East Bay Express | Music | Profiles & Interviews | AAN.org

Black Cobra Goes the Distancenew

Songwriting by mail blossoms into unrepentant metal, endless touring for the metal duo.

East Bay Express | Dan Abbott | 01-09-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Willow Willow Un-Freaks the Folknew

"We sing pop music," singer-guitarist-songwriter Miranda Zeiger says. "The freak-folk bands and the punks and rockers get attention, but people don't seem to want straightforward pop. They want stuff to be weird and ironic, and we're not."

East Bay Express | j. poet | 12-12-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Willow Willow

Breast Pumps and Budweisersnew

After five quiet years, local indie faves Imperial Teen returns.

East Bay Express | Catherine Plato | 12-12-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Imperial Teen

American Steel Re-Reinvents Itselfnew

After a five-year break and detour as indie rockers Communique, Oakland punk band American Steel reunites.

East Bay Express | Catherine Plato | 11-08-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: American Steel

Jennifer Johns: Soul with Swaggernew

The singer shakes it up with new confidence and a remarkable new album.

East Bay Express | Rachel Swan | 10-17-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Jennifer Johns

Robert Smith Needs Helpnew

The lipsticked frontman grapples with writer's block as the Cure prepares for a rare Bay Area appearance.

East Bay Express | Gelu Sulugiuc | 10-03-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: The Cure

Fast Forward to the Pastnew

Free jazz has become an increasingly fringe art form, but Ike Levin is a lifer.

East Bay Express | Rachel Swan | 10-03-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Ike Levin

History According to DJ Joe Quixxnew

As the original DJ for The Wake Up Show, he helped to put KMEL on the hip-hop map two decades ago. Since then, he's been a mentor to many younger DJs in the Bay Area, sharing the wisdom learned in a lifetime of DJ-ing like a Yoda-esque Jedi (mix) master.

East Bay Express | Eric K. Arnold | 09-26-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Joe Quixx

Kafani Takes to the Rap Game Strictly for Scrillanew

Kafani thinks and talks fast -- in phone conversations he demands to get things "fast, like, ASAP." And he wants his money fast.

East Bay Express | Rachel Swan | 09-19-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Kafani, Money is My Motivation

High on Fire Helped Make Mastodon a Superstarnew

Now the Oakland metal trio may be poised to do the same for itself.

East Bay Express | Kathleen Richards | 09-19-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: High on Fire, Surrounded by Thieves

Folk Duo Bethany & Rufus Prepare to Charm the Crowdnew

Before this year, the pair's best-known collaboration was 2003's Rock Island, traditional Appalachian ballads and old prison songs with trance-electronica production overtop. For this year's 900 Miles they pared it down to cello and voice, with fetching results.

East Bay Express | Rachel Swan | 09-05-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: 900 Miles, Bethany & Rufus