Marina and the Diamonds perform at the Warfield in San Francisco on May 6, 2013. Judging by the size of the venues she has been playing, it would be fair to say Marina Diamandis has had a good year. Last summer the pop songstress, who goes by Marina and…

Future Twin, courtesy. Future Twin frontwoman Jean Yaste likes to start things. Future Twin, Voyaj, Upside Drown and All Your Sisters 9 p.m., Friday Uptown Nightclub, Oakland Tickets: FREE. Not just the leader of the San Francisco garage, lo-fi rock band, she also opposes condominium development in The City,…

The Call with Robert Levon Been, courtesy. Seminal ‘80s Santa Cruz rockers The Call disbanded in 2000 when frontman-bassist Michael Been decided to focus his energy on his son’s fledgling career. So in a roundabout way, Robert Levon Been is returning the gesture, when he briefly steps away from…

San Cisco, courtesy. Jordi Davieson has known Scarlett Stevens since he was a toddler. Their parents are friends and they grew up together in the coastal town of Fremantle, Australia – just south of Perth on the country’s west coast. “There’s a photo of Scarlett and me and I’m…

Mika, courtesy. British singer-songwriter Mika was traumatized when his sister Paloma, one of four siblings in a close-knit family, fell 50 feet from a window and was critically injured. Paloma, who designed the covers to Mika’s first two albums, was expected to die. The accident took place in 2010,…

Richie Follin and Guards, courtesy. Richie Follin – founder of punk rock band the Willowz, former member of Cults, and now singer in New York ‘60s and ‘70s revivalists Guards – lived near Cow Hollow in San Francisco for six years, up through the sixth grade, and attended St.…

Maserati, courtesy. It was the last element added to the new album by Maserati. The record was tracked and ready to go, but bassist Chris McNeal of the Athens, Georgia-based instrumental psych/post-rock band had one last idea. Maserati, Minot, Silian Rail 9 p.m., March 4 Brick & Mortar Music Hall…

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down performs at Phono del Sol in San Francisco on July 12, 2014. Roman Gokhman/STAFF. San Francisco resident Thao Nguyen of Thao & The Get Down Stay Down does community work in addition to writing and performing with her band. Thao & The…

Free Energy, courtesy. It would be fair for some artists to hold a grudge or be at least a little bitter after being dropped from two record labels following their debut album. But for Free Energy, whose partnerships with James Murphy’s DFA Records, as well as EMI, disintigrated, that’s not…

The Vaccines perform at Slim’s in San Francisco on Oct. 2, 2018. Gary Chancer/STAFF. The Vaccines’ Justin Young didn’t take care of his health as much as he should have, and the English garage rock band’s singer-guitarist paid for it. After mounting an aggressive campaign with buzzy 2011 debut…