East Bay Express | Music | AAN.org

Local Emcees Offer Alternative to Bling Rapnew

Bay Area emcees like Lateef the Truthspeaker and his compatriots at the Quannum collective are questioning the materialism in hip hop.

East Bay Express | Eric K. Arnold | 06-04-2008 | Music

Tags: Bay Area, hip hop, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Quannum

R.E.M. is Not Exactly Back, but Not Yet Out of Timenew

On Accelerate, the band sounds happy just being part of the landscape.

East Bay Express | Nate Seltenrich | 05-28-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Accelerate, r.e.m.

Too $hort's New Studio Offers a Glimmer of Hope for Oakland Musicnew

The goal of the studio is to strengthen the community economically, psychologically, and spiritually through a combination of musical talent and business acumen.

East Bay Express | Eric K. Arnold | 05-22-2008 | Music

Tags: Oakland, Too $hort, Up All Nite, Youth UpRising

'For All Mankind': Thirteen Inspired Blasts of Sugar-Coated Adrenalinenew

f you only look at their gear -- Star Trek-meets-Devo space outfits, odd retro/futuristic eyewear, toilet paper guns -- you might dismiss the Phenomenauts as a joke, but behind the image there's a serious message about brotherhood, ecology, peace, community cooperation, and, yes, science and honor.

East Bay Express | j. poet | 05-14-2008 | Reviews

Tags: For All Mankind

El Perro del Mar's Latest is a Meditative Set with Persuasive Hooksnew

From the Valley to the Stars is a veritable Whitman's Sampler of classic/retro-pop confections.

East Bay Express | Mark Keresman | 05-14-2008 | Reviews

Tags: El Perro Del Mar, From the Valley to the Stars

Clinic is More Head-Scratching than Toe-Tappingnew

How much you like Do It! will depend on your tolerance for arty poses, oblique lyrics, asymmetrical song structures, and your familiarity with the 13th Floor Elevators, John Cage, and Velvet Underground.

East Bay Express | j. poet | 05-14-2008 | Reviews

Tags: Clinic, Do It!

The Grouch Reaffirms His Common Man Image On His New Albumnew

Grouch's humility may limit his popularity in hip-hop, or his ability to outpace his more battle-oriented peers. He may never be known as a formidable emcee, but he has the mark of a great speaker — someone who lives by his own moral code and can also articulate it.

East Bay Express | Rachel Swan | 05-14-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: The Grouch, Show You the World

Conservative Pundits Whine as Barack's Hip-Hop Supporters Opinenew

Dozens, if not hundreds, of underground rappers from all over the country have strongly resonated with Barack Obama's message. The Bay Area hip-hop community in particular has been solidly behind him, as evidenced by the popular "Obizzle Fa Shizzle" T-shirts seen around town.

East Bay Express | Eric K. Arnold | 05-08-2008 | Music

Tags: 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama, hip-hop, Bay Area, D Labrie, Kev Choice, Obizzle Fa Shizzle

The Oakland Opera Finishes Duke Ellington's Only Operanew

If you didn't know Ellington wrote an opera at all, you're not alone. Hardly anyone's ever had a chance to hear Queenie Pie.

East Bay Express | Sam Hurwitt | 05-08-2008 | Music

Tags: Duke Ellington, Oakland Opera, Queenie Pie

Last-minute Addition Prince Steals the Show at Coachellanew

Coachella is known for pulling off seemingly impossible reunions of bands like Rage Against the Machine and the Pixies. This year's big thing was supposed to be Portishead, but they were quickly demoted from their headlining spot to make way for Prince, and rightfully so.

East Bay Express | Gelu Sulugiuc | 05-01-2008 | Music

Tags: Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival, Prince, Coachella, Portishead