The end of summer doesn't always have to be a bummer! For many of us, it means heartier meals, building fires, football season snacks, changing colors, apple picking, the death of mosquitos, and cozying up with a book...or a playlist! Here are some of the songs that stood out for us this autumn equinox.
Press play to listen to Pandora Picks – September 2024
My pick for this month is Kendra McKinley's new single, “Make Up.” I'm choosing Kendra because she had a situation with her LP delivery. We have received our LPs a whole year after we ordered them because her manufacturer just couldn't get it together. So, this is a celebration of finally getting her LP called, WHERE DOES A BODY BEGIN? But I've chosen the single that's come out since then.
-Jamie
My Pandora Pick for September 2024 is “Dying Inside” from the new album Attack of The Strange Ones, by Bay Area band The Strange Ones. To my ears, it strikes a perfect balance between catchy punk and timeless rock ’n’ roll. But there’s something about it that just feels and sounds so innately rooted in East Bay ethos - the winding riffs, the driving rhythm, the barbed hooks, and the attention paid to overall mix and tone. It’s the kind of song that makes me want to grind the curbs on a new skateboard with old friends at the Rockridge BART station.
-Eric S.
The band Baus has a new single called “WALLS.” It's a band that I've been seeing for like a decade and until recently, I thought they were called “Boss.” But, yeah, it's spelled B-A-U-S. It's pronounced, “boss.” They're from Southern California and Northern California at the same time, just like me.
-George
My pick for this month's Pandora Picks is the band TR/ST pronounced, “Trust.” Like previous records, this new one Performance sounds like some grimy, sinister, alternate reality, ‘80s new-wave dance party. I picked the song “The Shore” which shifts from brooding, creepy, slow motion, soundtracky, synthscape to a sort of darkly groovy, alien, new wave. The music is amazing but so is Robert Alfons, the main guy's curious, ultra processed vocals which change everything sonically.
-Andee
So, I had the fortunate opportunity to attend AMERICANAFEST in Nashville, which is an amazing celebration of legendary and up-and-coming artists in the Americana and Americana-adjacent music scene. It was an absolute blast, and I came back with a nice list of my favorite musical discoveries. One of whom you’re about to hear this is Alabama singer-songwriter, Early James, who is part of the Easy Eye Sound label family run by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. Early James’ “What A Strange Time To Be Alive” brings an eclectic, eccentric, and utterly unique blend of jilted blues, mournful folk, southern gothic, and an idiosyncratic voice and a way of storytelling that will give you chills and ultimately haunt your dreams.
-Michelle
This month I'm paying tribute to Trish Keenan of the legendary band Broadcast. Last week would have been Trish's 56th birthday, but she passed away back in 2011, at far too young of an age. I've spent a lot of time with the Broadcast catalog over the years and they recently released Distant Call - Collected Demos 2000 - 2006. Their music seems to only get better with time as it ages. To me, it sounds suspended in time. And I remember exactly when and where I was the first time I heard this song. Specifically, I was in a tour van on the road with the band Tarentel in 2000. My friend Danny popped a tape of their album The Noise Made By People into the stereo. And I was transfixed. Was it new? Was it a lost recording from the late 1960s? I couldn't tell. And I became a lifelong fan on the spot. The song I've selected is “Come On Let’s Go” from the Maida Vale Sessions, recorded live over their years as a band at the BBC. You really can't go wrong with jumping into their catalog. But Maida Vale is a great place to start. I hope you enjoy it. And thank you, Trish.
-Noel
I was recently reminded of how much I love The Loved Ones – the Oakland Loved Ones, who recently reformed and did a couple of gigs (which by all accounts were utterly smashing) and that they teased some new material. Looking forward to hearing that. Their hit in the Bay Area and beyond from their earlier incarnation (that I remember because they used to play it on KFOG in San Francisco), “You Better Do Right” is fronted by the inimitable Bart Davenport. This group has had [almost] the same lineup since the beginning and in all of their reunions I think. And that in itself I think is special and really cool. And they have a unique flavor that is modder than mod. And I just love them.
-Eric D.
Do you like spacy, ambient, synthesizer, cosmic music? Like from the 70s? Like Tangerine Dream? And do you like brutal, technical sci-fi, death metal? And do you like them both in a sort of chocolate-in-your-peanut butter kind of combination? Then you will like my pick for this month, something that just came out last week. It's the latest from the Colorado death metal band and also cosmic space rock band, Blood Incantation. And we're going to hear the track “The Stargate [Tablet I],” – eight minutes – blast off!
-Allan
Hello dear listeners, Diego here again bringing you a last gasp of summer by one of the least summery bands ever. Please enjoy the slice of sunshine that is “Inside” by Bardo Pond.
-Diego