Mary had a little lamb a la Tchaikovsky
Garrett Harris 10:11 p.m., May 23
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Stories by Jay Allen Sanford
Crushing the Eighties
Singer/songwriter Scott Wilson is building an online archive covering three decades’ worth of music.
Regrouping: Spinoff bands from the Screamin’ YeeHaws
With the Reader’s local-music database now topping 3200 bands, 1000 MP3s, and over 8100 musicians, several new bands (and a few reunited ensembles) will soon be competing for your dollars and downloads. Cowpunk singer Nick ...
Brian Holwerda Gets Weird
"Blackout Party came together a few years back as a bluesy, unplugged, acoustic-folk project,” says singer/guitarist Brian Holwerda. “The ‘Blackout’ was actually a reference to us playing without electricity at the time. We’ve since morphed ...
Record-Release Roundup
The new full-length from Timothy H, Loved or Hated But Never Ignored, drops Saturday, September 1, at 710 Beach Club in P.B. “Attendees can expect banging beats with ripping punk-rock guitars,” says H, “along with ...
Hullabaloo Raises a Ruckus
“The best thing about performing for kids is how much pure joy we see on a daily basis,” says Steve Denyes of children’s music duo Hullabaloo. “Kids are so free and uninhibited, they just dance ...
Hargo Won a Was
“We just won a huge battle of the bands called ‘Gimme the Gig,’” says soulful world-rocker Hargo, whose self-named band scored a music video and recording session with celeb producer Don Was as part of ...
Canobliss Becomes Psychothermia for Legal Reasons
“Samson Pedroza packed his bags in the middle of a tour and decided to leave the band,” recalls Canobliss drummer Mike Russo, who says he and three other members of the O.B.-based hard-rock band have ...
Marc Intravaia Saw Jimi
Interview with guitarist Marc Intravaia, who was unimpressed with Jimi Hendrix at one time.
Record-Release Roundup
Stick Figure launches their full-length Burial Ground at 710 Beach Club on July 28. “We’ll have some limited-edition T-shirts,” says Scott Woodruff, who recorded the album with reggae singer Half Pint and longtime musical co-conspirator ...
Pink TV
“In each episode of Hospitality Budget, we’ll take a band that’s on tour, cook them great food, make them great drinks, and take them to do something in San Diego they wouldn’t normally get the ...
Miki Vale: Rapper, Scrabble Gamer, Lover of Cats
Rapper/songstress believes wasting time is ancestral treason. She also has a mean Scrabble game.
We Got the Con
During Comic-Con’s July 11-15 run, music-related events will be held all around town. Here’s a list.
Record-Release Roundup
When the Nervous Wreckords launch Let Them All Talk at the Casbah on June 30, frontman Brian Karscig promises “Surprises. We always have a couple up our sleeves that you’ll have to be there to ...
Solo Together
‘We’re a song-oriented harmony duo, with a little spin on the ball,” says Sven-Erik Seaholm, who, with wife Brooke Mackintosh, is one half of Seaholm Mackintosh. “I guess you could call it indie acoustic, with ...
The Clarkson Trio
“For San Diego musicians, Rob Crow and Jason Mraz are pretty prolific and well-known,” says Grant Clarkson, “but neither of them has already put out three albums this year.” The multi-instrumentalist explains that his disparate ...
Mario Escovedo on Balboa Park, Moths, and Mowgli
Mario Escovedo, a Dragon unashamed to stand up for the Carpenters.
Longtime Tranny Dream
Brian Karscig of the Nervous Wreckords always wanted to put a transsexual on the cover of one of his albums.
New San Diego Bands and Reunions
Summer promises a bumper crop of new local band launches, as well several notable reunions. Eighties garage band Mystery Machine reunited in early May to record four tunes with Carl Rusk, Ray Brandes, Mark Zadarnowski, ...
J.D. Boucharde Would Like a Few Words with George W.
Interview with J.D. Boucharde, music teacher and no fan of American Idol.
The Acoustic-Schlock Therapy of Jeffrey Joe Morin
Guitarist Jeffrey Joe Morin describes his performances as “Generally genre non-specific. I archive, treasure, and exhibit 20th-century American-standard songs of love, romance, and dramatic introspection.”
Emotional Strings
“I’ve written songs that metaphorically address what happened to my dad,” says Retox mainman Justin Pearson, who was 12 when his father was assaulted, robbed, and died during a 1987 altercation with patrons he’d met ...
Randy Lane's Unreal Job
‘I was inspired to write the song after seeing Ron Paul’s appearance on the Jay Leno show earlier this year,” says singer/songwriter Randy Lane, aka Ran Diego, of his recently recorded tune “Ode to Ron ...
Sorry, Beliebers
“The Elvis video was a surprise to me and everyone,” says 20-year-old Sean Patrick Malone, whose YouTube cover of “Jailhouse Rock” has already racked up 1.8 million views since he uploaded it in mid-March. “Once ...
Record-Release Roundup
The release party for Dawn Mitschele’s EP Love Remains happens Friday, April 27, at Mueller College in University Heights. “I chose this venue because I got my start at Twiggs across the street before they ...
A Scribe Amidst the Lions Will Write Whatever They Want to Write
Singer/guitarist Kris Towne describes the music of A Scribe Amidst the Lions as “an adventure. You never know where we’re going to go next. Oftentimes we don’t even know. Think Fugazi and Pink Floyd writing ...
Mario Quintero and Black Box Studio
Even if you haven’t heard of Mario Quintero’s bands Sleep Lady (whose bassist is his wife, Sarah Quintero) and Hialeah, if you’re a San Diego music fan, you probably own something produced at his Black ...
San Diego's Long Tradition of Comedic Music
“The cool thing about performing funny songs is that you know immediately if the audience is enjoying the tune based on their laughter,” says rapper/rocker Rob Deez. “They’ll be laughing so hard at one line ...
Sue Palmer, Queen of Boogie Woogie
Long-anointed the Queen of Boogie Woogie, Sue Palmer got her first taste of fame while touring the world with blues-diva Candye Kane, even if she didn’t connect the dots with her own rising celebrity. “I ...
Record-Release Roundup
On March 30, Hills Like Elephants will play a release party at the Soda Bar for their debut full-length Endless Charade (Requiemme Records/BMG Chrysalis). “It’s a heart-on-sleeve concept album about girl troubles that plays like ...
Badass Fish
“I’ve been wanting to play this music since I learned how to play guitar and was listening to my uncle Jarrod’s punk bands. I was only 13,” says former Atoms/Watusis bassist Branden Parish, whose new ...
Folding Mr. Lincoln at Rebecca’s
When married-duo Harry and Nancy Mestyanek launched Folding Mr. Lincoln in 2006, the plan was a gentle country-roots ensemble. “Though we continue to evolve as a band and to develop musically,” says Harry, “I feel ...
Plague of Kittens
We asked a dozen local musicos the best and worst things about their neighborhoods. Mark Haemmerle (Starcrossed): “Clairemont is conveniently located and has cheaper rent, but it’s kinda ghetto, and we have neighbors with big ...
Carl Durant Lied About the CDs
Originally from Belgium, Sorrento Valley–based singer/guitarist Carl Durant relocated to San Diego in 2002 to take a job with a newly founded electronics firm. “Once I discovered the open-mic nights, I started turning up more ...
Record-Release Roundup
Manganista will debut their new single “Old Grey” on Friday, March 2, at the Ruby Room. “Manga has been on hiatus for the past three years due to our bass player moving to the Middle ...
Leap Year, Baby
“After six years, we switched out some members and just lost momentum,” says Adam Gimbel of Rookie Card, who’ll play their first full RC set in four years at La Mesa’s Riviera Supper Club on ...
Carl Durant's Belgian Connection
During Belgian singer-songwriter Milow’s February residency at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood (which ends February 29), he performed at a February 9 pre-Grammy party at the Belgian consul’s residence in L.A., along with local singer/guitarist Carl ...
Keith Milgaten Is Pre-Madonna
Keith Milgaten cofounded Vision of a Dying World with his brother Jackson while the two were growing up in Las Vegas. After the duo moved to San Diego in 2006 and hooked up with local ...
The C Word
“This town is full of musical cancer survivors,” says singer/songwriter Laura Roppé, wishing blues belter Candye Kane a full recovery from her latest cancer diagnosis. Kane, whose first bout with pancreatic cancer began in early ...
Classically Hip Grant Clarkson
“It’s almost impossible to make a living playing original music in San Diego, but there are other ways a player can make money,” says bassist Grant Clarkson. “Look at all the musical theater and opera ...
Chris Leyva & Black Cherry
“I have a new covers album called 1957 that’s mixed and done,” says busy Blizzard frontman Chris Leyva, who plans to release a new solo CD on Valentine’s Day. His 2008 solo debut, Singled Out, ...
Jolt ’N’ Joe’s Showcase Shame
“Jolt ’N’ Joe’s downtown canceled all entertainment, which included every band night and a comedy night,” says Lenny Morris of his now-defunct residency at that venue every other Wednesday. “It was a real surprise. I ...
Record-Release Roundup
Heavy Hawaii will play a release party for their three-song 7-inch “Superbowl XXIX” (Art Fag Recordings) on Saturday, January 28, at M-Theory Music on Washington Street, beginning at 6 p.m. Tim Flack’s full-length The Bridge ...
