Today is the last day of National Library Week, a week dedicated to celebrating our local libraries, and we love our library soooo much! Why? Let us count the ways...starting with this one: the San Francisco Public Library supports local artists through Bay Beats, a streaming platform dedicated to championing the musical talent in the Bay Area. Anyone can stream on the platform, SFPL card holders can log in to download tracks, and musicians whose albums are chosen for the platform receive an honorarium payment! Heck yeah!

In celebration of National Library Week and Bay Beats, here are a few of our favorite artists featured on the platform. Local artists: Bay Beats submissions are open now! Submit your music at baybeats.sfpl.org/submit by May 31.

The Crooked Jades: San Francisco's Crooked Jades have been digging up the dark and hypnotic sounds of pre-radio America since 1994, led by founder Jeff Kazor with a vision to revive the rare and obscure corners of old-time music through inspired arrangements and eclectic, often vintage instrumentation. Drawing on the roots of rural Americana while weaving in diverse musical influences from Europe and Africa, the band has built a sound that's entirely their own, winning comparisons to everyone from The New Lost City Ramblers to Nick Cave. Their music has appeared in the PBS documentary "Seven Sisters: A Kentucky Portrait" and the Oscar-nominated film "Into The Wild." Expect driving dance tunes, haunting ballads, and the kind of music that grabs you by the throat and moves your hips at the same time. - DJ Webbles, Hangover Sessions

Hectorine: “Saltwater,” from Hectorine’s sophomore record, Tears, was the first song to totally and completely charm me from this artist who has become one of my favorite local musicians. It makes sense that a sort of oceanic track was my intro, given that Sarah Gagnon’s music sort of swirls around you in a familiar yet all-encompassing way. It feels connected to the folk and baroque pop music of the 60s but touched with a sort of mysticism and fairytale grandeur. It’s warm, psychedelic, propulsive, and ethereal all at once. Get lost on the lovely waves of Sarah’s first two records via Bay Beats, and make sure you check out her latest, Arrow of Love, too! - Kerri, DIG! ~ *BFF.fm’s TOP 30 LOCAL BANDS OF 2025*

Josiah Flores: Josiah Flores’ album Doin’ Fine blew me away with its raw and vivid storytelling rooted in his Bay Area and Chicano experience. Touching on themes of social justice, identity, family, and redemption, Flores balances vulnerability with moments of joy and humor. I was not surprised to learn during our interview on my radio show that his songwriting grew out of his poetry. Doin’ Fine not only showcases Flores’ growth as a songwriter but also invites deep exploration of its richly textured world. - Cosmic Amanda, Hot Local Singles ~ *BFF.fm’s TOP 30 LOCAL BANDS OF 2025*

✨ Come see Josiah play at our BFF.fm x KSFS fundraiser on May 9 at Neck of the Woods!✨

Ryli: The band is led by Yea-Ming Chen (of Yea-Ming and the Rumours) and Rob Good (of the Goods) and backed by other Bay heavy hitters, which makes sense for why the songs off of their debut record, Come and Get Me, quickly made their way into the BFF.fm charts last year. The vocals are airy, the guitars are hooky, the melodies are kinda perfect. It’s got all the defining characteristics of a classic Bay Area record, and we can call that another win for Dandy Boy! - Trevor Schock, Schock Treatment *BFF.fm TOP 30 LOCAL BANDS OF 2025*

R.E. Seraphin: On Fool's Mate, there's more bang for your buck, more layered ghostly vox, more on point production harkening back to the majestic waterfalls of Motown's hey day wrapped up in a cool box of feeling Minnesota and looking Richmond to Santa Clara (it doesn't rhyme so shoot me). Rock on in the best way possible. - Steve Foxx, Wake the F Up! *BFF.fm’s TOP 30 LOCAL BANDS OF 2024*

Secret Emchy Society: Oakland-based Cindy Emch, often referred to as the Godmother of Queer Country, heads up this always-evolving lineup of Bay Area and Canadian artists to bring some good ole country tunes infected with a dash of punk ethos and a big dose of rabble-rousing, good-time-having inclusive energy. Tunes range from energetic foot stompers (I Get Drunk, Everything Was Fine), to bittersweet ballads (Howlin’ Sober At the Moon, The Chaser). - DJ ShortyRock, WTFIFL ~ Listen to Emchy on WTFIFL!

Yama Uba: Oakland post-punk/new wave icons Yama Uba cast a dark purple glow across the Bay Area, lending a gothic shimmer to our independent music scene. Their darkwave sound is melodic, moody, and deeply inclusive, inviting the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to swim in echoes of 80s goth clubs. In the words of Akiko Sampson, “We’re living in a time of increasing isolation and fear-mongering. Making and appreciating art puts our focus back on the human spirit, which defies authoritarian thinking, and frees our minds to imagine better ways of being.” - DJ B-Rated, Sunday Screeches ~ Read the full interview!

Cardboard People: On Tigress Lane [one of our faves featured on Bay Beats!], Cardboard People take a mutli-planetary voyage making stops along the way to explore the matters of life - real AND virtual. This super fun, funky, and reflective album has something for everyone. - Apple Gomez, Baydream ~ *BFF.fm’s TOP 30 LOCAL BANDS OF 2024*

above me: The striking thing about this self-titled album is how much it sounds like a kaleidoscope of familiar sounds while bringing new elements to that classic shoegaze sound. For a genre so reliant on noise to generate feeling and emotions rather than lyrical content, the choices in production instrumentation on this album really push the boundaries and allow for the listeners to imagine a place where shoegaze doesn't just need to emulate the sounds of the past. - DJ Swirving, audiosyncrasies *BFF.fm’s TOP 30 LOCAL BANDS OF 2025*

Grooblen: Always the funnest and freakiest, both live and recorded, when it comes to San Francisco bands, Grooblen is the "first one" I think of. Listen to their music on Bay Beats, then come to their shows not only to step outside yourself and dance with your skeleton, but to see whichever bands they're sharing a bill with…because whoever they cross-pollenate with is sure to bee great! - Alexi Belchere, BFF.fm volunteer *BFF.fm’s TOP 30 LOCAL BANDS OF 2025*

Marika Christine: Buckle up, baby, for some truly lovely tunes. Marika’s debut album, Soft Like an Apricot, available to stream on Bay Beats, is endlessly charming, poignant, and nostalgic. Returning to it is like stepping back into a warm daydream. I loved learning all about it at our listening party, where Marika shared a little bit about the inspiration behind each song. Great news: Marika’s got a new record coming out soon!

✨ Come here Marika's new album at theTotal Accord x BFF.fm show at El Rio on June 4!  ✨

Ssleeping DesiresS: Gothy electronic darkwave and post-punk founded by Bay Area native Gabriel Ramos holds its own next to gothic icons like The Cure or even local goth legends of yesteryear The Vanishing. Gabriel is not only the founder but the primary and consistent member over the years. Sounds range from moody and dirge-like (I would play PIECE W BELLS alongside the funeral march from the Clockwork Orange soundtrack) to boppy and energetic (yet still somehow goth AF; see LABOR or INTERIOR LIVES). Now that he is performing live again, it is definitely time to explore his past catalog (and stay tuned for what comes next). - DJ ShortyRock, WTFIFL

…AND SO, SO, SO MANY MORE! Like, seriously, there's so much good music on Bay Beats! Check out ALL of the artists and albums to find your favorites and something new. It’s a great way to listen locally and support our library, too!