Today, ANTI- (sister label to Epitaph Records) released a compilation featuring 44 rare tracks from the early nymph stages (pre-Epitaph, that is) of sci-fi mathcore arthropods The Locust. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAF_T9xve78 In concurrence with the release of Molecular Genetics from the Gold …

Performance art band Penis Hickey recently posted their debut album, My Typical Self, for free download (today only) before it goes on sale via Bandcamp tomorrow. My Typical Self by Penis Hickey “Penis Hickey is an improvisatory endurance piece about …

Perhaps the most bizarre patron of classical music was King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He is often referred to as "Mad King Ludwig". Mad as he may have been, he left us the fairy tale castles Neuschwanstein and Linderhof. He …

Let's take a look at the history of patronage. The English word patron is borrowed from the Latin patronus (relax Harry Potter fans) which was derived from pater--father. In ancient Rome, the patron/client system was tightly woven into the fabric …

Johnson Trio by TOM HARTEN Guitarist/vocalist Steph Johnson has embarked on a journey-to-jazz that began a few years ago--but may have been inevitable, all along. Johnson's singing voice is an amazing instrument--the result of growing up in a house where …

There seems to be a perception that classical music is in trouble. The cost of producing quality, live, performances far out weighs the general public's appetite to afford tickets that would support the burden. In San Diego we have been …

Rock/funk/reggae/hip-hop act Fish Out of Water are swimming back to their smaller San Diego pond for a homecoming show at the Griffin on August 17, having just spent sixth months playing shows from Key West, Florida to Myrtle Beach, South …

Noise-prone post punk quartet Batwings screech back over the Imperial Desert to their hometown of El Centro (singer Carlos Quintero grew up just across the border in Mexicali) this Tuesday, July 31 at Downtown Club (601 Main Street - $3) …

Attending a concert at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library can make a person spoiled. Small, and as intimate as a personal diary, the acoustics are the equivalent of a true audiophile experience. Hearing real music without the distortions inherent …

"I use this tool a lot," says Tim Nunnink. He brandishes a sinister metal rod. "It's more like a breaker bar." Under the hard glow of shop lights, strange tools and dental picks cover work benches in the garage. There's …

Golden Hill is growing. Not just its bounty of majestic trees, but also its stately Victorian houses are being revitalized, and the increasing presence of music and art is making Golden Hill a go-to destination. The Greater Golden Hill Community …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/jul/25/28544/ Veteran tenor saxophonist and jazz educator Glenn Cashman appeared at the Saville Theatre last night as a part of Jazz 88's ongoing concert series: Jazz Live. He brought a seasoned quartet of LA mainstream musicians with him, including Luther …

It happened on a Sunday morning at the end of April. Greg Willis rolled out of bed at around 9 a.m. and just kept going until he hit the floor. "I couldn't stand up. I couldn't say words." Patty Birchard, …

Two weeks ago, 9-piece instrumental outfit KATA released their debut full-length album, The Rising, for digital download. The Rising by KATA After two years of songwriting and 18 months in the studio (K St. Recorders - built and run by …

BOR IPA Makes a Big Splash in OB The Burning of Rome's Surfdog Records debut With Us is scheduled for release September 18. In the meantime, the band just released its own beer. Brewed at Pizza Port in OB, where …

I scurried from Balboa Park after the symphony concert to Palisades Presbyterian Church in La Mesa. Opera Neo was putting on their Aria Marathon concert. I had no idea who or what Opera Neo was but I trusted the friend …

Last night, pianist Diane Moser and contrabassist Mark Dresser created together an astonishing series of duets in The Back Room at 98 Bottles. There are few musical associations more intimate than the duo format. Especially when improvising is given a …

The San Diego Symphony concert in Balboa Park was once again a blast. The program of music was based on an Olympics theme and incorporated British music along with two Olympic compositions. On this day, Balboa Park did throw up …

Montclair, New Jersey pianist Diane Moser returned to San Diego last night for the first of two back-to-back performances at 98 Bottles, each in celebration of recent CDs. This one was a quartet playing the music from Diane Moser: WDMO, …

"I am preparing for death," says the most polarizing producer in rock, Kim Fowley, who turned 73 on July 21. "That includes withdrawing from all human contact except for accountants, attorneys and industry meetings," he says in a statement posted …

"I am happy to report that it was a very successful time in many ways," says David Sherry, whose Neil Diamond tribute Diamond is Forever! just returned from a six-week overseas tour that included TV performances in Malta. "Europe was …

When Astra Kelly debuts songs from her new concept album Parlor Songs: Love and Heartbreak at House of Blues on Friday, September 7, she will have traded her rock and roll sound for something altogether new for her. “I envisioned …

The heavy metalheads of Pathology say their upcoming full-length The Time Of Great Purification (due September 25) will be "definitely our heaviest and most technical album to date,” according to drummer Dave Astor. The band recorded with Daniel Castleman and …

A listener hears old, but sees young: the singing voice, and the person using it, do not match. Whitney Shay is 26, but she can pound out the blues like someone I interviewed years ago who told me her name …

What should you consider when reading a singer's bio? Nothing. Whatever the bio says, it has no bearing on what you're about to hear. A singer could have Rome, London, Vienna, and St. Petersburg on their bio and still be …

Anthony Carrasco lived in San Diego during the '80s. He, like a lot of teenagers, had aspirations to play rock and roll. "But I was kicked out of every band I've been in or auditioned for." He laughs. "I'm not …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/jul/19/28316/ It's going to be a Diane Moser weekend at 98 Bottles. The superb pianist/composer, and former San Diegan will be in town to celebrate not one, but two brand-new CD-Releases. On Saturday night, she will be performing with guitar-hero …

All told, the Queen Divas of the Universe are a slice of rock and roll history. We meet up at Cosmos in La Mesa and let the name dropping begin: "I was at a party with Jimi Hendrix in Detroit …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/jul/18/28278/ One of the defining moments in my musical life occurred in the late '70s, when I first heard the historic, eponymously titled collaboration between my hero, saxophone titan John Coltrane, and a singer who I had never heard of, …

"A lot is riding on this new record." Adam Traub checks in by phone about his band The Burning of Rome and their new disc. "Kind of everything. We've got a good relationship with our label (Surfdog Records.) I'm treating …

Fresh on the heels of his Comic-Con performance with cartoon band Dethklok, on the deck of the USS Midway, Mike Keneally's new pop-centered full-length co-written with XTC frontman Andy Partridge, Wing Beat Fantastic, drops July 24, 2012. Of its twelve …

This coming Sunday, July 22nd, the San Diego Symphony will be giving a free concert in Balboa Park. The theme is the London Olympics. The concert starts at 5:30 pm and will take place at the organ pavilion. The program …

Bohdi Tree Concerts put on a very nice production of The Mikado. The singers were local and they sounded good. In fact, they sounded great. There weren't any glaring vocal errors or singers that simply weren't qualified to sing this …

Dance friendly indie rock trio New Mexico recently became a four-piece with the addition of Roxy Jones singer/guitarist Peter Graves on keys. Anticipating their fourth show with the new line-up, New Mexico (née Apes of Wrath) recently revamped their sound …

trio by Michael Oletta Any opportunity to catch the stunning, yet criminally under-sung pianist Mikan Zlatkovich in concert is worth taking--especially when he is leading a group of his own. The packed house at 98 Bottles last night were promised …

Swarmius Photo: Amy Hecht "Wipe Out" has a life of its own. I don't have to do anything." That's the word from Bob Berryhill, who checks in by phone during a Surfaris tour stop on Hawaii, this nearly 50 years …

Named after an ancient, spherical sundial, Minneapolis trio Scaphe invokes dark hermetic lore via grinding dual bass guitars, demonic cookie monster vocals, bursts of power violence noise, and straight up raw dog hardcore growls. With several songs wrapping up at …

Darius Degher was a postmodern eclectic long before it was cool, fronting the psychedelic 1980s San Diego band Darius and the Magnets (“With those cool haircuts!”), who released an EP and then a single on Big Time Records of Australia. …

Former San Diegan Diane Moser, a pianist and composer of the highest order, has just released a disc that's been years in the making. Titled, Diane Moser WDMO, it's out on the Planet Arts imprint, and should be available soon. …

Pictured: The Very The Very: "Like Three's Company," emails Diana Death, referencing the old TV sitcom. "Two girls and one guy." Phil Inzunza handles guitars, vox, and drum machine sequencing, Lex does keys and vocals, and bassist Death also sings. …

I have plans to read 50 Shades of Grey. All I know about it is that the two main characters "do it" while listening to Thomas Tallis' Spem in Alium (Hope in any Other). While Tallis is too reverent to …

Alt-Country sextet River City is celebrating the release of their debut full length album, The Flood & The Gavel, tomorrow night at the Soda Bar in conjunction with a Drew Andrews album release, Goddamn, Yes I'm For Real. “The energetic …

But in my imagination this whole thing developed and I started mixing up old folk songs with the Beatles beat and taking them down to Greenwich Village and playing them for the people there. --Roger McGuinn, The Byrds River City …

The first issue of a six-part comic series, loosely about the making of Coldplay's latest album Mylo Xyloto, will debut at this week's San Diego Comic-Con International. The comic will then be released monthly from February 2013. The story of …

When the Reader spoke with Lieutenant Facemelter a year ago, shortly before the 2011 San Diego Regional U.S. Air Guitar Championships, the legendary San Diego–based air guitarist was talking quite the big game. So it was quite shocking when he …

"As far as I know, it's all over." Scott Clayton is talking about music at the Bar Leucadian. He owns On Point Promotions. For the past few years he has booked all of Bar Leucadian's live entertainment, a gig that …

In the two and half years I've been doing concert reviews, I've seen literally hundreds of shows--and without a doubt, some of the best ones have been Jazz Live presentations at the Saville Theatre. Gigs by Theo Saunders, Joshua White, …

"All artwork and packaging for the CD was created, printed, and put together by the band," says Jeff O'Brien of East of Sweden, who began work early this year on an 8-song full-length called Sink or Swim with Mario Quintero …

Los Angeles label Strong and Tough Audio recently released a 23-track compilation including tracks by local producers Puppy Kicker, Sleeve↓, EshOne, Misk, Demon Slayer, and Mastah Syphe, who also mastered the album. Summer Solstice Compilation V.1 is the science fiction …

Who were Gilbert and Sullivan? They were the creators of what has become musical theater. Gilbert wrote the stories and Sullivan wrote the music. All though Gilbert and Sullivan wrote comic operas, they were serious about critiquing and ridiculing the …

The Mikado is a classic Gilbert and Sullivan show. If you're not familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan, they were kind of like Rodgers and Hammerstein or Learner and Lowe except they were from the Victorian era and were British. Bodhi …

The parts that comprise the Ensemble Off n On, namely, guitarist Nate Jarrell, double bassist Harley Magsino and drummer Jeanette Kangas are each virtuoso, daring musicians in their own right. As a unit, they haven't quite come to that point …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/jul/09/27517/ Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has announced that one of the comic books originally planned for local publisher IDW, Gene Simmons House of Horrors, will now instead be published by Arcana Comics. In addition, comics earlier announced (and cancelled) by …

Local musician Jeff Kaiser doesn't just make uncompromising music on the trumpet and laptop. For years he has been operating pfMENTUM Records, an independent label dedicated to the premise of allowing cutting-edge musicians the opportunity to have their music heard. …

Bar Pink is set to be featured in a 30 minute pilot episode of Hospitality Budget, a reality series about touring bands. Soda Bar talent buyer and production manager Peter Graves explains: “In each episode, the hosts entertain a touring …

With just 9 days left to source the second half of his $5,000 Indiegogo goal, one-man band Toothless George will be hosting a fundraising show to cover printing costs for his pending book, Band Together: The Definitive Entry Level Guide …

Serbian born piano/keyboard virtuoso Mikan Zlatkovich doesn't do a lot of concerts as a leader in San Diego — but when he does, he likes to make them different, and special. July 15, Zlatkovich will be bringing a trio with …

Andrew Caddick's latest album under the moniker Jeans Wilder is kind of a bum-out, in a good way. The album, Totally, a dark and brooding take on sunny surf music, was given a 6.3 rating out of a possible 10 …

Tonight is the opening concert at Tanglewood. What is Tanglewood? It is the summer home of the Boston Symphony and this is its 75th season. Tanglewood is probably the premiere music festival in the U.S. The concert tonight is the …

Jazz at the Athenaeum featured a sublime duet of two world class players: vibraphone wizard Joe Locke and North Park pianist Geoffrey Keezer last night, for the third concert in their Summer Series. Locke may be the finest working vibraphonist …

“The two opposing forces- Devil’s Playground Burlesque and Tiny Nightmare Productions have created a nerdcore centric show to remember,” writes Aubree Miller, curator of the monthly Nerdcore Night at The Ruby Room. “The LA-based, Geek-Girl burlesque troupe, most notably known …

Tween pop crooner Dylan Hyde is joining his friend and fellow actor Jared Gilmore, who plays Henry on ABC’s Once Upon a Time, in his mission to save a young Clydesdale/Gypsy Cobb gelding named Mushu at the Rocking Horse Ranch …

The locally-created children's music CD Believe: Kathryn the Grape Songs For Kids of All Ages has won a Gold Mom’s Choice Award, for being among the best in family-friendly media, products, and services. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/jul/03/27208/ Kathryn Cloward created Kathryn the Grape …

A new video for “The Ballad of an Onion Sprout” is online, featuring a two year-old song from the Burning of Rome that will finally see its official debut on the band's upcoming September release With Us. “The Onion Sprout …

Number five: Ghena “I eat tenors for breakfast” Dimitrova. Dimitrova was a ferocious singer. She was born in Bulgaria and started singing in choir as a youngster but her voice smashed its way to the attention of those at the …

I caught a performance of Rent at the Birch North Park Theater. The production was put up by San Diego Musical Theater. The show had good energy, some good singing, and some great singing. Rent is based on Puccini’s La …

Beat maker and multi-instrumentalist Dan 'Room E' Harumi recently had a mixtape posted as the first of a series in London-based art magazine, Art Wednesday. The mixtape features mostly new and unreleased Room E tracks (including two live studio sessions …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/jul/02/27143/ “Frank Sinatra gave me my first singing job, Bob Dylan encouraged me to pursue a recording career, and Buck Owens told me, ‘Cut your damn hair,’ ” says Temecula’s Michael Chain, whose first turn at ’60s pop stardom came …

Trumpet master Gilbert Castellanos put together a ridiculously sublime quartet of top-flight musicians for what will surely constitute a high ranking in the "concert-of-the-year" list last night at 98 Bottles. With players spanning multiple generations, this could have easily fell …

“I'm really excited about the San Diego beat scene right now and I'm also happy to be a part of it,” writes Trill promoter Andre Power via email, “but my goal is to give people more than just a night …

"We kinda came up with the concept a number of years back," ex- Psychotic Waltz guitarist Steve Cox says, "to do some choice old Ozzy and early Sabbath." Ozzy tribute bands abound. They are to be found in places like …