When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, it’s a good core workout. If you’re sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More
Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More
December is almost over - the New Year is coming up and everyone is busy drying off from the rain or holiday shopping. Let's take a look at what's happened this month.
Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"
Ten years down the line, dance-pop duo Basement Jaxx writes its own ticket in choosing collaborators. Its fifth album, Scars, features such marquee names as Santogold, Kelis, Sam Sparro, and Yoko Ono. The pair's patented jangly, unrestrained house music suits…
Scotland's Glasvegas is the latest in retrofuturism. The band's self-titled debut combines its hometown heroes Jesus and Mary Chain with My Bloody Valentine's shimmering walls of feedback and the surf and fuzz of '60s girl groups. There's a hint of…
The Duke Spirit's excellent second album, Neptune, swaggers with the confidence of a group that has extracted the best of its influences — think Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey — into a bluesy grind all its own. The taut energy…
Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons has an uncanny ability to make misery sound positively fabulous. On his sixth EP, Another World, he continues flaunting this talent, relying primarily on his distinct voice and a lone piano to express…
Coldplay has a lot riding on its fourth release, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. Not only is the band's viability at stake, the survival of EMI (Capitol's parent company) also depends on its record sales. So…
Moby's latest release is a return to the dancefloor that birthed him. This is especially true of the tracks that smack of his early-'90s compositions — "Everyday It's 1989" and "The Stars" resemble his rave anthems "Feeling So Real" and…
The eight-year-old party "Compression" is almost single-handedly keeping drum 'n' bass alive in the Bay Area. The event is now in the palatial new digs of Temple, where its promoters set up shop every week. An expected highlight of Compression's…
A case could be made for San Francisco's American Music Club being a truly American counterpart to Britain's Joy Division. Although they're sonically different, the two groups share common ground in journeying through various ventricles of the Heart of Darkness,…
Capturing DJs Derrick Carter and Mark Farina in their element -- that is, spinning back-to-back sets to a packed house last February at Om's monthly party at Mezzanine -- this double disc attempts to put you smack in the middle…
Perfecto Presents ... Sandra Collins is the first offering from the eye-catching DJ since she signed with superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto label, and her first release in 2 1/2 years. Recorded at a time when Collins had rediscovered her…
Starsailor's second album, Silence Is Easy, suffers from the dreaded sophomore slump phenomenon. The band members, particularly vocalist James Walsh, spent years contemplating -- and were under virtually no pressure to create -- their wonderfully tormented debut, Love Is Here.…
Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"
