Strong showings from East Bay musicians
SAN FRANCISCO EAST BAY, CA (Mar. 20, 2025) — The Bay Area’s music scene isn’t waiting for anyone in 2025. Just a few months in, we’re already drowning in a tidal wave of fantastic new releases, spanning nearly every genre.
If you’re not tuned into my weekly show on 90.5 KVHS (7 p.m. Sundays and Thursday) or digging deep yourself, you’re missing out. This month, I’m sharing a half dozen new, unique albums and EPs from the East Bay for your consideration.
Earlier this month, the new album “Draw Near” dropped from Hayward’s instrumental trio Aux Meadows. Imagine a sun-drenched porch in a quiet valley, the air thick with the gentle twang of dobro and pedal steel. “Draw Near” paints that picture in sound – a slow, deliberate exploration of ambient country that soothes the soul. Taking their time with one or two chords in most songs, Aux Meadows is in no hurry to get anywhere. The result is a warm, comforting sound that would make for a great soundtrack for your favorite relaxing pastime.
“Nature Channel” is another instrumental album released this month, albeit of the jazz variety. It comes from Oakland’s Green Mitchell Trio, led by multireedist and jazz composer Cory Wright. Joining Wright on “Nature Channel” is Jason Levis on drums and Lisa Mezzacappa on acoustic bass. Each musician in this sax-drum-bass combination brings a unique styling to the five-track album, and each track offers a different experimental direction for the trio to explore.
Stories of heartache and lessons learned
Last month, Oakland songwriter Jon Lawton followed up his folky 2024 album “The Good Old Days” with a much bluesier album called “Midnight with the Light On.” Backed by a full band for much of the album, Lawton sings the blues and tells stories of heartache and lessons learned. Expect a mostly blues rock experience with elements of jazz and country and, of course, Lawton’s heartfelt lyrics delivered with sincerity.
February also saw the release of “Library Music Vol: II” from El Sobrante artist LakeCube. This instrumental electronica album is a little more upbeat than its lo-fi/chill beats predecessor, leaning further into mellow house music. In fact, one song is literally titled “House Music.” As with the first volume in this series, “Library Music Vol: lI” is available exclusively on LakeCube’s BandCamp page.
Going back to January, the Berkeley-based group Brown Dog gave us “I Thought I was Gonna Dance.” The distinct vocals of Milo Jimenez – somewhat reminiscent of Kurt Vile’s hazy charm – weave through the album, creating a beautifully melancholic atmosphere. The harmonicas sigh, the slide guitars weep and the banjo laments, painting a picture of rainy day contemplation.
Oakland garage rockers CuVa Bimö released their first LP earlier this year. Produced by Kevin O’Connell of the Strange Ones, “CB Radio” delivers fast-paced, angsty, rock songs with catchy guitar melodies and anthemic hooks. “The band shared some practice space demos with me, and I got an Arctic Monkeys meets Queens of the Stone Age meets Nirvana vibe,” shared O’Connell. For what it’s worth, vibe-wise, I personally get some Fugazi meets Motorhead energy. What do you hear?
This is just a small taste of the vibrant music scene thriving in our backyard. Find more hidden gems by clicking “New Releases” at thebeatofdiablo.com.
Contact Dave Hughes at MrDaveHughes@gmail.com.
Dave Hughes
Dave Hughes is a local music advocate with an extensive network of independent artists. He produces and hosts a local music program on KVHS called The Beat of Diablo, every Sunday at 7:00 PM on 90.5 FM. Dave also catalogs local music releases at ConcordRockCity.com.