Weekend

While numerous ensembles from the Bay Area gravitate toward the brighter, hallucinatory aspects of their local sonic identity, San Francisco's Weekend opted instead to channel the city's murkier atmosphere. Shaun Durkan on bass and vocals, guitarist Kevin Johnson, and drummer Abe Pedroza came together as Weekend in 2009 and swiftly attracted attention through a style that pushed post-punk through layers of shoegaze haze. Their dense, driving rhythms of bass and drums formed the foundation beneath Johnson's expansive curtains of reverberant guitar, producing an overall mood of shadowy, underground spaces. Durkan's indistinct vocals further unified the sound, conveying both remoteness and intimacy in the manner of a My Bloody Valentine track drifting from a weakening radio signal. Following several scarce vinyl-only singles, the group joined forces with Slumberland Records to issue its first full-length album, Sports, during 2010. A subsequent period filled with extensive touring and favorable coverage led to the September 2011 arrival of the Red EP, an effort that dialed back the distortion yet retained a potent melodic focus. Monte Vallier handled production duties on the band's following album, which blended the original record's sonic density with the pop sensibility of Red while incorporating additional elements of brooding post-punk. Slumberland put out that sophomore effort, titled Jinx, in the summer of 2013.