Lauded as one of Pitchfork’s 21 Breakout Artists to Watch, Brooklyn-based singer and songwriter Cleo Reed debuts at SFJAZZ as part of the 2026 NoisePop Festival with music from their 2025 album Cuntry — an assured mix of R&B and folk music that Pitchfork calls "a proud and emphatically Black update on the American folk tradition.” Born Ella Moore, Reed is a gifted New York-reared polymath who took the professional name “Cleo” in tribute to their great-grandmother.
Two Shows: 7:00 PM and 8:30
Noted for throaty, yearning vocals that accompany his swimmy indie soul-pop, Yellow Days is the performance alias of British musician George van den Broek. After some early releases during his teenage years, he began to gain traction with 2017’s full-length Is Everything Okay in Your World? Switching locales to Los Angeles, his follow-up, A Day in a Yellow Beat, appeared in 2020. Two years later, the pandemic-inspired EP trilogy Slow Dance & Romance, Apple Pie, and Inner Peace was steeped in psychedelic soul.
Niis—pronounced “Nice”—synthesizes the sounds of punk, hardcore, lo-fi garage, and early grunge to craft a raw, undefinable noise all their own. Hailing from Los Angeles, this four-piece channels the spirit of rebellion through blistering riffs and Mimi’s visceral screams, delivering biting commentary on capitalism, misogyny, and the constructs that seek to confine us. With influences like Rudimentary Peni, Crass, and Hole, Niis fuses rage and reflection into songs that confront and provoke, like “Fuck You Boy,” an unflinching anthem about navigating a male-dominated music scene, or the searing "Tyrant," which demands liberation from oppressive systems.
San Francisco’s Starzdust emerged onto the local grunge and DIY rock scene in late 2023. Led by vocalist and guitarist Natalia, the band has carved out a sound that’s both gritty and melodic, merging elements of punk, grunge, and rock.
Starzdust’s rise reflects the energy of a new wave of Bay Area rock: unapologetic, female-driven, and fiercely independent. Beyond fronting the band, Natalia is also the founder of Rose Blood Festival, a femme-fronted showcase that sold out its debut event and spotlighted some of the most exciting new voices in alternative music. With growing recognition from platforms like Bandcamp, Starzdust is currently gigging across California opening for bigger bands and recording more new music to release in 2026.
Hot Flash Heat Wave began as a carefree high school garage band in Davis, CA where the three founding members met in the lively local music scene, playing in various groups and garages around the small suburban town. The members later reconvened in San Francisco, where the project rose to prominence in the bay area music scene, eventually gaining wider attention with the release of their debut record’s 'Gutter Girl' music video, which made its way to the front page of Reddit and catapulted the group to the international stage. Since then HFHW has created a dynamic and diverse soundscape with 3 records and one EP that have solidified them as a well known name in modern indie music.
“Toiling in the city's garage and punk underground, screeching shape-shifters Carrion Kids have carved their name with a feral cocktail of chainsaw guitars, piercing wails, and a wicked sense of humor. Your ears are going to suffer, but your body is going to dance." (Remezcla)
Rarely does modern music earn the badge timeless, but BEL cuts through the noise. Hailing from the small town of Clovis, California, Isabel Whelan crafts nostalgic songs with honesty and attention to detail. She occupies the intersection of indie rock, pop, and folk, while taking cues from the likes of Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Mazzy Star.
Helping to spearhead a revival of neo-psychedelic pop, California's Sugar Candy Mountain fuses sunny, retro sounds with lush, sophisticated composition. Blending classic '60s West Coast psychedelia with pastoral folk and pulling inspiration from pop experimentalists and Brazilian Tropicalia. Their latest album "Do Right" takes a more modern approach layering vibrant synths alongside more organic instrumentation. Oscillating between the hazy psychedelic pop of Mild High Club, the driving energy of Tame Impala and the danceable familiarity of The Supremes, the band is a perfect cocktail of old and new, imploring the listener to take a ride into the sunset with Sugar Candy Mountain.
Confusion, frustration, love and loss are all expressed throughout the first album, “Forgive Me,” from Los Angeles alternative band, Starling. Written over the course of about a year, the LA band recorded themselves in various sheds, apartments, and garages. The record was mixed by drummer, Erik Sathrum Johnson, artwork was shot by the band and their friends, and then mastered by Greg Obis (MJ Lenderman, Wishy, Duster).
gloomy june is the soundtrack of a fog-soaked San Francisco Summer. Punk guitar riffs and rhythms combine with indie pop melodies to create emotional anthems you can simultaneously dance and yearn to. Self-titled album out now.
swell foop is an indie rock band hailing from Berkeley, California, where the trio met as college students and cut their teeth in the local DIY scene. Their debut EP "Don’t Spare Me" has garnered over 400k streams across platforms, and recent single “Dress Song,” was featured in Spotify’s “Fresh Finds Indie” playlist. Their debut full-length is slated to release in fall 2026.
Always Hallways is a Bay Area-based indie pop rock band with influences of r&b, classic rock, and americana that knows how to get a crowd movin' and groovin' one moment and deep in their feels the next. AH values music as a powerful vessel of healing and joy, a celebration of life, death and community. Come join us right down the hall! No dead ends
with Camellia Boutros, The Secretary, Lore Rense
Night Heron, the musical project helmed by former Radiation City frontman Cameron Spies, former Y La Bamba bassist Grace Bugbee, and former Reptaliens drummer Tyler Verigin, crafts intimate soundscapes that exist in the space between whispers and dreams. Their debut album "Instructions for Night" emerged from personal transformation and global isolation, featuring distinctive ASMR-like vocals and carefully constructed sonic textures. Following up with their sophomore album "Escapism," Night Heron continues to explore life's quiet moments, weaving between dreamy morning reflections and twilight contemplations. Joined by accomplished musicians from Portland's indie scene (including members of Y La Bamba, Reptaliens, The Apricots, and Weeed), Night Heron creates music that invites listeners to lean in closer, finding universal meaning in life's most intimate moments.
Dosed with an infectious Latin influence and diving into decades of electronica, crunchy sound effects and field recordings, Oakland-based abracadabra shimmies with the charismatic energy of Lizzy Mercier Descloux, dub hits of King Tubby, and the idiosyncrasies of Deerhoof.
Comprised of core duo Chris Niles & Hannah Skelton, abracadabra offers an unconventional alternative to traditional guitar pop chord progressions as they blend found sounds with danceable motifs. A chameleon of sorts, they either anchor their signature collage of vintage synthesizers, detuned drums, bird sounds and dub sirens with a funky 5-piece live band (think congas, claves, cowbell, samba whistle, etc), or they shape-shift into a more electronic form by fusing their existing and unreleased tracks with improvised industrial samples and experimental synthesis while pumping the whole lot through spring reverb and analog delay for an Adrian Sherwood-inspired dub duo interpretation.
Enjoy an intimate night with Shannon Shaw, the powerhouse vocalist and songwriter behind Shannon & The Clams. Known for her magnetic stage presence and a sound that fuses soul, doo-wop, and California garage rock, Shannon brings her a blend of grit and vulnerability to this special Noise Pop Festival showcase. This exclusive performance offers a chance to get up close with a distinctive Bay Area see artists up close surrounded by stories, sound, and community.
Hosted by KQED Live in partnership with Noise Pop Festival, the evening celebrates the local roots and bold voices that continue to shape the Bay Area’s music scene. Join us as Shannon Shaw takes us behind the songs, her creative journey, and what keeps her tied to the Bay.
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Shannon Shaw, the captivating vocalist, bassist, and founder of Shannon & the Clams, valiantly strikes out on her own, gracing us with her first solo album, Shannon In Nashville. In a nod to Dusty Springfield’s 1969 classic Dusty in Memphis, Shaw made her own pilgrimage down South to collaborate with The Black Key’s Dan Auerbach and a congregation of revered old-school session musicians which have played on notable records by Elvis, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin, Sturgill Simpson, and Nikki Lane, to name just a few.
Punctuating wistful, daydreamy indie rock with surfy guitar hooks, Boyscott approaches their songs from a hazy, lighthearted perspective as gentle as ocean breezes. The project first took shape in college dorm rooms and grew into a loose collective. Boyscott finished recording their whimsically drawn 2015 debut Goose Bumps before ever playing live, and continued developing their upbeat, nautical sound on 2024's Spellbound.
Presented by Popscene and Noise Pop Festival 2026
Winston Surfshirt began as the solo project of their eponymous frontman, singer, producer and rapper. Over time, he brought together close friends and local artists to form the globally beloved project that we know today. His soulful RNB & Hiphop sound likened to that of Jungle, Parcels and Jamiroquai - extensive touring has led to Sir Elton John himself claiming Winston Surfshirt as his favourite Australian band, sold-out shows across the UK and Europe, highlighted by iconic performances at Falls Festival, SpiltMilk, Field Day and Splendour in the Grass, with the latter immortalised on triple j’s Live At The Wireless. Across 250 million streams, three dreamy albums and collaborations with the likes of Cosmo’s Midnight, Benny Sings and Talib Kweli, the multi-Platinum and 4x Gold certified artist is celebrating nearly a decade of music-making, inviting fans along for the journey as he elevates and expands his sonic landscape.
Wabie, also known as Wabie the musician, is an LA-based artist influenced by iconic bands and artists such as The Beatles, Wilco, Miniature Tigers, and Todd Rundgren. Working from his studio in Los Angeles, Wabie produces, writes, and creates all his own art. His skills extend beyond music to include coding, home improvement, and pottery! Wabie's presence in the LA music scene continues to grow as he works on new projects and explores different creative endeavors.
The last few years have found SUMMER SALT straddling the line between past and present tense. In 2024, the Austin, TX-formed breeze-pop group celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their debut EP, Driving To Hawaii, with a special remaster and nationwide tour – alongside a brand-new release, Electrolytes, that further solidified them as one of the most consistently blissful, eclectic forces in the indie world.
Now, on their fourth LP, RESIDE, the group (founded by childhood friends vocalist/guitarist Matthew Terry and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Eugene Chung in 2012 and rounded out by Winston Triolo and Anthony Barnett) continue the push and pull between where they’ve been and where they’re going, honoring the sun-soaked charm that won them their devoted fanbase while exploring new creative terrain.
“We always want to make sure we're bridging the gap between celebrating what we’ve done and veering into the places that interest us now,” Chung says. “It feels like there’s always more to explore with our music.”
An ingenious blend of electronics and improvisation, SML make “strikingly original and wildly evocative art-fusion" (SPIN). With a lineup known for work with Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven, and Meshell Ndegeocello, their 2024 debut made Pitchfork’s list of Most Anticipated Albums of Summer, and they bring their singular approach and masterful interplay to this appearance on the heels of their 2025 San Francisco Jazz Festival performance.
This quintet—featuring bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann—embodies the spirit of creative risk-taking and collaboration that defined their former home base, the now-shuttered ETA (Enfield Tennis Academy) club in L.A.’s Highland Park neighborhood.
Two Shows: 7:00 PM and 8:30
BIG SIS is a sibling duo from Liverpool. Their music combines cheeky lyricism with infectious dance beats. Many of their tracks illicit a nostalgia for first wave euro pop, though our their live performances have been touted as refreshing and leading edge.
Carpool Tunnel is a San Francisco–based indie rock band made up of Ben Koppenjan (vocals, guitar), Kalani Faith (bass, vocals), and Michael Reed “Junior” (drums, background vocals). Known for their tight musicianship and emotionally honest songwriting, the band brings a dynamic blend of driving rhythms, melodic hooks, and raw, lived-in storytelling. Their chemistry—rooted in years of playing, writing, and growing together—gives Carpool Tunnel a sound that feels both unmistakably modern and grounded in the spirit of Bay Area indie rock.
Tom Kenny & the Hi-Seas is a high energy 12 piece band “RocknSoul” party band.
Performing songs from artist such as Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke,The Shangri-Las, The Righteous Brothers, Gary US Bonds, the band has gained a reputation for raucous live performances in venues from Los Angeles to Atlanta to Tijuana, Mexico.
ESPRIT began in 2012 as an anonymous outlet for George Clanton to explore sample-based music. Quickly embraced by the emerging internet genre known as vaporwave, ESPRIT’s early EPs—Girls Only (2012) and Summer Night (2013)—have since become foundational works, regarded as essential listening among genre devotees.
Bold and outspoken Chicago rapper CupcakKe has achieved viral success and critical acclaim with her brazen, unapologetically explicit songs and videos that channeled the likes of , , and . Her work explores sexuality in graphic detail, and while many of her songs are humorous and playful, she has more serious, introspective material that deals with sexual abuse ("Pedophile"), racial issues ("Picking Cotton"), and LGBTQ empowerment ("Crayons"). She debuted in 2016 with a pair of raunchy EPs and a full-length, Audacious, following with the critically acclaimed Queen Elizabitch (2017) and Ephorize (2018).
Elizabeth Eden Harris was born in Chicago in 1997. At the age of 14, she began writing religious-themed poetry, performing in local churches. She started turning her poems into raps and uploading them to YouTube, receiving thousands of views. In late 2015, inspired by 's hit "My Neck, My Back," she decided to write sexually explicit material. The videos "Vagina" and "Deepthroat" appeared and quickly spread on the Internet like wildfire. Both songs appeared on her debut mixtape, Cum Cake, in February 2016. S.T.D (Shelters to Deltas), named for Harris' years spent in homeless shelters, followed in June, and the studio album Audacious arrived in October. The releases received praise from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, MTV News, and numerous hip-hop websites.
Harris guested on 's song "Lipgloss," which appeared on her March 2017 mixtape, Number 1 Angel. CupcakKe's second studio album, Queen Elizabitch, appeared soon after, and the rapper toured North America twice during the year, in addition to releasing two subsequent singles, "Exit" and "Cartoons." Both songs appeared on her third studio album, Ephorize, which dropped near the beginning of 2018. The set peaked at number two on the Heatseekers chart, while landing in the Top 20 of the Billboard Independent Albums chart. Months later, she issued her fourth full-length, Eden, featuring the singles "Quiz" and "Blackjack." CupcakKe closed her decade with a flood of singles in 2019, including the size-obsessed viral hit, "Squidward Nose." The following year, she reached a career high with the single "Discounts," which topped streaming charts and rose into the Top Ten of the Billboard Digital Songs chart. ~ Paul Simpson, Rov
The Fiery Furnaces is the long-running collaboration between siblings Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger. Renowned for their dense, allusive lyrics, formally inventive compositions, and unpredictable live shows, the band occupies a singular space in the landscape of experimental pop. They will reconvene for a limited series of duo performances to revisit their 2004 album, Blueberry Boat–a cult touchstone of adventurous songwriting and raw, idiosyncratic energy. This reunion is less a nostalgic reprise than a continuation of the band’s interrogation of song form, memory, and narrative—rendered now with renewed clarity and conceptual precision.
Since his 2016 debut album Primitives, Bayonne has channeled his vast imagination into an elegant yet wildly experimental form of electronic pop, equal parts meditative and mesmerizing. In the making of his latest body of work, the Austin-based artist/producer/multi-instrumentalist otherwise known as Roger Sellers found himself in even greater need of an outlet for his kinetic creative impulses, thanks to an intense convergence of events in his personal life: his father’s diagnosis with and eventual death from cancer, the end of a significant relationship, and an overwhelming struggle with depression and anxiety. Deeply informed by a deliberate transformation of his musical process, Bayonne’s third full-length Temporary Time ultimately makes for his most expansive work to date—an album of both painfully raw introspection and otherworldly beauty.
The partnership of Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow is at the heart of some of the most complex, postmodern indie pop happening on the West Coast. In the first few days of 1998, Smith (of San Diego-based Three Mile Pilot) and Crow (of Thingy and Heavy Vegetable) formed a part-time recording project under the name Pinback.
Born and raised in the Bay, MAMA SAN is a Taiwanese-American DJ and event producer who’s shaking up San Francisco’s nightlife with electrifying sets and unapologetically queer parties. They’ve DJ’d everywhere in the Bay from large outdoor events like Outsidelands and SF Pride, to indoor venues like 1015 Folsom, Midway, DNA Lounge, Public Works, The Foundry, Monarch, Jolene’s, and more. They’ve been on lineups with Rupaul, Heidi Montag, Fckers, Chase Icon, Doss, Only Fire, SoFTT, Alice Longyu Gao, and more.
