Interview with Ryan Solomon of DUDES
September 19, 2012
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Stories by Dave Good
Ringo Deathstarr — Shoegaze, Done Loud
Shoegaze, done loud. Ringo Deathstarr falls into the sub-grouping of rock bands that have learned a valuable lesson from forbears such as My Bloody Valentine: play your music loud enough and people will think you …
September 12, 2012
We Opened the Bar
Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper will hook up at this year’s Adams Avenue Street Fair.
September 5, 2012
Sic Alps Make Dark Comedy of Rock and Roll
What got my attention focused on Sic Alps was the cover they did of Throbbing Gristle’s “United.” Not an easy task for a band with, say, a more ordered sound, but a perfect fit for …
September 5, 2012
Enviros try to stop channelization in Tijuana's Colonia Chilpancingo
The government plans to develop the last remaining wild stretch of the Rio Alamar in an outdated fashion.
September 5, 2012
The Ferocious Stephen Rey
“Goddammit, people! It’s a Saturday night!” Stephen Rey yells into a microphone. “Get your asses up here.” And they do, and then he and the Sex Trash pile it on. There are only three of …
August 29, 2012
Jason Marsalis
The Marsalis brother they don’t much talk about is Jason. Wynton Marsalis, 51, once considered the savior of all jazz has gotten celebrity ink to the point that he trips my odious meter. Branford, 52, …
August 22, 2012
Last Dance at Lacey J's
Lacey J’s, Santee’s country-music mainstay, closes its doors.
August 22, 2012
David Aizuss, Shenanigan King
San Diego’s School of Rock finishes their summer tour.
August 22, 2012
Groovy, Baby
“Do you know who Terry Callier is?” Steve Kader pulls an album from a stack in a wood produce crate and runs down the list of first-call session players in the credits. “Callier’s like Richie …
August 15, 2012
Folkie Fat Opie Sat on a Punk
When punks do folk music: Fat Opie is Scott Mickelson, Robin Hildebrant, and Dave Tavel, and punk-folk, if that’s even possible, is how they sound. And by that I mean not just a punk band …
August 15, 2012
Homegrown McInnes
Nobody called it indie rock in the 1980s. You played original rock, and your band either had a record deal or it didn’t. And back in the days before digital technology, the foundation of a …
August 15, 2012
Baseball Opened Doors
Former Yankees catcher Bruce Robinson to gig at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
August 8, 2012
Come Out and Play with the Offspring
The Offspring have been out of the spotlight for several years, but it doesn’t seem that way. Radio support for the best-selling punk band is enduring. “Come Out and Play,” for example, still gets regular …
August 8, 2012
Dax Riggs Redefines Dax Riggs
Dax Riggs used to front a Louisiana sludge-metal band in the ’90s called Acid Bath. From then to now, I don’t think he’s changed all that much. Riggs might disagree, but I still hear the …
August 1, 2012
Musical Booty Call
Jammingout.net will help you find a jam session to sit in on anywhere you travel. First, though, the designers need $25,000 to $250,000 to finish the website.
July 25, 2012
Steph Johnson left banking, funk, and R&B for jazz
Interview with Steph Johnson, making strides on the jazz front after dumping the funk and R&B.
July 25, 2012
Burning of Rome's Pleasing and Strange New Disc
If Burning of Rome’s September CD release doesn’t go big, will they have to return to their day jobs?
July 25, 2012
Dead Feather Moon
It’d be a stretch, but you could say that Dead Feather Moon started in an Escondido high school. “That’s where I met two of the guys who are in the band,” says Justen Berge, who …
July 25, 2012
Family Wagon
Calen Lucas and I had lunch with Chris Hillman once. “The Byrds guy, right?” he says. Exactly. We’d both been invited to a private luncheon with Hillman and his wife that preceded the Rock and …
July 18, 2012
Writer Experiences Brooklyn's Wild Eye
Former San Diego band Writer, now based in Brooklyn, returns to do a show.
July 18, 2012
Robin Roth Gives 91X a Definite Yes
Interview with Robin Roth, the 91X music director/veteran unafraid to put on the boxing gloves.
July 4, 2012
A Star for Shotgun
Shotgun Tom Kelly looks forward to getting his star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
July 4, 2012
Dylan Hyde's Life Worth Imitating
Teen pop singer Dylan Hyde is partially deaf, but he’s due for surgery.
July 4, 2012
The Only Jack in the Jacks
Interview with Jack Pinney, drummer in Iron Butterfly’s first rhythm section (no, he didn’t do “the Solo”).
June 27, 2012
Ray Wylie Hubbard
“We wanted the sound of early Buffalo Springfield or the Small Faces.” This is Ray Wylie Hubbard, on the phone from Virginia City, NV, to talk about his 16th studio album, Grifter’s Hymnal. Ian McLagen …
June 27, 2012
Rock School Reality
Sven-Erik Seaholm and Brooke Mackintosh make indie acoustic music, “with psychedelic tendencies.” They also made a baby.
June 20, 2012
Bass Drum of Death
Bass Drum of Death is a Mississippi garage rock band, a duo. In fact, in the beginning it was just John Barrett, who, not unlike Tim Lowman (a local guitarist who performs as Low Volts), …
June 20, 2012
One Day Rhett Miller's Gonna Take Off
Songs about big regret for the terminally hip is Rhett Miller at his worst. But at his best he’s like that person in your creative-writing class back in college who always had better plot lines …
June 13, 2012
The Talented Malcontents of Circa
The term “supergroup” was already old when Time got around to explaining it to their readers in 1974. Having been coined in 1969 to market the British band Blind Faith (Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ric …
June 6, 2012
Broncho: “It’s actually ‘Bron-cho’”
“It’s actually ‘Bron-cho.’” Right off the bat, I’ve mispronounced the band’s name. The ch, it turns out, is soft. “A lot of people make that mistake,” says Jonathon Ford, the band’s bassist. He’s on the …
May 30, 2012
The Cult's Choice of Weapon
“I was semi-detached from the world, but not from myself,” says Ian Astbury. The Cult lyricist and singer is on the phone from Los Angeles. He explains where his head was at during the writing …
May 23, 2012
Paul Kamanski, the Heartbreakers Meets the Black Crowes
Songwriter Paul Kamanski goes way back with Country Dick Montana and that whole Beat Farmers scene.
May 16, 2012
Hands on a Hardbody's Silhouette of a Band
“A friend of mine, Ray Suen, he’s a local musician. He called me and said that Trey Anastasio [the leader of the band Phish] was looking for musicians and did I want him to submit …
May 16, 2012
Plants and Animals Has Got a Beat, and You Can Dance to It
“Make a tricky record,” Warren Spicer once said, “and then spend the next year learning how to play it live.” He co-founded Plants and Animals, a Montreal indie trio, and, yes, their music is tricky. …
May 16, 2012
Patrick Wright looks for a San Diego legislator to defend his animal rights
The hush-hush life of forbidden pet ownership.
May 9, 2012
The Neo Bop of Charles McPherson
Sax master Charles McPherson began his career in 1959 with Charles Mingus. Inspired him to go get a job with the IRS.
May 9, 2012
Last Shot
“New Justice Records in Australia will be putting out our debut album.” That’s ex–Zombie Cartel member Jono LaNasa. He’s speaking about a record deal for his new band, Prevailer. New Justice will distribute hard copies …
May 9, 2012
Delta Spirit, from the Piney Woods of San Diego
During the mid-2000s, the music industry produced a rash of bands that embraced roots. Dobros were heard, percussion sounded DIY, and arcane instruments such as toy piano were embraced. Standouts included Cage the Elephant, the …
May 9, 2012
Is Prima Donna the Best Garage Band of All Time?
Score one for the old school: Prima Donna, a five-piece from Los Angeles, may be the best garage band of all time, albeit 40 years after the fact. They started in 2003. What we call …
May 2, 2012
Get the Hell Out
When the Art Institute of San Diego needed a guest with pro music experience to speak to one of their audio production classes on the subject of freelancing in the music business, they tapped Bill …
May 2, 2012
No More Road Dogging
“We’re going to put out teasers on the internet,” Scottie Blinn says, “and hope the show goes viral and possibly lands sponsors.” He is not particular who. “Taco stands, guitar-repair shops, car-parts stores, record stores.” …
April 25, 2012
Sonny Vincent Keeps It Real
Last week a writer posed this question to online magazine Slate: “Is Madonna too old to make Madonna music?” Sonny Vincent would have a laugh. He’s just turned 59 and has no trouble still being …
April 25, 2012
Jimmie Dale Gilmore and the First Alt-Country Record
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is a singer/songwriter from Lubbock, Texas. In the early 1970s he started a band called the Flatlanders with Joe Ely and Butch Hancock. They made the first alt-country record ever, but it …
April 18, 2012
The Hives: Best in Sweden
When asked, the Hives will say that they are the best rock band in all of Sweden, maybe even the planet. For sure, they are the biggest smartasses. “First, you will clap,” singer Howlin’ Pelle …
April 11, 2012
I Heart Slacker
“Local artists,” says Ofek Hayon, “can come onto Rockcityclub.com, upload content, and [potentially] be heard by millions of listeners on Slacker.” Hayon is the chief business development officer at Las Vegas–based Rockrena, owners of Rockcityclub.com. …
April 4, 2012
Mikan Zlatkovich on Jazz
“You know what a drummer once told me? That I’m a drummer’s pianist,” says Mikan Zlatkovich. “Meaning that I’m percussive. The piano has to keep the time as well.” We meet in a café in …
April 4, 2012