Record Release Roundup

New electronica duo the Eris Sisters will debut tracks from their freshman album DownHEAR at the Club Zu Boat Party IV, which cruises the harbor on August 21. “The title is based on the Downhear Experimental Lounge Series, which I ran at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco from 1996 to 1999,” says Kristi Maddocks, formerly of San Diego garage-rockers Everybody Violet. “We’ll be giving away 50 specially produced, limited-edition remix EPs.” The duo’s other half is Clay Colgin (ex–Men of Clay).

Other locals with August releases include soulful songster Jesse Plack (Washed in from the Shadows), one-man band Manuok (The Old Horse), Christian cutup Tom Smerk (For the Faithful), and café jazz act the Eric Evans Project (Waves of Grace), which was singled out last month as a “recommended artist favorite” on star flautist Tim Weisberg’s website.

Gregory Page’s jazz tribute album Once and for All, recorded by Jason Mraz, debuts September 10 with a release party at Lestat’s, after which he and Mraz embark on a tour of Holland.

On the September 11 anniversary of the WTC attacks, Jet West debuts their first album, Dropping In, with a release party at SoundWave. “The only venues that would give me a weekend date were 710 Beach Club, Winstons, and SoundWave,” according to singer-guitarist Chris Warner, “and that was the only date offered to us by any venue...it wasn’t planned. It’s crazy, but that’s what fate had in store for my band. I have quite a few friends that have called saying they can’t come to the show, purely based on the date alone. I respect that, for the lost ones and for the memory of the day itself. I always try to celebrate life.”

A new album from fuzz-pop duo the Crocodiles, Sleep Forever, is due from Fat Possum Records on September 14. Over the following few weeks, also expect new releases from Del Mar crooner Michael Tiernan, the currently drummerless Professors, a solo album from STP main man Scott Weiland (Live in Los Angeles), and a set of new tunes from local DIY legend Gary Wilson (Electric Endicott), whose ’70s cult career has resurged after detectives hired by a reissue label found him working at a porn shop near SDSU.

A new full-length will drop from hip-hop homies South Psycho Cide, as well as a solo album from band lyricist Cookoo, currently hyping his football-themed single “We Charge Hard.” “The Chargers are an exciting team,” says Cookoo, “and the song tries to bottle some of that with lyrics that work every year, as opposed to a particular season.”

Yeah, we’ll see about that next season.