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, David Klowden, and David Fleminger (the Answers) subbing for Bill Calhoun. Band members have at various times played with Gravedigger V, the Crawdaddys, and Manual Scan, collectively including four founding members of the Shambles and three founding Tell Tale Hearts. There may be a few show dates in the future as well.

Get your first look at the revised Tighten Ups lineup, with new guitarist Joey Harris (who still fronts the Mentals), on Saturday, June 2, at Larry’s Beach House in Oceanside, or catch their noontime set at Wong’s Dragon Room in La Mesa on June 10. Harris is already cowriting songs with Laura Jane Wilcock for the seven-piece rock-and-soul group.

The frontman of the Shambles will debut Bart Mendoza and True Stories on June 13 at Eleven, with David Fleminger (keys, guitar, vocals), Danny Cress (drums, vocals), and Billy Fritz (bass, vocals). “We’ll be playing music from my entire career, and some new ones,” according to Mendoza, who says a self-titled full-length is planned for later this year. Mendoza is also recording new original tracks with reunited ’80s mod rockers Manual Scan.

Prevailer, featuring former members of Zombie Cartel and Carol Ann, debuts June 23 at the Flying Elephant in Carlsbad. Late ’70s new-wavers the Fingers will reunite for Coronado High School’s All-Class reunion party on July 3, at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course clubhouse. Reportedly well-liked by Frank Zappa, the Fingers included former Gary Puckett guitarist Billy Thompson, future Beat Farmers songwriter Paul Kamanski, and current Mentals mainman Joey Harris, with whom Kamanski also played in the Electric Sons.

According to Harris, “The Fingers stood out from other bands of the time, with three lead singer-songwriter-guitarists.” The July 3 lineup is slated to include Thompson, Kamanski, and Harris, along with Vic Vecina and Danny Campbell.

Atmospheric space-rockers Machines Learning includes Black Box Studio operator Mario Quintero as well as Paul Balmer (guitar, vocals) and Bradley Botbyl (bass). With a debut EP just out, Pendragon’s Lullaby, they’ll play their first full headline set at Eleven on July 14.