Mike DeWald

California

Reporter and Producer at The Drive with Steve Jaxon

Editor and Producer at KCBS-AM (San Francisco, CA)

Reporter at the Bay Area’s @KCBSRadio. @RIFFOnline Contributor. Alum: @ksro/@stevejaxondrive Michael.DeWald(at)https://t.co/rNbOVlNkbe

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Articles

ALBUM REVIEW: Sleep Token tests its super fans with ‘Even in Arcadia'

1 week ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

U.K. rock band Sleep Token has become quite the polarizing force in heavy music. On one hand, the group has exploded in popularity, fueled by a fervent fan base that soaks up the lore, mystery and larger-than-life material — selling out an arena tour in the process. Those same ingredients have also fed into another camp who have pushed back against the too-passionate fans and dramatized stylings.
98 Degrees flex nostalgic muscle on ‘Full Circle'

1 week ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

Full Circle is a fairly fitting description for 98 Degrees‘ surprise seventh album, its first non-holiday offering since 2013. There’s a twist: Half the material is new, while the other half consists of re-recorded versions of the quartet’s biggest hits. The boy (man) band is the latest act to take creative ownership of its material in the spirit of Taylor Swift’s “Taylor’s Version” remakes.
The Warning gives the San Francisco 49ers an NFL draft day assist

2 weeks ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

The San Francisco 49ers got help from an unlikely place during Saturday’s fourth round of the NFL Draft. For the team’s 113th selection of Defensive Tackle CJ West, from Indiana, the ESPN broadcast flipped from Green Bay, Wis. to a live feed from Monterrey, Mexico. There, host Sergio Treviño was joined by 49ers legend Patrick Willis, Monterrey native and 49ers offensive tackle Alfredo Gutiérrez, mascot Sourdough Sam and rock band The Warning.
ALBUM REVIEW: Lights bridges her past with her present on ‘A6'

2 weeks ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

Canadian artist Lights Poxleitner-Bokan, mononymously known as Lights, has come a long way from the bouncy synth-pop optimism of her debut album, The Listening. With the passage of time comes growth, perspective and a more advanced sense of self. Enter A6, the latest album from the singer-songwriter, a simple nod to getting to a sixth long-player.
ALBUM REVIEW: OK Go sees the glass half full on ‘And the Adjacent Possible'

1 month ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

OK Go has built its reputation on creativity through visual mediums like unique videos and unexpected collaborations (The Muppets!). But all of those creative outlets are fed by the band’s music, and on its fifth album, And the Adjacent Possible, OK Go further tests the unorthodox. The 12-song album maintains a core of hooky bops that’ve fueled the group’s success while executing new and unusual guitar tones and feedback squelches.
BottleRock Napa Valley announces stage times for 2025 festival

1 month ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

The producers of BottleRock Napa Valley have released the set times for the 2025 edition of the festival. Green Day and Sublime will bring an alt flavor to the JaM Cellars main stage Friday night, while Kaskade and Sofi Tukker will get the nod opposite them on the secondary Verizon Stage. Saturday night pits vocalists Justin Timberlake and Benson Boone against rapper Ice Cube and Rebellion.
ALBUM REVIEW: Elton John, Brandi Carlile believe in angels on collab LP

1 month ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

Elton John may be done touring, but the 78-year-old remains both prolific and tuned in with contemporary sounds. Much as with his musical relationship with pop diva Dua Lipa, his elder statesman path has crossed with that of singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. Who Believes in Angels? was first proposed by super-producer Andrew Watt. With songwriting contributions by Watt and John’s longtime-collaborator Bernie Taupin, the record shows a strong musical connection. Who Believes in Angels?
INTERVIEW: Black Map charts a new course with ‘Hex'

1 month ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

Hex marks the spot for Bay Area rock trio Black Map as the band returns with its fourth album. The title track, “Hex (Come Get It),” mixes a melodic post-grunge with alt-rock; it’s a riff-laden anthem with a shout-along chorus. It followed the first taste with hard-driving single “Disintegrate.” The nine-song collection was made with Saosin guitarist Beau Burchell as producer. Black Map album release matineeRotterdam, State Lin Empire3 p.m., Sunday, May 4Bottom of the HillTickets: $15 – $20 (21+).
REVIEW: Will Smith faces elephants in the room with ‘Based on a True Story'

1 month ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

It doesn’t take so much as one bar to get a sense of direction for Will Smith’s return to music with Based on a True Story, the rapper’s first release in more than two decades. The opening track reunites Smith with DJ Jazzy Jeff on “Int. Barbershop-Day,” which recreates a barbershop conversation about Smith’s career trajectory. Is he canceled? Is he even cool anymore? What’s the last big movie he did? Oh, and what about that slap? If nothing else, the 56-year-old star is self-aware.
Tyler, the Creator, Hozier, Doja Cat top 2025 Outside Lands bill

1 month ago | riffmagazine.com | Mike DeWald

Rapper Tyler, the Creator, crooner-guitarist Hozier and R&B superstar Doja Cat will lead the 2025 edition of Outside Lands in San Francisco. Three-day tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, March 26 at 10 a.m. via the Outside Lands website. The event, now the largest independently run festival in the United States, returns to Golden Gate Park August 8, 9 and 10. Tyler, the Creator was originally scheduled to headline last year’s event before canceling.