Editor Daniel J. Willis’ reaction to Smokepurpp at Outside Lands. Design: Roman Gokhman. We here at RIFF try to keep things positive. Music, like all art, should bring joy and understanding to the world. Even when music highlights society’s problems, it inspires us to understand and change the underlying…

Jeff Rosenstock performs at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2018. Photo: Kyle J. Kohner. Would ya look at that? You’ve made it to the finale. If you are just joining us, please, don’t spoil the big reveal and go back to parts one, two, three and four to…

Mitski Kyle Kohner’s top 100 songs countdown reaches the finish line, with his 25 favorites. Catch up with part one, part two and part three here. 25. “4th Dimension” – Kids See Ghosts (Kid Cudi and Kanye West) Opened by an eerily distorted, but well-placed sample of Louis Prima’s “What Will…

Sharon Van Etten performs at Treasure Island Music Festival at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2018. Photo: Chloe Catajan. Kyle Kohner’s top 100 songs countdown gets one step closer to revealing his favorite song of 2018, with numbers 50 through 26. Catch up with part one and…

Kids See Ghosts (Kanye West and Kid Cudi) We’re nearing the end of my top 50 albums list! If you’re just now joining me, check out part one, part two and part three before diving in. Several of these albums would have made it into my top 10 if not for several…

  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…

Photos: Jose Saucedo SAN FRANCISCO — There’s a common misconception that sex, drugs and partying are primary themes in rap music. Big Sean proved otherwise at The Masonic Thursday. The Detroit rapper known for opening up about his life took time to let fans know he’s in a better place. His…

  Illustration: Vivian Shih It’s “love and hate” week at RIFF. We’ve taken on the theme of Valentine’s Day to talk about both sides of love. We’re starting off with my favorite love songs, but there are some caveats: These are only since 1980. There’s a whole bunch of really…

Let’s admit that 2016 was a rough year. But one of the bright spots was great music. Here’s our top 5 music moments of 2016. 1. Hip-hop artists dropped surprise albums The year was full of surprise, especially politically, socially and globally. Music, on the other hand, had some of the best surprises, particularly in…

Sufjan Stevens. Photos: Paige K. Parsons. Photographer Paige K. Parsons is one of the most recognizable faces at concert venues throughout the Bay Area. Other photographers frequently remark about her skill of capturing the best possible shot while staying out of everyone else’s line of sight. And RIFF is…