RIFF’s best albums of 2023 include the Rolling Stones, Blink-182, Cleo Sol, Miley Cyrus, Allison Russell, Victoria Monét, Kali Uchis, Fall Out Boy, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Manchester Orchestra, Janelle Monáe, JPEGMafia with Danny Brown, Blondshell, Doja Cat, Andre 3000, Mick Jenkins, Sir Chloe, Ryuchi Sakamoto, James…

James Blake, “Playing Robots Into Heaven.” James Blake fans old and new are in for an adventure with Playing Robots Into Heaven. Both an homage to past work—most notably the CMYK series—the new new album also delves into rave culture and dubstep, in which he’s also found a unique…

The best albums of 2021 include Jackson Browne, J Balvin, Cheekface, Jame Blake, Tori Amos, Billy Gibbons, IDLES, Paul Weller, Jon Batiste, Rostam, The Killers and Between the Buried and Me. Welcome back to RIFF’s top album countdown! If you’re here just to complain about the order or lack…

Last year saw singer-songwriter-producer James Blake return to his club roots on a daring four-track EP. A step slightly left from his recent catalog’s intense melancholia, the small collection of songs paved the way for the experimentation and elegant stylings of his latest body of work, Friends That Break…

Kyle J. Kohner checks in with his own list of the best albums of the year. The second part includes Thom Yorke, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Sharon Van Etten, Lana Del Rey, A.A. Bondy, Injury Reserve, TEEN, Nilüfer Yanya, Field Medic, Kate Tempest, FONTAINES D.C., TR/ST, Boy…

Though often lauded as a trailblazing hip-hop producer or an indie folk visionary, Justin Vernon is reluctant to take credit for Bon Iver. His songwriting chops are remarkable, but the ingenuity brought to the table by his collaborators gives his work a distinct flavor. That’s apparent on i, i,…

James Blake performs at The Fox Theater in Oakland on March 12, 2019. Photos: Joaquin Cabello. OAKLAND — James Blake brought his Assume Form Tour into shape with hypnotic and ambient sounds at the Fox Theater Tuesday at the first of two concerts in Oakland. James Blake Khushi 8…

Phoebe Bridgers performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Nov. 27, 2018. Photo: Chloe Catajan. The end has finally arrived—the end of 2018 that is. That means it’s year-end list time. With great albums comes great songs, and in a year that brought us plenty of great singles,…

Photos: Joaquin Cabello, Shawn Robbins and Mike DeWald SAN FRANCISCO — And then there was Janet. The final day of the 2018 edition of Outside Lands closed out with legendary pop icon Janet Jackson. Jackson proved to provide immediate heat to a crowd starting to feel one of the chillier…

Photos: Diana Cordero, Ian Young, Nick DeCicco TREASURE ISLAND — Attendees to the 10th and final Treasure Island Music Festival were easy to spot Sunday on the BART ride home—tired spirits bundled for warmth and many wearing rain gear, their footwear caked in mud. While rain caused a three-hour…