The Roots (Band)

Sizzle & Fizzle: Highs and Lows from the Last Week in S.F. Music

Bringing Funny Back: Justin Timberlake Owns Television This Week

If we were going to nominate a Song of the Week this week, it wouldn't go to any ordinary single. It wouldn't go to a song that's about to set the Billboard chart on fire. It wouldn't go to anything that ends up on heavy rotation on MTV. No. It would go to a barbershop quintet. "How can this be?" yo ... More >>

Sizzle & Fizzle: Highs and Lows from the Last Week in S.F. Music

Cody ChesnuTT Reboots at the Independent, 1/29/13

By JAMES ROBINSON Cody ChestnuTT Siddhartha Tuesday, Jan. 29 The Independent Better than: Staying home and complaining about how bad The New Girl has gotten. Cody ChestnuTT had his moment in time. I walked into the kitchen of my family home a long way back and my mother had 'the Seed' turned u ... More >>

"Django Unchained": A History of Violence

Happy Holidays! Here Are the Least Awful Christmas Songs of 2012!

It's a well-known fact that the worst time of year for music is Christmas. Christmas songs, by and large, stink to high heaven. They reek of sleigh bells and Santa references and tree dressing and mistletoe. They are overly sentimental and frequently border on sickly. Occasionally, however, there co ... More >>

Bryan Boogie on His Love for Deep House and Why DJs Shouldn't Be Promoters

Growing up during the height of the '90s Bay Area turntablism movement, local DJ Bryan Boogie decided to save his lunch money to buy equipment from RadioShack at the age of 12. While locals Q-bert, Mix Master Mike, and Apollo were dazzling in DMC battles, Boogie instead found himself drawn to house ... More >>

Dirty Projectors' Amber Coffman on the Band's Search for Simplicity

See also: * Dirty Projectors' 'Swing Lo Magellan': A First Listen Try as a journalist might, the Dirty Projectors' Amber Coffman cannot be talked into overthrowing her bandleader, Dave Longstreth. This isn't the worst thing, seeing as Brooklyn's reigning art-rockers -- the band Coffman sums up as ... More >>

Summer of the NPR Intern Shit Storms: What Austin Cooper's Public Enemy Essay Says About Taste

In many ways, pop culture in 2012 is more sophisticated than ever. Hit TV shows and movies boast plots that are more twisty-turny than was once allowed; the general public's understanding of what Joni Mitchell once called "the star-maker machinery" seems pretty thorough by now; and there seems less ... More >>

Frank Ocean: The Only Band That Matters

Frank Ocean. Even his name sounds like it was dreamed up, because it was. Ocean is 2012's Clash, its Radiohead, its -- if you insist -- Animal Collective. From his no-name-on-the-cover mystique to the 10-minute opus, pre-career record company troubles and a grassroots indie following, he's an altern ... More >>

Live Photos, 5/28/12: The Roots Storm the Regency Ballroom

The Roots Monday, May 28, 2012 The Regency Ballroom There really is nothing like the Roots' live show. The Philadelphia live hip-hop ensemble stormed through San Francisco's Regency Ballroom last night in support of its latest album, the acclaimed undun. SF Weekly photographer Christopher Victorio ... More >>

Weekend Parties: Beautiful Swimmers and Sapphire Slows at Public Works, DVS1 at Beatbox, and More

Well, here we are again, facing the imminent approach of another fully packed weekend in San Francisco. Fans of all stripes of dance music will be well-served, with artists coming from such exotic places as Holland, Japan, and Minnesota. Throw in a rare opportunity to enjoy some visual art with your ... More >>

The Park on Drinking Baileys with Wallpaper., Appearing on Carson Daly's TV Show, and What Song They'd Play for Mitt Romney

You've heard The Park, even if you don't recognize the name. As the Bay Area's most in-demand rhythm section, the trio quartet of Derek Taylor (drums), Josh Lippi (bass), Ben Schwier (keys), and Nate Mercereau (guitar) has laid down backing grooves for new-generation rap chaps Freddie Gibbs and Big ... More >>

President Barack Obama Likes Arcade Fire and the Black Eyed Peas. Yes, Really.

​Yesterday, we found out from a British music news website that, like Santa Claus, Barack Obama keeps a "Nice" list -- or rather a list of people he wants to have supporting him in his re-election campaign. We've seen the list, and alongside all of the alphabetized politicians, business and sports ... More >>

In The Soul Kitchen's DJ Harry Duncan on Working With Bill Graham, His Show at Amoeba, and the Battle to Save KUSF

Harry Duncan has filled a lot of roles in his 61 years: Independent producer of black music for Bill Graham Presents; manager of artists like the Meters and Ornette Coleman, to name just a couple; original talent buyer at Slim's; and, currently, a consultant at Bimbo's 365 Club. Just a year ago, y ... More >>

"Distortion 2 Static" Turns off the Mic After 10 Years

Distortion 2 Static Turns Off the Mic After 10 Years, and More

DJ Neil Armstrong will be performing at Distortion 2 Static's farewell party.​From SF Weekly's latest print music section: No More Static: "Me and Ariel Nuñez walked into the public access TV studio on a Friday in 2002, and they gave us a time slot for that Monday!" Halline Overby, who perfo ... More >>

tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus on Her Creative Philosophy, Finding Inspiration in the Bay, and the Wisdom of Steve Jobs

By CHLOE ROTH In 2009, tUnE-yArDs frontwoman Merrill Garbus was lured from Montreal to Oakland by "Love and fear of illegal immigrant status in Canada." Lucky for us. "I started sadly playing a ukulele that my mom had given me," Garbus says. "Though it crossed my mind that being a doctor was probab ... More >>

Five Hip-Hop Album Covers That Would Make Insanely Difficult Jigsaw Puzzles

This week, a new candidate emerged for the spot of hip-hop's fabled fifth element: The jigsaw puzzle. With a canny eye on the not-too-far-off Christmas season, the Boston-based Get On Down Records has released jigsaw versions of classic rap album covers by Biz Markie, Kool G Rap, Boogie Down Produc ... More >>

Weekend Party Preview: Dirtybird, Tiger & Woods, The Rapture, and More

It seems as though the weekend party gods may yet smile on San Francisco. Early forecasts show that the weather this weekend will be brisk but thankfully dry. And that's good news, because this weekend's got a grip of fantastic parties that will appeal to a diverse crowd, nu-disco fanatics and hip-h ... More >>

Sizzle & Fizzle: Outside Lands Edition

Thirteen Lesser-Known Artists You Should See at Outside Lands 2011

From SF Weekly's latest print music section: tUnE-yArDs is one act you shouldn't miss at Outside Lands​Outside Lands Must-Sees: You're obviously going to catch the headliner sets at this weekend's Outside Lands Festival, so we'll assume you're already more than familiar with Arcade Fire, Muse ... More >>

Watch tUnE-yArDs Make Its TV Debut with the Roots on "Gangsta"

tUnE-yArDs on TV!​ So this was pretty cool: Not only did the Oakland experimental pop outfit tUnE-yArDs make its TV debut last night on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show, but it did it so with the show's house band, which just so happens to be the Roots. With Questlove on drums and Black T ... More >>

The 10 Greatest Music Video Babes of All Time

From the dawn of the music video, there has been the music video babe. Perhaps she's the star of the video, perhaps she's a backup dancer, maybe she just looks longingly at a musician. Most of the music is terrible, a lot of the videos are insipid, and yet somehow these women make it all worthwhile ... More >>

"Beats, Rhymes, and Life": Michael Rapaport's "Love Letter" to A Tribe Called Quest

Can Rising Rapper J Cole Overcome Jay-Z's A&R Curse?

J Cole​ "Jay-Z is the reason I signed to RocNation. It's very hard to say no to the opportunity when Jay-Z is involved." That's J Cole, talking optimistically about his status as the first signing to Jay-Z's RocNation label venture with concert giant LiveNation. But with Cole's debut album now ... More >>

Ike's May Expand, Mohave Has to Wait, and Weird Fish Reopens, This Time with DJ Booth

The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco food scene. Beloved sandwich shop Ike's Place may be headed to the other side of the Bay Bridge. Grub Street reports, via Berkeleyside, that owner Ike Shehadeh is looking along Berkeley's Bancroft Avenue for a potent ... More >>

Stephen Marley: Show Preview

Lazerbeak Is King of the Lavabangers

The Car Cassette Player Is Dead; Long Live the Car Cassette Player

We'll miss that narrow, noisy slot.​Word broke recently that audio cassette players in cars are no more. The format, which reached its peak in the '80s, made its final appearance in 2010 Lexus models. Considering that CDs themselves are increasingly viewed as obsolete, this news regarding tape dec ... More >>

Make a Famous Musician -- Wayne Coyne! Bob Weir! -- Remind You To Vote

Russ Harrington (russharrington.com) for Harp MagazineGrace Potter gets intimate with democracy​So you're the kind of person who forgets to vote. And in such a democracy-happy burg as S.F., where voters are asked to weigh in frequently on such trivialities as the mix of recycled material in the to ... More >>

Scientist Meets the Roots Radics: Show Preview

Get Into Cumbia's Roots, Then Get Into a Cumbia Party

'The Roots of Chicha 2'​Thankfully, San Francisco's party scene is as vibrantly and eclectically cultured as its residents. Otherwise, we wouldn't have many of our most interesting nightlife activities. Case in point: The Roots of Chicha 2 album release party at Elbo Room. Hosted by the ... More >>

R.E.M., The Roots, and a Bunch of Waffles Tell Feds To Preserve Net Neutrality

R.E.M. loves net neutrality! ​A group of musicians that includes R.E.M., Jackson Browne, The Roots, Moby, and OK Go has sent a letter to the FCC urging legal protection for net neutrality, the principle (and current reality) that all information can travel equally quickly on the Internet.The FCC i ... More >>

The Park provides solid rhythm and a safe playspace

What to Do? Wednesday's Pick: The Park at Mojito

​The Park is probably the best San Francisco band you didn't know you've heard. With its knack for modern updates of the vintage soul, jazz, and funk sounds hip-hop producers have sampled for years, the trio has lately kept busy working on critically acclaimed albums and live shows by cult early-' ... More >>

Good Rappers Who've Made Terrible Actors

The trend of rappers shifting into acting is nothing new, and in theory it makes sense. Both roles focus on emotive storytelling, right? Unfortunately, that transition isn't always a smooth one--a point hammered home repeatedly by the new film Just Wright, starring Queen Latifah and Common. It's 100 ... More >>

R.I.P. Gang Starr's Guru

Legendary hip-hop emcee Guru passed away on April 19 at age 43 after a reportedly long battle with cancer that forced him to be hospitalized earlier this year. The news was posted to DJPremierblog.com, a fan site dedicated to Guru's former GangStarr partner, DJ Premier. Although the blog had been up ... More >>

Martin Luther, Cody ChesnuTT Play Yoshi's

EKAphotography copyright 2007. all rights reservedSoul on a Roll: Martin Luther​ Is there life after neo-soul? The R&B subgenre, which enjoyed immense popularity in the late 90s-early 00s, long ago outlived its usefulness. The name--conceived, reportedly, in a marketing meeting by then-Motown ... More >>

Om Records at 15

Rock the Bells

Mos Def and Erkyah Badu Davies Hall Show Announced

Baduizm: Erykah Badu​ If you missed your first chance to see hip-hop take over the normally-staid Davies Hall--home of the San Francisco Symphony, don't fret. Ankh Marketing and Guerilla Union (promoters of Rock the Bells) has just announced an upcoming performance by the mighty Mos Def and the di ... More >>

Rock the Bells Announces Bay Area Dates

Rock the Bells 2007, San Francisco America's premier (and possibly only major) hip-hop touring festival, Rock the Bells, has announced the date and venue for the 2009 edition: August 9, at the Shoreline Auditorium in Mountain View. While ASD much prefers the parking lot of the stadium where the Gia ... More >>

Last Night: The Roots at Davies Symphony Hall

The RootsDavies Symphony HallBetter than: Sitting still for an orchestraLocal music history was made last night as the Roots performed the first-ever hip-hop concert at Davies Symphony Hall as part of SFJAZZ's Spring season. The Philadelphia-bred, Grammy Award-winning group plays in your living room ... More >>

The Roots discuss hip-hop’s second jazz age

Al Green

Lay It Down (Blue Note)

The Roots

Rising Down (Def Jam)

2 Percent Jazz, 98 Percent Funky Stuff

Choogle Your Own Adventure

The Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound paints a bright apocalypse

Schools of Thought

The Roots, the Nonce and DJ Hurricane take hip hop to the next level