New desert power plant could ease stress of continued San Onofre shutdown
Dave Rice 7:17 a.m., May 20
Everyone's a Critic
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Memphis, by Boz Scaggs
The first time I saw Boz Scaggs perform live was at the Matrix club in San Francisco in the early ’60s. Scaggs and another unknown, the future "gangster of love," Steve Miller, were fronting a ...
Let's go crazy: Prince packs 'em in at the Hard Rock Hotel
When Prince sang the words “let’s go crazy” during the third of his four Hard Rock Hotel shows, was he talking about the people who forked over an eye-widening $250 a ticket? Was he referring ...
Ladies and gentlemen, the Rolling Stones!
Iconic rock band the Rolling Stones continues to defy the odds with their ability to seemingly turn back the hands of time. After 50 years, they continue to fill arenas, ignite crowds, and deliver Satisfaction ...
Phoenix's Bankrupt!
Phoenix's 2009 album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, was a commercial and critical hit. It brought the French band to the world stage. This year, fresh off a headlining spot at Coachella, they keep up the pace ...
Gaslight Anthem brings the '59 Sound to Belly Up
"You can tell Gayle if she calls, that I'm famous now for all of these rock and roll songs," sang Brian Fallon. "And even if that's a lie, she should've given me a try," he ...
Beth Orton's Sugaring Season
“Alive, alive, alive, alive/ Alive, alive, alive, alive-o/ Alive-o,” she finishes. And if that sounds too simple, remember it’s shorn of her melody. Remember, too, that after Boston, after Waco (again), after Washington D.C. (why ...
Comedown Machine, by the Strokes
When The Strokes released Is This It in 2001, it wasn't uncommon to hear them proclaimed as the saviors of modern rock ’n’ roll. Their sound was gritty and focused but also loose and impossibly ...
The Evens dig deep at the Irenic
The Evens, a D.C.-based duo of Ian MacKaye (formerly of Minor Threat and Fugazi) and Amy Farina (formerly of the Warmers) performed a lively, powerful set at the Irenic, playing several songs from their debut, ...
The Terror by Flaming Lips
What does a Flaming Lips album written and recorded in a matter of days sound like circa 2013? Pretty much as one would expect: loose, psychedelic, jam-heavy, and LOUD! For all the complaints leveled at ...
Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds bloom at the Balboa
Nick Cave's shadow bounced across the wall, resembling a black skeleton dancing a jig, while he wailed about a mofo named "Stagger Lee." Alongside his band the Bad Seeds, Cave tore through a two-hour set ...
Ride Your Heart, by Bleached
The Clavin sisters, members of L.A.-based indie act Mika Miko, have released their first album as Bleached. Jennifer (vocals/guitar) and Jessica (guitar) can affect deep, raw feeling as well as a cheery summer vibe through ...
Mindbending Mexicali
Musicians and fans from around the globe descended upon Mexicali for Baja Prog 2013 lured by the possibility of aural utopia. This international festival brought out many musical giants in the progressive-music world, including the ...
Afraid of Heights, by Wavves
The first quarter of 2013 has brought with it strong releases from the likes of Jim James, Foxygen, Serengeti, and Atoms for Peace, yet perhaps none catchier than the latest record from San Diego pop-punk ...
Cult of Living Colour rocks Belly Up
The last time I saw Living Colour was a clip of them performing on the Arsenio Hall Show. They played “Cult of Personality” and tore down the house. Arsenio was elated. This was the late ...
The Specials set the ska bar high at House of Blues
The music, the people watching, and dancing side-by-side to the propulsive classic ska of the Specials at a packed House of Blues performance took listeners back to the 2 Tone ska scene of the late ...
Denitia and Sene: His and Hers
Denitia, a modern-day folkie from Texas, and Sene, a neo-classicist NYC rapper, met by accident and began recording together almost on a whim. They’ve since forged an unlikely union, but the result is nothing like ...
