It’s Under The Stars babe. Your weekly rundown of what is popping in The Bay and beyond. A column that presents new music releases, upcoming shows, opinions, and other adjacent items. We keep moving with the changes and thinking outside the margins.
Don’t just hug a tree, connect with that redwood.
Let’s go…
JAMIE XX, IN WAVES (YOUNG)
When you empty your shoes after a grand day from sun-up to sundown at the beach, and you see those sand granules fall back to the earth? You think: what a day, what a time.
That’s what In Waves, released just one day before the start of autumn, September 20, by the British electronic music stylist Jamie xx is doing: reminding you, damn, that shit was a moment, truly epic.
Over the past 10 years since Smith’s 2015 debut solo album In Colour, the award-catching producer has survived a global pandemic, found yoga, and become a surfer.
In Waves involves house music luminaries, former band members, and big doses of humanity in this enlightened party that bangs, blips, and makes space to breathe.
Ever the stylist, Smith makes himself at home, jumping around a bit.
There’s good-feeling electro smash on “Treat Each Other Right,” with samples delivering the narrative of the track. “Waited All Night” is a slab of two-step poppy-moody sublimity that allows Jamie to reunite with his The xx bandmates Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft.
This wonder throuple’s powers activate in the magic tragic “form of an ice-ladder,” same-as-it-ever-was moment. Even the Honey Dijon feature “Baddy on the Floor” has the right type of piano riff, giving the house-adjacent diva gravitas.
But In Waves‘ mid-point is its soul, center, and vibey max: “Still Summer,” which, while simple, “is essentially a filtered trance chord progression, a kick drum, and some screams,” as noted by Pitchfork—but take the time to examine it a bit deeper than a quick Google search on how to make trance records. If you have the ear, you’ll identify that Smith has possibly taken “Nights in White Satin” from the dusty-ass Moody Blues and chopped, tripped, and floated some old fogey prog-rock nursery rhyme bizness through a stylin’ melancholia machine and crafted this tasty sayonara stomper of a tune. It’s a catchy lil’ bugger, not a heavyweight Waajeed type of atmosphere, but the stuff you can get to a couple of hours before Waajeed time. The desert does come before the meal.
Following up that trip in the album sequence comes a full-clip Robyn (yes, that Robyn) pitching 100 miles per hour plus with “Life”; riding the most majestic horn lines on a loop with post-modern disco accents flying all over and underneath her credo, “You’re giving me life/Shitty pretty wild/You’re giving me life.”
Jamie xx is a vibe merchant; he brings up the mood of the team.
But almost a decade on from Smith’s award-winning debut, In Waves is named after the thing that keeps said older personae sane. In this 12-track ocean there is nary a white cap or bad vibe in sight. We’ve got tranquil blue, with winds at five knots or less.
For Jamie xx, surfs up, and it’s jacking.
DANI OFFLINE AT RICKSHAW STOP, OCTOBER 24
So there is this word casting directors use to describe what grabs their attention. And “presence” is just what Oakland’s own Dani Offline has on wax, digital, cassette, and, I’m assuming when she’s live and direct. Going over “Mirror,” her EP that I missed, my friggin’ bad, last December, and it’s so glaring—this is an artist who doesn’t just know how to present music the way she wants it, but also has a great amount of info on how the arrangements should go.
Infusing this relaxed and shining voice, she’s just enough, poised perfectly for R&B, neo soul, and possibly some experimental electronic stuff. She’s so good that she doesn’t have to hide it like other vocalists who don’t want to be exposed as being solitary in the talent lane. And it’s funny, I catch hell in these digital streets for not writing about “enough” R&B… It’s not that I don’t like it, I just can’t take the bullsh*t.
That’s how hard I was raised on Roberta Flack, Anita, Aretha, Nona Hendrix, Whitney, Sade, Jill Scott, Minnie, Chaka, Badu, Lauryn Hill, Patti Austin, Phoebe Snow… y’all get the picture. And in case you don’t, understand this: There is a glow of experience, grace, and poise with each song on this “Mirror” EP, especially with the “castle in the sky” production on the title song.
(ahem) I don’t say this very often, but uh, Bay Area, go see Dani Offline every opportunity you have ’cause she’s going places, quickly.
Pick up the “Mirror” EP for proof here. Catch her at Rickshaw Stop on October 24, so you will understand.
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL AT SPEEDWAY MEADOWS, OCTOBER 4-6
Get ready to roam the greens with tunes galore once more. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass returns for the 2024 festival edition at San Francisco’s newfound live music epicenter, Golden Gate Park, from October 4 to 6. What has made this grand fall event such a spectacle, beyond it providing exquisite 70 international and local talents for free over six different stages, is its ability to highlight local performers alongside the “summer music festival nobility.”
It’s jumbled up, a smorgasbord that can appeal to all music lovers, but rolled out in a manner that ensures that you are gonna hear an artist, a band, a performer that maybe didn’t hit your initial TikTok algorithm; that’s what Hardly Strictly does best. Last year, it was Oakland’s own Orchestra Gold making its grand entrance; this year, prick up your ears for the almighty Combo Tezeta. Twisting up those danceable instrumental cumbias, chichas, and música tropical inspired by the late ’60s and early ’70s era of psychedelic Peru, infused with contemporary touches, highlighting the rich melodies and hypnotic rhythms birthed from the Afro-Latin diaspora along with just plain ole weird psyched-out soul acuity.
That’s what’s up.
So Cat Power will still be singing Dylan ‘66, Mavis Staples will be on hand, connecting with the people, Sleater-Kinney will turn up and turn out for sure, Yo La Tengo will ride again, as they do, and so on. It’s a stacked lineup as usual.
I don’t know about you, but going to see live music, especially in The Bay? It’s a heavyweight financial obligation, to say the least—so please, make use of this opportunity to witness Big Star’s Radio City 50th Anniversary, which includes Jody Stephens, the band’s sole surviving original member, Mike Mills, probably the coolest hang, member, of R.E.M., Jon Auer, of The Posies, Chris Stamey, member of The dB’s, and Pat Sansone, of Wilco. The 90-year-old (God bless him) blues luminary Bobby Rush will dazzle with his diverse bag of funk-wisdom and rap tales (bring ya popcorn) and the gazing inward Portland musician Haley Heynderickx is holding down that Sunday 11am slot.
Whew.
It’s a full dance card, people, and well worth the admission price.
Grab more info here.
KRAAK & SMAAK AT RICKSHAW STOP, OCTOBER 2
Dutch crew Kraak & Smaak don’t make it to The Bay Area that often, but the band’s penchant for swirling up disco, funk, electronic, indie, deep house, soul, and even pop makes you think they could reside close to where Karl the Fog cashes his checks. That mingling, a coalition of sound, is truly a Northern California musical trait, and Oscar de Jong, Wim Plug, and Mark Kneppers have kept this internationally known outfit afloat for 20 years, perfecting and curating that intersection; a vibe of upliftment. K&S’s elements are born from various dance genres that keep fans engaged all night.
Make that move the right one, SF—K&S’s current six-piece live band is built to cover their entire discography.
Grab tickets here.
LYNDA DAWN, “WHERE YOU ARE”
North West London singer, songwriter and producer Lynda Dawn concocts songs that give joy to boogie R&B arrangements, with just a touch of wiggle, alongside cascading, floating angelic vocals. “Where You Are” is a quick, fleeting moment on the dance floor, featuring a classic plucky bass line and half-time chest-out stepper energy, all synchronized by Dawn’s vocals taking us all on a “cosmic flight” that ends too quickly. Dawn’s forthcoming, highly anticipated eponymous EP, aimed to drop on October 4, weaves a tapestry that mines experiences, sounds, and influences that combined feel liquid, fluid, and completely uncut authentic.
A featured Giles Peterson “Brownswood Bubbler” artist and previous work with Mndsgn’s Los Angeles label, Akashik Records, Dawn is not just one to look for; she’s arrived.
Pre-order here.
LOU HAYTER
As much as my inbox gets filled with the wildest music pitches—you can’t even imagine—sometimes a choice IRL word can send me down a path of discovery. Sometimes we hit gold.
Lou Hayter is a London-based musician, producer, vocalist, DJ, musical director, and I believe a model as well. But it’s what’s happening in that noggin that got me interested in this creative. In prep for an upcoming self-produced album release, Unfamiliar Skin, she mentioned Compass Point Studios and “crossover house records” as inspirations—and that was it. I was off to the races; this is an artist who knows several things, not just what is happening now, but also eras of music and is leading with that foundational knowledge.
So on a quick search, I found out one of the earlier lead singles is a damn cover of one of my fave Average White Band tracks, “Stop The Rain.” By the way, Hamish Stuart, the original lead singer of the iconic Scottish funk band, is a foundational voice who always delivered. Not enough has been written about him.
From other tracks on the upcoming record, you get a sense of MAW, Mood2Swing, and Steve Silk Hurley—all artists she’s named as influences—went into the vision board. It’s refreshing to hear those older influences reimagined through an upcoming artist who knows exactly who she’s channeling, but still gives a bit of modern polish to the retro-clubland realism laid out from the studio to the street.
Bump to this, here.
NOISE POP PRESENTS PATTI SMITH AND LYNN GOLDSMITH MODERATED BY EMMA SILVERS AT CALVIN SIMMONS THEATRE, OCTOBER 7
You have not lived until you’ve witnessed Patti Smith perform live in concert “Woman Is The N*gger of the World” (a song that still makes my gut uneasy, while I respect the gist of what is being broadcasted), hock a loogie on stage—she did that shit too—and then whip out a clarinet, and jam on. That’s rock ‘n’ roll, folks. Nope, pardon—it’s punk AF. And I’ve witnessed fights and beat-downs occur at poetry nights in the Mission. (True story.)
But that Patti Smith concert I caught in the ’90s at The Fillmore? Nothing close to it.
I assume more candid moments will occur when legendary photographer Lynn Goldsmith celebrates the launch of her Before Easter After photography book at the Calvin Simmons Theatre in Oakland on October 7, with longtime friend and punk luminary Patti Smith.
The evening’s conversation will be moderated by writer, editor, and digital producer Emma Silvers. Smith and Goldsmith will talk about the 1976-1979 period during which the images in Lynn’s new Rizzoli coffee table photo book were captured. It’s described as an intimate visual survey of the period before and after Patti’s most popular album Easter. Accompanying many of its photographs are some of Patti’s lyrics and never-before-seen writing from that time. Following the talk, there will be a short performance from Patti accompanied by Tony Shanahan.
A portion of proceeds from the Mon/7 event will be donated to the nonprofit-led Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers. And just in case you are hankering for a full performance, Patti was just added to the closing night of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park on October 6.
Info about Noise Pop tickets here. Attendance info for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass event here.
