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.
The Outside Lands Festival is without a doubt the biggest local music event in August — and with good reason, given the well-curated mix of big names and bands-on-the-rise appearing over three days in Golden Gate Park. But there are plenty of smaller compelling shows this month as well, including a slew of shows celebrating new releases from local bands.
Dirty Ghosts’ new EP is an appetizer before the band’s full-length later this year, and “Cataract” showcases Allyson Baker’s compelling vocals and her ability to seamlessly blend retro-leaning punk and melodic pop instincts. We’ve similarly tracked the development of Makeunder over the past few years. Great Headless Blank arrives with high praise from NPR’s Bob Boilen, who called the title track “[one] of the most outstanding and challenging new bits of music I’ve heard this year.” Take a listen in this mix and then read this song-by-song walkthrough about the personal tragedies that impacted bandleader Hamilton Ulmer’s music. We’ve also included songs from new albums by locals PEACERS, the latest band from Sic Alps’ Mike Donovan, the resurgent Velvet Teen, and the departing Sandwitches.
The Velvet Teen formed in 2000, but Failure predates every band in this mix by a wide margin. The atmospheric alternative rock group’s initial run began in 1990 and ended in 1997, and one could be forgiven for assuming that a 17-year hiatus would hinder the group’s songwriting. That assumption would be wrong — their newly-arrived fourth LP, The Heart Is a Monster, is garnering great reviews, making the band’s upcoming date at the Great American Music Hall worth seeking out.
Enjoy the podcast — and then go see some concerts!
