Forest Grove

“The Dabbers are still here, just on mini-hiatus while we make and record new jams as Forest Grove,” says bassist-singer Shelby Gubba-Reiner of her new band with guitarist Zack Wentz (Kill Me Tomorrow) and drummer (and aspiring author) Ryan Bradford. The debut self-titled Forest Grove album, recorded and mixed by Ben Moore at Singing Serpent and released via their own Future Fun label, drops August 9 at the Casbah, for a bill that includes Hours, Gloomsday, and Low & Be Told.

Female-fronted Little Dove is recording their sophomore full-length with Grammy winner J.J. Blair (Johnny Cash, Rod Stewart) and engineer-producer Mark Rains (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), due next January and promoted each month between now and then with a new single. “The upcoming album will be Little Dove’s debut with standard drums, bass, and lead guitar,” according to the band, which recruited guest players such as drummer Matt Tecu (Cat Power, BB King), and bassist David Filice (DMC, Bono).

A video for the new Frets track, “Break Me,” promotes their Blur EP, recorded in Nashville at Dark Horse Recording and Castle Recording Studios with five time Grammy nominated producer Billy Smiley. Fronted by Liam Wilkes (a native of Manchester, England) and Cody Seeger, both formerly of Lad’s Holiday, the band recorded two songs, the title track and “Don’t Wanna Know,” that were mixed by engineer Mark Needham (the Killers, Imagine Dragons, Fleetwood Mac). They appear at Soda Bar August 21, opening for headliners Buddha Trixie and Battery Point on a bill that includes locals Duuns. If you miss that show, they'll be at the Casbah on September 10 with Pacific Radio and the In-Itself.

A new Black Market III single and video is streaming online for “Regresare,” covering a tune by Tito & Tarantula and planned for their upcoming album for their new label Rip Cat Records, home of the Blasters, Kid Ramos, and more. On August 15, they kick off a festival and club tour throughout Europe running through October 2, with stops at Germany's prestigious Blues Festival Lehrte, as well as Stadtfest Alfeld and Stadtfest Celle in Germany. They'll also be playing their first prison show in Belgium, accompanied for the entire trip by Joey Hager on drums.

Scott Samuels (Roxy Monoxide) will debut a new Neil Diamond tribute, Solitary Diamonds, September 1 at Campland on the Bay. "Through my work with my band Vinyl Pirates, I sort of stumbled on the fact that I can sound a lot like Neil Diamond when performing his tunes. Actually, our drummer, Victor Penalosa, once said half-jokingly, 'We should just play all Neil Diamond songs.' That clicked."

Jason Mraz's first album since quitting the management team run by former local concert promoter Bill Silva, after 20 years with the firm, will be called Know. It's so far preceded by singles for “Unlonely,” “Have It All,” and “Might As Well Dance,” the latter featuring a video that includes footage of his wedding to Christina Carano.

Father and son alterna-metal band Psychosally, originally formed in 1999, released a new track, "Satan Stole Your Drugs," previewing an upcoming full-length called Psychosis Diagnosis. It will be their first album since their 2012 sophomore full-length, Liars, Snitches & Little Whores.

Sitting on Stacy won the 2018 Kaaboo Discovery competition, earning a slot on this year's Kaaboo music fest bill on Friday, September 14. Originally known as Paper, the band features Hoyt Yeatman, Jeff Demorest, and Kyle Hart. A debut album was released in 2017, Obsessed, along with a video for the track "Oh Baby."

Two songs by “On and On” hitmaker Stephen Bishop appear on Plays Well With Others, an upcoming four disc box set of session work from Phil Collins that includes “Walking On Air” and “Hall Light,” both from Bishop's 1989 album Bowling In Paris. In addition, new L.A. label Blixa Sounds re-released Bishop's 1980 third album, Red Cab To Manhattan, including previously unreleased tracks.

After having to cancel much of their spring tour due to a spinal cord injury suffered by drummer Nathan Walsh Haines, OB-based Brothers Gow is heading out on an eight-state, 22+ date tour that kicks off September 7 at Winstons.

Film and TV composer Neil Argo, best known for the music he created for the early 1980s PBS series Wild America, for which he also wrote the theme song, passed away August 2. He also scored several films, as well as TV shows such as Dynasty, The Colbys, MacGyver, a Mission: Impossible revival, and Beverly Hills 90210.