Photos: Kyle Kohner LOS ANGELES — Nearly two months since releasing her stunning sophomore project, Turn Out the Lights, singer-songwriter Julien Baker graced the masses at the iconic Palace Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday night. Per usual, Baker gifted her audience with an intensely emotional affair, as she mixed in…

Like most, my first experience of Memphis singer-songwriter Julien Baker happened through the opening lines of her groundbreaking debut single, “Sprained Ankle:” “I wish I could write songs about anything other than death.” These words met me at a most vulnerable point and ensued to gradually devastate every fiber…

Photo: Alessio Neri Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips. Artists on platforms such as Spotify and Bandcamp are plentiful, and the radio offers a steady deluge of new singles, but who has time to sort through all that? RIFF does! We pooled our resources to find some…

Joywave: Photos: Shane Johnson BOISE – It’s never easy opening a show, but Joywave seemed at ease as it settled into an all-too-quick set warming up the crowd for headliners Cold War Kids at the Knitting Factory in Boise on Aug. 10. Cold War Kids, Joywave 7 p.m., Monday Ace of Spades, Sacramento…

Photos: Alessio Neri SAN FRANCISCO — The last time Julien Baker played Noise Pop, in 2016, she fell in with the ranks of rising artists. Thursday, she returned as a bonafide success by selling out the Great American Music Hall, and keeping an entire room on pins and needles…

Noise Pop has returned to San Francisco for its 25th year, and producers have made their silver anniversary special. Over the next week, some of the most unique, up-and-coming and well known names in rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop and everything in between will visit more than a dozen venues throughout San Francisco and…

Memphis singer-songwriter Julien Baker, who’s about to have a break-out year thanks to growing attention and an opening stint with The Decemberists, will kick off 2017 by headlining the Great American Music Hall during Noise Pop. The music festival has also added Kelis, Hudson Mohawke, Benji B, an Animal Collective…

This is the final in a three-part series. Read how I’m scoring my list and find out about my “special consideration” acts in PART 1 and 13 through 8 in PART 2. Favorite Shows 2015 | Favorite Shows 2014 Favorite Shows 2013 | Favorite Shows 2012 7 – STURGILL SIMPSON at the Fox Theater – Nov. 19 Two weeks ago,…

Radiohead performs at Outside Lands 2016. Che Holts/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — Eight years after headlining opening night of the inaugural Outside Lands Music Festival, Radiohead returned Saturday to the event with a two-hour set that showed their range of abilities. Because of the way the event has grown and…

Click to view the full map The 72 music performers at the 9th annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival next month represent at least 10 countries and 16 of the United States. Despite the absence of Asian and South American artists, as well as the classical penguin stylings…