Posts by Peter Zimmerman

When Natalie Merchant arrived on stage promptly at 7:30 pm for the May 29th at the Mountain Winery – her second of two shows at the venue in support of her new album “Keep Your Courage” – less than half of the audience had made it to their seats.  The venue – a stunningly picturesque […]

“Be like Water,” you tell me. In “Metal Water Wood,” track eight on Tori Amos’s new album Ocean to Ocean (out today via Decca Records), we encounter a conversation Tori has, where an unnamed second party says, “I know dear, it has been a brutal year,” and then urges Tori to “be like Water.” Is […]

[rating=9.00] Many, including Jewel herself, have dubbed her latest album Picking Up The Pieces as a logical companion, or book-end, to her smash debut Pieces of You (1995). Except for diehard fans, though, people forget that Pieces of You was sprawling, slightly meandering, utterly honest, difficult, vulnerable, and razor sharp in its grappling with human […]

Day 2 of the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in no way disappointed, and saw record numbers flock to Golden Gate Park for a day packed with a wide variety of talent and electrifying shows.

2015’s iteration of the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival started off strong, with a fantastic set by newcomer Natalie Prass. Her debut album Bird of Prey has already received considerable acclaim since its release in late January, and her set at OSL proved the accolades are well-deserved. Her single “Bird of Prey” hit home […]

In celebration of the eighth iteration of the awesome Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco, CA, here are Glide Magazine’s 8 things not to miss at OSL list.

Wye Oak used to be known as the alt/indie band from Baltimore made up of a guy who could play seemingly dozens of instruments at once and a girl who wielded a wicked guitar and wrote cryptic, visceral songs with somewhat hard-to-decipher lyrics. With each album, they shed a little more skin, revealing depths to […]

Watch the debut of our “Glide Magazine Presents” video series – Vienna Teng performing “The Hymn of Acxiom.” Creepy, haunting and stark, it’s one of the most breath-taking and daring pieces of pop music written in recent memory.

Howling Bells just released their fourth album Heartstrings on Birthday Records. The UK-based band brought in Catherine J. Marks (PJ Harvey, Foals) and the renowned Alan Moulder (The Killers, Depeche Mode, Arctic Monkeys) to record and produce the album. Together, they’ve created an album that balances shoegaze, 90’s alternative rock and late 80’s synth-pop, all the […]

Watching Paula Cole play is something some may scoff at as trying to relive the golden days of 90’s alternative radio, but her show reminded me that that’s a completely reductive way to look at it, and in fact it’s a complete gift to be able to see such a strong artist so devoted to her craft continue to work and enthrall, even in 2014.

Outside Lands is an incredible combination of music, food (all local to the Bay Area), wine and beer. Here’s the recap from Day 2: Saturday.

Outside Lands Music Festival is now in its sixth year– a nice time for the event, because they’ve worked out a lot of the idiosyncrasies of holding an enormous festival in San Francisco’s stunningly beautiful Golden Gate Park. Here’s the recap from Day 1: Friday.

South By Southwest (SXSW), or “South By” to many, is a 2 week-long festival encompassing technology, film and music that takes place in Austin, TX. After last year’s record numbers, many started the discussions in the fall- is SXSW worth it again this year? Some asked, "If I can’t get into an intimate Fiona Apple […]

South By Southwest (SXSW), or “South By” to many, is a 2 week-long festival encompassing technology, film and music that takes place in Austin, TX. After last year’s record numbers, many started the discussions in the fall- is SXSW worth it again this year? Some asked, "If I can’t get into an intimate Fiona Apple […]

If Day 1 of the 2013 Sasquatch! Music Festival was more subdued and inconsistent, Day 2 was its total opposite, bringing bands that kept the energy high, crowds dancing and laughing and with a never yielding dose of sun. Surely there will be plenty more sunburns tomorrow morning, but the general consensus seems it's been well worth it, as Saturday really delivered in every way.

Days 2 and 3 of Sasquatch! Music Festival – they're two different beasts, but as the Festival begins to taper off, they definitely show their individual colors. By Sunday (Day 3), most are feeling the fatigue of doing three days nonstop- from Thursday's camping adventures to the music of Friday and Saturday. So, thankfully Sunday's early scheduling was a bit soft, making it able to ease into the day.

Rain started in the early hours of Friday, and continued until midday, which put a considerable pall over the campgrounds (music wasn't starting until 4PM). Even so, festivalgoers got out as much as they could, and the excitement for the day was palpable. That said, it took a while for the show to get its groove going.

One of the beacons of heart-warming, soul-searching and downright beautiful musicianship continues to be Tift Merritt, whose writing has never shied away from approaching difficult subjects with honesty and willingness to engage, but never has she been so vulnerable and calm than on her new record Traveling Alone.

Respect flowed both ways last night, between the individual and the collective, the fans and the band, and after two hours, everyone walked away a little more at peace than they'd been before.

Indie upstart ON AN ON showcase a fresh, youthful sound that is invigorated by the close communication of three band members who are intimately aware of each others' sonic involvement. Here's an in-depth look at this group that is a definite must-watch band for 2013.