“Some stories close and personal, some completely fictitious”

Hip-hop group San Diablo Allstars will drop a new album around early May, currently being mixed and mastered with a new member in place of the late Van Bates, aka Black Hesher, who died in April 2021. “Sadly, Van Bates passed away last year during production of our second release, 3 Piece Combo,” says J. Andrew, who co-founded the group with Bates. “Last year, Van and I were talking about having Katie LaDubz join San Diablo for the third album. Mike Fairchild and I both agreed that San Diablo AllStars should keep the torch lit and continue down the road we started on. Van And Katie have been very close for many years, so we had no doubt that continuing San Diablo with Katie was not only the right thing to do, but also something Van would’ve wanted. So, Mike Fairchild, Katie LaDubz, and myself went to work on a new album with Van’s spirit with us every step of the way.”

The project features local guests John Risdon, Diastro, and Blush. The AllStars will appear April 9 at the Pour House in Oceanside for a San Diego Music Awards Showcase, as well as for Heshfest, happening April 29 at Queen Bee’s in North Park. The Black Hesher Memorial concert will also feature Diastro, Sloat Dixon, Bloodstone the Street Preacher, Blush Bastard, The Enemy, Zak Meister, Hans Einztien, and Bathwater Babies.

Singer-guitarist Ernesto Garcia Jr. (Sour Mash Jack, Stunt Double), aka Ernie Garcia, founded Roger! after moving from west Texas to southern California in 2000. The band lineup has shifted completely around Garcia since the 2012 release of their debut album Dark Matter, with several more full-lengths and EPs to their credit, including a Live In Long Beach concert album. After a November 2016 “farewell performance,” Garcia decided to revive the band name again with a new set of players, beginning with the 2019 release of their Try EP and a 2020 EP called Hivemind. A new single just dropped for their track “Fire.” According to Garcia, “This is part of our forthcoming fourth LP, Patterns. We’re currently finishing up recording and will have Alan Sanderson of Pacific Beat Studios mix and master.” The album features guests Anna Zinova (violin, vocals) and Abby Garcia (ukulele). After the band’s 4-20 show at Escondido’s Jacked Up Brewery, they’ll kick off a short tour of New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.

Billy Shaddox's band Billy Midnight won a 2008 San Diego Music Award for best Americana or Country Album. He just dropped a new solo full-length called Moodshine. “This album is a collection of ten songs that I wrote during the summer and fall of 2021. It’s a diverse collection, everything from delicate ballads to driving rock songs. My friends Chad Mathis [bass], Chris Wright [drums], Eben Grace [pedal steel and electric guitar], and Will Mulligan [horns] all lent a hand in performing the songs on this album. As usual, we recorded it up here in the Gulch, my home studio. So much goes into creating an album of music, from those vulnerable moments of song writing, guitar and journal in hand, to late nights in the studio manipulating microphones in effort to perfectly capture the sound of an instrument. I hope, when you listen to these songs, you get a feel for the love and dedication I put into my craft. There are stories behind each of these songs, some close and personal, some completely fictitious. Up until this point, they’ve belonged to me, but with the release of this album, they become yours. My wish is that, somewhere in these, you find something to connect with, a melody you like to sing along with, or the perfect song for an experience you’re having. This is why I do this. Through music, I want to connect my observations and life experiences with others. Hopefully that’s you.”

Country jazz singer Stacy Antonel is a classically trained pianist and former English teacher who first came to local notice fronting the Coronado-based pop band Velvet Café. In 2013, she won a $10,000 grand prize at the conclusion of the first season of 3 Minutes to Stardom, a local singing competition that aired on FOX TV. After that, Antonel began performing classic country covers as Ginger Cowgirl, and in 2017 moved to Nashville to record a self-titled EP, released in 2019, followed by tours of California, the southeast U.S., the UK, and Germany. Antonel just dropped a new single and video for “Planetary Heartache,” from her upcoming debut full-length under her own name, Always the Outsider, due in June.

Produced by Ben Moore (Hot Snakes, Diamanda Galas, Burt Bacharach), the album features guest appearances from Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams) on pedal steel guitar, and Joe Reed (Merle Haggard) on bass. Antonel will perform June 11 at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, as part of the San Diego Sound Project, along with her members of her Nashville band, flatpicker guitarist Paul Sgroi and mandolinist Nate Baker.

Citing influences such as Heart, Blondie, the Pretenders, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Candy Dulfer, and Suzi Quatro, CalAmity is an all-female acoustic ensemble featuring players like founder Cathryn Beeks, along with Nisha Catron, Marcia Claire, Sierra West, Kristen Cusato, Mary Grasso, Kim Bishop, Rhythm Rose Turner, Julia Whelpton, Catherine Barnes, and others. In late 2016, Heart’s Nancy Wilson sat in with band.

A new single called “Earthquake Girl” will debut April 30 for their planned set at the Adams Avenue Unplugged festival. Produced by Christopher Hoffee at Chaos Recorders, the accompanying video was filmed in the desert by Joseph Barrett of Edge of Wilderness productions, and edited by 1/2 Fast Film.