Despite the near-constant insistence by some locals that the Bay Area music scene is dying - or at least that it wasn't what it used to be - there's no shortage of hometown talent thriving on both sides of the Bay Bridge.
We're not the type to declare a vibrant and amazing scene as dead, so we figured we would just shout out our favorite musical Bay baes instead. It's time to meet your most sonically-inclined neighbors. They're beyond fantastic.
Don’t just take our word for it: critics have spent the last few months fawning over the San Francisco-based indie rock quintet - and with good reason. Hot Flash Heat Wave’s ability to mix affable surf rock with scuzzy garage rock and indie pop flair stands out in an increasingly overcrowded surf rock scene, and we are so here for it. (Heat rises, am I right? Am I right?)
Stay up with the all the boys' Bay Area dates on their artist page.
We hesitate to call Oakland garage pop stalwarts Shannon and the Clams “rising,” mainly because the outfit is known and established well beyond the Bay. All the same, their highly danceable rock merits a mention for how well it takes a hefty stack of influences - 60s girl groups, late 70s punk, and cheeky 50s rock ‘n’ roll included - and swirls it into irresistible ear candy.
Keep up with Shannon and her clams on her artist page.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that everyone loves The She’s. Even Outside Lands is a fan, seeing as the quartet is booked to round out the festival’s 2017 lineup. Friends and musicians since elementary school, the band play intricate, sun-soaked surf rock that leaves room for a little bit of melancholia and heartache. Nuanced surf rock can be a rare find. So are The She’s.
Follow all The She's hometown activity on their artist page.
Locus Pocus is psych rock by way of garage rock by way of indie rock by way of pop, and it’s really fabulously good. Spearheaded by guitarist Kyle Chapman, frontman Nate Budroe, and keyboard player Daniel Markowitz, Locus Pocus is set apart by their exceptional musicianship and Budroe’s onstage mania. Budroe has yet to get through a set without tossing himself on the floor a few times, and that's precisely why we love this band so much: The enthusiasm is contagious.
Don't get behind the wildest boys in the Bay. Stay up with their artist page.
Pitchfork loves Sarah Bethe Nelson’s beautifully angular rock songwriting and you probably should too. She is a songwriter’s songwriter to the core, but never in a way that feels pretentious or unearned. Among her many talents, Nelson has a striking ability to unleash heavy emotions in subtle and understated ways. The results are spectacular.
Stay tuned in to Sarah Bethe. Stay up on her artist page.
Jay Som’s Melina Duterte wrote and recorded her debut album alone in her bedroom, presumably unaware that it would catapult her to her current status as critical darling of the indie rock world. It’s not unearned: Jay Som’s sound pushes at the boundaries of the genre while sounding nearly effortless in its straightforward delivery. Expect her on a lot of best-of lists come December.
Don't miss Jay Som for any reason at all. Keep an eye on her artist page.
If you need to let your mind drift for a moment, Hazel English is the girl for you. The Australian-born, Oakland-based dream pop songwriter is a permanent fixture in the Bay Area scene, having propelled herself to the fore with hazy, melodic songwriting that ruminates on feeling rudderless and uncertain in a complicated world. It’s essential listening.
Never miss a Hazel English gig and keep an eye on her artist page.
KQED declared East Bay-based Caleborate the “next rap titan,” and honestly, we agree. His smooth-as-silk flow, soulful sensibilities, and nineties-referencing sonic aesthetic have already made him a rising star in the independent hip-hop world and a local celebrity in Berkeley. And at the rate Caleborate is rising, the rest of the planet is only a matter of time.
Watch Caleborate rise and watch his artist page for updates.
Riot grrrls through and through, San Francisco-based trio Sirena Victima have truly mastered the art of modernizing that distinctly grungy nineties alt-rock sound. The group's angsty, taut guitarwork is deceptively simple and fraught with nervous energy, propelled forward by a relentless rhythm section. Sirena Victima didn't come here to make friends, but that doesn't mean the music is anything less than excellent.
Keep an eye on these riotous girls' artist page.
There's no shortage of psych rock in the Bay, but Babewatch are among the best. The East Bay (by way of Santa Cruz) band have spent the last few years merging their twisted psychedelic sounds with post-punk and that grimy garage sound made legendary by the Bay two decades earlier. It's precise but never pretentious, energetic but never messy. It's no wonder people are starting to shut up and listen.
Watch these babes' artist page. You'll be glad you did.
