Interview

John Vanderslice on Drugs, Dreams, & Legendary Analog Recording Studio
“I simply had a loopy plan that I executed with maniacal energy over 24 years, and I kind of pulled it off.” So says prolific singer-songwriter and record producer John Vanderslice in the final chapter of TrueAnon Presents: “Keep the Dream Alive,” a five-episode podcast series on the history of his legendary analog recording

Bay Area band The Seshen releases a series of singles grappling with 2 years of upheaval
The Seshen has been a Bay Area fixture since the release of its self-titled album in 2012, a rapturous fusion of R&B, synth pop, soul and electronica. Inspired by the likes of Little Dragon and Erykah Badu, the six-piece band owes its origin story to vocalist Lalin St. Juste and producer-bassist Akiyoshi

The 2023 SF Wine Passport is Here!
Step into a world of adventure with the 2023 SF Wine Passport! There’s no better way to explore San Francisco than to literally drink it in. You get 2-for-1 glasses of wine at 23 of SF’s finest locally owned bars and restaurants for only $39.95! It honestly doesn’t get much better than that. And after the

New ‘Visual History’ Book Celebrates the Legacy of SF-based Experimental Group The Residents
“I’ve been creating coffee-table books for bands largely from the ’80s for the last few years,” says Aaron Tanner, a visual artist known for his design work with Ween and the Pixies. “When the opportunity presented itself to do a book with one of the most inspiring visual groups ever,

Documentarian Nicholas Taplin Releases 6.5 Years Worth of Photos From the Oakland DIY Scene
If you’re a regular at Oakland house shows, you’ve likely shared a room with Nicholas Taplin. In 2015, Taplin began filming DIY shows and sharing footage under the name Post-Consumer. Feeling “unconditioned socially” given his Quaker boarding school education on the East Coast, Taplin discovered this form of documentation both

Dax Pierson’s Latest Album, “Nerve Bumps,” is a Testament to His Resilience
“No artist is pleased … There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” ― Martha Graham “I’m a music producer because I’m such a music fan,” says Oakland-based musician Dax Pierson. “Since I like a lot

Daphne Gottlieb “stitches together the ivory tower and the gutter” in Saint 1001
On January 1, 2021, Daphne Gottlieb sent me a message on LinkedIn. “Happy New Year!,” it read. “I will make this shortish and sweetish. My first novel is coming out on Valentine’s Day. It’s a mix of anonymous sex, po mo theory, Scheherazade and 1001 Nights, and the search for

San Francisco’s Underground Bookstores: Et Al. Books
For those who are artists, collectors, or generally curious people, Et al. Books houses a compelling collection. Et al.’s Mission location is both art gallery and bookstore, an industrial backdrop to the rich assortment of vintage titles, new fiction, and rare art books. Et al.’s second location is an elusive

Recordings Prove Trump Intentionally Lied to Public About Virus Threat
“This is deadly stuff.” On Feb. 7, Donald Trump told journalist and biographer Bob Woodward that he knew COVID-19 was deadly, “more deadly than even your strenuous flu.” But months after that acknowledgement, the public facing narrative coming from the White House and directly from the president was that things