RIFF’s best albums of 2023 include the Rolling Stones, Blink-182, Cleo Sol, Miley Cyrus, Allison Russell, Victoria Monét, Kali Uchis, Fall Out Boy, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Manchester Orchestra, Janelle Monáe, JPEGMafia with Danny Brown, Blondshell, Doja Cat, Andre 3000, Mick Jenkins, Sir Chloe, Ryuchi Sakamoto, James…

Manchester Orchestra performs at the Masonic in San Francisco on July 18, 2023. Courtesy Ed Davis. By Quinn Gill SAN FRANCISCO — Midway through an intense performance, Andy Hull, lead singer and guitarist of Manchester Orchestra, stopped to let the audience take over the chorus of “The Gold.” The…

Manchester Orchestra, “The Valley of Vision.” As if the new Manchester Orchestra project, The Valley of Vision, isn’t enough for the ears, it ramps up the layers visually with a 180-degree virtual reality film that achieves great beauty by simply allowing the recipient to interpret it their own way.…

Manchester Orchestra, “The Million Masks of God.” The Million Masks of God by Manchester Orchestra is a sweeping, film-like project that details feelings of grief and building something worthwhile from pain instead of letting pain define you. The band combines pared-back lyrics with progressive musical arrangements that swell and subside elegantly…

Photos: Mike DeWald, Roman Gokhman and courtesy. NAPA — As a nearly full moon set Sunday night, the man of the hour—or the weekend—took the stage on the final day of BottleRock Napa Valley. Bruno Mars had been the buzzed-about headliner at BottleRock from the moment the festival lineup was announced…

Photos: Alessio Neri OAKLAND — Live 105’s Not So Silent Night started Friday at the Oracle Arena with performances by Welshly Arms, Manchester Orchestra, Vance Joy, Portugal. The Man and The Lumineers. Not So Silent Night: The Killers, Weezer, Foster the People, Walk the Moon, Alice Merton 6 p.m., Tonight Oracle Arena Tickets:…

RIFF wants you to get out to more shows! To help you with that, here are our picks for where to go and who to see next week. RIFF’s video concert series features artists of all genres, with a focus on the best hidden gems the local music scene has to offer. If you’re…

Young The Giant performs during San Francisco Oysterfest in Golden Gate Park on June 30, 2012. Roman Gokhman/STAFF. The sun peeked out from among the clouds several times Saturday during the 13th annual San Francisco Oysterfest in Golden Gate Park, but by 4 p.m., as headliner Young the Giant…