The Reader Wants Upcoming Record Release Info

HERE'S THIS WEEK'S NEW Overheard in San Diego

AND THE NEW Famous Former Neighbors

MIKE CLIFT: LOCAL ALBUM COVER ARTIST (Psychotic Waltz, etc.) OPENS NEW TATTOO PARLOR

Artist Mike Clift has drawn gory, zombie-heavy record covers for bands like GutRot, Nocturnus, DiamondHead, and Skinlab. He’s probably best known for his sleeve artwork for long-gone locals Psychotic Waltz, whose drummer Norm Leggio now runs Blue Meannie Records.

On March 15, Clift opened his own tattoo parlor at 7235 El Cajon Boulevard in the College district, right across the street from The Tubs, with a Grand Opening Party that runs from noon until the “wee hours.”

“This new shop features the latest, newest tattoo furniture, inks and after-care products,” says Clift. “We have the coolest jewelry for piercings, the latest in-style flash selections, an art gallery, and of course, the featured artist and venerable old vet: Me.”

Food, drinks and assorted refreshments will be available, plus raffles will be held for ink-time and product. “As fond as I am of talking up my friends and clients to other people, I hope you can all make it out to the Grand Opening…we really are the most professional shop with the most contemporary interior design and furnishings for the comfort of the client. We are comfort and safety oriented, more so than 98% of the other shops.”

Clift explains how he got started in the album cover game. “I used to put my phone number on my flyers, and I got a call about doing [Psychotic Waltz] artwork. They also contacted the infamous artist Pushead, but luckily my design beat his out.”

Clift’s artwork for the cover of PW’s 1990 album A Social Grace paid $250. “They made a bunch of T-shirts, stickers, even a billboard…I charged $500 for the cover of [1992’s] Into the Everflow, and that became my standard price for several years.”

Clift toured Europe with Psychotic Waltz in 1993, receiving equal billing (and equal pay, $100 weekly plus per diem). “I was introduced as a sixth member and doing a lightshow backdrop of cued film clips that I synched up to the songs with a 16mm projector, two slide projectors with four carousels, and a 26-inch ten-speed wheel with colored gels and blockers, so I could do dissolves with the slides. Buddy would introduce me as part of the band…I signed autographs with them, and I even spotted a Psychotic Sun or Red Jester cover tattoo every now and then. Amazing, the power that band had over there. People would follow us from gig to gig, give us HUGE Dutch buds, they’d wave banners; very supportive.”

“I was able to live in Germany for a year, milking it for all it was worth, and thereby got turned on to tattooing from selling my paintings at tattoo conventions. I was literally traveling with a roll of canvas on my back, with a pack full of paints and brushes. I did quite a bit of work over there, 275 paintings and hundreds of little touristy postcards that I would sell wherever I went, little drawings of the place I was in, stuff like that. I was earning my daily bread, and setting up shows and viewings through my contacts as I merrily gallivanting around Northern Europe.”

His work for Psychotic Waltz led to wearing many different career caps. “I worked on the PW stage show and new shirt and merchandise designs, plus I had my own silkscreening business, I was doing covers for Diamondhead and Disbelief, plus I was selling art to a record company in Germany that would use it for their bands. It was a sort of kick for me to find my art in foreign record stores, though some of the bands were stinkers. For the most part, I was earning a living from my art, and that’s all that really mattered to me.”

He says his declining profile after Psychotic Waltz split in the late ‘90s resulted in some imaginative rumors. “Please tell people I didn’t die trapped beneath a German castle, nor have I OD'd on heroin. The sh-t you hear after being gone awhile.”

He describes how he went from Psychotic Waltz covers to drawing the comic book Tipper Gore’s Comics and Stories for Todd Loren’s Hillcrest-based Revolutionary Comics. “I met Todd in 1989 through a guy named Vinnie, who worked in Todd's rock merchandise mail order business, and Todd and I hit it off. His sexual orientation may've played a part in this, as I was young and cute at the time, but he showed a real enthusiasm for my art and told me about his upcoming horror comics that he planned to do, specifically to piss off Tipper Gore.”

“I was all for it, man. I was stoked, because all this was hitting at the same time as Psychotic Waltz for me. He offered me 80 dollars per page, and we wrote the stories together and met quite a bit at his place, or he'd take me out to eat and stuff. He was living in the UTC area back then, and he got kinda weird at home, showing me his safe. He was paying me cash as I turned in each page of artwork, and one time he tricked me into watching a porno tape - yikes! - but please do not think I’m trying to disparage Todd. He was one of the sweetest guys, and very polite and apologetic when he noticed my discomfort. I am so grateful to Providence that he and I connected and had that time. He had a huge hand in launching my career; He licensed a line of t-shirts of my work, he let me do the horror comics, and he brokered a couple painting sales for me. He was awesome. I was bummed when his death occurred.” Loren’s June 1992 murder in Hillcrest remains unsolved.

The 40-ish Clift was for awhile tattooing at local LifeStyle Tattoo. “My partner was Chance from the punk band Cheap Sex,” says Clift. “He's an old Black Market production flyer artist too.”

“These days, I charge $100 an hour for tattoos. I’ve tattooed some Psychotic Waltz imagery on my cousin, but most band tats I do are usually Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, AFI, [and] bands with distinctive artwork and logos.”

“After nearly 20 years of being a metal artist,” says Clift, “I have quite a few stories. One is about Alice in Chains at the Bacchanal...lets just say it involved the late Layne Staley, dope, and a coat hanger.”

SUBURBAN NOIZE & WARPED TOUR FOUNDER PITCHING IN FOR SCOTT RUSSO OF UNWRITTEN LAW - plus an unwritten (until now) Russo tale...........................

Suburban Noize has partnered with Warped Tour's Kevin Lyman to hold a series of online benefit auctions with all proceeds going to the Scott Russo Family Foundation.

Unwritten Law singer Scott Russo lost his family home to a fire late in the evening of Thursday, February 5th 2009. Russo, his parents, his two young sons, and his daughter Cailin all shared the San Diego home. Although no family members were injured, the family lost every piece of their belongings and their beloved pets.

The group is currently seeking items for donation to be auctioned off to help raise money for the Unwritten Law front man, after his family's San Diego home burned down last month. Deadline for donated items is March 31st, 2009 and the online auctions will be launched in April through Lyman's Warped Tour site and the Scott Russo Family Foundation. Items can be sent to:

Suburban Noize Records
c/o Scott Russo Benefit
105 W. Alameda Ave. Suite 230
Burbank, CA 91502

Now, in case you don't happen to KNOW Scott Russo, or know anything about the guy - and even if you DO know him - the below email we got at The Reader last summer will tell you a helluva lot about why Russo is one of our city's most stand-up standout musicos, and why he's earned your kind consideration RE his family's current plight ------

Dear Jay,

My name is Loretta Emery, I was at 91X on Pac Highway from
1992-2001 (Programming Assistant for 91X/ Channel 933 my
last four years there).

My nephew had a stroke on July 18
and was paralyzed on his left side, with minimal paralysis
of his face. They said it was caused by tangled blood vessels in his brain.

He had an emergency microscopic craniotomy and
was in ICU for three days. He was then moved to a private
room on the trauma floor at Mercy hospital for over a week.

Thanks to my friends at Unwritten Law's management, I was
able to get the Scott Russo of Unwritten Law in to see my 20-year
old nephew last Wednesday, July 30. 

Joey was transferred last Friday to Scripp's Encinitas
Rehabilitation Center and has full movement on the left side
of his face, is able to raise his left leg and pull his knee
to his chest. He is also able to raise his left arm and
wiggle his fingers when he concentrates hard enough.

He still has a ways to go before he makes a complete recovery,
but Russo's visit definitely inspired him.

Though I am no longer in radio (but trying to get back in),
I wasn't sure if this was something you wanted to share.
I also included a photo with Russo, Joey and myself.

Thank you for your time.
Loretta Emery

'Kay, 'nuff said - To date over $55,000 has been raised through fan donations, Unite The United Foundation, the San Diego Music Foundation and the sold-out benefit concert a couple of weels ago  at the House of Blues with Jason Mraz, Switchfoot, Timmy Curran, Anya Marina, and Unwritten Law.

Donations for the Russo family can still be made through PayPal or by mailing a check to the address below.

For Pay Pal donations go to www.myspace.com/unwrittenlaw.

For check or money order make donations payable to:
Scott Russo Family Foundation
9200 West Sunset Boulevard, Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90069

YOU CAN HELP LOCAL MUSIC HISTORIAN LOU CURTISS AND HIS PRESERVATION PROJECT 

 Over the course of 40-plus years as a record collector, folk music impresario, record shop owner, columnist, and radio host, Lou Curtiss has been intimately connected with the San Diego folk music scene. For the past four years, Lou has worked with UCLA, the Library of Congress, and the GRAMMY Foundation to preserve his vast library of reel-to-reel tapes of San Diego performances of many of the greats of American Roots Music.

In 2007, Curtiss was awarded $35,128 by the Grammy Foundation Grant Program, to preserve 400 tapes of concert performances.

"It only covers a fraction of my collection, but it's a start," he says. "I got my first reel to reel recorder in 1957, and I have over 8,000 reels of live shows." The Grammy Foundation this year awarded a total of $650,000 to eighteen recipients, to facilitate various music preservation and research projects. The UCLA Library and the Library of Congress will be digital repositories for copies of Curtiss' tapes, which will be accessible to researchers or interested citizens.  

"I taped all twenty years of the San Diego Folk Festival," he says, referencing the annual event he launched at SDSU in 1967, "and a lot of Adams Avenue Roots Festivals. The local events go all the way back to the early sixties, with guys like Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and a Big Joe Williams concert I taped around 1960."

Concerts held at Curtiss' area record stores will also be archived, including at least one early performance by Tom Waits. "Aside from what I taped, I've acquired several collections, including one from a guy who used to follow the Duke Ellington Band and tape them in the fifties."

Curtiss says it's been a challenge, choosing which 400 tapes covering 50 years' worth of concerts to preserve. Surprisingly, however, the oldest tapes aren't his biggest concern.

"The stuff from the sixties and seventies on their original reels hasn't deteriorated much. It's the tapes from the eighties that are fading, [because] they were using inferior quality components. Those are the recordings that need to be saved before they're gone forever."

Many hundreds of reels still need to be digitized and preserved for posterity. Drop by Lou's store and buy some records!!

Where: Old Time Music, 2852 University Avenue

ONE OF OUR ASSASSINS IS MISSING...

 "The first concert I ever saw was Assassin, at a little hard rock club in La Mesa, and my ears rang for days," says Deep Shag Records founder Michael Reed. "I ended up working there, but the place caved-in to liquor, curfew, and child labor laws, and I ended up taking over promotional duties and running the fan club for Assassin instead."

 During the mid-eighties, Assassin opened for headliners like Poison, Alcatrazz, Grim Reaper, Precious Metal, and local metalheads Riot. 

Reed contacted former band members and discovered an unreleased Assassin album, recorded in 1984, which he hopes to issue on Deep Shag this year. "This is a lost rock classic that can now lay claim to its rightful place in music history," says Reed. "Assassin were balls-out rockers in the same vein as Ratt, Rough Cutt, and Jake E. Lee. The band was legendary at home, respected overseas, and now they're finally getting some long overdue attention"

The earliest Assassin recording, however, remains elusive. "According to the guys in band, the first song they taped was called 'What's That,' which was played almost exclusively on KGB radio, mostly likely by Pat Martin on Metal Shop or by Jim McInnes on the Homegrown show. The problem is that nobody seems to have a copy. It's the only studio-recorded song Assassin ever did that I don't have for the reissue, and I'd like to include it."  

  Calling itself "the label that refuses to sit quietly in one section of your collection," Deep Shag's catalog also includes a compilation featuring local metal band Stress, covering their entire career from 1983 through 1987.

Stress was originally formed in 1983 by bassist Josquin des Pres and singer/guitarist Mike Thomas. The secondary guitar position was manned by Tim Nicholson until 1985, when he was replaced by Rough Cutt's Jimmy Crespo, who'd been Aerosmith's temporary guitarist while Joe Perry was estranged from that band. Various drummers came and went throughout the group's history, including Leroy Vega, formerly of Reed's protogees Assassin.

 Stress earned regular bookings at high profile L.A. clubs like Madame Wong's, FM Station and The Troubadour, and their shows were attended by Sunset Strip scenesters like Billy Sheehan, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge of Whitesnake and Michael Jackson's groundbreaking female guitarist Jennifer Batten.

   The band never managed to attract major label attention, even after moving toward power pop in 1987, and the lack of success contributed to their eventual breakup.  

Reed is still searching for the long-lost Assassin track and invites tipsters to contact him at [email protected]. "It's worth a free autographed copy of the album when it finally comes out," says Reed.

 LOCAL MUSIC HISTORIAN'S NEW FACEBOOK TREE 

"I'm working on a new Facebook page called 1980s San Diego Metal Bands Tree Project," says longtime local musician Gavin O'Hara. "I thought it'd be fun to do, since I've already reconnected with a number of musicians I used to play with back in those days through Facebook and MySpace."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 The online tree project is a modernized version of Peter Frame's early 1990s books Complete Rock Family Trees and More Rock Family Trees. "What I did was create a genealogy tree template, and I re-use it for every version of a band. In other words, for every time a band member left or joined a band, a new pedigree chart or page is created, to reflect the final or current line-ups."

Facebook users can provide additions or corrections to ongoing tree charts. "Eventually," says O'Hara, "I'd like to hyperlink all the pages together, making it even more interactive."

 Over the last eight months, the number of American adults who have updated their online status via Facebook and other social networking sites has nearly doubled, according to a recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The number rose to eleven percent in December 2008, up from six percent the previous May.

O'Hara began playing locally in 1980, with bands like Noizy Toyz, Sabotage, Black Diamond, Street Liegel, and others regularly seen at long-gone venues like My Rich Uncle's, Lakeside's Rockin' Hall, Rio's in Point Loma, Club Mirage in Mission Valley, and the old Spirit club (now Brick by Brick).

"I first saw Teazer with [future Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Jake E. Lee in 1979," says O'Hara, "and I've always been intrigued and inspired by San Diego's early hard rock and heavy metal. Those bands had their own unique style, energy, sound, and culture. And, let's face it, the outrageous stage attire was probably the most unique part of the scene."

http://www.facebook.com/pages/1980s-San-Diego-Metal-Bands-Tree-Project/33950299354

The READER wants info about RECORD RELEASES AND UPCOMING RECORD RELEASE EVENTS! And we want to INTERVIEW the performers - rather than just print the when/where/how-much-will-it-cost-me, our new column includes quotes from the band at hand, why Reader readers should checkitout, what yer up to, and maybe we'll ask a stupid question that gets a great answer - been known to happen! Have you READ our paper????

So SEND ME ANY AND ALL info about upcoming record releases (and about the upcoming record, 'natch), here or at [email protected], and I'll get back to you with a query or three. The writeups run in both the print edition and online, and all are eligible for the daily spotlights, etc --
JAS

 CATHRYN BEEKS' WEEKLY LISTEN LOCAL HOTSHEET

 Wednesday 3/11 - Backstage at The Bitter End featuring 8:00 Jen Knight, 8:30 Eric James Polyn, 9:00 Bigfellas, 10:00 Roxy Monoxide, 11:00 Hugh Gaskins and G String Daddies. NO COVER!

The Castners are packing up and heading to Texas and they have some stuff to unload before they leave.  A Gretsch Hollow Body Historic Series Model G3161, with case, 2 humbucker pickups - $600 firm; Two Yamaha BR12M 2 way system monitors (12") - bought in Sept. 08 and used ONCE! - $200 each; Three Yamaha SM15V 2 way system monitors (15") - bought in Sept. 08 and used ONCE! - $300 each  Contact Amy for photos and/or info

 Ed Decker presents VERSUS at O'Connell's Saturday March 14th.  This show features San Diego bands trying to outrock LA bands, fun!  Our bands are d*Frost and Behind the Wagon so we got it in the bag.  For more info visit Edwindecker.com 

 From Hilary's blog "cathryn beeks, christopher dale, and matt silvia will all be playing a benefit at the bareback grill downtown on saturday, march 28th. it's a benefit for 6 year old warrior ian mcfarland of carlsbad. see, his folks were both killed in a car accident last year, and he suffered traumatic brain injury in the accident too. luckily, his little brother and sister were ok. now their aunt and grandma are taking care of them, and ian needs lots of physical, occupational, and speech therapy, among other things. his goal right now is to surf and snowboard again. wanna help? c'mon down to the bareback grill, 624 E street downtown, saturday night march 28th between 6pm and 2am for good food, good stuff to win in the raffle, and good music - all for a good cause! only $5 to get in and all of the money goes directly to ian. more info about the "ian will surf again" benefit in the coming weeks!

www.myspace.com/cathrynbeeksordeal 
MORE CATHRYN BEEKS ON THE READER SITE: Musician Interviews (Dec. 30, 2004), 
Musician Interviews (April 5, 2007), Blurt (March 26, 2008), 
Hometown CD Review (Oct. 15, 2008) 
 
CATHRYN BEEKS MP3S: 
Desert Music - Add to playlist 
Drive America - Add to playlist 
Good To Be - Add to playlist 
Keep Walking - Add to playlist 
www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/cathryn-beeks-ordeal
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WHO'S ON LATE NIGHT TV THIS WEEK???

LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS

Th 3/12: Paul Teutul Sr., the Broadway cast of "West Side Story"
Fr 3/13: Will Ferrell, Cursive

Mo 3/16: Nicolas Cage, Rachel Maddow
Tu 3/17: Julia Roberts, Bell X1
We 3/18: Craig Ferguson, Modest Mouse

THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC

Th 3/12: Dwayne Johnson, Heather Headley
Fr 3/13: Kara Dioguardi, Randy Travis

Mo 3/16: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jim Norton, Randy Rogers Band
Tu 3/17: Portia de Rossi, D.L. Hughley, Soundtrack of our Lives
We 3/18: Reese Witherspoon, Keith Olbermann, Naturally 7
Th 3/19: Teri Hatcher, John Cena, Kelly Clarkson
Fr 3/20: Seth Rogan, Guy Fieri, Chris Cornell

LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON, CBS

Th 3/12: Jim Parsons, Sara Bareilles
Fr 3/13: Christina Ricci, Mike Birbiglia

Mo 3/16: Regis Philbin, the Upper Crust
Tu 3/17: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dropkick Murphys
We 3/18: Steven Wright, Rashida Jones

LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON, NBC

Th 3/12: Tracy Morgan, Malin Akerman, Glen Hansard
Fr 3/13: Jarod Miller, Trace Adkins

Mo 3/16: Gary Sinise, Colin Hanks, Public Enemy
Tu 3/17: Bill Paxton, the Ting Tings
We 3/18: Clive Owen, Paul Teutul Sr., Vampire Weekend
Th 3/19: Jaime Pressly, Steven Ward, Eric Church
Fr 3/20: Jason Segel

LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY, NBC

Th 3/12: Ken Jeong, Delta Spirit (Performing their single "People C'Mon" on Daly's outdoor stage, for an audience of around 300)
Fr 3/13: TBA

Mo 3/16: T.I., Sam Sparro (R 2/9/09)
Tu 3/17: Josh Flitter
We 3/18: Kid Cudi
Th 3/19: TBA
Fr 3/20: Masi Oka, the Duke Spirit

Mo 3/23: Adele (R 2/10/09)

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART, Comedy Central

Th 3/12: Crazy Stock Trader

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, ABC

Th 3/12: David Hasselhoff, Eliza Dushku, Pendulum
Fr 3/13: Kristin Stewart, Dwayne Johnson, the Dream

Mo 3/16: Don Rickles, Regis Philbin, Ben Sollee (R 2/24/09)
Tu 3/17: The latest "Dancing with the Stars" castoff, Chandra Wilson, Young Dubliners
We 3/18: Andy Samberg, Ashley Scott, MSTRKRFT
Th 3/19: Megan Mullally, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, the Duke Spirit
Fr 3/20: Portia de Rossi, John Cena

MICHAEL PAGE GOES 3D

Though best known for his stint with Iggy Pop (1979 to 1984), bassist Michael Page has also performed and recorded with David Bowie, Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis, and New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain, with whom he formed the band Criminals.

"Iggy introduced me to Johnny Depp around '92," says the Kearny High graduate (1968), "and Johnny put me in charge of throwing a band together with him, the Vipers. However, that project ended up clashing with his movie shooting, so that's when I bailed on live road gigs, in favor of working at home, scoring for films."

Page - who grew up in North Park - lives near Banker's Hill and works for a local visual production firm, PassmoreLab, where he converts standard photos, film, and video into 3D.

A horror-themed music video was just shot in 3D for the song "Magnetic Baby" by Semi Precious Weapons, featuring "taxidermy and glam ghouls spewing metallic body fluids," according to Page.

"We chose the east coast-underground band Semi Precious Weapons because the frontman Justin is so full of energy and so animated that it just screams 3D. Top that off with some of the best music out there today, and there you have it. They seemed to muster up an artistic concoction that had similar tastes and sensibilities as my old cronies the New York Dolls, sprinkled with a bit of Iggy Pop flavoring," Page says of the group. "We seek out unique and unusual subject matter to explore and documentthe band was awesome and ripe for 3D."

"PassmoreLab feels that visual stimulation and excitement is necessary and foremost, with an ability to display artistic originality and creative aesthetics that are outside the norm. Simply put, the wilder the better, and you just instinctively know it when you see it."

"Magnetic Baby" was shot in San Diego, in both 3D and 2D format.

PassmoreLab paid the costs to make the Semi Precious Weapons vid. "Including the champagne and gallon of gold body paint, it ran about $30,000. We shot the entire project in one long day but spent a considerably longer time building the sets and even longer time cleaning up afterwards. The cost for a 3D production is significantly more than 2D, partially due to the complex editing processes."

So why would PassmoreLab foot the entire bill? Page says that - because of the production - "[Two big L.A. film companies] came down from L.A. to meet with us...Yup, right here in sleepy lil Dago, they came to us. We're all about the art, about being a futuristic cutting-edge experimental lab, not a production company.

"We don't need no stinkin' badges. Or motives. Just like the Reader!"

Company founder Greg Passmore elaborates. "PassmoreLab co-owns the resulting 3D video. PassmoreLab is in the business of producing films and as part of this function finances and performs production services in exchange for back-end revenue off the resulting content. Several 3D films are currently in production, ranging from educational content to the purely entertaining. Semi Precious Weapons seemed like a winner to us."

"One of the really great things about the 3D conversion we're doing," says Passmore, "is that a lot of content that otherwise may be seldom seen is now getting a new and fresh look. It also creates a more immersive experience for the viewer."

As for where the finished video will screen, Michael Page says "We are interested in releasing the 3D version in Japan, where they have been successfully broadcasting 3D television for a while now. Bands also appear on the PassmoreLab 3D demo-reels which are shown to the heaviest hitters in the entire industry worldwide. MTV shot Passmorelab filming the Semi Precious Weapons video for an episode of their Made series. Other than that, the band's record companies dictate when and where the videos appear."

Page says the company is also involved with photographic 3D projects.

"We teamed up with rock photographer Bob Gruen, to convert his well-known iconic images to a format that can be viewed on stereoscopic displays." Gruen was the personal photographer for John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and served as tour photographer for the Clash and Kiss. His extensive photo archive includes the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, the Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin, Muddy Waters, Patti Smith, Bo Diddley, Blondie, Bob Marley, and the Sex Pistols.

Page prefers his local 3D gig to the rock and roll lifestyle. "It's a lot less dangerous than dodging bottles with Iggy Pop," he says.

(Blurt interview with Jen Hilbert of PassmoreLab) www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2008/jun/25/blurt4

www.webceleb.com

Music fans now have the opportunity to voice who they want to see perform. WebCeleb.com and SDSU have teamed up to host a concert on campus where the lineup will be determined through community voting at webceleb.com. The online contest begins March 15th, while the live event will happen May 8th.

WebCeleb, Inc. (www.webceleb.com), an online community supporting up-and-coming talent, is set to launch Campus Rumble on March 15th - a music contest at webceleb.com enabling voting fans to determine the lineup of a live event at SDSU.

Four musicians chosen in the contest will perform in May at SDSU's outdoor venue seating 2,000 to 5,000 people. The contest runs for six weeks and is open to any Southern California musicians.

MORE NEW MUSIC STORIES THIS WEEK:

	Get Your Dance Duds Out by Barnaby Monk Thursday 3/12 - The Portland psych-pop quartet Minmae will deliver Sean Brooks's latest acoustic-meets-electronica (acoustronica?) collection Tertiary Allotment Is a Delightfulness. Since disbanding Thee Psychic Hearts a decade ago, founder and sole original member Brooks has released ... More
	Asobi Seksu by William Crain Listen to the online-only live album that Brooklyn band Asobi Seksu released in October 2006, and the first thing you hear is a loud burst of guitar feedback. Guitarist James Hanna bends his notes, tweaking ... More
	Little Brazil by Dave Good There are days that I O.D. on indie rock, especially when the newer bands put out stuff that seems headed toward '80s import, meaning the dark days of synth and ugly haircuts. But then some ... More
	No Robots! by Jay Allen Sanford Local hip-hop internet radio station JellyRadio.com broadcasts around a dozen live programs each week, including Royal Jelly Reggae Show and Fried Chicken and Hip Hop, claiming 1.5 million listeners. The site ... More
	Coyote Problem by Ollie "Long Way Home," by the Coyote Problem, was the most-downloaded MP3 from SDReader.com during February. Below is an interview with songwriter Peter Bolland.... More
	Donkeys to the Rescue by Dorian Hargrove After a nationwide tour last September and a two-week, ten-show tour through the chilly Midwest in January, '70s-style jam band the Donkeys apparently haven't had enough of the road. On March 12, the band will .... More
	Less Agro by Michael Hemmingson Solo musician Derek Papa is a nostalgic fellow. "I would like to see those stage guitar holders come back," he says, "the ones that don't require a strap, they just suspend in midair. They were ... More
	Everyone Should Juggle by Ken Leighton Spitting fire and juggling has helped Bushwalla get 6 European tours and some 15 U.S. tours. The singer-songwriter-guitarist says mixing magic, comedy, and circus tricks has allowed him to take his "freestyle-funk-acoustic-hip-hop-vaudeville" act on the ... More
	Spangers and Puppy Pimps by Jay Allen Sanford "I'm a residentially challenged entertainment engineer," says one-man-band Ran Diego, who has been busking the Gaslamp for around two years. Usually seen performing on Fourth or Fifth Avenue between E and K streets, Diego says, ... More

"Just Sing the Hits and the Crowd is Happy - When Bands (Barely)Reunite" - San Diego has seen its share of former hitmakers who come to town with few - if any - original members. And it doesn't help when brainless local promotors can't even spell the band name right ("Orginnal Sugarhill Gang," anyone? No? I didn't think so.....)

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/21/just-sing-the-hits-when-bands-barely-reunite

"How I Snuck Into Around 100 Local Concerts" - Not that we advocate lawbreaking, mind you, but it was a long time ago, and most of the places are long gone, so here's what I did and how I did it....

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/30/how-i-snuck-into-around-100-local-concerts

"Ratt Doesn't Want You to Read This Blog" - Beyond Behind the Music, here's a comprehensive account of how much these guys hated each other, through all the lawsuits and insults, until the money to "reunite" piled up too high to ignore. That is, if you consider the current partially-original lineup a "reunion"....

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/23/ratt-doesnt-want-you-to-read-this-blog

"Battle of the Blues Lovers" - Two local blues organizations with a history of battling, plus former Bluestime host Dan Pothier reveals how he was fired from local KPBS and forbidden to take the mic for his final show, and more... 

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/nov/04/battle-of-the-local-blues-lovers/

"Buffy Staked After Ken Cinema Screening" - The musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer had its final audience participation event at the Ken, before being shut down over copyright issues... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/nov/04/battle-of-the-local-blues-lovers

Like this blog? Here are some related links:

OVERHEARD IN SAN DIEGO - Several years' worth of this comic strip, which debuted in the Reader in 1996: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/overheard-san-diego/

FAMOUS FORMER NEIGHBORS - Over 100 comic strips online, with mini-bios of famous San Diegans: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/famous-former-neighbors/

SAN DIEGO READER MUSIC MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/sandiegoreadermusic

JAY ALLEN SANFORD MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jayallensanford