Music

If existing as a band separated by state lines, conflicting tour schedules and regular old life hiccups were big hurdles to leap, no one told Sianvar. The post-hardcore supergroup—consisting of Will Swan (Dance Gavin Dance), Donovan Melero (Hail the Sun), Sergio Medina (Stolas), Joe Arrington and Michael Franzino (A Lot…

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: If you ever hear anyone say anything along the lines of, “No good bands ever tour through Sacramento,” then please slap them upside the head and point them toward some of our area’s many amazing venues like, for example, Ace of Spades,…

“We all kind of sound alike …” one of the young women of the pop/country trio Auburn Road admitted during our interview, as this interviewer, sheepishly, had difficulty differentiating their voices over the phone. That’s one possible reason why their voices soar to such great heights when they sing together….

The heretic’s fork was a medieval torture device. It looked like a double-ended barbecue fork with a leather strap around the center. The points were placed under a person’s chin and against their sternum, with the strap fastened tightly around the victim’s neck. It forced confessions from people who would…

As California WorldFest celebrates its 20th year, the festival has maintained its promise from the beginning to provide music that connects us all. WorldFest isn’t just an ordinary festival; there’s a strong commitment to providing a quality lineup and environment that brings about a level of palpable community, and a…

The second annual Sac Ladyfest is just around the corner, set for July 15–16 at Cafe Colonial, located at 3520 Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento. Ladyfests are annual non-profit events that take place all around the world. Organized mostly by women, they usually feature live bands, lecturers, spoken word, art and…

The Secretions are explicit in their support of the local punk scene, and front-and-center to that support has been an openness to the bands that have come up in their wake—many of which feature members who weren’t even born when The Secretions formed in the early ‘90s. They are a…

Although Blue Öyster Cult’s arena and stadium-filling days are over, as long as guitarist Buck Dharma and singer Eric Bloom are in the band, the cool quotient is still greater than any other living indie, metal or hard rock act. Nearly every band cites this group as an influence, and…

Scott Soriano is going to hate me for saying this but here goes: He is a local treasure. Sure, he has put out some great releases and anyone with two opposing thumbs and still breathing knows his taste is exceptional. However, it’s releases like the reissue of Sacramento band The…

Zyah Belle may be steeped in soul, but make no mistake—her days of soul-searching are over. For now, she has no doubts about the path before her, and she’s just beginning to stretch for the long run. Her album New Levels, out on June 21, 2016, is a document of…