Roman Gokhman writes about his favorite interviews of the year: Cautious Clay, Rhett Miller, Suzannah Powell, Joseph, Aurora, Joy Williams, SHAED, K.Flay, Hozier, Ivory Layne, Yoke Lore, Lumineers, Just Loud, Josh Malerman, the Dandy Warhols and JR JR. As RIFF has continued to grow, my free time has continued…

Joseph performs at the Fillmore in San Francisco on Oct. 20, 2019. Photos: Steve Carlson. SAN FRANCISCO — Sister trio Joseph blasted through a blistering set of rousing harmony-driven tunes to conclude the first leg of its tour supporting new album Good Luck, Kid at the Fillmore on Sunday.…

Allison Closner, Meegan Closner and Natalie Schepman of Joseph. Courtesy photo. Most bands use the time between releasing albums to recharge. But for two members of soulful Portland folk-rock sister trio Joseph, the break between 2016 sophomore breakout LP I’m Alone, No You’re Not, and the just-released Good Luck, Kid included a…

Attendees at Outside Lands on August 12, 2017. Photos: Alessio Neri. Day two of Outside Lands is in the books so it’s time for the second edition of my best and worst! See if you can pick up on the subtle theme. Best: Metallica — Not even just the show. Just…

While there was disappointment about A Tribe Called Quest’s postponement turning into a total (and mysterious) cancellation, Metallica’s spectacle of a performance more than made up for it. A band that’s been touring off and on for more than 35 years doesn’t really have bad shows anymore, but even by…

Photos courtesy: Andrew Jorgensen/Outside Lands Ten years in, the Outside Lands Music Festival has become one of the most iconic music gatherings in the U.S. Which other festival offers a top-notch lineup alongside giant lit-up cypress trees in a magical fairy forest in the middle of a bustling metropolis?…

SAN FRANCISCO — April may be known as Fauxchella in the Bay Area, but it’s also a good month to catch some of the future breakouts at this year’s Outside Lands Music Festival. That was the case Sunday at the Independent, where harmonizing Portland trio Joseph made a splash.…

St. Lucia Looking back on my interviews over the past 12 months, the first thing that surprised me was just how busy I stayed: nearly 50 interviews of 10 minutes or longer, about a dozen more than 2015, which had seemed much busier. Interviewing artists is just one part…

Welcome to my annual countdown of the most entertaining music experiences of the year. I attended 51 concerts this year, up from 41 the year before. Like always, this list is an account of how much I enjoyed the concerts I attended. I’m not attempting to list the “best”…

The three sisters of harmonizing Oregon band Joseph got their start playing small shows with no backing arrangements apart from Natalie Closner’s sparse guitar, a keyboard and a kick drum. These days, they perform in front of hundreds of screaming fans at a time, with a full band in support,…