Ghost, “SKELETÁ.” One wonders how much panic is happening around Skeletá, the latest album by Ghost. Not because it’s not good—it’s very good—but because of an awkward coincidence. Skeletá Ghost Loma Vista, April 25 8/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. See, Ghost is as much performance art as a…

Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen, courtesy. This week, Spacey Jane welcomes us to summer; Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen, Dropsonic and Gasoline Lollipops bring the rock, Mobley gives us some throwback soul and Activity shows us the art of a really good bass line. Spacey Jane, “Through…

clipping., “Dead Channel Sky” Dead Channel Sky, the fifth album by hip-hop trio clipping., is really great. But first, a history lesson; please bear with me. Dead Channel Sky Clipping Sub Pop, March 14 9/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction that’s…

Nell Smith and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, courtesy Blake Studdard/Atria Creative. Momma and the Ting Tings slow things down, the Gully Boys and Raue bring the rock back, Kurt Deimer brings us a new classic and Nell Smith wows with her first and final album. Momma, “Bottle…

Apocalyptica performs at Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2025. Onome Uyovbievbo/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — When Apocalyptica formed in 1993 in Helsinki, Finland, it was as a Metallica cover band. Its first album was Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Cellos. Its second also had some…

Alien Weaponry, courtesy. This is a rock-heavy week with Alien Weaponry’s Māori metal, James and the Cold Gun and Lucie Sue with songs that evoke the ’90s, Air Drawn Dagger defying genres, Madison Violett making a sterling debut and The Velveteers bringing the good parts of disco back. Lucie…

Björk performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2022. Courtesy Santiago Felipe. In case you missed the glorious few hours Friday morning when it was a thing, Facebook (I’m not calling the company Meta, and you can’t make me) made a chatbot in such an insensitive…

Kendrick Lamar performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 11, 2023. Let’s start with the standard history lesson for those of you just joining us: In 2018 I completed a quest to list my top five (or so) songs for every…

Composite image. Original photo of My Chemical Romance by Onome Uyovbievbo/STAFF. Traditionally during this time of year, I either write about the best (2020, 2022) or worst (2019, 2021) of Christmas music. I had a whole pattern going but I didn’t write one last year so I find myself…

Elliot James Reay, courtesy Em Cole. This week we’ve got a ’50s flashback from Elliott James Reay, a ’70s flashback from Robert Jon & the Wreck, ’90s flashbacks from Peter Landi and Blood Lemon, and some sounds without precedent from Nico Vega and Lambrini Girls. Lambrini Girls, “Love” —…