The Fresh Sounds of the Bay

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The San Francisco Bay Area has got it all. From its major cities to its natural landscapes to its endless tech startups, it’s got anything and everything for anyone. Particularly vibrant and culturally significant are its array of artistic contributions, ranging from film to architecture to music. The Bay Area has been a consistent backdrop to music history: the psychedelic rock and funk scenes exploded in 1960s San Francisco with bands like the Grateful Dead and Sly & the Family Stone; San Jose State University served as the meeting place for pre-Fleetwood Mac Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks; and countless music venues, such as the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Fox Theater in Oakland, have hosted thousands of prominent artists. Now, the scene looks a little different, but no less vibrant or creative. Here are some of the Bay’s newer generations of musicians & local music supporters, from major-label artists to local ones to show bookers and venues. 

Tanukichan

Hannah van Loon’s musical alias is a reference to the “tanuki”, the Japanese raccoon dog, which is believed to be a trickster with magical powers in Japanese folklore. According to legend, it can shapeshift into alternate forms in order to play humorous pranks on humans. In a similar way, Tanukichan’s enchanting shoegaze-y dream-pop music can be considered a sort of endearing, hypnotizing trick. Born and raised in San Francisco, van Loon was a fiddle player in a bluegrass band while in school as a mathematics major at the University of California, Berkeley. She later co-founded Oakland-based band Trails and Ways, and eventually left Trails and Ways to make music as Tanukichan. Primarily a shoegaze band, Tanukichan creates atmospheric songs with haunting melodies and thick, fuzzy guitars. Standouts include “Hunned Bandz” from her 2018 album “Sundays”, “Make Believe” from 2023’s ‘GIZMO’, and ‘Radiolove’ from the 2016 EP of the same name. 

Operelly

Olivia Austen, known for her music as Operelly, is also a San Francisco local and UC Berkeley alumni.

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She received an anthropology degree from the university, and it’s reflected in the distinctly curious and analytical tone in her music. Her songs stand out as modern and playful, taking melodies and lyrics and crisply fitting them together like fun, colorful sonic puzzle pieces. Her first single, ‘Encyclopedia’, was released in 2022, and since then she’s released two EPs and a string of more singles. Her latest work, an EP titled ‘*FLUTTERS AWAY*’, features 14 minutes of her charming songwriting and soundscapes. The opener ‘Tell my man’ begins slowly, then kicks off into an acoustic pop explosion, while the single ‘Under my bed’ grapples with uncertainty through a halting, broken-up melody that almost sounds like a nursery rhyme. All five songs on the EP blend together seamlessly, making it more of an experience than just another music listen. Operelly’s unique and charming nature as a musician is sure to make her a favorite to many over the years, and she’s only just begun.

Korea Girl

Korea Girl has been having their moment online for the past few months as their song ‘Reunion’ makes the rounds on TikTok. Founded in San Jose in 1996, they had only released one self-titled album on Los Gatos-based label Asian Man Records in their three-year existence. However, their short catalogue is compensated by the fact that the record is an endlessly charming, evocative and beautiful listen. The songs are simple but convey deep and often complex emotions, toying with rhythms to convey different tones – light and breezy, melancholy, contemplative. ‘Conversations’ sports a punk tinge in its spoken-word chorus, almost reminiscent of Sonic Youth or riot girl bands of the 1990s. ‘Under the Sun’ employs a cheery melody to discuss dissatisfaction with faith and life, while aforementioned ‘Reunion’ bittersweetly reflects on years past. The album is a mixed bag of moods, all tethered by the band’s jangly, pop-rock sound, a hometown gem to cite and a beautiful go-to listen.

Ee 

Ee’s debut album ‘Ramadan’ was released in 2000: a mix of indie & slacker rock, slowcore and singer-songwriter/folk tropes that all blend together into a composition of songs designed to hit close to home. You can imagine listening to ‘Ramadan’ on a breezy, sunny day in the band’s native San Francisco, maybe hanging around Golden Gate Park or the Sutro Baths, the latter of which are mentioned by name in the opening track ‘Sutro (Heroin Jazz Mix)’. It’s a slow-burning album that sounds like a string of ordinary, but particularly good, days. The follow-up, ‘For 100 We Try Harder’, was released in 2002 on aforementioned label Asian Man Records, a more shoegaze-inspired, slower rock record. Ee played their first shows in nearly 20 years at the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Echoplex in Los Angeles in the fall of 2025, exposing their music to a new generation of listeners and solidifying their legacy as Bay Area music champions.

Some of these are artists you can see live occasionally, but they’re larger acts with formal touring schedules, and others are disbanded or fairly inactive. Luckily, the Bay also offers a vibrant local scene. Venues like Bottom of the Hill & Neck of the Woods in San Francisco or 924 Gilman in Berkeley host fairly inexpensive shows almost every night, most featuring local or smaller artists. In San Jose specifically, show booking agencies like R’N’RG, Heavy Lemon and Crossthread organize shows at smaller venues featuring local artists. But this is far from a comprehensive list of what the Bay Area has to offer musically. Opportunities to experience local music are everywhere, so take a second glance at that flyer on the telephone pole, seek out shows and venues on social media, and talk to people about their experiences in order to find where you fit into the scene – there’s sure to be a place for everyone.