Sharon Van Etten, “We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong.” The last couple of years must have been dark for Sharon Van Etten if her new album, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, is any indication. Pre-pandemic, it seemed like everything was coming up Sharon. In 2016, she acted…

The Head and The Heart, “Every Shade of Blue.” “It’s been a long year/ The wrong year/ To be left alone,” vocalist-guitarist Jonathan Russell sings on the opening title track of Every Shade of Blue, the fifth album from The Head and The Heart. It’s a heads up that the…

Satya, courtesy. Satya has a gorgeous voice and an original sound that effortlessly crosses and synthesizes genres. The Oakland native’s lyrics come from authenticity, examining her feelings and experiences with honesty and grace. Satya and friends 7 p.m. (Doors), Thursday, May 26 The New Parish Tickets: $10-$12. “Writing has…

Wet Leg, self-titled. Wet Leg, the Isle of Wight duo comprised of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, blew up so fast that people thought they might be an industry plant. On one hand, maybe: they present as an indie lover’s dream, with punchy post-pop hooks and arty videos where…

May Erlewine, courtesy Michael Poehlman. This week we feature the haunting memories of Mothé, collaborative synth-pop of Dreamer Boy, comforting vocals of May Erlewine, psychedelia of Mt. Joy and Post Animal, and the soul pop of Valerie June. Mothé, “Terrified” — Spencer Fort previously clocked some time on the indie…

Steve Dawson, courtesy Laura E. Partain. Steve Dawson was on tour playing guitar with Birds of Chicago with Allison Russell when the pandemic hit. “We got sent home, and I figured that we’d take maybe a month off at that point. Little did we know!” he said during a…

Tears For Fears, “The Tipping Point.” Seventeen years is a long time to wait between albums, but Tears for Fears have never been a band that did things the usual way. After gaining fame as a new wave synth band in the ’80s, they pivoted to a more organic…

Spoon performs at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb 8, 2022. Photos: Chas Alm. SANTA ANA, Calif. — Spoon is at the point in its career where Britt Daniel and co. have nothing to prove anymore, but they hit the stage at The Observatory Tuesday night…

Austin indie darlings Spoon may have made their best album yet – and that’s saying something for the band that made Gimme Fiction and Kill the Moonlight. Lucifer on the Sofa Spoon Matador, Feb. 11 9/10 After dabbling in electronica on 2017’s Hot Thoughts, Britt Daniel, Jim Eno and…

Chris Pierce performs at The Muck in Fullerton, Calif. on Feb. 3, 2022. Photos courtesy Chas Alm. FULLERTON, Calif. — Chris Pierce showed the simple power of a voice at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center on Thursday night. Pierce wowed with powerful political anthems and astonishing vocal acrobatics, accompanied only by…