Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Bands to watch

Mr. and Mrs. Beers and their blues-bent psych trio Schitzophonics at Bar PInk. - Image by @ReaderAndy
Mr. and Mrs. Beers and their blues-bent psych trio Schitzophonics at Bar PInk.

Anyone who has flipped through the music section of the Reader has seen the names of countless local acts listed under the banners of countless venues. In fact, there are so many bands in this town that sifting through them can seem like a neverending endeavor. So here’s our cheat sheet for local bands to add to your must-see list in 2015.

Let’s kick it off “ladies first”-style with a big shout-out to the all-girl supernova known as the Rosalyns. Featuring members of the Loons, the New Kinetics, and the Schitzophonics, the Rosalyns are a throwback to the beach-blanket glory of the ’60s with a garage-band twist. The group’s matching outfits are always a treat, as is their cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” — sung in German. Ya, das ist gut! Maybe Rosalyns vocalist Anja Stax will understand that last line, since I am pretty certain she is the only person in this city who actually speaks German.

Flaggs

Flaggs may not be all ladies, but they have just enough she stuff for a sellable segueway. Singer/guitarist Lindsay Matheson may be backed by guys now, but damn does she spill Kim Deal magical pixie dust all over the group’s songs. Track down their three-song EP Beach in Her Hair for further proof. Flaggs shares the garage-rock leanings of the Rosalyns as well as fellow notables the New Kinetics, who park on the more traditional side of the garage. Their songs owe a bit to Brits (Kinks) but still feature the mandatory all-American freak-outs that the genre demands.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Mommy told you not to stray too far and, and wouldn’t you know it, the moment you leave the garage you are greeted by Barbarian. But fear not, brave explorer, this Barbarian is the civilized type that makes memorable music along the lines of the National. It’s dark indie pop touched by Talking Heads rhythmn for good measure (and perhaps even for — God forbid — dancing). They were deemed good enough to grab the opening slot for the Arctic Monkeys show at SDSU, so you have no excuse to miss them in an intimate lil room like the Casbah. And speaking of indie pop, Itai Faierman (ex-Mashtis) is back in action with a new band named Speaker in Reverse. The band’s first single, “Natural,” is one catchy pop-rock song.

Fans of the San Diego pop-punk brand rejoice! Future Crooks are here to steal your pop-punk hearts, and they do the genre justice. Songs from their new album, Future Crooks in Paradise, are all over YouTube, and we recommend “Bright Red Hair” to start your day off with the appropriate bang or, in this case, pop, punk!

If it’s roots you dig, the band to plant in your ears is Ypsitucky. The group includes three-quarters of the remnants of El Monte Slim and a new fiddle player who goes by the name of Heather Vorwerck. Singer/guitarist Ian Trumbull has switched to playing a Telecaster for this outfit, so the songs have more of a rockin’ feel than the more acoustically oriented El Monte Slim delivery. But don’t worry, fans of trad country, the guitars are kep in check, and the fiddle she is a blazin’!

Shady Francos

Ahhh, the nformals. Two years ago, we called them the shining jewel of the local indie-rock scene. But that was then and this is now. What have they done for us lately? The nformals disbanded, then regrouped around bassist Jerrica Ojeda and became Shady Francos. The Francos are a full-on blood-on-the-stage-catharsis raise-the-dead dose of rock sheer panic that, if they don’t derail, may be our next export to the majors. Yes, that good.

The Schitzophonics run a close second.

We recall the days when Pat Beers lived in an empty warehouse in Mission Valley with only his guitar and a large amplifier for comfort. There weren’t many musicians who could keep up with his psycho fuzz-rock blasts, but we all knew that he was destined for bigger things. Why? Because Beers really does go to another place during his one-handed voodoo guitar thrash-fests. The Schitzophonics are the husband-wife team of Pat and Letty Beers with bassist Tom Lord, and I’m told there’s new music on the way. Embrace your inner Blues Explosion.

Big Bad Buffalo: they can already shred better than you, and they’re still in high school. In all honesty, it was their band class teacher who first turned us on to the triple-B. He was impressed with the cunning of the songwriting and the mastery of their performances. So, now that you’ve gotten all this adult devotion, Alex Staninger, Silvio Damone, and Jordan Krimston — what do you plan to do with it? Come on, guys, dig deep and find that masterpiece you know you have locked away inside your collective abilities. Arenas — and turning 21 — await!

The buzz alone around Tolan Shaw demands a closer look under the hood. Shaw’s a master craftsman of the simple, clear, compact little stories within each song, and there’s a lot to be said for that lost art. A singer/songwriter with a power-pop band that’s hip enough for 91X, the high soul index within Shaw’s soaring vocals sets the hook.

Missy Andersen is looking to bring home some love from the Blues Music Awards later this year. The blues equivalent of the Grammys has included the former Juke Joint Jezebel in their Female Soul Blues Artist category hopefuls. Born in Detroit, Andersen grew up listening to all of the right records. You get a sense of that when you hear her sneak up on a blues standard with a voice that will make you turn off your TV.

Meanwhile, the drum-and-guitar storms generated by twin brothers Jared and Jonathan Mattson are making for new jazz music that is about as vital as it gets in a jazz scene that is otherwise stuck on an endless replay of the ’50s. The Mattson 2 released Agar last year and dialed some raga darkness into their surf-jazz-noise mix. Johnny Herndon from Tortoise liked what he heard, and he joined them onstage more than once last year up in L.A., and it cooked. Do I hear a Mattson 3, anyone?

On the subject of surf music, Rocket From the Crypt’s Swami John Reis is likewise riding that wave. He released Modern Surf Classics in January with the Blind Shake, a notable garage band from the Twin Cities area. Reis, who is suddenly on the comeback trail, was last seen in August with one of his old bands, Drive Like Jehu, at Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion, playing to an audience of better than 5000. It went well enough that Jehu finally said yes — to Coachella. “We’d already relearned five of our old songs,” Reis tells the Reader. “Learning five more suddenly doesn’t seem so daunting.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Recalling a nighttime firefight in my Rolando condo complex

This was years ago, but I still freeze when I hear anything that sounds like gunfire
Mr. and Mrs. Beers and their blues-bent psych trio Schitzophonics at Bar PInk. - Image by @ReaderAndy
Mr. and Mrs. Beers and their blues-bent psych trio Schitzophonics at Bar PInk.

Anyone who has flipped through the music section of the Reader has seen the names of countless local acts listed under the banners of countless venues. In fact, there are so many bands in this town that sifting through them can seem like a neverending endeavor. So here’s our cheat sheet for local bands to add to your must-see list in 2015.

Let’s kick it off “ladies first”-style with a big shout-out to the all-girl supernova known as the Rosalyns. Featuring members of the Loons, the New Kinetics, and the Schitzophonics, the Rosalyns are a throwback to the beach-blanket glory of the ’60s with a garage-band twist. The group’s matching outfits are always a treat, as is their cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” — sung in German. Ya, das ist gut! Maybe Rosalyns vocalist Anja Stax will understand that last line, since I am pretty certain she is the only person in this city who actually speaks German.

Flaggs

Flaggs may not be all ladies, but they have just enough she stuff for a sellable segueway. Singer/guitarist Lindsay Matheson may be backed by guys now, but damn does she spill Kim Deal magical pixie dust all over the group’s songs. Track down their three-song EP Beach in Her Hair for further proof. Flaggs shares the garage-rock leanings of the Rosalyns as well as fellow notables the New Kinetics, who park on the more traditional side of the garage. Their songs owe a bit to Brits (Kinks) but still feature the mandatory all-American freak-outs that the genre demands.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Mommy told you not to stray too far and, and wouldn’t you know it, the moment you leave the garage you are greeted by Barbarian. But fear not, brave explorer, this Barbarian is the civilized type that makes memorable music along the lines of the National. It’s dark indie pop touched by Talking Heads rhythmn for good measure (and perhaps even for — God forbid — dancing). They were deemed good enough to grab the opening slot for the Arctic Monkeys show at SDSU, so you have no excuse to miss them in an intimate lil room like the Casbah. And speaking of indie pop, Itai Faierman (ex-Mashtis) is back in action with a new band named Speaker in Reverse. The band’s first single, “Natural,” is one catchy pop-rock song.

Fans of the San Diego pop-punk brand rejoice! Future Crooks are here to steal your pop-punk hearts, and they do the genre justice. Songs from their new album, Future Crooks in Paradise, are all over YouTube, and we recommend “Bright Red Hair” to start your day off with the appropriate bang or, in this case, pop, punk!

If it’s roots you dig, the band to plant in your ears is Ypsitucky. The group includes three-quarters of the remnants of El Monte Slim and a new fiddle player who goes by the name of Heather Vorwerck. Singer/guitarist Ian Trumbull has switched to playing a Telecaster for this outfit, so the songs have more of a rockin’ feel than the more acoustically oriented El Monte Slim delivery. But don’t worry, fans of trad country, the guitars are kep in check, and the fiddle she is a blazin’!

Shady Francos

Ahhh, the nformals. Two years ago, we called them the shining jewel of the local indie-rock scene. But that was then and this is now. What have they done for us lately? The nformals disbanded, then regrouped around bassist Jerrica Ojeda and became Shady Francos. The Francos are a full-on blood-on-the-stage-catharsis raise-the-dead dose of rock sheer panic that, if they don’t derail, may be our next export to the majors. Yes, that good.

The Schitzophonics run a close second.

We recall the days when Pat Beers lived in an empty warehouse in Mission Valley with only his guitar and a large amplifier for comfort. There weren’t many musicians who could keep up with his psycho fuzz-rock blasts, but we all knew that he was destined for bigger things. Why? Because Beers really does go to another place during his one-handed voodoo guitar thrash-fests. The Schitzophonics are the husband-wife team of Pat and Letty Beers with bassist Tom Lord, and I’m told there’s new music on the way. Embrace your inner Blues Explosion.

Big Bad Buffalo: they can already shred better than you, and they’re still in high school. In all honesty, it was their band class teacher who first turned us on to the triple-B. He was impressed with the cunning of the songwriting and the mastery of their performances. So, now that you’ve gotten all this adult devotion, Alex Staninger, Silvio Damone, and Jordan Krimston — what do you plan to do with it? Come on, guys, dig deep and find that masterpiece you know you have locked away inside your collective abilities. Arenas — and turning 21 — await!

The buzz alone around Tolan Shaw demands a closer look under the hood. Shaw’s a master craftsman of the simple, clear, compact little stories within each song, and there’s a lot to be said for that lost art. A singer/songwriter with a power-pop band that’s hip enough for 91X, the high soul index within Shaw’s soaring vocals sets the hook.

Missy Andersen is looking to bring home some love from the Blues Music Awards later this year. The blues equivalent of the Grammys has included the former Juke Joint Jezebel in their Female Soul Blues Artist category hopefuls. Born in Detroit, Andersen grew up listening to all of the right records. You get a sense of that when you hear her sneak up on a blues standard with a voice that will make you turn off your TV.

Meanwhile, the drum-and-guitar storms generated by twin brothers Jared and Jonathan Mattson are making for new jazz music that is about as vital as it gets in a jazz scene that is otherwise stuck on an endless replay of the ’50s. The Mattson 2 released Agar last year and dialed some raga darkness into their surf-jazz-noise mix. Johnny Herndon from Tortoise liked what he heard, and he joined them onstage more than once last year up in L.A., and it cooked. Do I hear a Mattson 3, anyone?

On the subject of surf music, Rocket From the Crypt’s Swami John Reis is likewise riding that wave. He released Modern Surf Classics in January with the Blind Shake, a notable garage band from the Twin Cities area. Reis, who is suddenly on the comeback trail, was last seen in August with one of his old bands, Drive Like Jehu, at Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion, playing to an audience of better than 5000. It went well enough that Jehu finally said yes — to Coachella. “We’d already relearned five of our old songs,” Reis tells the Reader. “Learning five more suddenly doesn’t seem so daunting.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Frank Zane has already won

But don’t call former Mr. Universe retired
Next Article

Codename Stasis found its format at SDSU

Local zine tells a magical local story
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader