Amoeba san francisco Staff

Camgirl (CD)

Crippling Alcoholism
The soundtrack to your downward spiral. Put this album on and dive head first into the black void. Filed: Rock Read more

Something Is A Shell. (CD)

Sofia Isella
Creepy dark pop that reminds me a lot of Chelsea Wolfe and Ethel Cain. She apparently opened for Taylor Swift during her Eras tour which is strange because she performs covered in dirt and dresses like the chick who crawls out of the well in “The Ring.” I imagine she scared the shit out of all the young Swifties in the audience. But hey, good for her for landing that slot! Filed: Rock Read more

Sol.Hz (CD)

Seefeel
The legendary 90s shoegaze meets electronica meets ambient band has been pumping out new music over the past few years and it’s still as good as their early works! This one is especially phenomenal and to me, is one of the best ambient albums of 2026. Filed: Electronica Read more

Theft World (CD)

Lip Critic
THE best digital hardcore band around! 2024’s Hex Dealer was a banger but this one is even better! Filed: Rock Read more

U (CD)

underscores
The current best pop star to come out of San Francisco! This is by far April’s best album to date and honestly one of the best pop albums of 2026 in general! Filed: Rock Read more

III (CD)

Khun Narin
Thailand’s finest traveling band returns with another far out fuzzed out psych record. Filed: World (Thailand) Read more

Not Here Not Gone (CD)

Blackwater Holylight
An interesting hybrid of doom rock and dream pop. The guitars sound sinister and the melodies sound dour but the vocals add a nice heavenly shimmer. I can’t tell if it’s evil or not but I enjoy it immensely. Filed: Rock Read more

Everything Is Free (CD)

Sylvie's Head
I’ll be honest, I bought this CD purely because I loved the aesthetic of the cover. It was very 90’s looking. Of course I was expecting something shoegaze or dream pop sounding but instead I got a nice dose of Baggy. Not bad for a couple of young Swedes! For fans of Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses. Filed: Rock Read more

Location Lost (CD)

Failure
The space grunge legends are still alive and going strong! Fantastic Planet will forever be the band’s best album but this one isn’t too shabby! Filed: Rock Read more

Easy (CD)

Bleary Eyed
Of course I have to include some new shoegaze on here! At first glance, the cover art doesn’t necessarily scream shoegaze but believe me it is- with a hint of emo and trip hop also thrown into the mix. Filed: Rock Read more

Process and Reality (CD)

Gun Outfit
Hazy alternative country from Olympia, Washington. I’m honestly shocked this band is still around seeing as they’ve been a thing since 2008 and are still seemingly really small. But everything they’ve put out is really strong, including this one which is their longest release to date! Filed: Rock Read more

Lean In (CD)

Art School Girlfriend
Chill sadgirl alt pop for staring forlornly out the window on a grey rainy day. Filed: Rock Read more

Counting Sunsets (CD)

Suss
If you ever wondered what the fusing of folk and ambient would sound like, listen to Suss. Their music is heavenly and haunting like walking through an old western ghost town as the sun goes down. In fact, this album is the perfect companion to watching multiple sunsets: 10 to be precise. Filed: Rock Read more

The Second Coming Was A Moonrise (CD)

Hammock
Amazing ambient/post rock that’s perfect for stargazing and late night walks in nature. Filed: Rock Read more

Trauma Ray (CD)

Carnival
The kings of HEAVY shoegaze. This may be an EP but it's just as good as their 2024 album 'Chameleon' which I also loved. I saw them live in May and it was one of the most intense shows I’ve ever been to- stage dives and moshing were strongly encouraged by the band. Their tones were so thick you could barely stand up. Filed: Rock Read more

Injury Episode (CD)

Static Dress
It amazes me that Hot Topic mallcore has once again become popular with today’s young’ns. Nowadays it’s being referred to as ‘sasscore’ which… well, don’t get me started. But this band is really cool! They’re making music that’s new and interesting but simultaneously makes me nostalgic for bands like Underoath, A Day To Remember, and all those mid 2000s emo bands I listened to obsessively in high school. Really goes to show how cyclical music trends can be. Filed: Rock Read more

It’s The Long Goodbye (CD)

Twilight Sad
When I was in college, I wasn’t keen on this band. Admittedly, their heavy Scottish accents were just too distracting for me to get into their music. But for some reason, this one really clicked. Now I’m a huge fan of both this album and the band in general. Their music is so cold and unapologetically depressing but I love it! Anyone who’s going through it should put this on so they can get even sadder. Filed: Rock Read more

The Hidden Hand (CD)

If These Trees Could Talk
I completely forgot about this band until I saw this release but I’m now reminded of how excellent they are! Excellent instrumental post-metal that’s equal parts heavy and atmospheric. Hard to believe it’s been 10 years since their previous release but I think it’s safe to say that they still got it! Filed: Rock Read more

Second Last Day Of Summer (CD)

Daydream Plus
As I’m finalizing my selections here, this is a last second entry I just needed to add to my list! They’re a brand new band that I think needs to be given some love ASAP! Once again, Canada continues to pump out one amazing band after another- I’m convinced they make the best music. This band takes the complexity of math rock and the happy sunshine of city pop and fuses it together to make really fun but chill instrumental rock. The first time I heard this, I immediately thought of Masayoshi Takana, anime opening sequences, and the Sonic Adventure Soundtrack and just went “hell yeah!” If you’re a fan of any or all of the things listed above, you must give this album a listen! Filed: Rock Read more

Love 15 (CD)

Majesty Crush
When the Numero Group initially reissued this album on LP, I was so jealous because I’d been wanting the CD for ages! But at long last, they listened and finally gave us a newly remastered CD pressing! This album is so criminally underrated it hurts. It’s some of the best grungy shoegaze to ever come out of the 90s but nobody paid that much attention to them. Damn shame! Go buy this album already! It’s been a long time coming! Filed: Rock Read more