BY MARIANA GARRICK Over the course of an 18-track album that lasts a little over 70 minutes, Danny Elfman’s first solo album after nearly 40 years bursts with creativity. The album’s title, Big Mess, is self-explanatory of how it sounds. It is a mess, but Elfman’s artistic skills shine throughout …

BY DEBRA J. MORRIS The flavor of a ripe heirloom tomato in mid-summer cannot be surpassed. Their superior quality and taste is something we look forward to every year. A big slab of Cherokee Purple or Brandywine tomato in a sandwich or on a salad tops the list of summer …

BY MARIANA GARRICK Garbage’s seventh album is more political than ever as they address the world’s current condition. Following their 2016 album Strange Little Birds, No Gods No Masters emerges at a time where society is slowly going back to the norm (whatever that is) after having months to reflect …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ There have been several noteworthy story lines that have competed for the attention of baseball fans through the first 70 games of the 2021 Major League Baseball season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the American League in all three Triple Crown categories, hitting .337 with 23 home runs …

The East Bay Regional Park District is partnering with Outdoor Afro to commemorate Juneteenth by waiving park entry fees on Saturday, June 19, 2021. Juneteenth is an annual recognition of the 250,000 enslaved Black Americans in Texas who were notified of their freedom on June 19, 1865, two and a …

BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER A pair of home runs by Matt Olson as part of a four-hit game helped carry the A’s to a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum. Olson’s second multi-home run game of the season raised his total to 18 for the …

BY MARIANA GARRICK Anything sour has the tendency to make your face scrunch up in distaste, but Olivia Rodrigo’s album, Sour, couldn’t be further from that. The only thing that Rodrigo hints at being sour was her relationship, which she talked about in her chart-topping hit single “Drivers License.” The …

BY MARIANA GARRICK After 11 years, Liz Phair has finally returned to release her seventh studio album, Soberish. Phair’s newest album is full of growth and it’s clear she took into account the harsh criticism she faced from her previous album Funstyle. Though Soberish is completely different from Funstyle as …

BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER Sean Manaea held Arizona to just two hits over six shutout innings as the A’s sent the dreadful DiamondBacks to their 19th straight road loss 4-0 at the Coliseum Wednesday afternoon. Manaea (5-2), coming off a complete game shutout against the Mariners in his last start, labored …

BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER The Giants hopes for their first four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in nearly a decade were dashed Sunday afternoon by the hot bat of former St. Mary’s Gael Patrick Wisdom, who continued his power surge since joining the Cubs with another pair of home runs to …