RIFF’s best albums of 2024 include Ariana Grande, Zach Bryan, Suki Waterhouse, Rosali, Doechii, Johnny Blue Skies (Sturgill Simpson), Father John Misty, A.G. Cook, Fontaines D.C., Remi Wolf, Norah Jones, Pearl Jam, Maggie Rogers, Nilüfer Yanya and Ray Lamontagne. Never before has the music landscape been so fragmented. But…

Maggie Rogers performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 12, 2023. Maggie Rogers has announced a fall run of arena shows as part of her Don’t Forget Me Tour, which includes a date at Chase Center in San Francisco on Nov.…

Maggie Rogers, “Don’t Forget Me.” Maggie Rogers’ innovative debut album bolstered her fame. Then, her sophomore record, 2022’s Surrender, switched tones toward a bolder pop-rock sound that matched her strong voice and assured energy. Two lead singles from her third album offered a promising vision of another change of pace,…

Maggie Rogers performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 12, 2023. Courtesy Alive Coverage. SAN FRANCISCO — It was a little windy, a bit chilly and a lot foggy—but none of that mattered when singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers hit the Land’s End…

Maggie Rogers, “Surrender.” When the pandemic hit and life started feeling more and more uncertain, Maggie Rogers retreated to the north of Maine and cut the noise off. Here, she immersed herself in the energy emitted by the unruly northern Atlantic Ocean and came out with Surrender. Following up…

Jewel, “Freewheelin’ Woman.” During the opening vocalizing of “Long Way ‘Round,” it’s immediately apparent why Jewel titled her new album Freewheelin’ Woman. Her voice, as powerful as ever, emulates the feeling of someone who’s learned to not takes things too seriously. It’s not a mindset one just adopts overnight,…

Maggie Rogers performs at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana on Oct. 18, 2018. Photos: Matthew Eaton. SANTA ANA — As Maggie Rogers took the stage at the Observatory in Orange County, “Dancing Queen” blared in the background, a fitting song for the entrance of Maryland’s dancing queen. Maggie…

The Who performs at Golden Gate Park at Outside Lands on Aug, 13, 2017. Photos: Alessio Neri SAN FRANCISCO —The weather forecast was calling for Sunday to be the one sunny day at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park. But by the time headliners The Who took the stage,…