“Vaquita? Tastes like chicken,” quips Insect Surfers founder David Arnson, who studied marine biology before forming “Planet earth’s longest-running modern surf band” in Washington, D.C.’s mid-’70s alternative-rock scene. After we reconnect at a private Surfers/Sand …

Mikey Belknap’s helium-spiked vocals ended up at Kids in Heat’s lead microphone almost randomly. “My brother Stan was always playing guitar in bands. I wasn’t a musician, just really into skating. I was in Texas …

What local band is led by one of San Diego’s first punk rockers, has been inhabited by a who’s who of local rock/pop/punk players, and has a drummer — Nick “Nico” Peters — who says …

Bassist Trips Jurado and drummer Ryan Badabing mesh like a rocking monster truck, cut through by Vanja James’s power chords and piercing vocals. James’s second San Diego show as Little Dove wouldn’t be laughed out …

On taking a run at the Zombies, Bart Mendoza (who orchestrated the tribute show) relates, “As a kid, I was intrigued by the way they dressed. Paul Atkinson was my inspiration — I wore a …

Javier Escovedo’s return to local music has been gradual. The guitarist/songwriter is an on-again, off-again San Diegan. He lived in Huntington Beach before moving to Chula Vista in his teens. In the mid ’70s, Escovedo’s …

Self-described mod band the Bassics has been hugging the stage since Mrs. Magician’s set flared out. MM continues to enhance River Cuomo’s slack; slamming out catchy tunes about shopping malls and VCRs. But that’s not …

The line of musical soldiers widening the Americana trail continues to increase, whether the attack leans in a hard-hitting, bad-ass direction or concocts idyllic portraits (“Chopping wood and carrying water, everything was better”). Zoe Muth …

Bleeding Gold may be the widest-reaching indie label in San Diego. I’m sitting with its founder, Valhalla High alumni Roger Preston, on a sunny afternoon in Trolley Barn Park. He keeps pulling full-color covers for …