Masked Singer Surprise: Jewel bets on the Queen Of Hearts

Fronted by Canada-born Sherri Anne, Sister Speak combines alt-blues rock with world music. “The idea was a collaboration of musicians supporting the expression of the woman’s voice through music,” says the spokesperson for local Taylor Guitars, who’s been backed by the same players for around five years. “Drummer Stephen Haaker is based in L.A. and has played with the band since 2017. My bassist Jacob Miranda Jr. has been in the band eight years and is San Diego-based. Sarven Manguiat [has supplied] guitar and vocal harmonies for five years and is Long Beach-based. Percussionist Kimo Shim plays with us for larger productions.” With two studio albums and one live record to their credit, they’ve performed at various festivals and venues throughout North America and Germany with the Doobie Brothers, Xavier Rudd, Air Supply, and others. Their music has earned airplay on CBC, the BBC, 91X Loudspeaker, NPR, and recently 105.3FM in Vancouver and 88.5FM Los Angeles. Their upcoming album Love For All features guest musicians Bonnie Brooksbank (Marina), Jon Deas (Gary Cark Jr), Aaron Durr, and the Brothers Burns. “The new single coming out in late February literally has the word San Diego in it,” says Anne. “The full album will be out in April.”

“We moved to Burlington Vermont, in case you hadn’t heard,” says comedy rock duo Pony Death Ride. “Although we’re still not able to do our official Christmas Show tour this year, we still have some neat Christmas stuff in the works. Namely, the release of our Christmas record on sexy pearl red vinyl. That’s right, we’ve listened to the people with turntables and put out our record on vinyl. More cumbersome and more expensive, just like the kids like.” The First Leon Christmas Album features tracks such as “All I Want For Christmas Is a Divorce” and “Your Baby’s Ruining Our Christmas.” Their song “Ugly Sweater Christmas Party” was featured on a compilation from Spain’s SNAP!! Records, Power Chords, Harmonies and Mistletoe II. The band also has some live concerts planned, as well as recently appearing on a local VT radio show. In addition, “We will be performing a viral show on New Year’s Eve with Highlight NYE Burlington. Part songs, part chat, anything goes. One ticket gets you access to Burlington’s best music, comedy, and general cool things.” A new album called Unthemed is planned for 2022, and a video recently debuted online for their track “Cuddle Party.”

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, occasional poet, and mental health advocate Jewel was the winning contestant on season six of The Masked Singer. Disguised as The Queen Of Hearts, she performed several covers on the show which are being released as a Queen Of Hearts EP, including “La Vie En Rose” by Édith Piaf, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” and Sia's "Bird Set Free." In addition, Jewel has a new remix of her song “Standing Still” recorded with Swedish pop duo Pure Shores, who’ve worked with Giorgio Moroder, Don Diablo, KSHMR, Girls Generation, and others. “Standing Still (Pure Shores Remix)” is part of the 20th Anniversary celebration of Jewel’s platinum-selling album This Way. Though not a huge hit on its original release, “Standing Still” broke the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and reached the top 40 in Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. “I wrote [the song] about the supposed irony of how much I move and travel and how I’m in constant motion and how that constant motion can make your love life stand still, and also really your emotional life,” she told Rolling Stone. Jewel is betting that her Queen Of Hearts persona and EP will help spark a 2022 comeback. Her past year included Pride month remixes of two songs, “Intuition” and “Stand,” created with Initial Talk and Bright Light Bright Light. “My LGBTQ friends and family have enriched my life in innumerable ways,” Jewel posted online. “The humor, love, and ferocity of spirit inspire me every day.” Earlier this year, she was featured in a Today All Day streaming special, “Tomorrow’s Voices,” aimed at creating a platform for deserving teens across the country. She’s also reportedly working on new music for release next year.

As the folk rock duo Berkley Hart, Jeff Berkley and Calman Hart have been making music together for nearly a quarter century. Berkley (“I’m one of the rare native San Diegans”) and Hart (“I moved here from Utah in the early ‘80s”) are also known for their recurring show called O Berkley, Where Hart Thou? in which they perform music from the film soundtrack O Brother, Where Art Thou? and similar classic Americana songs. “We love that music and, as soon as we thought of the name, we couldn’t resist,” says Hart. A related CD and video package was produced featuring a live concert performance with local guests the 7th Day Buskers, Eve Selis, Gregory Page, and others. The duo has a new video for “Dear John John Deere,” from their album While the Night Is Still Young, featuring a cameo appearance by Mentals frontman Joey Harris.

They’ll perform January 8 for the Java Joe’s Reunion Show at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, where the coffeehouse operator whose local stages hosted so many future stars will be celebrated. Presented by San Diego Folk Heritage, that bill includes former baseball star Tim Flannery, as well as Billy Galewood, Gregory Page, Lisa Sanders, and Brown Sugar.

Founded in 2009, the Schizophonics play fuzzy, psychedelic rock mixed with funk. Singer-guitarist Pat Beers has been known to play a custom dinosaur-head Strat. Beers was later joined by his future wife Lety Mora (the Rosalyns), who attended high school with him in Arizona. The Best Hard Rock trophy winners at the 2013 San Diego Music Awards often play with occasional Zero Robert Lopez, aka El Vez: The Mexican Elvis, serving as the backup band for his Punk Rock Review, and Pat Beers is frequently the touring guitarist for El Vez.

Side projects include Bowiephonics, which is Schizophonics plus Diana Death (Chinese Rocks) getting glammed out for a fully-costumed David Bowie tribute. The Little Richards sport an all-star lineup of polka-dot studded players like Robert Lopez (El Vez, The Zeros), Diana Death, Joshua Kmak (Nformals) doing an all-Little Richard set. The Schizophonics will play a New Year’s Eve show at ReBru Spirit Co in National City, for a night of revelry that also features Band of Gringos, Sonido De La Frontera, Dani Bell & the Tarantist, Drug Hunt, Josexxx, Moans, MoonSugar, and Tormenta Rey, with visuals courtesy of Liquid Liquid Lightshow.