So you know how when I started this endeavor I set rules? Five songs per year, one song per band, qualifies in year of release, listed in chronological order? Pretty straightforward, right? For 1970 I’m breaking that first one. I didn’t realize it until this exercise but 1970 was…

Before unboxing and haul videos, before disembodied hands very quickly mixing ingredients, before whatever it is Logan Paul did, there was YouTube’s first class of breakout stars. Taking advantage of early streaming video’s Wild West freedom, they pushed the limits of creativity, producing everything from Star Wars comedy to excessive foods.…

It’s 1969 and you know what that means: I have to get something out of the way. Niiiiiice. Now that we’re past that let’s move on to the top five songs as determined by me, with Ash McGonigal and Robin St. Clare back as my panel of experts (and people who…

Jonathan Coulton, Paul and Storm and friends perform at the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco during SF Sketchfest on Jan. 14, 2018. Courtesy Photo. SAN FRANCISCO — Before the “last song” of Jonathan Coulton’s set, he was frank with us: “If I had even an ounce of stagecraft,” he…

Ah, 1968. So long ago, so different. Back then tensions were rising with North Korea, the United States was losing more and more troops in an unwinnable war, and black athletes were taking a controversial stand at major athletic events. Wait…huh… Anyway, the music was definitely better. Like last week’s…

Jonathan Coulton, courtesy. These days, Jonathan Coulton is a busy man. When we spoke to the New York-based singer-songwriter, he was on a cruise ship docked in Cabo San Lucas on what is ostensibly a business trip to prepare for the JoCo Cruise, then soon he’ll be in San Francisco…

Welcome to RIFF Rewind! Every week of 2018, we’ll highlight the top five songs of a different year as selected by our expert panel of tastemakers, by which, of course, I mean me (with help from my friends Robin St. Clare and Ash McGonigal, plus other contributors and RIFF…

W. Kamau Bell is a man of many talents, from stand-up comic to Emmy-winning television host, but he never expected the symphony to come calling. Other than listening to the classical music station on AM radio in the car with his mom when he was a kid, classical music…

Run the Jewels perform at the National Civic Center in San Jose on Feb. 2, 2017. A diverse group of musicians ranging from REM to GWAR issued an open letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday opposing his plan to end net neutrality. About 280 musicians and 69…

Roxiny does things her own way. When she first arrived in the United States from the Dominican Republic to pursue a music career, she signed a deal with Sony but soon bought her way out of it. “I think that they were looking for a Latin pop star; kind of…