Photograph by Miller Hawkins

LA Edwards

Local company Bitchin’ Sauce started selling its wares at local farmers markets before expanding operations to become a national sauce brand. The firm recently launched its own music label, with distribution arranged through Universal Music Group. Bitchin’ Music Group says it’s focused on developing established and up-and-coming artists across the Americana, country, and rock genres. They released their first record this month, Blessings From Home by L.A. Edwards, comprised of Julian-raised brothers Luke (vocals, guitar), Harry (drums), and Jay Edwards (keys), along with Alex Vo (lead guitar). According to their Bitchin’ press release, “The band imparts graceful Laurel Canyon songcraft on groove-driven rock with sun-soaked twang.” The confessional and personal nature of the tracks are evident in song titles such as “My Heart Broke,” “Nothin’ Like You,” and “What You Mean To Me.” Recording was done at Bear Creek Studio in Washington with producer Ryan Hadlock (Lumineers, Vance Joy, Foo Fighters), drummer Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and a fellow former Heartbreaker, San Diego bassist Ron Blair, who produced the L.A. Edwards album True Blue in Carlsbad circa 2017.

Hargo

The new track from Hargo, “Breathe,” is inspired by the teachings of Gurucharan Singh Khalsa. “Late this summer,” he says, “I reconnected with a longtime friend of mine who is a well-known Breath Work & Kundalini Yoga pioneer who taught yoga and mindfulness at M.I.T. in Boston for years. Through an unusual series of events, we started talking again, and this idea came up for me to create piece of music to accompany a new breath series he was creating around the Breath of Fire - rapid inhale and exhale through the nose while pumping the navel - which is staple Pranayama [breathing practice] of many kinds of yoga, including Kundalini Yoga, the stuff I grew up doing since childhood.” Although he says it was an odd request, “I found myself with the time and space to devote to something new. So I said yes, started playing around with some loops, and several days later this track ‘Breathe’ emerged. It’s a deep dive into the cosmos, within and without, and a great way to connect to your breath…I particularly loved getting to use Bhol’s speaking/chanting the tabla percussion rhythm ‘Dha ge tirkit Dha Dha’ in the track. Takes me right back to my roots studying classical Indian music at boarding school in India.”

Matt Cameron

Matt Cameron grew up in San Diego, appearing on the soundtrack of the 1978 cult movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes by singing the track “Puberty Love” (a song which makes the titular tomatoes explode). After graduating Bonita Vista High School, he played with the group Fault Line with Glenn Slater, who later moved to Seattle, Washington, and invited Cameron up to visit. After moving to Seattle himself in 1983, Cameron played with Feedback and Skin Yard, before replacing Soundgarden drummer Scott Sundquist in 1986. After Soundgarden split in 1997, he joined Pearl Jam, replacing Jack Irons. Cameron recently launched a new project called Nighttime Boogie Association with Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. The first two songs they wrote, recorded, and produced are now available via their own Keep It Trippy Records label. “Long in the Tooth” was written by Hawkins (lyrics) and Cameron (music) and features Cameron on guitar, bass, and drum machine and Hawkins on lead vocal, drum fills, percussion, and keyboards. Cameron wrote the music and lyrics for “The Path We’re On” and also plays drums, guitar, and vocals. Hawkins performs the drum intro, as well as lead vocals and keyboards. The latter song also features Melvins members Buzz Osborne on guitar and Steven McDonald on bass.

Shane Hall

Blues, soul, and Americana artist Shane Hall (The Klay) spent several years fronting Shane Hall & the Diabolicals before going solo. Among the influences he cites are Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, and Alice in Chains. A 2018 single “Tomorrow” was promoted with a video treatment co-created by Oceanside’s Cinematic Art and Sound, and he also appeared at that year’s Kaaboo Festival. His song “Under My Voodoo” is among more than 30 never-before-released acoustic covers that have been added to the compilation album The House That Bradley Built. The Deluxe Edition of the record includes over 50 covers from the catalog of Bradley Nowell’s band Sublime, available January 15 on all streaming platforms and as a three-disc CD set. Profits from the album will go to the Nowell Family Foundation to help build Bradley’s House, an opioid abuse treatment facility in Southern California named in honor of late Sublime frontman. Other locals on the compilation include Pepper, 40 Oz. to Freedom, Iration, E.N. Young, Buck-O-Nine, and Hirie.

BJ Jezbera

Singer/songwriter BJ Jezbera, who comes from Chula Vista, released his album Go Folk Yourself in 2013 via Mannequin Vanity Records. During the summer of the pandemic, he began streaming a YouTube performance show that he at first called The 15 Minute BJ, but later retooled as Sunday Sessions With BJ Jezbera, which he’s been doing every week since September. His channel also includes older concert footage with his band the Bad Mother Folkers at area venues such as the Salty Frog, Tipsy Crow, and Himmelberg’s. Live covers include tracks by the Stray Cats (“Rock This Town”), Johnny Cash (“Folsom Prison Blues”), and fellow locals Blink 182 (“All the Small Things”). A new music video for his single “Best Amigos” debuted December 18, featuring guest singer-guitarist Jakovich Skolnick from Quel Bordel. In addition, a recent Skrewball-themed livestream performance is archived for viewing online. “Surprisingly, I’m not as drunk as you’d expect following a livestream sponsored by Skrewball Whiskey,” Jezbera posted after the taping. “I guess this is growing up.” A mariachi punk-inspired EP is due on January 8.