​"On the stage my little dark age," are the words of Andrew VanWyngarden on the new MGMT album single "Little Dark Age" which also happens to be the title of the album itself, and on the stage is where they'll be performing it on May 15th at Warfield Theatre. For those who haven't heard the February release, but love to revisit their classics like "Electric Feel" and "Kids" you'll be pleased to hear it since the band really returns to their synth pop groove unlike their previous two albums. My favorite track has to be "Me and Michael" for its smooth spacey and ambient keys while the song talks about the relationship between two solid friends. I can't help but think about one of my closest friends who happens to be named Michael - although it's a common name so I suppose as far as choices in proper nouns go, it's not such a coincidence that I have a good friend by that name. Regardless of all the Michaels I do and do not know, I'm excited to see MGMT perform these tracks at the Warfield!

​When I have deep thoughts going through my head it can be hard to decide what I feel like listening to while processing them. Sometimes you have to dig deep to find what musically speaks to you most. I've been listening to RF Shannon's new album Trickster Blues, and I know that the next time I have something weighing me down I'll have something to turn on. The title of the album is very appropriate...when you finish the album and consider its title you really feel like it's fitting. It's only something that you could experience, so me explaining it would be pointless. The most I can say is to listen for yourselves and describe it. I hear it very personally and feel that everyone will vastly interpret it differently. RF Shannon will be playing at Amnesia in San Francisco on May 25th, so when you've heard the sounds of what can be anything from a bad-ass cowboy western soundtrack to a slow burning candle ready to die as soon as the last note to "Silver Woman" fades away.

You might know Sofi Tukker's track "Best Friend" from an Iphone commercial, or more recently their song "Batshit" through a Samsung commercial. I wouldn't be surprised because they only just released their full length album Treehouse ten days ago on April 13th. Both of the aforementioned songs are great. Definitely something to play when you want to turn the volume up, and when you need a song to get you psyched for the evening then you can groove to their stand alone single "Drinkee". When you realize just how easy it is to move along with their sound, don't deprive yourself from their live performance at The Fox Theater in Oakland on May 18th 2018!

​My first ever encounter with the band Hot Chip was the music video for their single "I Feel Better". Definitely the most bizarre thing I had seen at the time. I couldn't begin to contemplate the music itself because I was just overloaded by the video. I bring this up because when I listened to Alexis Taylor's A Beautiful Thing I had no idea that he was the lead vocalist in Hot Chip! Which was good because then I didn't have any bias toward the music. There was definitely something eerily familiar about his voice as I listened to his solo record. Regardless of my overcoming that "traumatic" experience, the album is wonderful. It's more live instrumentation rather than electronic like Hot Chip is. As I've said before bands that perform with actual instruments rather than just sing along to a back track are always more entertaining live. So I'm definitely looking forward to reviewing his show on June 9th 2018 at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. For some reason I also hope he plays the Hot Chip song that blew my mind so long ago.

​When I think of Courtney Barnett I think of the song "Avant Gardener". That song just gives me this, "Well that escalated quickly," feeling when she goes from doing gardening to anaphylactic shock in a single verse. She has such a talent for allusions and references to the world around her within her music. Although that song is from an EP, it was a stepping stone to her widely acknowledged and praised album Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit. "Dead Fox" and "Depreston" are a couple of my favorite tracks from that album, but since we're about to get her new solo album Tell Me How You Really Feel she has released "Nameless, Faceless" and "Need a Little Time". It releases May 18th so keep an eye out for that. However, there's more news for concert goers because Courtney Barnett will be performing at August Hall in San Francisco on May 6th. There aren't many pre-album release shows taking place so the Bay Area is lucky to get one. Make sure you check out the show and be ready for the album too!

Growing up in North Carolina there isn't much surprise that Reed Turchi encountered the sounds of the blues. He's a solo musician, but also the lead of multiple other bands like band Reed Turchi and his Kudzu Orkestra. Turchi took control of the incredible Memphis, Tennessee label Ardent Studios and has produced numerous artists that have reached critical acclaim including an album of his band Reed Turchi and The Caterwauls. Their album Speaking in Shadows is my personal favorite to date, but he's back with his Kudzu Orkestra with another album to tour for. Thus he will be performing for the Bay Area at Berkeley's Back Room on May 17th, and it's not a show to miss. Explore his music on Band Camp and check out his first release "Honey Honey" from his soon to be released album Just A Little More Faith.
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