White Crate — May 7, 2021
Blast the new album from Oakland rapper ALLBLACK and celebrate Bandcamp Friday by supporting Bay Area artists Thao, Robert Yang, Sugar Candy Mountain, and more
Y’all really hungry for that festival life, huh? Datebook reports:
In one of the clearest signs that people are looking forward to life after the coronavirus pandemic, tickets for San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival sold out in less than two hours on Thursday, April 29, despite widespread reports of technical issues from people trying to access the festival’s ticketing system.
On a smaller scale, Porter Robinson’s Second Sky Music Festival in Berkeley—featuring local favorite Toro y Moi alongside a bunch of EDM-leaning artists—appears to already be sold out too.
Just let me know if you have any spare tickets you need to get rid of :)
Peace,
ronny
HAPPY BANDCAMP FRIDAY
Today is Bandcamp Friday, meaning the site is waiving its revenue share to help support artists. Here are a few Bay Area artists to support!
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down released a stringed rendition of "Temple" (the title track from the band’s fifth studio album released last year) arranged by Seattle musician Alex Guy aka Led to Sea. In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, all proceeds will go to Nakasec VA, an Asian American rights organization based in Annandale, Virginia, a few miles from Thao’s hometown.
Two months after the release of his full-length album Winnebago, Sebastopol rapper J.Lately just dropped “Vibrations”, featuring Fresno rapper Fashawn.
Just released today, the debut self-titled album from Nate Manic was featured on Bandcamp’s New & Notable this week: “The long-awaited debut LP from Oakland-via-Chicago DJ and producer Nate Manic is a soulful, groovy trip through acid, house, and techno.”
Uncommon Weather just dropped in April, but SF musician Glenn Donaldson’s sad folk pop project The Reds, Pinks & Purples is back with the single “No One Absolves Us in the End” b/w “The Town that Cursed Your Name.”
Following the debut album Heirloom on his new label Piece of Work, 羅伯特 aka Robert Yang just announced Lexicon, “an LP that is incredibly lush and well-timed for this season of pre-summer blooms.” Listen to the thumping, arpeggiated title track and pre-order the album here ahead of its June 21 release.
Oakland jungle mainstay Ruff Tapes just released HighGrade by M27, featuring an hourlong mix of drum & bass and hardcore techno.
The cassette already sold out, but you can still pick up the digital release of 'MY BRAIN IS STILL AT THE RAVE' 2021, a high-intensity mix of breaks, footwork, and juke from Vallejo artist SELA. (I especially loved hearing “Saria’s Song,” one of my favorite melodies from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time at the 6:40 mark.)
Indie rock band Sonny and the Sunsets released a very low-budget, very SF video for “Ring My Bell,” the first single from their upcoming album New Day With New Possibilities, out July 30 on Rocks in Your Head Records. Pre-order the album here.
Oakland psych pop band Sugar Candy Mountain just released “Impression”, the second single from their upcoming album of the same name, due out May 28.
Prolific metal label Sentient Ruin Laboratories, based in Oakland, announced and released a ton of music today. One that caught my eye? Crown on the Head of a King of Mud by Human Failure: “American one-man aural monstrosity Human Failure debuts with its first ever offering, a mangled and gnarled disfiguration of raw death metal, raw punk and harsh noise spewn from the outer limits of complete nihilism and inhumanity.”
Finally, a few repressing and reissues worth checking out:
Familiar Future, the debut LP from soul jazz artist Dougie Stu, is getting a limited edition vinyl pressing - out June 2 via Heavenly Recordings.
Ways, the debut LP from SF IDM artist Xyla, is also being pressed on vinyl.
Dark Entries Records reissued Lost in a Sea Full of Sighs, featuring early 80s recordings by UK post-punk group Sad Lovers & Giants.
ONE NEW, THREE UPCOMING
ALLBLACK today dropped his debut album TY4FWM (Thank You 4 Fuckin’ With Me), featuring collabs with Vince Staples, Kenny Beats, and Mozzy plus fellow East Bay rappers G-Eazy, E-40, Guapdad 4000, Rexx Life Raj, and more.
Oakland ambient and drone label Constellation Tatsu is set to release its Spring Batch 2021 on May 25, featuring Russian artist X.Y.R. (Vladimir Karpov) as well as Swedish artists Ecovillage (Emil Holmstrom and Peter Wikstrom) and Ekolali (Om Sömn).
SHUFFLE ON
If you ever want to press play on the growing list of artists covered on White Crate, follow this Spotify playlist. Shuffle and crossfade recommended!