NAIMA performs during BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on May 24, 2024. This story was first published in the M-A Chronicle.  NAPA, Calif. — Among wine moms, rock bands and DJs emerges a 14-year-old and her guitar. “I’m NAIMA,” she tells the crowd before diving into…

Saint Social, courtesy. Some bands release music soon after meeting each other. But for the three dads in Saint Social, the wait has been years in the making. Don’t Let the Fire Die Saint Social Distrokid, out now Get the album on Amazon Music. Singer Quinn Erwin and drummer…

Ben Platt, “Honeymind.” Since starring in 2012’s “Pitch Perfect,” Ben Platt has found success across the stage, screen and record player. It’s his candid penmanship and evocative, theatrically trained voice that make him so appealing. On his newest effort, Honeymind, he’s reflecting on the impact that queer love has had on…

Megan Thee Stallion performs during ESSENCE Festival Of Culture at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on July 2, 2023. Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion has added a stop to her Hot Girl Summer Tour at Chase Center in San Francisco on June 23. This concert…

St. Vincent, “All Born Screaming.” Over the past decade, St. Vincent has ventured into all kinds of new sounds—from electro-pop on 2017’s MASSEDUCTION to ‘70s psychedelic rock on 2021’s Daddy’s Home—mastering every single one of them. But her new LP, All Born Screaming, sees a return to form: quirky,…

Maggie Rogers, “Don’t Forget Me.” Maggie Rogers’ innovative debut album bolstered her fame. Then, her sophomore record, 2022’s Surrender, switched tones toward a bolder pop-rock sound that matched her strong voice and assured energy. Two lead singles from her third album offered a promising vision of another change of pace,…

Black Keys, courtesy. The Black Keys are going “international” this fall. The Ohio blues rock duo on Monday announced its 31-date International Players Tour in support of their forthcoming album, Ohio Players, out on April 5. The tour kicks off on Sept. 18 in Tulsa. The vast majority of the…

Marcus King, “Mood Swings.” With a deft hand on his guitar and a voice that tells a thousand stories all by itself, Marcus King lays bare struggles of substance abuse and suicidal ideation on his third solo LP, Mood Swings, all while clinging to a growing flame of resilience…

Beyoncé, “COWBOY CARTER.” “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?” asks Linda Martell—the first commercially successful Black female country artist in history—in an audio clip about halfway through COWBOY CARTER. “In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand,” she continues, “But in practice, well, some…

Tomorrow X Together, courtesy Hybe. K-pop boy band TOMORROW X TOGETHER will be bringing its ACT : PROMISE World Tour to the U.S. this May. The group will stop at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on May 18 and will also head to seven other U.S. cities. The last time…