With slow, chugging riffs, growling vocals and a penchant for large concept albums, Louisiana sludge metal band Thou have, by their very nature, always discouraged mainstream attention. However, lead singer Bryan Funck thinks Thou’s latest album, Heathen, is their most accessible to date. Granted, the songs are longer, slower and centered on… » Read More

Fifteen years is a milestone for any band, especially for one that formed while its members were still in high school. Local pop-punkers 5606, now in their late 20s, have accomplished a lot in the past decade and a half, including releasing four albums and going on dozens of tours. They celebrate… » Read More

A well-dressed yet casual crowd of varied age sips craft cocktails as they’re serenaded by the timeless voice of Marvin Gaye. While the legendary crooner’s delivery remains untouched, he’s supported by a hip-hop backdrop, complete with booming 808 kick. It seemed like the day’s rain may scare some away, but it’s 10:30pm… » Read More

It’s a new album and a new start for Dee Dee Penny and her brainchild the Dum Dum Girls. Though it’s fair to say that each of her three albums has been its own departure, 2010’s I Will Be introduced the band as a more than competent low-fi act that understood its… » Read More

A white pickup pulls up to the Back Bar on South Market Street in downtown San Jose. A couple men hop out, pull a ladder from the truck bed and prop it up outside the storefront. They proceed to take down a black-and-white sign bearing the bar’s name. Minutes later, they hoist… » Read More

On last year’s Long Live the Jazz, South London DJ and producer Swindle seemed to aim for the same lofty goal Daft Punk attempted with their Grammy-winning album Random Access Memories: instilling humanity in computer-driven music. Jazz, Swindle’s full-length debut on celebrated electronic label Deep Medi, carries a pulse that leaves no… » Read More

Organizers for BottleRock Napa Valley announced the daily lineup for the festival, headlined by The Cure, Outkast, TV on the Radio and Weezer. A few more names were also added to the lineup, including Railroad Earth, Mayer Hawthorne, No Age and Noah Gunderson, and single-day tickets are available now for $149 per… » Read More