(illustration: Rob Goodman)

Remember two weeks ago, when we debuted Awkward Convos with Beejus? That was fun, wasn't it?

Well, we've got one more surprise for you...

Returning to our podcast roots, we're heading up a special spotlight series called Turn Up the Bay, which highlights local artists doing exciting, innovative, or just plain weird work here in the Bay Area.

Case in point: Longtime local Sam Chase, who, at the end of this month, is debuting...wait for it...a full-on rock opera, The Last Rites of Dallas Pistol.

But...why? What would compel someone, in this economy, to devote themselves to writing an 18-track rock opera? How much of the Andrew Lloyd Webber catalog did he consume in his childhood? Does the plot of Dallas Pistol tread too close to that of The Santa Clause?

Answers to these questions and more in our very first episode of Turn Up the Bay.

The post Turn Up the Bay, Episode 1: Sam Chase writes a rock opera appeared first on The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music.

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Download: Live This Month: December 2018 (Podcast #436)

In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Local musicians are performing at wealth of great concerts in the Bay Area through the end of the year. Having recently released his latest album, SF singer-songwriter Andrew St. James will be appearing at a Camp Fire benefit show at the Great American Music Hall this month, one of a number of opportunities this month to hear some local music and support fire relief efforts. Speaking of new albums, Rose Droll's first LP just arrived on SF's Father/Daughter Records, and she's part of a stellar night of Father/Daughter bands coming up at the Independent.

A number of creative duos are touring through the Bay this month as well. Cate Le Bon and White Fence's Tim Presley reunited this year for their second album of warped post-punk as Drinks, while Homeboy Sandman & Edan collaborated in 2018 to create some expansive, psych-infused hip-hop. Finally, the Midnight Hour may be a new name, but you are likely familiar with the work of its principals, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest and Adrian Younge, who have long and impressive resumes as composers and producers of soulful music.

Enjoy the podcast and then go see some concerts!

Subscribe to The Bay Bridged Podcast!

About the bands:

Lumerians - "Silver Trash" JUUJJUU and Blow play alongside the Oakland psych band at the Rickshaw Stop on December 22

Andrew St. James - "I'm Ready" Performing at ​The San Francisco Camp Fire Benefit Show at the Great American Music Hall on December 19 with Magic Trick, The Y Axes and many more

Emma Ruth Rundle - "Light Song" On December 10, Rundle performs at the Rickshaw Stop with Jaye Jayle and Hether Fortune

Drinks - "Corner Shops" Coming to the Rickshaw Stop on December 16 with Beef and The Gonks

Rose Droll - "Boy Bruise" Performing with Pllush, Pardoner, and SOAR at The Independent on December 13

Homeboy Sandman & Edan - "Grim Seasons" The duo headlines Thee Parkside on December 15 alongside Spote Breeze & Asonic Garcia and K'in Sventa

Lower Self - "In the Glow" On December 18, Lower Self, Rip Room, and Nobody's Baby perform at The Knockout

The Midnight Hour - "Black Beacon" The duo performs at The New Parish on December 21

Advance Base - "Your Dog" On December 11, Owen Ashworth's project comes to the Hotel Utah with Lisa/Liza and Stephen Steinbrink

Hot Snakes - "Six Wave Hold-Down" Culture Abuse and Tony Molina join the resurgent band to celebrate New Year's Eve at Slim's

Thou - "The Changeling Prince" Thou's US tour includes shows at the Balboa Theatre, 1-2-3-4 Go! Records, and the Starline Social Club on December 10 and 11

The post Live This Month: December 2018 — an audio guide to upcoming Bay Area concerts appeared first on The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music.

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Download: Live This Month: October 2018 (Podcast #433)

In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area.

After a month off, Live This Month is back with a mix full of tunes that will make you want to see some concerts! This month's mix is bookended by post-punk, with the lean and atmospheric EXEK starting things off, and Wax Chattels' raw and noisy sounds wrapping the episode up. In between, we've got a wealth of new music, including recent and new-to-us songs from locals Quinn DeVeaux, Half Stack, Howlin Rain, Emily Afton, King Dream, and Whateverglades. Former Bay Area musician Madeline Kenney -- now based in North Carolina -- also has an excellent new album out, and she's returning to the Bay this month for a show as well.

October also means that festival season is still in full swing, with the much-loved Hardly Strictly Bluegrass already underway, the Treasure Island Music Festival making its welcome return with two dozen excellent acts performing at new digs in Oakland, and Bayview LIVE sure to deliver with performances by Kamaiyah, Rayana Jay and more.

Whether it's at a festival or a small venue, there are a lot of highlights this month. Enjoy the podcast and then go see some concerts!

Subscribe to The Bay Bridged Podcast!

About the bands:

EXEK - "Weight Loss (Henry's Dream)" On October 28, the band’s tour with Exploded View comes to the Rickshaw Stop; Marbled Eye opens the show

Quinn DeVeaux - "Spend Some Time" Caravan 222 and Mae Powell join DeVeaux at The Chapel on October 11

Soccer Mommy - "Your Dog" Performing as part of the Treasure Island Music Festival on October 14

Half Stack - "Dually" Supporting Cut Worms and Michael Rault at the Rickshaw Stop on October 11

IDLES - "Danny Nedelko" On October 8, the English punk band’s tour with Bambara hits The Independent

Howlin Rain - "Alligator Bride" The Bay Area psych heavyweights perform at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass on October 7

Prophet - "Insanity" Performing on October 7 with Jerry Paper, Kiefer and Stimulator Jones at the Swedish American Hall

Emily Afton - "Sylvia" Joining fellow locals Lapel and Meernaa at Cafe du Nord on October 11

Nnamdi Ogbonnaya - "dOn't turn me Off (Ft. JD AKA ThrashKitten Mal Devisa)" Sen Morimoto and IDHAZ open for Ogbonnaya on October 25 at Thee Parkside

King Dream - "Demon" Performing on October 31 at Bottom of the Hill with Scott Mickelson and The Blue Beat Revue

Tropa Magica - "Doña Verano" The East LA band comes to Bottom of the Hill on October 30

Madeline Kenney - "Overhead" Kenney celebrates the release of her new album on October 18 at the Rickshaw Stop; Sandy’s and Boy Scouts also perform

Whateverglades - "What'd I Ever Do To You" Joining The Love Dimension and Piccolo Pete at The Knockout on October 12

Wax Chattels - "It" Captured Tracks artists Lina Tullgren, Wax Chattels and Drahla head to the Starline Social Club on October 28

The post Live This Month: October 2018 — an audio guide to upcoming Bay Area concerts appeared first on The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music.

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Download: Mixtape: The Bay Area's Inventive Experimental Musicians (Podcast #432)

This episode first ran on KQED.org.

A wide range of experimental musicians are pushing Bay Area music in inventive directions, deploying sound artistry to craft exciting new electronic, rock, punk and hip hop compositions.

This mixtape features ten local experimental artists, ranging from the loud, abrasive guitar contortions of Cube, to warmer ambient sounds from Cruel Diagonals and Gonzalez Reinhardt. The last of those acts is a new collaboration between two longtime musicians, manifesting drones via synthesizers and the tambura, an Uzbek string instrument.

Unsurprisingly, there are a number of great electronic musicians showcased here, like Club Chai cofounder 8ULENTINA, whose Eucalyptus EP showcases stellar original productions from this talented local DJ, as well as the politically-inspired Beast Nest. We've also included Grex's artful psych rock and a recent song from the unpredictable punk- and hardcore-inspired trio SBSM.

Listen to the mixtape to learn more about all ten bands and artists featured in this mix.

Subscribe to The Bay Bridged Podcast!

Track Listing

Cruel Diagonals - "Render Arcane"

Beast Nest - "Jsun"

gurl.com/wizardapprentice/">Wizard Apprentice - "My Body Like Obsidian"

8ULENTINA - "Metal Clip"

Cheflee - "Laraza (ft. Salami Rose Joe Louis)"

Cube - "Crisis Actor"

Grex - "Quicksilver"

The Creatrix - "Homage"

Gonzalez Reinhardt - "Pater Breugel"

SBSM - "Invisible/Cyclical"

Earthbound - "Infinite Spiral"

The post Mixtape: The Bay Area’s Inventive Experimental Musicians appeared first on The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music.

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Download: Live This Month: August 2018 (Podcast #431)

In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This month's mix kicks off with a song from Shannon the Clams, one of many great Bay Area bands performing over the three days of the 2018 Outside Lands Festival. Outside Lands isn't the only outdoor fest highlighted here. We've also included a track from The Marias ahead of their appearance at the 20th Street Block Party.

This episode also showcases heavy sounds from Drowse and Uniform, the post-punk of Sneaks and Bodega, and killer melodies courtesy of Astronauts, etc., Mayya, and Tony Molina.

Enjoy the podcast and then go see some concerts!

Subscribe to The Bay Bridged Podcast!

About the bands:

Shannon the Clams - "The Boy" Performing at the 2018 Outside Lands Festival on August 10 and an Outside Lands night show at the Rickshaw Stop on August 11

Football, etc. - "Save" Locals awakebutstillinbed, Long Knives, and Club Night join the band on August 4 at Bottom of the Hill

Mayya - "Water Run" Mayya The Revolutionary Hell Yeah join Everyone Is Dirty and Ah-Mer-Ah-Su at The Chapel for a Women's Equality Day Show on August 23

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - "Talking Straight" On August 28, the band's North American tour hits The Independent

Astronauts, etc. - "The Border" Performing on August 16 at The Chapel with The Mattson 2

Sneaks - "Look Like That" The DC-based artist comes to Bottom of the Hill on August 21; Lower Self and Li Xi open the show

Drowse - "Rain Leak" Supporting All Your Sisters and Planning for Burial at Thee Parkside on August 4

Thin Lips - "A Song For Those Who Miss You All The Time" On August 8, Thin Lips' tour with Hop Along comes to the Great American Music Hall

Uniform - "The Walk" Touring with Deafheaven and Drab Majesty, the three bands perform at August Hall on August 14

Nopes - "Immersion" Joining bAd bAd, Turqouiz Noiz, and Smiley on August 28 at The Knockout

The Marias - "Only in My Dreams" Playing at the 20th Street Block Party on August 18 along with Empress Of, Jeff Rosenstock, The She's, and more

Tony Molina - "Wrong Town" Molina's band performs at the Hemlock Tavern on August 7; Pandiscordian Necrogenesis, The Love-Birds, and Smiles round out the bill

Swearin' - "Dust In The Gold Sack" The reunited band's West Coast tour arrives at the Rickshaw Stop on August 9 with Mike Krol and SOAR

Bodega - "How Did This Happen?!" The New York band plays the Hemlock Tavern on August 10 with Preening

The post Live This Month: August 2018 — an audio guide to upcoming Bay Area concerts appeared first on The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music.

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Download: Live This Month: June 2018 (Podcast #430)

In Live This Month, we sample some of the great local and out-of-town bands performing in the coming month in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Plenty of excellent new local tunes populate this mix, including songs from recent and upcoming releases by Le VICE, Pllush, Locus Pocus, Bézier, and FAN. We've also got a new one from Wooden Shjips' latest album, which finds the born-in-SF psych band exploring more concise, melodic song structures, as well as a tune from the exciting new Oakland project Still Woozy.

On the touring front, standouts in the mix include the experimental RB of serpentwithfeet, as well as the noisy sounds of A Place To Bury Strangers and Sannhet. If you're looking for something poppier, be sure to check out Peach Kelli Pop and D.A. Stern, both of whom serve up delightfully catchy DIY rock.

Enjoy the podcast and then go see some concerts!

Subscribe to The Bay Bridged Podcast!

About the bands:

Le VICE - "Always There" Manics and NRVS LVRS join the band at the Elbo Room on June 9

Pllush - "Big Train" Headlining a show at Bottom of the Hill on June 8 with Spiritual Cramp, Fiddlehead, and World Smasher

serpentwithfeet - "bless ur heart" Katie Gately opens for the Brooklyn artist on June 19 at the Swedish American Hall

A Place To Bury Strangers - "Never Coming Back" Sextile and Prettiest Eyes kick off the evening on June 10 at the Great American Music Hall

Men I Trust - "Show Me How" On June 22, Men I Trust and Anemone perform at the Swedish American Hall

Locus Pocus - "Doctor’s Doctor" Playing at Cafe Du Nord on June 29 with Mayya The Revolutionary Hell Yeah and Bear Call

Sannhet - "So Numb" The band's tour with Self Defense Family arrives at Bottom of the Hill on June 12; Wreck Reference opens the show

Peach Kelli Pop - "Hello Kitty Knife" Performing at the Hemlock Tavern on June 28 with Toner and Moon Daze

Wooden Shjips - "Already Gone" The psych band has two upcoming local dates, at Slim's on June 8 and the Huichica Music Festival on June 9

Bézier - "Entr'acte" Bézier performs at August Hall on June 24 with Yaeji, Jason Kendig, and Jackie House

FAN - "Velour" Joining Screaming for a free show at the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts on June 28

D.A. Stern - "Bluedgenes" Stern's tour with Business Of Dreams and nunofyrbeeswax comes to The Knockout on June 7 and Independent Brewing Company on June 8

Still Woozy - "Vacation" Supporting Dirty Projectors at The Chapel on June 15-17

Summer Cannibals - "Say My Name" Opening for Ted Leo The Pharmacists at the Rickshaw Stop on June 18 and 19

The post Live This Month: June 2018 — an audio guide to upcoming Bay Area concerts appeared first on The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music.

Download: Mixtape: Local Musicians at Eleven Upcoming Bay Area Music Festivals (Podcast #429) This episode first ran on KQED.org. With the debut of the Blurry Vision Fest in Oakland earlier […]

The post Mixtape: Local Musicians at Eleven Upcoming Bay Area Music Festivals appeared first on The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music.

Download: Mixtape: Highlights in Bay Area Latin Music (Podcast #428) This episode first ran on KQED.org. The Bay Area has a rich history of acclaimed musicians drawing from the many […]

The post Mixtape: Highlights in Bay Area Latin Music appeared first on The Bay Bridged - San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music.