The Joy Formidable. While Welsh rockers The Joy Formidable toured their 2013 sophomore album, Wolf’s Law, singer-guitarist Ritzy Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd, a long-time couple, broke up. The trio, which included drummer Matt Thomas, spent the following three years out of the public eye. They finally resurfaced in…

NAPA — The fourth installment of the BottleRock Napa Valley festival brought high temperatures and memorable performances. Temperatures flirted with the 90-degree mark as 40,000 flocked to the Napa Valley Expo each day for the event. Let’s look at seven sets from the 2016 BottleRock that stood out above the rest.…

Big Deal, “Dream Machines” I’ve been a bit hooked on Big Deal since their 2011 album, Lights Out. While that album was good, though, it didn’t have a stand-out song. Not like “Dream Machines,” off new album June Gloom (out next month). This song has both the band’s signature…

M83 performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland on April 17, 2016. I probably went to more shows this year than ever before. This year, artists such as Florence and the Machine, Coldplay, the Black Keys, Of Monsters and Men and the reunited Garbage didn’t even crack the ranks…

The Joy Formidable, courtesy. When Welsh rock trio The Joy Formidable resolved to record the follow-up to last year’s critically praised debut, The Big Roar, the band did not settle on a studio in New York, Los Angeles or their home base of London. Instead, vocalist-guitarist Ritzy Bryan, bassist-boyfriend…