Lesser-known reissues from a folk rock great, plus new albums from bands you know, or don't, make up our eclectic listening playlist.
The late David Crosby was both a music legend and legendary sperm donor. A founding member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby generously donated sperm to Melissa Etheridge and then-partner Julie Cypher for the conception of daughter Bailey and their late son Beckett. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Crosby's 1971 debut album "If I Could Only Remember My Name..." (Atlantic/Rhino) was reissued in an expanded, double disc set.
The first disc includes the nine-track original album, as well as the bonus track "Kids and Dogs." If you're expecting something even vaguely reminiscent of CSN's beloved harmonies, you'll have to wait until the third song, "Tamalpais High (At About 3)," on which Graham Nash makes an appearance. In addition to Nash, Crosby was joined by Joni Mitchell (on "Laughing" and "What Are Their Names"), as well as members of Jefferson Airplane, Santana, and The Grateful Dead. The second disc of the set includes demo and session recordings. www.davidcrosby.com
Primarily known as the former drummer for all-female modern rock sensation Sleater-Kinney, Janet Weiss has a long history of multiple musical projects, including drumming for Wild Flag and Stephen Malkmus' The Jicks. Still going strong after 30 years, Weiss' other band Quasi (alongside Sam Coomes) is back with the aptly titled left-leaning, politically-oriented "Breaking the Balls of History" (Sub Pop). Alternately accessible ("Queen of Ears," "Gravity," "Shitty is Pretty"), daringly experimental ("Inbetweenness," "The Losers Win"), nostalgically grungy ("Last Long Laugh"), and featuring a psychedelic freak-out not to be missed ("Riots & Jokes"), it's cool to have Quasi back among us again after ten years. www.instagram.com/thee.quasi
Quasi performs with Low Praise and Thank You Come Again, Feb. 25, 9pm at the Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $22-$24. www.ivyroom.com
"Colder Streams" (Yep Roc) is the final studio album the Canadian alt-country band The Sadies recorded with founding member Dallas Good (who died unexpectedly in February 2022). Produced by fellow Canadian Richard Reed Parry (of The Arcade Fire), the album contains the band's blend of cowpunk with vintage rock, best exemplified on "Ginger Moon," "Stop and Start," "All The Good," "You Should Be Worried," and the exceptional political statements "More Alone" and "Cut Up High and Dry."
The Sadies perform March 1 at The Chapel, 777 Valencia St. $25. www.thechapelsf.com
With "The Candle and The Flame" (Tapete), Robert Forster has now released almost as many solo albums as he did as a member of the brilliant Australian indie rock band The Go-Betweens (of "Streets of Your Town" fame). Written and recorded during an especially difficult time (following Forster's wife Karin's ovarian cancer diagnosis), these nine songs, including "It's Only Poison," "The Roads," "There's A Reason To Live," and "Tender Years," ring with emotion and resilience. www.robertforster.bandcamp.com
The Bad Ends, a kind of supergroup from Athens, GA, consists of Bill Berry (ex-REM) and Five Eight's Mike Mantione, along with Dave Domizi, Christian Lopez, Geoff Melkonian. The Southern power-pop quintet's debut album "The Power and the Glory" (New West) has just the right blend of rocking twang to appeal to a broad audience, with standout tunes including "All Your Friends Are Dying," "Left To Be Found," "Little Black Cloud," and "New York Murder Suicide." www.thebadends.com
2022 Grammy Award-winner Wilco is anything but a side project for its members. But that hasn't prevented Jeff Tweedy, Glen Kotche, Nels Cline, John Stirratt, Pat Sansone, and Mikael Jorgensen, from continuing their solo and side work. Wilco's new album, the double-disc "Cruel Country" (dBpm) finds the group working together as a unit again. Additionally, in many ways, the album is a return to Wilco's country roots, with some of the band's electronic experimentation thrown in for good, and updated measure. The "cruel country" of the title is taken to task on the track of the same name (and throughout) with the lyrics "I love my country stupid and cruel/Red/White/And blue," and on "Hints" where Tweedy sings "There is no middle when the other side/Would rather kill than compromise." www.wilcoworld.net
Help keep the Bay Area Reporter going in these tough times. To support local, independent, LGBTQ journalism, consider becoming a BAR member.