AWOLNATION, “Candy Pop.” By Dom Tuason SoCal rock band AWOLNATION is ending 2023 with its first EP in more than a decade (and first collection of original songs since 2020 LP Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders) with rock-centric sampler Candy Pop. The Aaron-Bruno-led band has undergone a complete…

While it hasn’t been long since AWOLNATION released its last album, a lot has changed for Aaron Bruno and his revolving supporting cast leading up to Angel Miners and Lightning Riders. It’s been a while since the days of breakout alt-rock hit “Sail,” but Bruno has shown no signs of…

Clockwise from top left: Deerhoof, Xibalba, Brutus, AWOLNATION with Alice Merton, Soft Plastics and The Seshen. Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips. Artists on platforms like Spotify and Bandcamp are plentiful, and the radio offers a steady deluge of new singles, but who has…

Kongos perform at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on Jan. 9, 2019. Photos: Gary Chancer. SAN FRANCISCO — Judging by the stories the four brothers of Kongos told at the Great American Music Hall on Tuesday, the first night of their first tour in more than a…

Twenty One Pilots perform on the Bandito Tour at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Nov. 11, 2018. Photos: Steve Carlson. OAKLAND — One of the most anticipated concerts of the year arrived in the Bay Area Sunday night as Twenty One Pilots‘ Bandito Tour came to Oracle Arena. Fans…

Prophets of Rage perform at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on Sept. 13, 2016. Paige K. Parsons/STAFF. Despite being one of the great rock bands of the ’90s, the original iteration of Rage Against the Machine did not survive beyond a decade, with vocalist Zack de la Rocha departing following…

Under the Influence of Giants. The members of Los Angeles’ Under the Influence of Giants aren’t afraid to name the artists they are borrowing from. And for this disco-funk-pop-R&B ensemble, the list varies from the Bee Gees, Prince, Michael Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Earth, Wind and Fire, the Beatles…