, “Meat Step Lively”) plus a couple shiny new tracks, showing off the ever-evolving Dwyer sound. Of course, it fucking rocks.
— Ronny Kerr
BUZZY WARM COVERS
Lagniappe (la ·gniappe) noun ‘lan-ˌyap,’
1. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit.
2. Something given or obtained as a gratuity or bonus.
Psychedelic chamber pop for the ages, Lagniappe Session is a sweet new work by Healing Potpourri recorded in collaboration with LA music magazine Aquarium Drunkard. The four tracks are all covers of songs selected by Healing Potpourri’s Simi Sohota, paying homage to their favorite artists of all time. The Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Burt Bacharach need no introduction, but the EP opens with a song by the High Llamas, which may be less familiar. The pop rock group was formed in the early 90s by singer and guitarist Sean O’Hagan, who also co-produced the last Healing Potpourri album, Paradise. The song selected, “Cookie Bay,” was originally sung by Stereolab founding member Lætitia Sadier. It’s nice to trace all these connections to the Bay Area artist, and even better that it’s the sound of a buzzing warm heart, rolling around in sunny springtime flowers.
Read more about the song selections on Aquarium Drunkard →
— Ronny Kerr
SHOW RECS
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[electronic] Salami Rose Joe Louis (album release) — May 26 at Bandcamp Oakland
[folk] Diana Gameros — May 26 at SFJAZZ
[latin] Bobi Céspedes — May 26 at Freight & Salvage
[fest] California Roots Music & Arts Festival — May 26-28 at Monterey County Fairgrounds
[fest] BottleRock Napa Valley — May 25-28 at Napa Valley Expo
[club] Bored Lord, Bastiengoat, Ritchrd, Trauma Unit — May 27 at Vinyl Dreams
[electronic] Later Version (DJML & Jerod S. Rivera) (EP release) — May 27 at Cone Shape Top
[rock] The Cure with The Twilight Sad — May 27 at Shoreline Amphitheatre
[experimental] Karl Evangelista's "Bukas" with Andrew Cyrille — May 27 at the Lab
[rock] Spooky Mansion, Zelma Stone, The Breathing Room — May 27 at the Independent
[fest] Stone Soul ft. Kem, Fantasía, Vivian Green, Kurtis Blow — May 28 at Concord Pavilion
[club] Ritchrd, Eichef, Taraneh, RentalVHS, obstac — May 28 at Monarch
[indie] Al Harper, Whitney's Playland, Grave Saddles — May 31 at Makeout Room
[indie] Half Shadow, Grace Sings Sludge, Poppy Patica — June 1 at Beauty Supply Arts
[rock] Mild Universe, Marika Christine (album release) — June 1 at Rickshaw Stop
Want even more? Join our Patreon to get access to the full Bay Area concert calendar, featuring specially curated recommendations for upcoming Bay Area shows.
