My sexy Bohemian style

Nine years after their last recording, Demasiado has reunited to release a two-song cassette, Dark Summer, featuring rerecorded versions of two vintage tracks, “Soul Coat” and “Blood Filled Fly.” The band essentially became inactive in 2009 when singer/guitarist/keyboardist Clayton Edward formed the band Pretty Too Bad and singer Jon Piotrowski relocated to Austin, Texas, to record projects under names like Cry For Us Black Swans and Glass Stars. Piotrowski returned to San Diego in 2017, reuniting the band for a performance at the Casbah that April and overseeing a compilation album, One Night in a Vision Cult. The group's current incarnation reunites Piotrowski with guitarist Damon De La Paz and bassist Eric Shefstad, in addition to former members of the Burning of Rome, guitarist Joe Aguilar and drummer Danny King.

Jazzy singer-guitarist Corina Rose - who cites among her influences Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Sade - drops her full-length Our Love is Freedom on January 4. “The cover art was shot at Crown Point Shores Park, and it represents my sexy bohemian style,” she says of the eight-song album, produced by Fernando Gomez (who guests on guitar and percussion).

Jazz bassist Sean Hicke debuts as a bandleader January 6 at Dizzy’s, at the release party for his first album, Sunflower Sutra. Guest players Louis Valenzuela, Matt DiBiase, Julien Cantelm, and Camellia Aftahi will perform.

Seventrain will premiere a new single and video for “Now You Know” on January 9. It’s taken from their upcoming album Back on Track, due February via SoCal Records/Alliance Ent.

Fantasy Records drops Native Tongue, the 11th full-length from Grammy-winning locals Switchfoot, on January 18. Co-written and produced with their friends in One Republic, most of the 14-song album was recorded at local Melody League Studios.

ABABO, the debut album from Slum Summer, was recorded at local Ursa Polaris studio, with additional tracking done at different members’ homes over the following weeks. Due January 18 via Jigsaw Records, a release party that evening at the Tower Bar includes locals the Fictitious Dishes and Santa Ana Knights, as well as L.A. band Earth is a Death Star. Slum Summer, which features two exiled British musicians and two native Californians, will also debut the newest configuration of their custom psychedelic projection and light show.

Founded last year, Chloe Lou & the Liddells is a local all-star ensemble playing bluesy country soul music with an oldies feel. The group - which features singer Chloe Lou Liddell backed by guitarist Chris Davies (the Penetrators, Bruce Joyner & the Tinglers), bassist Ron Silva (Crawdaddys, Nashville Ramblers), and drummer Richard "T-Bone" Larson (Bartenders Bible, Tender Faeries) - is premiering a five-song EP in mid-January, as well as a full album in February.

The Killers’ co-founding guitarist Dave Keuning has a new single and animated video for “Boat Accident,” from his upcoming full-length Prismism, due January 25. The project evolved from hundreds of voice memos that he stockpiled while on tour with the Killers over the last decade that were eventually transformed into songs. A single for "Restless Legs" is available now, promoted with an animated video directed by Russell Sheaffer. The album was financed in part by a PledgeMusic campaign offering donation rewards such as guitars and jackets worn on tours with the Killers, a Skype hang, and his 1979 Trans AM.

Local label Three One G is doing a limited edition cassette rerelease of the 2011 Ugly Animals album by Retox, featuring frequent collaborators Justin Pearson and Gabe Serbian (the Locust, Head Wound City, Holy Molar, etc). The label also just reissued Qui’s CD Snuh, with a limited edition silk screened cover.

Lindsay White - who won Best Singer Songwriter at the 2018 San Diego Music Awards - has a new single and video for “The Hound” that was inspired by a Game of Thrones-themed songwriting challenge and based on the character Sandor Clegane. It was recorded with longtime producer Alexander Dausch of Studio Studios.

Singer/guitarist Daniel Cervantes and his folky rock band Mrs. Henry recorded the all-star Last Waltz With Mrs. Henry & Friends performance staged at the Belly Up last November. Plans are to release it as a three-LP vinyl album, sporting artwork by Roy G Biv and liner notes written by Noac C. Lekas. The concert featured a partial re-creation of the Band's famed final performance, with members of the Schizophonics, Trouble in the Wind, Nervous Wreckords, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, the Routine, and Taken By Canadians.

Wayne Riker is booking sessions at Studio West to record his 12th CD, R&B Thunder, featuring a half dozen local soul vocalists singing individual featured tracks.

Donna Larsen & the Messengers are at Track Star Recording, prepping what she describes as “a full length album, 12 songs of pop rock. We were hoping for New Year’s Eve [release], but it will take a two or three more weeks. I’m still looking for the right artist to put my vision for the cover into reality. I’ll be working full time on all this until we’re completed.”