Slurred jazz piano and contemplative musings from Stanley Ipkuss on "Among Other Things,"
Two great indie pop punk albums from Slumberland Records; Caroline Chung's tribute to Nina Simone; SMARTBOMB gets on Patreon; sizzling R&B from CY:D
Castro Theater is reopening as a live music venue. The iconic 100-year-old movie theater in SF’s Castro District has signed a contract with Berkeley’s Another Planet Entertainment (APE), the same big promoter that co-produces Outside Lands in addition to putting on events throughout the year at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, the Fox Theater in Oakland, and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and the Independent in SF. While there have been some grumblings seeing this as yet another consolidation of too much control over live music spaces into the hands of too few powerful interests, I’m just happy the space is being kept alive for the arts. After nearly two years of closed venues and even more close calls, this is welcome news.
In spite of the fair criticism of corporate music consolidation, a friend of mine argues “there will always be an underground.” Likely, but we can’t take it for granted, which is why I love this new interview with Nicholas Taplin, a photographer who has filmed DIY events in Oakland since 2015. It’s a great piece, sharing appreciation of the town by the Bay as well as the significance of documenting these people and spaces:
I have never felt bored in Oakland, and the DIY scene here is extremely unique to me. The scene here is overtly politically radical, and I think that keeps the music and art being made here from being boring. The community here is also extremely diverse, very queer-centric, and amazingly embracing of openly neuroatypical people.
Read the full interview with Taplin on Broke-Ass Stuart.
Peace,
ronny
THAT NEW NEW
Effortlessly turning, drifting, and veering from one bar to the next, Oakland artist Stanley Ipkuss has spun up another essential hip hop album from the Bay Area underground on Among Other Things,. With beats and verses all written by Ipkuss—plus features from Jada Imani, Lucy Camp, Stoney Creation, Charis Amber, and Chris Keys—the album seamlessly blends slurred hi hats, jazzy piano, and personal, peaceful, contemplative musings.
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“An ode to the fuzzy power-pop roots of their own label as well as the shambling punk put-out by northern neighbors K Records in the mid ’90s,” Fingers Crossed by Artsick was yesterday’s Album of the Day on Bandcamp. If you’re like me and agree that the Vaselines discography just isn’t long enough, this catchy, jangly indie pop punk album from Slumberland Records should scratch that itch. Artsick is bandleader Christina Riley (formerly of Burnt Palms) in collaboration with Donna McKean of Lunchbox and Mario Hernandez of Kids on a Crime Spree (who also released an album today).
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“A joyfully noisy, happily hooky, and sneakily political second album that builds nicely on the band's almost perfect debut.” Don’t put that tambourine away just yet: Also from Slumberland Records today, Fall in Love Not in Line is the first major release from Kids on a Crime Spree since 2011’s We Love You So Bad, though they’ve released a handful of singles since. Noisier and more washed out than Artsick above, the production may be DIY but the pop is perfected. Read a full review on Allmusic, where the album made Editor’s Choice.
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Five songs from Nina Simone’s 1967 album Silk & Soul make up Citizens Jazz Tribute to the Great Nina Simone by Oakland bassist, composer, and bandleader Caroline Chung. Along with the Bacharach-David pop standard “The Look of Love,” the covers include Billy Taylor's jazz piece “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" (which became a civil rights anthem in the 60s) as well as “Go to Hell.” The EP is just a preview: Get tickets to see Chung perform the full album at SFJAZZ tomorrow.
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Anyone who’s ever been addicted to a 16-bit RPG knows the feeling of wandering a dungeon late at night while a masterfully crafted soundtrack simultaneously fills you with dread but drives you onward. Clem—one half of the Berkeley goth punk duo Axe—channels that vibe perfectly on their new five-track EP Songs from the Valley. The artist says this dungeon synth music is specifically inspired by the SNES classic Chrono Trigger, as well as Blink-182, the female sex hormone estradiol, and “the woods.”
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SMARTBOMB, the Oakland creative collective that delivered two outstanding mixtapes last year (LIGHT BEINGS #3 and Water for the Town v.3) as well as an ongoing video series, is now seeking supporters on Patreon. With three different tiers available (priced at $3, $6, and $13 monthly), you can get access to merch, VIP tickets, audio/visual downloads, and exclusive monthly music mixes. “Alima Takeover,” the first mix offered, features local producers heru and W.A.L.A. laying down high-quality instrumental hip hop beats in support of Alima Radio, an independent mix show broadcasting out of Siargao Island in the Philippines.
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“Its a new year, a full moon. Let us breathe and celebrate the freshness of each day.” If you’re experiencing that winter-induced, omicron-fueled depression like the rest of us, here’s just the thing. “Fresh and Free (every feeling is freedom)” is the latest afrobeat-inspired track by SF producer Izzy Wise—refreshing, lively, and supremely danceable.
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“Hazy, jangly, a little bit mournful.” Deflated by Danville indie pop artist Orange Dots, wedding live instrumentation with drum machines on a warm home recording, made Bandcamp’s New & Notable this week. The artist says all of the money generated from this release will be going to the Bay Area Crisis Nursery, a Concord-based nonprofit working to prevent child abuse and neglect through supportive services for families.
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Today’s fourth (!) entry proving that SF indie pop ain’t dead, 2021 by Tony Jay (of the wide musical circle that includes Cindy, Galore, Mister Baby, Al Harper, Cold Beat, and Paisley Shirt Records) features 10 tracks of fuzzed out distortion and softly spilled melodies—mostly recorded live last year.
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We just wrote about a new 3kelves single last week, but so what, here’s another one. A collaboration with Dutch-American house producer Dylan C. Greene on Kitsuné Musique (Paris), “Get Up, Get Out” is more sped up, funky synth pop with that irresistible French touch. Disco dancefloor perfection.
MAYBE MISSED
You send me to the seventh heaven when you kiss me slow
And when you wanna get to know me let my feelings flow
You remind me of a dream
Reality
Much love to my sister-in-law for introducing me to CY:D, who almost a year ago released Fever Dream, a five-track EP of short but passionate R&B pieces. Backed by gentle guitar accompaniment, the singer hardly needs to part her lips to let loose an avalanche of heartache, wisdom, and poetry. Check out the live videos above from Vallejo’s Good Compenny, stream the 11-minute EP on all platforms, and join me in gratefully looking forward to more music from this up-and-coming artist.
CLASSICS
When one of the Bay’s best rock releases of 2021 reminded me of Red House Painters, I knew I had to revisit this. Released in 1995 on 4AD, Ocean Beach was the fourth full-length from the band, associated with 90s sadcore/slowcore indie rock. As my musical taste developed and evolved in my teens to include Sufjan Stevens, the Flaming Lips, Elliott Smith, and Wilco, it was a revelation to hear an album as good as any from those rising indie stars—except this one felt like a secret shared among friends in my own backyard. The cover even depicts a place we all knew intimately, the big ancient windmill at the edge of Golden Gate Park, across the street from Ocean Beach. Beautiful, gentle, modest, and perhaps timeless. Surely a Bay Area classic.
Red House Painters is no more, but founding member Mark Kozelek went on to form indie folk group Sun Kil Moon, which is still based in SF.
SHUFFLE ON
Listen to a megamix of the best music from the Bay Area in 2021.