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.
It’s probably not that surprising that this month’s mix includes two bands each from both Portland (Other Lives, Wishyunu) and Brooklyn (San Fermin, Ava Luna) — but Memphis? Supported by stellar local label Goner Records, the Tennessee city’s garage rock scene is brimming with talent, and Nots and Ex-Cult both deliver intense, raucous rock ‘n’ roll likely to make for some excellent live shows.
Speaking of raucous, we’ve heard the words “insane” and “scary” thrown around to describe performances by UK punk oddballs Fat White Family, which gives this recommendation an accompanying “you’ve been warned.” If you’re looking for something calmer, consider the acclaimed folk-pop of The Tallest Man On Earth. Touring behind new album Dark Bird Is Home, Kristian Matsson is accompanied by a full band for the first time on this run.
Plenty of local bands celebrate new albums with dates this month, including SF quartet Plush, introducing themselves with Pine, an LP of engaging dream-pop. Bay Area vets the Orange Peels are back with Begin the Begone, their sixth album of finely-crafted indie pop. Oakland singer-songwriter Lila Rose just released WE.ANIMALS, an album incorporating themes drawn from her passions for environmentalism and animal rights advocacy.
From Oakland, Bells Atlas releases their Hyperlust EP on May 12 — lead single “Future Bones” is a dynamite slice of electroacoustic pop. And here’s hoping that the return of FUZZ means we get a new LP of heavy psych from the trio soon.
