A Hero’s Death, the sophomore album from Fontaines D.C. simmers with quiet defiance. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed and Mercury-Prize-nominated debut, Dogrel, it was initially recorded in Los Angeles before being scrapped and rerecorded in London. Helmed by Dogrel producer Dan Carey, the album expands on the sonic palette of…

Fontaines D.C. performs at The Independent in San Francisco on Sept. 24, 2019. Photos: Martin Lacey. SAN FRANCISCO — Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten was a ball of nervous energy. Pacing the stage at the Independent like a caged animal, he surveyed the audience menacingly while simultaneously looking for an…

Photos: Martin Lacey NAPA — Rick Springfield released a new bluesy record just a few months ago, but it was his ’80s power pop hits on which he focused the most Sunday at the Uptown Theatre. Springfield covered songs from from eight of his albums and a few of…