Boygenius, “the record.” The record, the first full-length album by boygenius, starts out with a lovely, sparse, Carter-Family-style a capella harmony on “Without You Without Them.” It’s as if Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker wanted to stake their claim right up front as members of the great American…

Clockwise from top left: Jon Batiste, Beck, Run The Jewels, Tinashe, The Eagles, The Black Angels, Jayhawks, Lucy Dacus, Eyelids and Fred Armisen. Staff and courtesy composite. Concerts began returning in 2021 as artists cautiously hit the road, still balancing their safety and health with their livelihoods. Some of…

The best albums of 2021 include Evanescence, Vince Staples, Julien Baker, Lindsey Buckingham, Black Midi, Lucy Dacus, Leon Bridges, Faye Webster and Shame. Best of 2021 Welcome to the sixth part of the top 50 albums of the year, according to the RIFF staff that reviewed hundreds this year.…

There are few things as nostalgic as pulling out a home movie on VHS and seeing your childhood self. Running around in dress-up clothes, with high-pitched voices or even a full set of baby teeth, home videos often conjure memories and feelings of a time when life was simpler.…

Clockwise from top left: STACEY, Faye Webster, Azure Ray, Lydia Ainsworth, Black Map and Lucy Dacus. Whether you’re listening to the resonant rock of Lucy Dacus, confessional folk from Faye Webster or the post-hardcore heaviness of Black Map, this week’s selections are a treat for the ears. We round…

Julien Baker has never been one to shy away from depicting dramatic and intimate parts of life in her music. Since her 2015 debut, Sprained Ankle, her vices, addiction and sexuality have featured heavily into her work and are ever apparent on her new album, Little Oblivions. But unlike the previous…

Christine and the Queens perform at Fox Theater in Oakland on Oct. 26, 2018. Photo: Shawn Robbins. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas. I’m talking end–of–the–year list season. While I enjoyed RIFF editor Max Heilman’s list, it left  a strong metallic taste in my mouth.…

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,…

Boygenius performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Nov. 27, 2018. Photos: Chloe Catajan. OAKLAND — It may have been Julien Baker at the top of the marquee Tuesday at the Fox, but the Memphis singer-songwriter shared equal stage time with her two openers, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus.…

Photos: Joaquin Cabello and Shawn Robbins SAN FRANCISCO — The Weeknd put on a headliner-caliber show to close out the first day of Outside Lands on Friday. It’s hard to believe the Canadian artist was just another YouTube singer only eight years ago. His polished neo-R&B vocals were accompanied by…