Heavy Hawaii awarded, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble videotaped, Benches renamed, Jonathan Karrant collected, DJ Pnutz released

Heavy Hawaii was formed in 2009 by guitarist Matt Bahamas (née Barajas), who formerly played in Fantastic Magic with future Wavves frontman Nathan Williams. Nominated Best New Artist at the 2010 San Diego Music Awards, the band’s video for “Boy Don’t Drown” took home a 2022 SDMA for Best Video. The all-local bill includes Mrs. Magician and Los Shadows.

Sure Fire Soul Ensemble at Third Avenue Village Sept 16

Around thirty local and international breweries, distilleries, wineries, and food vendors will be in Chula Vista for Amps & Ales, where Sure Fire Soul Ensemble will be the headline musical act. The band recently dropped a video for the title track of their fourth full-length, Step Down, which also includes “Time To Rebuild,” “High Times,” “Love Age,” and “In Common.” Other Amps & Ales performers include Sandollar and The Sleepwalkers.

Benches at Soma Sept 16

Benches was founded by Chula Vista 8th grader Anson Kelley (guitar, vocals), who originally called the group Ignant Benches. They ranged in ages from 15 to 17 when they made their first professional recordings with Brian Karsig (Louis XIV, Nervous Wreckords). After opening for Foster the People and several Louis XIV reunions, their debut full-length was released on Spotify, with a support tour running up the coast and back down through Iowa and Nevada.

Jonathan Karrant at Tio Leo’s Sept 17

Singer-songwriter Jonathan Karrant recently collaborated with Grammy nominated singer Jane Monheit to cover an Ivan Lins song called “Love Dance,” assisted by saxophonist Houston Person. It’s from a new album called Eclectic, Karrant’s collection of popular songs written from the 1940s through the 2010s by Smokey Robinson, James Taylor, Macy Gray, and others.

DJ Pnutz at Part Time Lover Sept 23

DJ Pnutz moved with her family to the United States at the age of four, beginning dance lessons and then studying percussion. Driven by 1990s electronic music, hip-hop, and trip-hop, she records with turntables, drums, Roland synthesizers and sequencers, and Ableton. Aside from her weekly Thursday radio show on KNSJ 89.1 FM, she has a new 20-song album called Music Beds for Different Moods, so far preceded by a single for “Dance Until You Drop,” which pays tribute to the days of Big Beat.