Author Archives: Mike DeWald
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ALBUM REVIEW: Echosmith perseveres and grows on personal ‘Lonely Generation’
Patience pays off for Southern California indie pop trio Echosmith. Seven years following breakout debut Talking Dreams, the Sierota siblings return with sophomore LP Lonely Generation. The passing years weren’t spent idly. An attempt at a full-length follow-up turned into 2017 EP Inside a Dream. Echosmith has also found success collaborating…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Poppy burns down convention on expansive ‘I Disagree’
It’s no great secret that the modern musical landscape is trending ever-quicker toward a spectrum free from genre boundaries. Rock isn’t limited to riffs, hip-hop isn’t confined to beats and samples and the precise definition of what exactly constitutes pop music has become exceedingly expansive. It might be difficult…
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BottleRock Napa 2020: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Miley Cyrus and Khalid to headline
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the headliners at BottleRock 2020. Here they perform at Oakland Arena on March 12, 2017. Alessio Neri/Staff. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, Khalid and Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals will headline Bottlerock Napa Valley this…
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REVIEW: Twenty One Pilots, Raconteurs lead Not So Silent Night at SAP Center
The Raconteurs perform during radio station Live 105’s Not So Silent Night at SAP Center in San Jose on Dec. 7, 2019. Photos courtesy RADIO.COM. SAN JOSE — Some of the biggest names in alt-rock descended on the SAP Center on a soggy Saturday night in the South Bay…
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ALBUM REVIEW: Camila Cabello channels reality to record on ‘Romance’
Camila Cabello is no stranger to romance. The Cuban-born pop songstress found herself in one of the most public and high-profile pop culture romances of 2019 with fellow pop phenom Shawn Mendes. Whether they are performing on stage together at awards shows or showing affection court-side at a Lakers…
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Alessia Cara celebrates imperfection and ‘Growing Pains’ at The Masonic
Alessia Cara performs at The Masonic in San Francisco on Nov. 8, 2019. Photos: Steve Carlson. SAN FRANCISCO — Home may have been thousands of miles away for Ontario, Canada singer-songwriter Alessia Cara, but the stage at The Masonic had that feeling Friday night. Adorned with furniture, lamps, shelves,…
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INTERVIEW: Tsunami Bomb’s rise, fall and rebirth in the underground
Tsunami Bomb. Courtesy of the artist. MOUNTAIN VIEW — Tsunami Bomb founding bassist Dominic Davi had a very specific and audacious goal for the band: an immersive project fusing music and art. Tsunami Bomb Arnocorps, World Inferno, Host Jello Biafra 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22 Cornerstone Berkeley Tickets: $25.…
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REVIEW: Sara Bareilles shines ‘Amidst the Chaos’ at ‘hometown’ Chase Center show
Sara Bareilles performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Oct. 26, 2019. Photos: Adam Pardee. SAN FRANCISCO — Sara Bareilles has long held a tight-knit relationship to San Francisco and Northern California. The Eureka-born singer-songwriter made the Bay Area a natural home as her career developed. Bareilles’ career…
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Bad Wolves not worried about following up hit cover with ‘N.A.T.I.O.N.’
Bad Wolves. Courtesy of Eleven Seven. For Bad Wolves founder and drummer John Boecklin, each new record presents a fresh set of challenges. While the L.A. hard rockers came up with a massive hit single, toured extensively and even appeared on late-night TV, the process didn’t become any easier…
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INTERVIEW: SYML honors his identity through music on solo venture
SYML. Photo courtesy of the artist. SAN FRANCISCO — It’s not necessarily the most original conversation starter to ask an artist about the origin behind the name of his project, but for singer-songwriter Brian Fennell, it provides the key that unlocks his history and identity. The former Barcelona frontman…
