AltWeeklies Wire
Howard Wiley and the Angola Projectnew
Howard Wiley wields his saxophone like a blowtorch. Sparks sputter out of the bell of his horn while he rips through chord changes.
East Bay Express |
Lee Hildebrand |
11-11-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Def Poetry of Rafael Casalnew
Another Oakland poet ventures into hip-hop.
East Bay Express |
Christopher Danzig |
11-10-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Crafting the Unwomannew
Goth cellist Erica Mulkey brings new music technology into the craft realm.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
11-10-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
A Wicked Lazer Swordnew
Two San Francisco nerds shake up the international dance scene.
East Bay Express |
David Downs |
11-05-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Lazer Sword
Katy Stephan Goes Smallnew
Local cabaret singer recasts herself by writing a song a week.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
11-03-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Katy Stephan
The Inscrutable Gretchen Parlatonew
Jazz singer's deadpan persona belies her sweet, mellifluous voice.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
10-27-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Gretchen Parlato
Relay for Death Lives Onnew
Oakland noise duo finds a muse in mortality.
East Bay Express |
George Chen |
10-20-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Bitter Honeys Stage a Sweet Sixties Revivalnew
Vintage suits and high, teased hairdos are just part of the band's appeal.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
10-15-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Bitter Honeys
The Real Nasty Comes Cleannew
The band's secret? Self-discipline and a rigorous rehearsal schedule.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
10-07-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Real Nasty
The Awkward Hit-Makers: Berkeley's The Cataracsnew
There's a studied, left-brained pragmatism to The Cataracs' approach: Perhaps because they don't have classical backgrounds or industry connections, they've spent years examining and analyzing what it takes to make a hit and applying this knowledge to every new track.
East Bay Express |
Ellen Cushing |
12-30-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Dick Valentine of Electric Six Wants to Put the Fun Back in Rock 'n' Rollnew
As frontman and lyrical/musical force behind the deliciously over-the-top Electric Six, Valentine has been delighting those who get it, and confusing the hell out of everyone else.
East Bay Express |
Kirsty Evans |
11-04-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Kill, Electric Six
Pelican's Metamorphism is a Virtue of Modern Progressionnew
On the surface, the Chicago band appears to play instrumental rock, but even that's subverted by its utter progression and attention to dynamics. Think of it like heavy rock for outer space -- otherworldly headbanging music.
East Bay Express |
Nick Schwab |
10-21-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: What We All Come to Need, Pelican
Andrew Whiteman's Apostle of Hustle Cooks Up an Ornately Far-Out Experiencenew
As he lives in an overpopulated world conquered by an excess of information, Whiteman's artistic theft is his way of balancing the creative eco-system. "My music is made up of stolen things," he says.
East Bay Express |
Reyan Ali |
10-14-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Played Live, Bon Iver's Sparse Songs Breathe With a New Intensitynew
Often muted and spare on record, Bon Iver burns with an entirely different intensity live, a gathering storm of percussion and surging guitars all held together by Justin Vernon's singing, the high and often spooky howl that stamps his music with such a tremendous feeling of isolation.
East Bay Express |
Eric Swedlund |
09-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Death-Metal Pioneers Obituary are Content to Crush Eardrums at Medium Speednew
Brothers John and Donald Tardy (vocals and drums, respectively) formed the band under the name of Xecutioner in 1985 -- they weren't old enough to vote when they recorded their songs for the Raging Death compilation, released in 1987.
East Bay Express |
Jarret Keene |
09-09-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
