Outside Lands is upon us, Bliss Festival at The Presidio Theater is next weekend, and Big Daddy Kane is in San Jose. It’s Under the Stars where we celebrate absolutely hustling in peak festival time. So without any delay, let’s get it!
SAN JOSE JAZZ SUMMER FEST 2023 CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIP-HOP WITH BIG DADDY KANE, AUGUST 11-13
Big Daddy Kane, world-famous for his baritone voice and sublime breath control, is a true icon of hip-hop. With exceptional MC skills, a gold record career, and battle-rap steel, he was one of the first sex symbols in the genre, and still incorporates dance routines into his performances. With timeless golden age staples “Ain’t No Half Steppin’,” and “Smooth Operator” he’s one of The Best to ever do it. Period.
When compared to other legendary MCs like Rakim, KRS-One, and Kool G Rap, who are considered the blueprint creators of elite MCing, Big Daddy Kane is in that conversation.
He will perform at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023 as the appropriate headliner in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop at the Sobrato Organization Main Stage on Aug. 11.
The Grammy Award-winning artist will perform with a full band at the festival drawing from his influential ’80s and ’90s albums, including Long Live the Kane, It’s a Big Daddy Thing, Taste of Chocolate, and Daddy’s Home.
You could not ask for better album titles or a greater ambassador for the event.
The three-day festival in downtown San Jose will feature many talented artists, including LA-based independent Hip-Hop royalty Murs, jazz vocalist Gregory Porter, Marcus Miller, Anthony Hamilton, W.I.T.C.H., Cimafunk, and the Soul Rebels.
For tickets and more info go here.
CON BRIO FT. VIVECA HAWKINS, “WHENEVER YOU CALL” FROM SCREAM AT IT
When you visit Con Brio’s YouTube page, you will see the tagline “music to freak to.” And they are not wrong. I have witnessed their fans lose their minds in the best way possible.
This past spring, the resilient and gangbusters seven-piece band delivered an unforgettable performance at The Independent, where they reinterpreted Dolly Parton’s catchy earworm “Jolene” in ways it was not intended to move. Con Brio can effortlessly switch between rock, disco, soul, and even new wave, which is why they are respected as a Bay Area institution with an international following. They have received accolades from the Washington Post and numerous front-line platforms across the globe. They bring their A-game every time.
Con Brio’s fourth full-length album, Scream At It, seems to have that same grit. Produced in their new studio in West Oakland, they have added new faces, including multi-instrumentalist AJ McKinley, vocal contributions from Portland’s Sarah Clarke, and the Bay’s Viveca Hawkins. It’s shaping up to be a banner year, so stay tuned for the release here.
foamboy, “BURNOUT“
The Portland-based duo comprised of producer Wil Bakula and vocalist Katy Ohsiek, make songs and tracks—conversational letters to life. Identity, relationships, gender dynamics, late-stage capitalism: Episodes of humility—the messy bits culled for synth-pop arrangements.
Bakula and Ohsiek? They bounce. Together. And off each other’s superpowers.
Accomplishing oh-so-fine productions that at times go beyond the “pop” catch-all genre classification.
Yes, their Pacific Northwest funk is non-binary.
Ohsiek, a voracious production line of body-snapping low-end sway—riff and groove should read the info line— deals the coldest poet game. Committing directly to these vocal pirouettes, documenting note-lyric time-stamps.
“Burnout”, their latest, a damn summertime bop if there ever was one, speaks a tale of how competitive math grad school can get. The track goes, swings so easy-peasy, it almost had me on a plane to PDX for the song release party. But last-second flight plans are not cheap these days and I’d be eating overnight oats…for longer than I could temper.
Brimming with piano contour, basslines sliding into somebody’s dm’s, and rhythmical connective patches. Katy truths at the top of the song “I’m the burnout who can’t focus to save my life” and it just flies, refusing to draw attention to itself, like a student out the door.
Math…. never made me feel a certain way until this.
Sheeeit. At some point, the right label will wake up, Stones Throw we got another one for ya, and sign these talented humans.
Normies, ya been warned. Buy stock here.
VINYL WILLIAMS, AETERNA (HARMONY RECORDS)
Keep up. That’s what you’re required to do when attending a show by Lionel “Vinyl” Williams, the cool-headed hypnagogic pop champion from Los Angeles.
At his top-shelf performance at The Chapel last August, switching up time signatures became the lovely norm. That show, it was kind of epic, kicked off a series of concerts commemorating the venue’s 10-year run of bringing quality and diverse talent to San Francisco week in and week out. That’s what one of the top independent venues in The Bay Area thinks of Williams. They chose him leadoff, and it paid sonic dividends.
He ran older material, some from his collaborative days with Chaz Bear (Brunei is considered a modern classic by some, including myself), next to newer and just-as-animated work. Vinyl remains on the grind, constantly turning over different ideas, getting inspiration from all the heavyweights beaming cosmic pop to the masses.
He even took a couple of minutes out of the schedule to chop it up after the show with me and others. Quality guy.
I’ve been happily following his career since 2016 and the dude always pushes the sound, eager about what’s next. It’s made him a fave amongst the Bay-Area music fans who look forward to taking a musical trip.
“Self-Fulfilling Prophecy” from his just-released seventh album, Aeterna, keeps the pace humming, turning up the celestial vibes to an enthusiastic meter designed for movement.
Purchase it here.
JESSY LANZA – LOVE HALLUCINATION (HYPERDUB)
Whoa! Jessy Lanza, on her new new, tries on the UKG suit on the dark stunner “Midnight Ontario” and it fits. Perfectly. On one level, it makes sense—she’s a fantastic DJ, as evidenced by the DJ KICKS franchise—but I didn’t know production-wise she was about that type of smoke. It seems so.
Love Hallucination is a complete, wholly lived-in, big-ass vibe from start to finish, with sexy lyrics over that new beat that seems to be workin’. In several ways. While it’s been noted that Janet Jackson is an influence, on “Limbo” “Don’t Cry On My Pillow” and “Big Pink Rose” a low-key Nite Jewel/Dam-Funk vibe has crept into the chat.
A new flavor on her fourth album, that’s more than a snack. Jams that are clubby and street, but still appropriate for a bedroom red cup party. Moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles seems to have put the producer in the ultimate building space. We can’t wait for more.
Catch her at Popscene on September 22. Grab tix here.
BAUS, “BIG BLACK CLOAK” ZUM AUDIO VOLUME 5 (ZUM)
George Chen contacted me directly regarding Zum Audio, a label he founded with his sibling Yvonne in 1998. She left the label to focus on her retail business, Little Otsu. Zum Audio is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and we commend them for their Oakland-based success.
The single from the long-standing Oakland-Los Angeles trio Baus is “Big Black Cloak,” which features the herky-jerky post-punk sound that we tend to appreciate ‘round these parts. According to the band’s drummer, Thomas Jackson, the song’s danceable melody contrasts with its lyrics, highlighting the anxiety that comes from the constant fear and anticipation of one’s untimely death.
Punk indeed. Grab the single here.
