Route .44 is all over the musical map — from garage rock to roots, punk, and R&B. But bandleader Lefty Lacombe says there’s one thing that binds it all together. “Darkness,” he says, bluntly. “It’s as much a vibe as it is a sound. There’s never been any clear direction, [the songs] kind of go where...

Route .44 is all over the musical map — from garage rock to roots, punk, and R&B. But bandleader Lefty Lacombe says there’s one thing that binds it all together. “Darkness,” he says, bluntly. “It’s as much a vibe as it is a sound. There’s never been any clear direction, [the songs] kind of go where...

“It was a quirky record with a lot of narrative content and a lot of people responded to the lyrics,” Jeff Prystowsky says about the Low Anthem’s debut, What the Crow Brings . “It has a straightforward and honest quality; we weren’t trying to hide anything or fool anyone. It’s not like a pop record at...

Joe Beats, continues his decade-long pursuit of perfection behind the boards as a “sample-based producer and performer,” as stated on joeybeats.com. From contemporaries such as the Alchemist, RJD2, and DJ Shadow to classic mix-and-match crate diggers Sam Sever and Large Professor, Joe Beats specializes...

Chris Daltry and his band, the ’Mericans, explain how everything fell into place this past year. “The whole thing started because we were really proud of the last record,” he says, citing ’Merican Recordings . “It became something we wanted people to hear, so we worked really hard, getting out there...

Changes are apace for Soma City, beginning with the band’s name. Due to a copyright conflict with another crew, Soma City is now officially Pistol Shot Gypsy. But the lineup remains unchanged: singer Ronnie Travis, the BMP Best Male Vocalist, guitarists Josh Floriano and Ian Haggerty, James Thompson...

Changes are apace for Soma City, beginning with the band’s name. Due to a copyright conflict with another crew, Soma City is now officially Pistol Shot Gypsy. But the lineup remains unchanged: singer Ronnie Travis, the BMP Best Male Vocalist, guitarists Josh Floriano and Ian Haggerty, James Thompson...

If there’s ever a winner suited for a category, it’s Anthony Ferreira and Spanish Dancer fitting into “Category-Defying” artist. Why? Because there’s just no defining him. “For me, there’s no need to join seven different bands. I can do all of these genres and just change my approach.” Ferreira is positively...

Attention all booking agents: Senior Discount is looking to take a meeting ASAP. This is the second year the East Bay foursome has been deemed Best Punk/Garage Act, and are still going strong behind the acclaimed There Were Four Who Tried , an album filled with stomp-happy rhythms and raucous guitars...