Hip hop is everywhere in Oakland. The city literally oozes soul. Locals have opportunities to see known artists at big venues or get in on one of the many (cheap) annual festivals. One of the most evolved of these is

The Seshen is a San Francisco Bay Area-based six-piece led by singer/lyricist Lalin St. Juste and bassist/producer Akiyoshi Ehara. Their forward-thinking sound combines synthesizers, drum machines, live percussion, and entrancing harmonies to create an unmistakable fusion of R&B, synth-pop, and electronic music. This chemistry is complemented by St. Juste’s stirring

When two wonderful SF institutions get together to throw a block party it’s a great reason to get excited.  KQED has teamed up with Noise Pop and is blocking off the streets in front of its storied SF headquarters and opening up its doors for an all-day, live music-infused, street

Orgone is an 8-piece soul machine driven by Dan Hastie and Sergio Rios, once two kids from the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles united by a hunger for raw soul recordings.  While the musicians began by covering Booker T. & the MGs, The Meters, and other giants of soul,

Celebrating 25+ groundbreaking years, FISHBONE has been trailblazing their way through the history of American Ska, Funk, Punk, Rock Fusion and (so-called) Black Rock since starting their professional career in Los Angeles’ burgeoning, Alternative Rock music scene of the mid-1980s. Their sound has often been imitated, but never duplicated. They have

Oakland’s got soul. Period. No debate necessary. Just facts on facts on facts. While there are some who still want to believe that Oakland is nothing more than the ugly step-sister to San Francisco’s glittery Cinderella, those in the know recognize Oakland for the jewel it truly is—a complex, many-splendored

  Rooted in Son Jarocho, Las Cafeteras seamlessly fuse traditional Afro-Caribbean music from Veracruz, Mexico with modern rhythms and lyrically rich storytelling to create a new Urban Folk sound from the streets of East Los Angeles. Las Cafeterashave taken the music scene by storm with their infectious live performances and

  In 2015, UK’s legendary post-punk GANG OF FOUR released a new album, “What Happens Next,”on Metropolis Records in the USA and Canada, and Membran in Europe. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed album Content, “What Happens Next” features collaborations with Alison Mosshart from The Kills, Robbie Furze from The Big

  Formed by Vast Aire and Vordul Mega in Harlem, New York, Cannibal Ox is one of the most revered independent groups in hip-hop history. Their 2001 debut, The Cold Vein, is widely regarded as one of the best and most innovative hip-hop albums of all-time. Saturday, October 5, 2015