As the co-host of "Forum" on KQED Public Radio and a writer for the Atlantic, journalist Alexis Madrigal often reports on big ideas and urgent stories that affect the Bay Area and the world. But in his spare time, he loves running, gardening, and 70’s funk and disco. In our latest episode, Alexis talks about a wide-ranging selection of five tunes he holds dear from his past and present—from P-Funk, to Norwegian Jazz, to Latin Hip-Hop. Along the way, we’ll learn about how his Dad’s record collection got him through his post-college malaise, the song that gets him in a book-writing mood, and his ..read more

February 2024 marks five whole years since Bar Shiru first opened to the public, and we are eternally grateful for the creative partnership of its owners, Dan Gahr and Shirin Raza Gahr. To mark this special occasion, we gathered a few Select Five friends and supporters to the bar and recorded our very first episode in front of a live audience ..read more

We're honored to kick off 2024 with the esteemed Cheryl Dunye, a world-renowned filmmaker and director of episodic television. Cheryl's work includes the groundbreaking 1996 film The Watermelon Woman, which is part of the permanent cinema collection at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and was added to the Criterion Collection in 2023. She's also directed episodes of The Umbrella Academy, Bridgerton, and Queen Sugar, among many other shows. Born in Liberia and raised in Philly, Cheryl is now rooted in the Town’s vibrant filmmaking community, having founded Jingletown Films, an Oakland-based prod ..read more

We made it through another challenging year and we couldn't be happier! From forced career changes to grieving the death of a pet, 2023 was a real struggle. But now that it's mostly in the rear view mirror, we can look back fondly at some of the musical highlights that kept us afloat. Brian's Selections: 5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Nadja" 4. El Michaels Affair + Black Thought - "The Weather" 3. The Beatles - "For No One" 2. Muddy Waters - "She’s Alright" 1. De La Soul - "Trying People" Kate's Selections: 5. Electric Light Orchestra - "Mr. Blue Sky" 4. Sylvan Esso - "Ferris Wheel" 3. Olivia ..read more

It's time to deepen your disco knowledge with Patrick Lotilla, aka DJ Patrick. As a resident DJ at Bar Part Time in San Francisco, a key team member of Bar Shiru, where he curates records a couple of nights a week, and a co-founder of the Brouhaha party series that brought world class DJ talent to the Bay Area, Patrick is a big presence in the local nightlife scene. And his taste in dance music is vast and eclectic. In this episode we focus on five of his favorite rare grooves from the late 70s to early 80s. Hear Patrick talk about some of his producer/DJ heros, the threads between Philly Soul ..read more

OPM, an acronym for Original Pilipino Music or Original Pinoy Music, is a term once used to describe pop ballads and other popular music styles originating from the Philippines starting in the late '70s. Since then, OPM has become a catchall phrase for music of any genre produced by Filipinos from around the world. And it's a subject Eduardo Daza Taylor IV (aka, ET IV) knows a lot about, as a Fil-Am DJ and visual artist whose creativity is often fueled by the sights and sounds from the Philippines and the diasporas. Eduardo is the founder of ASTIG Sound, an independent label and collective tha ..read more

You asked, we answered -- so in honor of Valentine's Day we've got nothing but silly love songs for all your love problems! Inspired by the call-in radio shows of her youth in Barbados, Chef Sarah Kirnon serves up an eclectic stew of R&B and Brit new wave pop classics from the '70s and '80s as dedications to the listeners who submitted questions about their love lives. And since we got more than five questions, this episode contains some BONUS tracks! Sarah's Selections: 1. One Hundred Ways - James Ingram/Quincy Jones (1981) 2. How Deep Is Your Love - The Bee Gees (1977) 3. Time (Clock of ..read more

As we round the corner into 2023, it’s time for our annual end-of-year catch-up with Team Select Five! Hear Pam, Brian & Kate reflect on the most memorable albums, songs, concerts, films, books and other musical moments that spoke to them in 2022. Brian's Selections: Phoenix - “Ti Amo” (2017) Slum Village - “The Look of Love, Pt. 1”/Dilla Time (book) by Dan Charnas (2022) The Foreign Exchange - “Come Around” (2004) Lewis Taylor - “Nearer”/NUMB (2022) Nas - “30”/King’s Disease III (2022) Kate's Selections: Fievel is Glauque - “Save the Phenomenon”/Flaming Swords (2022) Moonage Daydream - Br ..read more

Put on your coziest pajamas and kick back with this episode featuring Wired Magazine Senior Editor Michael Calore, who shares five optimum snoozytime songs from his vast library of sleep music. From gentle jazz and folk tunes, to album-length single track compositions for deep relaxation, these songs are not only mellow enough to bring on easy sleep, but also enhance the sleep you get because they offer some unique and imaginative stimulation. Michael's Selections: 1. Reflection - Brian Eno (2017) 2. Dream 11 (Whisper Music) - Max Richter's Sleep (2015) 3. Bamboo Rainsticks - Billy Martin (200 ..read more

Oakland-based, Brooklyn-bred Fresh Daily (Mike Richardson) hunkers down with Pam at "Select Five Studios"—AKA, Bar Shiru—to talk about coming up as a young rapper in New York City, finding community in Oakland, and the complicated work of crafting clever rhyme schemes. Listen to Fresh get nerdy about the rap songs that informed his writing process, and the rap songs he makes! Photo courtesy of Robert Cohen Fresh's Selections: 1. Eminem feat. Royce da 5'9 - Bad Meets Evil (1999) 2. Jay-Z - Squeeze First (2000) 3. Madvillain - Meatgrinder (2004) 4. Headwear Discount - Fresh Daily (2022) 5. Team ..read more