Columbus, Ohio’s Beartooth may revel in themes of misery, but frontman Caleb Shomo’s real goal is to have fun. Perhaps that’s why their brand of punk-influenced hard screamo is so effective. Beartooth’s fourth LP, Below, roars of frustration and antagonism and gives way again and again to wails of distress…

Death Cab for Cutie performs at Sonoma Harvest Music Festival in Glen Ellen, Calif. on Sept. 22, 2019. Photos: Martin Lacey/Staff. GLEN ELLEN, Calif. — Alt-rock was on the menu for Sunday’s fourth and final day of the second annual Sonoma Harvest Music Festival. Bands brought riffs, urgency, energy…

Beyond winning Chance the Rapper the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, Coloring Book also distinguished him as a unique force in Chicago hip-hop. The career-defining release’s gospel overtones, pop hooks and diverse flow saw Chancelor Jonathan Bennett come into his own as a suave, God-fearing punchline purveyor. He…

Chvrches performs at Golden Gate Park during Outside Lands on Aug. 11, 2018. Photo: Joaquin Cabello. Sonoma Harvest Music Festival producers Monday announced the lineup for the second annual event at Glen Ellen’s BR Cohn Winery. This year’s festival will take place on four days over two weekends in…

Photos: Chloe Catajan BERKELEY — If you asked Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard, it was about time the Bellingham, Washington band toured with Cold War Kids. The two Northwest and SoCal bands played the Greek Theatre on Thursday, solidifying the milestone of their decade-long friendship through equally…

  Kanye West performs at the SAP Center in San Jose on Nov. 17, 2016. Photo: Paige K. Parsons Goodbye, 2017. It was great knowing you! Not really. Actually, 2017 sucked … except for the music; the music was great! Hello, 2018. It’s time to look forward to what is to come…

Courtesy Kaique Rocha Happy New Year from the RIFF Team! We decided to do something a little different for our weekly Tuesday Tracks new music column. Below, we present to you 10 tracks to help settle in to the first day of 2018. Some of these are traditional, while some…

Magik*Magik 8 p.m., Friday Swedish American Hall Tickets: $15. SAN FRANCISCO — Conductor, pianist and arranger Minna Choi is about to kick off a three-hour rehearsal. But while several of her musicians from the popular Bay Area Magik*Magik Orchestra are on-hand, they’re not rehearsing for a recording session with…

As Election Day approaches Nov. 8, an independent website will issue new and unreleased music from Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M., Aimee Mann and more as part of a “30 Days, 30 Songs” campaign. The website’s aim is to derail Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, who came off one…