Known for fidgety experimentalism and crabby lyrics, San Jose’s Xiu Xiu would not win a lifetime achievement award for cheerfulness. Nevertheless, the group has often channeled a certain joy of noise. Unbound by genre, Xiu Xiu unwinds nervous energy, creating songs that land halfway between accessible and off-putting. On…

It’s safe to say that Chelsea Wolfe’s 2017 album, Hiss Spun, is her most aggressive record to date. This is due in part to the animalistic drumming of one Jess Gowrie. The two have grown their musical chemistry over the years, so it was only a matter of time…

Chelsea Wolfe performs at Palace Theater in Los Angeles on Nov. 15, 2019. Photos: Kyle Kohner. LOS ANGELES — Singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe marked a birthday last week. She’s kept busy for much of 2019, releasing her meditative folk album The Birth of Violence and embarking on an acoustic tour. While…

With the release of her goth-doom masterclass Hiss Spun, it appeared that Chelsea Wolfe had reached the precipice of her heavy side. The Sacramento songwriter has spent the last few years embellishing her occultist neo-folk with crushing riffs and experimental electronics. It resulted in her best material, begging the…

Sunbather made Deafheaven the Metallica of post-black metal in 2013, bringing mainstream awareness to the trend of melding black metal, post-rock and shoegaze. The Bay Area quintet has found acclaim by assuaging strangled shrieks and wall-of-sound riffs with pleasant chord values and melancholy more akin to screamo and indie-rock.…

SAN FRANCISCO — Even in a space as intimate as The Chapel, Chelsea Wolfe managed to maintain an aura of mystery. The Roseville-born darkwave artist kept a healthy distance from the crowd Thursday night at the San Francisco venue, saying little and shrouding herself in a brooding bevy of…