Author Archives: Josiah Skallerup
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REVIEW: Charli XCX shares a future pop diary while sheltering in place on ‘How I’m Feeling Now’
Charli XCX and her band of collaborators have been leading the charge of pushing pop music headlong into new territories over the last few years, using the latest and greatest in PC Music (aka bubblegum bass) production techniques. However, it was a bit of a surprise to hear she…
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Noise Pop Review: Best Coast celebrates all things California at the Regency Ballroom
Best Coast performs at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on Feb. 29, 2020. Onome Uyovbievbo/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — Best Coast, fresh off releasing its fourth album, Always Tomorrow, performed the marquee Noise Pop festival show Saturday at the Regency Ballroom. The L.A. band of Bethany Cosentino and guitarist Bobb Bruno,…
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Noise Pop Review: Bag Raiders unleash signature synth-and bass-combo at the Independent
Bag Raiders perform at The Independent in San Francisco on Feb. 28, 2020. Gary Chancer/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — Australian turned L.A. electro-disco duo Bag Raiders came out on stage at The Independent wearing all white, including matching bucket hats. This was its first show in San Francisco since a performance…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Soccer Mommy expands her horizons, battles her demons on ‘Color Theory’
Soccer Mommy is the brainchild of 22-year-old Sophie Allison, who uses ’90s-styled indie alt-rock arrangements to communicate thoughts and feelings of someone twice her age. In the last few years she’s quickly gained popularity after releasing her last album, Clean, in 2018. It was home to many awesome tunes, including…
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REVIEW: Grimes delivers a dire warning call as Earth’s underworld angel on ‘Miss Anthropocene’
The effects of climate change are overtaking the Earth, and people seem essentially powerless to stop it. What is a humble synth-pop producer from Canada to do? Grimes’ fifth album, Miss Anthropocene, presents a warning call and a goodbye letter to the planet as we know it. Claire Elise Boucher takes…
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11 Noise Pop fest acts you shouldn’t miss this month
Washed Out performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Aug. 16, 2017. The project of Ernest Greene will perform a DJ set several days before Noise Pop 2020 kicks off next week. RIFF STAFF. San Francisco’s yearly Noise Pop Music Festival always seems to feature a billionty bands.…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Dan Deacon shares another psychedelic walkabout with ‘Mystic Familiar’
Dan Deacon came up in the indietronica scene in the late ’00s, and by the mid-’10s he had established himself within a fairly unique niche. His hallmark songs use pitched-up vocals, offbeat instrumentation and percussive timbres to craft layers of cascading sonic textures and psychedelic frolicking. By his fourth…
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REVIEW: Danny Brown breaks out his party songs for a dark rave at August Hall
Danny Brown performs at August Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 26, 2019. Photos: Gary Chancer. SAN FRANCISCO — Detroit rapper Danny Brown, touring the aptly titled album, uknowwhatimsaying¿, swung through August Hall on Saturday. Brown strutted onto the stage, took a moment to survey the crowd and dropped into the first single…
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Foals finish apocalyptic journey on ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2’
Foals, “Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2.” Just six months after Foals released their fifth album, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1, they’re already back with the second half. Even after dropping solid releases throughout the ’00s, Part 1 shaped up as a highlight…
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REVIEW: Tegan and Sara meld music with new memoir at Sydney Goldstein Theater
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kristin (@krihstyn) on Oct 2, 2019 at 3:25am PDT SAN FRANCISCO — A funny thing happened when Tegan and Sara were working on their new memoir High School: They discovered an old demo tape that they recorded in their teens. Realizing the…
