Coming soon to a music player near you

The debut record from Jonny Wagon & the Tennessee Sons, Feels Good to Be Alive, mastered by Grammy winner Gavin Lurssen, drops August 17 at the Casbah. Regarding the title, “Suicide took the life of two people very close to this project before the band was even assembled,” says R&B-country rocker Jonny Wagon, who relocated from Memphis to San Diego to co-found Behind the Wagon. “The horror of those events left me looking to embrace life, while recognizing the continuous presence of the shadow that lurks inside each and every one of us.” Hot Rod Lincoln guitarist Buzz Campbell will be a featured guest player, and the bill includes Jesse LaMonaca & the Dime Novels and Stephen El Rey.

On August 19 at Dizzy’s, underground composer/pianist Joe Garrison and his band Night People will debut the CD edition of Broken Jar, which he describes as “Somewhere between jazz and classical, with injections of Motown.” Garrison debuted the music of Broken Jar at Dizzy's back in October last year, describing the project in his program notes. “The idea is of dying being a return to wholeness. The broken jar is the body, mind, and vast layers of subtle perceptions we have of ourselves as individuals, which separate our awareness from our true nature.” His Night People backing band for the evening will include Lori Bell (flute), Melonie Grinnell (piano), and Mackenzie Leighton (bass).

Hypochondriac, the new studio album from surf punk rockers the Frights, premiers August 24 with a release party at Observatory North Park. “I care a lot about these songs, because they’re embarrassing and personal,” says singer-guitarist Mikey Carnevale, who calls it “a confessional album that I never assumed a band like ours would make.” Carnevale and Richard Dotson, now accompanied by guitarist Jordan Clark (Feelings Mutual, Hot Like a Robot) and drummer Marc Finn, signed with Epitaph Records earlier this year. Hypochondriac was produced by Fidlar frontman Zac Carper (SWMRS, Dune Rats), mixed by Rob Kinelski (Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, 30 Seconds To Mars) and mastered by multiple Grammy winner Greg Calbi (Arcade Fire, Tame Impala, the War on Drugs). Videos are streaming online for "Crutch" and "Me and We and I," and a lyric video is available for “No Place Like (Not Being) Home.” The Observatory show is the first date of a North American tour that runs through October 18 and includes appearances at San Francisco’s Fillmore, New York City’s Brooklyn Steel, and Chicago's Riot Fest.

Captain Viejo’s third EP, #3-SPCD, debuts August 25 at the Bancroft. Featuring their theme song “Captain Viejo,” the EP was recorded by Jeff Forrest at DoubleTime in El Cajon (where their #2-SPCD was tracked). “We like to put out four songs on each EP and we call it an EP/SP,” says drummer Matthew Flanagan, “EP indicating it isn’t a full length, and SP meaning ‘shared play.’ It will be on CD format and we like giving them away at our shows. We encourage those who pick it up to pass it on for shared play once they’ve ripped it or, if they’ve hated it, that’s a good way to get rid of it.” Flanagan, at age 50, is the youngest in the group. "We’re old, short, and old. We have families, careers and all that rock star shit would have been rad if it would have happened about 30 years ago." Also performing is Destruction Made Simple, Informal Society, and the Malchicks.

Board Certified Music Therapist Becca Jay has an album release party at Navajo Live on September 2. Originally from Herkimer, New York, Jay has contributed vocals to albums by Gregory Page (So It Goes) and Veronica May (Awakened). Also appearing is XIV.