RE: Honestly don’t know what to do with these—- and with all the – -Ashes Remain 2000s – 2010s Pop/Rock, Religious, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Christian Rock, Contemporary Christian, Hard Rock
Babe Ruth 1930s – 1940s Comedy/Spoken, Speeches, Spoken Word
Baltimore Consort 1990s – 2010s Classical, Folk, Chamber Music, Vocal Music
Baltimore Symphony Chorus 1990s – 2010s Classical, Choral, Symphony
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra 1970s – 2010s Classical, Orchestral, Symphony, Choral, Concerto
Bandhunta Izzy 2010s Rap, Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap
Barbara Alston 1960s R&B
Bea Booze Jazz, Big Band
Beach House 2000s – 2010s Pop/Rock, Dream Pop, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Neo-Psychedelia
Beatrice Booze Jazz
Beleaf 2000s – 2010s Rap, Religious, Alternative Rap, Christian Rap, Contemporary Christian
The Bay Area has seemingly always had an amazing underground punk scene since day one and despite that its always felt like it never gets the same level of respect or hype as what comes out LA or Boston or New York or DC. Is it because its so expensive to live here that band’s are too short lived or too cash strapped to hit the road and make an impact? I mean this is the area that brought the world Crucifix, Avengers, Neurosis, Spazz, Dead Kennedys and more—why does it feel like all the recognition these days is elsewhere? Anyway here are ten newish/more recent bands to check out from the Bay.
Strangeways
Photo: Michael D. Thorn
Oakland’s Strangeways play stripped down stomping hardcore—mixing it up with ripping blasts of fury. There are moments here that make me think a slightly more primitive No For An Answer. Formerly going by the name No Limbs, they’ve been at it for awhile and are well worth your time.
Provoke
Photo: Michael D. Thorn
Tough and quick-paced hardcore with plenty of breakdowns played with mountains of passion—they are consistently one of my favorite live bands. They’d fit right in on a bill with East Coast bands like Firewalker, Krimewatch, or Pure Disgust (psst go on tour). A friend of mine once commented that in a world where bands go through the motions of being angry, Provoke is actually pissed.
Khiis
Photo: Michael D. Thorn
I can’t even deal with how good Khiis is—hook laden, mid-paced, intense hardcore punk—they just blow me away every time I see them play. I can hear hints of the Comes as well as Black Market Baby and maybe a smidge of Christ on a Crutch. Just check it out—I mean how this hasn’t been pressed to vinyl yet just blows my mind.
Deseos Primitivos
Photo: Michael D. Thorn
One of my favorite things about Spanish punk in the ’80s is how it stayed melodic and P-U-N-K while the rest of the global scene was going into thrash overdrive. Bands from the Iberian Peninsula seemed to take the intensity of thrashing hardcore and channel it through a more pogo friendly filter—Deseos Primitivos certainly follows in this tradition. I know its lazy to be all like “Hey band sings in Spanish, compare them to old Spanish punk” but seriously—this band would sound right at home on the Punk Qué? Punk compilation or on a mix tape wedged between VulpeSS or Espasmódicos.
Bill Frisell 1970s – 2010s Jazz, Folk, Classical, Fusion, Global Jazz, Modern Creative, New Acoustic, Post-Bop, Progressive Jazz, Guitar Jazz, Film Score, Chamber Music, Jazz Instrument, Neo-Traditional Folk, Progressive Folk
Billy Griffin 1970s – 2010s R&B, Soul, Adult Contemporary R&B, Contemporary R&B
Billy Mackel Jazz
Black Lung 2010s Pop/Rock, Heavy Metal, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal
Blanche Calloway 1920s – 1930s Jazz
Bob Brady & the Con Chords 1960s Pop/Rock
Bob Lind 1960s – 2010s Pop/Rock, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic/Garage, AM Pop, Singer/Songwriter
Bob McChesney 1990s Jazz, Cool, Post-Bop
Vantana Row 