pop Archive
27 May 2021
Echodrone: All About Texture and Density
While Echodrone’s music fits into the mold commonly called shoegaze, there’s more going on in the arrangements. There’s a sense of the dramatic amid the shimmering, reverb-soaked guitars and icy […]
21 May 2021
Album Review: The Armoires — Incognito
There’s a proud and creatively fertile tradition in rock’n’roll: playing dress-up, assuming an alter ego. The Beatles may have done it first with Sgt. Pepper, and six months later The […]
11 May 2021
Album Review: The Milk and Honey Band – Songs From Truleigh Hill
The Milk & Honey Band first came to my attention well more than a decade ago when Andy Partridge (formerly of XTC) released their album Dog Eared Moonlight on his […]
10 May 2021
Album Reviews: Two featuring Fernando Perdomo
In this post-major-label era when many of the so-called barriers to entry have been swept away, the fact that a recording artist is prolific doesn’t provide a reliable indicator as […]
09 May 2021
Concert Review: Peter Noone, Hendersonville NC, May 9 2021
Not counting Todd Rundgren’s “virtual concert” in Pittsburgh, the last time I wrote a review of a live performance was in December 2019, when I saw Rodrigo y Gabriela tear […]
07 May 2021
Album Review: The Boys With the Perpetual Nervousness — Songs From Another Life
Something about this outfits name immediately brings to mind the gentle approach of bands like Belle and Sebastian. And as it turns out, that snap judgment isn’t too wide of […]
05 May 2021
Book Review: Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to San Francisco and the Bay Area
San Francisco has a rich and varied cultural history. The city by the Bay has been home to a long succession of cultural scenes, from the Beat poets to the […]
02 May 2021
Album Review: Peggy Lee — Something Wonderful
A casual listener might only be able to name “Fever” – and possibly “Is That All There Is” – but Peggy Lee scored a lengthy run of hit singles. The […]
24 Apr 2021
Album Review: The Mommyheads — Coming Into Beauty
If you’re not familiar with the Mommyheads, try this: imagine a cross between the quirky intelligence of They Might Be Giants, the sophisticated use of studio-as-instrument of Talking Heads, and […]
14 Apr 2021
A tUnE-yArDs Extra
I recently engaged Merrill Garbus of Oakland-based indie group tUnE-yArDs; our conversation was the basis of my recent feature in SF Weekly. But a few of the topics we discussed […]