BY XAVIER JOHNSON The producer solo album became a lost art throughout the 2000s, but the unique form of hip-hop has reemerged over the past few years with a young crop of talented producers creating their own artistic vision after helping solidify other artists’ for so long. Prolific producer Kenneth …

BY RICK PORCARO Former Saint Mary’s Gael Ken Waldichuk had his second straight solid start for the Athletics, but home runs by Atlanta’s Vaughn Grissom and Dansby Swanson turned the tide as the Braves completed a sweep of their brief two game series in Oakland with a 7-3 win over …

BY KAYLA BEIRNE If you are a homebody who doesn’t explore the world, it helps to know the biggest mistakes rookie travelers can make and follow the best tactics. The excitement of your vacation can lead to multiple short-sighted decisions. Learning the biggest mistakes of rookie travelers can help you …

BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER Four decades after riding the wave of the MTV generation to challenge The Beatles for mass adulation, Duran Duran gave a career spanning performance to the delight of a near sold out crowd at Chase Center Sunday evening. Touring in support of their 15th studio album Future …

BY RICK PORCARO Joc Pederson continued his recent hot streak with a pair of hits and three RBI’s and seven San Francisco pitchers combined to shut down the Phillies when it mattered most as the Giants scored a 5-4 win over Philadelphia in a back and forth game that saw …

BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER San Diego rode an 11 strikeout performance from Joe Musgrove and a three RBI day from Manny Machado to jump out to a five run lead against Alex Wood and Zach Littell before holding on to score a 5-4 win over the Giants Wednesday afternoon. The loss …

BY KAYLA BEIRNE There is nothing better than sharing your passions with the world and guiding the future of piano players. This is how to know if you’re ready to teach piano. Many of us wonder at what point the transition begins from student to teacher. In many ways, we …

BY RICK PORCARO The A’s rode a strong pitching performance by Adrian Martinez to shut down the powerful bats of the AL East leading Yankees for the second game in a row to score a 4-1 win over New York before 29,498 fans at the Coliseum Sunday afternoon. Martinez (3-3, …

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday afternoon that it arrested one of its own officers on weapons, drug and grand theft charges. 41-hear old Matthew Buckley, a deputy sheriff and 15-year veteran of the department, was arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility Thursday after an investigation …

BY DEBRA J. MORRIS The aroma of apple pie on a September day, the smooth flavor of homemade apple butter on toast, or a tempting square of apple cake can signal fall is on its way. Your farmers market has a seemingly endless selection of heirloom apples, most of which …