AFI emerged in the late 1990s, one of the last bands to get in on that era’s wave of anthemic, melodic emo bands. At the time they were known for Misfits-worship and Alan-Forbes-drawn album covers. Since then, AFI has charted repeatedly on Billboard, made a gold record, and developed…

You should be excited about new albums from (clockwise from top left) Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Lorde, My Bloody Valentine, Lykke Li, Tierra Whack, Modest Mouse, GZA, Ghost and The Cure. Will this be the year Zack de la Rocha releases one of his shelved solo albums? No! But…

Katy Perry, courtesy Capitol Records, will never give courtesy to editor Daniel J. Willis ever again. I had a whole column outlined with a somewhat generic theme. You see, I write the column over the course of the week, then Friday night I file it and make my final…

You should be excited about new albums from Tame Impala, Frank Ocean, Grimes, Lorde, AJJ, Yves Tumor, The 1975, The Cure, Tierra Whack and IDLES in 2020, writes Kyle J. Kohner. Now that another phenomenal year and decade in music has passed, it’s time to look forward at what…

Mono performs at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on June 5, 2019. Photos: Joaquin Cabello. SAN FRANCISCO — After the Japanese drone outfit Mono filed onto the stage at The Great American Music Hall to the soothing synthesized sounds of “God Bless,” the quintet launched immediately into…

David Byrne performs at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2018. Photos: Paige K. Parsons. I don’t usually rank my top 10 shows, but this year’s best show was so far above the rest, I decided to make it clear who was at the top:…

The history of rock and roll is a series of revolutions during which young insurgents dethrone the previous kings and queens who have grown fat and lazy. Chuck Berry unseated T-Bone Walker. The Beatles unseated Elvis. Nirvana unseated big hair metal. New Wave: Dare To Be Different Streaming on…

  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…

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…

The Cure performs at BottleRock Napa Valley on May 30, 2014. There were fewer acts and the names did not shine as brightly as last year. Fewer food venders took the risk to take part. But all things considered, it was a miracle that BottleRock Napa Valley — the…