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Famous Former Neighbors Song Contest!

Last year, the song “Overheard in San Diego” by Cathryn Beeks and Sven Erik Seaholm became that comic strip’s heavily-promoted and oft-played theme song at www.sandiegoreader.com.

NOW WE NEED A FAMOUS FORMER NEIGHBORS SONG!

Record and submit an MP3 song called and about Famous Former Neighbors at http://www.sandiegoreader.com/famous-song

All entries will be playable on the Reader website – public votes a winner on March 24.

Winning performer gets their name and URL published with every FFN comic strip in 2010, website spotlights, and a gig showcase at the Ruby Room!!

Winner will be announced at the OVERHEARD AND FAMOUS IN SAN DIEGO ART GALLERY RECEPTION on March 29 at the Ruby Room, where the winner will be invited to perform on an all-star bill that includes Bart Mendoza, True Stories, Wendy Bailey, Cathryn Beeks and more!!

Winner keeps all song (and bragging) rights – we just want to be able to post it all over the Reader website, along with your name and links to your performer pages!

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/famous-song

Here's where you can play all the song submissions so far - voter functions to be added shortly: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/audioclips/sets/famous-former-neighbors/

NEW COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL MUSIC DATABASE IS LAUNCHED

IT'S DONE!!!! And growing every hour....

If you wanna see a list of over 1,900 San Diego bands, with links to full profiles, photos, discographies, articles, MP3s, etc, checkout http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/search/

Believe it or not, you can click on ANY LOCAL MUSICIAN'S NAME (around 4,900 musicos listed!) and bring up bios of every notable band they've ever been in! Try it here with Rob Crow ---

AND, if that wasn't cool 'nuff, click on an instrument, say like this here link to "Drums" - BAM, a list of EVERY DRUMMER IN SAN DIEGO!!!

We've been working on this massively cross-linked Local Music Database for over two years now, covering a century of San Diego history --- if you're a local performer who wants to add or edit a page, go to http://www.sandiegoreader.com/band/edit/

More soon!!!! JAS

HERE'S THE NEW Overheard in San Diego

ARCHIVE OF Famous Former Neighbors

ROCK AROUND THE TOWN TODAY/THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Overheard in San Diego

                     More Overheard in San Diego

 STEVE POLTZ BROKE A HAND - CUE FULL RUGBURNS REUNION ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19!!

"I broke my left hand," reports Steve Poltz. "My fourth metacarpal has a spiral fracture. I did it skiing in Rossland, BC. I crashed and heard it break right when I hit the ground."

So what about Friday's album release-slash-birthday party for his new album Dreamhouse?

"My Belly Up Bday show WILL STILL HAPPEN! I'll be one of those guys in a band that just sings...I'll do my best. Once the cast comes off I'll have to do rehab work to get me back to normal. That's the way the skis tumble. At least I can still sing. And tell jokes and act like an idiot. The idiot part seems to come really easy to me."

"The diagnosis is 'an undisplaced spiral fracture of the fourth metacarpal in the left hand and did not involve a joint.' I like the part that says 'did not involve a joint.' I guess that means I wasn't smoking weed."

The upshot of the injury is that Friday's album release show/50th birthday bash at the Belly Up will now include a full fledged Rugburns reunion!

 For his new record Dreamhouse, Poltz says "I went to Halifax, Nova Scotia and met award winning producer/ songwriter Joel Plaskett and formed a strong bond. We decided to make a record at his studio in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Recorded analog on 16 track 2 inch tape it has the "Dreamhouse" sound. It'll also be available on vinyl (yes! a record!) in a few more weeks. But the cd is freaking ready now!"

Through Friday, digital downloads are available exclusively here.

Related links

• As I Hear It music review
• Musician Interviews
• Steve Poltz 50th Birthday Bash 

 TRAVIS BARKER FLYING SOLO (AGAIN)

Spinnermusic reports: While blink-182 fans patiently await a new album from the reunited band, it appears that solo projects are all the rage with the members of the group. Travis Barker has recruited some big names for his forthcoming solo album.

The original announced guests made it sound like a hip-hop heavy effort with the likes of Lil Wayne, RZA and The Game making appearances but Barker now says that fans can expect an ecletic mix of music and announced an additional guest singer.

"I'm not singing or being an MC or anything," the Blink-182 Drummer tells Spinner. He goes on to talk about the special guests for the album, "I'm rounding it out right now," he said.

"I just love music. The more I can be around it the better, so with my album it's no one genre. It goes from everything from punk rock to hip-hop to some electro stuff on there to a metal song with Corey Taylor from Slipknot. It's been really fun and interesting up till now." - Read the Spinner report here

 AS SEEN ON DVD - MiniReviews by JAS

 I'm not sure why this isn't ranked up there with Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles - much of the same cast is in place. I just watched it on Encore Channel, for the first time since it was new in theaters in 1975. Tho Mel Brooks didn't direct, I heard his voice doing two cameos, so he was at least hanging around the set - Gene Wilder wrote and directed.

It's a little bittersweet to be laughing and then realize that Dom Deluise, Madeline Khan, Leo McKern, and Marty Feldman have all passed away --- but there are a lot of great scenes, from the Bunny Hop musical number(s) to the GREAT battle scene atop three rolling horse carriages, with Holmes and his nemesis grabbing giant sign props as they pass the shops, to use as weapons, like a giant hand and a giant foot...

And Marty Feldman as the Watson-like sidekick with "photographic hearing" - what a treat! Now if only the Encore Channel would show Wilder's OTHER forgotten self-made, Brooks-inspired vanity gem, World's Greatest Lover ---

 I was prepared to not like Avatar, since most CGI characters leave me cold - but the pro-ecology POV and excellent blend of animations and live action won me over. Mr. Shepherd compares the story and execution to Pocahontas, but really it's more like an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series. Guy goes to live in another world while asleep, falls for and mates with beautiful and kick-ass tough native lady, wins the respect of huge colored-skin alien dude (green on Mars, blue on Pandora), learns to lead the "savages" to victory over planetside military aggression - some to think of it, Cameron owes the Burroughs estate a bunch of money for this story ----

Now that I'm noting John Carter swipes, I see many more, right down to both main characters being formerly military men who have become privateers, just before finding themselves on another world, mixing with the alien natives.

There IS a Carter movie finally being made, I understand, tho the casting is a bit wonky – hard to picture Thomas Hayden Church as Hajus, let alone Willem “Green Goblin” DaFoe as Tars Tarkus, but I’ll checkitout anyway. The state of CGI tech would seem to give it a fair shot, with even the 15 foot tall Martians now fully possible to do. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Car...)

John Ratzenberger’s role hasn’t been specified yet, but I’m betting he’ll voice one of those ambulatory brain thingys….

 A forest planet for apes DOES make more sense than a sandy desert world, tho this is one of the few tweaks to the original that qualifies as any sort of improvement. Putting the "origin" story in the hands of goth cartoonatic Tim Burton is almost as misplaced an idea as it was to have Rod “Twilight Zone” Serling script the original version (very few of Serling's ideas, words, and social commentary actually made it onto the screen, despite him usually being cited as "screenwriter").

Perhaps this franchise should instead be restarted with a do-over, as in the second Hulk movie that attempted to cleanse the public’s palate of Eric Bana(l) – how cool would it be to see Remake of the Apes by Terry Gilliam and the crew behind Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth? Ooooh, or now that Sam Raimi is off Spidey Four….

 Top 5 Movies to Leave Playing While You Commit Suicide

5 - Pink Floyd, The Wall: Because its worldview is even more bleak than your own.

4 - Lisztomania: Since you're going to Hell anyway, why not Hollywood's own version of an Hieronymus Bosch painting.

3 - Chronicles of Narnia, UK TV show version: 'Cause nobody can survive thru to the ending.

2 - Natural Born Killers: It clearly has no respect for the sanctity life OR good film making, so why not?

1 - No Country For Old Men: 'Cause it sucks even worse than you.

THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE: A show well worth peeping. Starring the woman who played lady cop Annie in the U.S. version of the (woefully underrated) Life on Mars TV show, the Notorious Bettie Page is a pretty good movie. It goes into surprising depth RE the increasingly federalized attempts to legislate all aspects of the sex biz out of existence, as well as covering a lot of Miss Page's (very interesting) personal biographical history.

Star Gretchen Mol (who seems to specialize in period pieces - the '70s in Life on Mars, and now the '50s) does well with projecting both innocence and naughtiness. I've met part-time pornographer Bunny Yeager and can vouch that the movie's portrayal is fairly accurate, if a bit superficial - much more could have been done with the motivations behind choosing such an "outlaw" endeavor, in an social-status era when jail wasn't anywhere near the worst thing that could result.

All in all, tho, a well-done flick --

 Named after one of the weakest Beatles tunes, of around three dozen Beatlecentric cuts covered or referenced in the film, Across the Universe wants to ride the musical comeback wave of High School Musical, Moulin Rouge, or even Hedwig and the Angry Inch - instead, it falls off the board into Sgt Bee Gee's Pepperland and Cop Rock-ville. Why did they bother? And, more annoyingly, why did I watch it expecting anything different? You'd think I would have learned after All This and World War II ----

Top 5 WORST Beatles tunes:

5) Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (until/unless performed by Steve Martin, whose rendition comprises the four most watchable minutes of Sgt Bee Gee’s…)

4) Across the Universe (“Lyrics flying out like golden rain into a paper cut, they slither as they pass like turds…”)

3) Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da (I mean, the only reason Molly got into Desmond’s band was because Desmond liked her face – WTF?! Is this actually The Ballad of Paul and Linda?)

2) Lovely Rita (Just call the meter maid a b-tch and get over it already)

1) Martha My Dear (Like Lovely Rita, the dog this was named for was a total b-tch.)

Top 5 Worst Beatles Lyrics:

5) "Goo Goo G'Joob" (Gesundheit -- Here's a handkerchief. No, you keep it...)

4) "No one will be watching us, why don't we do it in the road" (Uh, guys, I think the middle of the road is the one place on Earth where EVERYone will be watching you!)

3) "And he told us of his life in the land of submarines" (Right before we executed him for Nazi war crimes, seeing as how subs only exist due to escalation of military kill-capability)

2) “Well here’s another clue for you all, the Walrus was Paul” (Yeah, we noticed the Walrus was HOLDING A BASS GUITAR – big whoopin’ clue).

1) “Honey pie, honey pie, honey pie, honey pie” (Don’t know if they were hungry or horny when they did that, but you can bet they were reeking like Tommy Chong’s beard)

SEX - THE ANNABEL CHONG STORY: I wrote Annabel's first big-budget movie, the superhero spoof Sordid Stories, and got to know her a bit while we worked on a comic book version of the film. I've regaled friends with tales of being on the set while she filmed porn scenes, but my best, er, sordid story about Annabel involves the time I drove her home from a 50-man...how to put this....uh...."back door" film shoot.

[WARNING - "YUCK" ALERT, read on at your own peril] So....While she was riding in my back seat, I kept looking in the, uh, rear view mirror, to see her (wearing a short dress) sliding back and forth across the vinyl bench seat every time I took the slightest turn or lane change. It was like I had a freakin' Slip-N-Slide back there or something. WTF?? After I dropped her off, I noticed my back seat was smeared with what I can only politely describe as, uh, leftover lubricant from her film shoot. Takes a lotta lube to accommodate 50 men.

Needless to say, that was the last time I gave Annabel a ride. I'm lucky her butt didn't stick to my back seat like a damp suction cup (although that WOULD have kept her more stationary, made less of a mess, and perhaps saved me the HUGE tip I had to give my car detailing guy later that day).

 I've long been a fan of the Doyle books, and the movie references countless things from the Doyle canon in a way that hardcore fans like me find delightful, but in an action movie context geared surprisingly well for the 21st century crowd, most of whom wouldn't know Sherlock Holmes from the Rolling Stones, or Sherlock's smarter brother Mycroft....

The flick uses a lot of flashy high tech supergraphics similar to the CSI TV shows (which, after all, begin and end as baldfaced Doyle/Holmes ripoffs-slash-tributes), without being SO modern as to feel like anachronisms. Coupled with almost relentless action scene after action scene, it was so engaging, and so filled with twists, both physical and philosophical, that I didn't want leave the room long enuff for a quick bathroom break. Every bit of the movie seemed to vital to miss ---

Lots of witty and intelligent stuff going on - I look forward to at least a couple of repeat viewings! For a VERY long time, the only TV or movie Holmes I've found acceptable are Basil Rathbone (by virtue of his radio incarnation more than the films), and Jeremy Brett from the PBS show (which are among the best direct-from-Doyle adaptations) - well, and maybe a couple of those weird shows with Matt Frewer/Max Headroom as Sherlock.

Now, and for some time to come, Robert Downey Jr. IS the personification of Mr. Holmes for me! Been digging his movie groove since his wonderful Chaplin biopic -- I doubt anybody would have bothered making this new movie without him. I hope the sequel they seemed to set up happens ----

 CATHRYN BEEKS’ WEEKLY LISTEN LOCAL HOTSHEET  

 Wednesday 1/10 - Join us at the Onyx Room this week for INCREDIBLE music and tasty beverages.  8:00 Bass Hamza, 8:45 Wendy Bailey & True Stories, 10:00 Dave Perskie and Session 73, 11:15 Vanity Affair - NO COVER!

 Thursday 1/11 - Winston's in OB for Happy Hour! Join Kate and I with music from 5:00 Keith Hartman, 5:30 Katie Leigh, 6:00 Conner Cecil, 6:30 Travis Ross, 7:00 Flip and Rollie Band - NO COVER!

 Sunday 1/21 - The Acoustic Alliance is having the best show ever.  This time we have 3 sets of 5 different songwriters sharing the stage and performing their best 3 songs "in the round".  Check out this RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LINEUP!  Intermission entertainment by 3 Degrees Off Center, get all the info here, see you there!

MUSIC NEWS

 Artist of the Week:  Bass Hamza is our new favorite! catch him and the band this Wednesday, February 17 at the Onyx Room at 8pm.  If you miss it, you'll have a second chance to catch him solo at The Acoustic Alliance on Sunday, February 21.

Link of the Week:  For over 5 years The Acoustic Alliance has brought together a dozen songwriters for an incredible "in the round" event.  This time we'll feature FIFTEEN artists all performing their best 3 songs.  3 sets of 5 artists and intermission entertainment, this show is NOT to be missed!  Check it out here.

A Global Pechakucha event for Haita happens on February 20th at the Whistle Stop Bar and will be webcast, too.  Guest will include Howard Blackson of Placemakers and Josh Higgins of Haiti Poster Project; live music performances include Chad Farran & Friends and Soul Choro; additional guests, performers and presenters to be announced.  A $20 donation is requested at the door. All proceeds to benefit PechaKucha for Haiti Fund.  Go here for more

 Sight & Sound happens again on Saturday the 20th, this time at Queen Bee's.  Featured musical guests include Buddy Akai, Mission: Valley, Gregory Page plus art and more... all MC'd by our buddy Rob Deez.  For info visit here.

Sandi Shaner reminds us:  "Please make an effort to come by Winston's in Ocean Beach next Saturday Feb 20th, from 2pm to 7pm and drop off a bag of groceries for the homeless and hungry. We are having our 2nd annual "Rock Fights Hunger" food drive, to fill the San Diego food banks, and help some less fortunate families affected by this crappy economy."

Musical items for sale, contact Dan for more info.  ART Tube MP Studio Mic Preamp $20; Boxx FS5U Foot Switch $15; TubePRE - PreSonus $100; Marshall Half Stack $675; Uptown Flash Stereo Switcher $250

HEADS UP

3/2 - The Game is at Desi N Friends.  Write a song to the title SAVE THE DAY then come play it with others doing the same.  BIG FUN!

 TODAY'S "WHAT THE F-CK" ALBUM COVER

What you get when you cross Flesh Gordon with Barbarella and a really stupid Buggles video --

"Hon, we're gonna need a bigger piano!" You'd think this guy would look happier that Decca is releasing his album --

"Hon, we're gonna need a bigger can of Raid!" Is there no end to bugs who wanna be Beatles?

I don't know who deserves to get their ass kicked more - their hair stylist or whoever designed those Evel-Knievel-Brady-Bunch clothes --

Again, what's worse - the clothes or the hair?? And, hey, isn't that Peter Sellers in drag on the right?!

This senior couple just can't let go of their weird Donny Osmond fetish...

The original version of the Divinyls "I Touch Myself" ??

Walking OUTLET store, maybe...

"With a name like Burpo, he's GOT to be good..."

Ethel Merman's disco album - you can't make this sh-t up, people.

Brady kids go solo, sometime after Peter's voice stopped breaking but before Marsha found a bra that fits.

Now here's the biggest WTF COMIC BOOK cover I've seen in a loooong time - "You want more comics, kid, just reach in my pocket and feel around for some change...."

And, just to completely f-ck with your mind..............

PREVIOUS WTFs - http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2010/feb/15/worst-album-covers-ever-strange-bizarre-and-butt-c/

 MUSIC ASSOCIATION/LOVE FOUNDATION BENEFIT 2-28

Event: Benefit for the San Diego Music Association and the Matt Wadleigh LoVe Foundation. Local performers will include Dawn Mitschele, Alex Woodward, Alysse Fischer, and Bushwalla. February 28th, 6:00-10:00 at

AMSDconcerts
4650 Mansfield Street
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 303-8176 -- $20

http://www.mylovesign.com/Love_Events.php

A Tribute Band Benefit Concert for the Victims of the Haitian Earthquake

TRIBUTE BAND BENEFIT CONCERT GOES TO ELEVEN!!

Music Zirconia Tribute Band Agency and eleven of Southern California’s premier tribute bands are joining together to help raise money for victims of January’s devastating Haiti earthquake. The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 20 at 4th and B in Downtown San Diego from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.  Legendary UK expat DJ Steve West from Radio Nigel will emcee the proceedings and will be spinning in one of two DJ areas throughout the course of the event.

Confirmed acts include: Sweet and Tender Hooligans (tribute to The Smiths /Morrissey), The Cured (tribute to 1980’s The Cure), The Joshua Tree (U2 tribute), Blasphemous Rumours (Depeche Mode tribute), Radio Star (hard rock spin on 80s new wave), Rio (Duran Duran tribute), Gabba Gabba Heys (Ramones tribute), Metro (80’s dance-pop hits), Ghost In The Machine (Police/Sting tribute), Dust & Bones (Guns & Roses tribute) The Cameltones (80’s party hits) and very special guest John Easdale from Dramarama.

Presale tickets will be $22 and $27 the day of show. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com, at 4thandbevents.com and at the 4^th and B box office.  Many sponsors are donating resources, time and products to help make this event a huge success, and ultimately, help save lives. In addition to those already confirmed, other sponsors are TBA. Donations will be directly routed to the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund (www.clintonbushhaitifund.org). We will also be raffling off donated items throughout the event.

Additional donations to help survivors of the devastating earthquake in Haiti can be made by:

Texting the word "QUAKE" to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

-Mailing a check to:

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
c/o William J. Clinton Foundation
Donations Department
610 President Clinton Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72201

 FORMER IRON MAIDEN SINGER TAKING THE (MAIN)STAGE IN RAMONA

Paul Di'Anno's visa was approved by the U.S. State Department, making it possible for Di'Anno to embark on his first U.S. tour in over 15 years. He hits the Ramona Mainstage on Friday, February 19.

Di'Anno was Iron Maiden's original singer, from 1978 to 1981. Post-Maiden, he issued numerous albums over the years, as both a solo artist and with bands like Gogmagog, Di'Anno's Battlezone, Praying Mantis, and Killers (named after a Maiden number).

When asked by Vue Weekly in a recent interview about the possibility of releasing a new studio album in the not-too-distant future, Di'Anno replied, "We did five new tracks in Germany last year — it's very industrialized — but we got in a bit of an argument with the record company and we told them to piss off, basically. So I kept them songs and a friend of mine where I am right at the minute in Salisbury down in Southwest England, has just handed me 16 pieces of music so I'm going to go away when I have a bit of time and see what I can come up with for that."

The Ramona Mainstage operates in the old two-screen movie theater in downtown Ramona - Di'Anno appears friday, February 19, with Icarus Witch, Nihilist, Sicarus, Aventale, Metatonic, Rebirth From Ash, and Satramote.

Ramona Mainstage Nightclub

626 Main Street
Ramona, CA 92065
760-789-7008
Get Directions

PARKER AND THE NUMBERMAN - CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

Rappers Parker Edison and Jay Smith, aka the Numberman, teamed up in 2007 to form Parker & the Numberman, with a debut EP Talented Tenth named after the writings of W.E.B. Du Bois.

“We like to mix the fluid lyricism of Charles Bukowski with the street corner observations of NWA,” says Smith.

The group’s video for their song “What About Your Block” was recently accepted into the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, which oddly enough happens in L.A. from February 25 through March 4.

“We paid $300 to enter, and then you buy a package to get your project seen. We'd like to raise $2,500 for the Gold package, so we can have booth space, VIP passes, a page on the Festival website, and hotel fare.”

What if they don’t raise enough for the Gold package? “We’ll have to settle for the Silver or Bronze. I think the Bronze package gets you a table with a chair. With the Silver package, you get two chairs. And some ice water.”

CARLY SMITHSON'S EVANESCENCE RELEASING FIRST SINGLE

AntiMusic.com reports: We Are The Fallen unleashed their first single, "Bury Me Alive," exclusively via the digital domain on February 2nd.

The fivesome is comprised of the original members Evanescence, guitarists Ben Moody and John LeCompt along with drummer Rocky Gray, joined by American Idol finalist Carly Smithson on vocals. Acclaimed bassist Marty O'Brien (Disturbed, Static-X) rounds out We Are The Fallen. Check out a free download for the acoustic "Bury Me Alive" here

The group is already preparing to give fans a live taste of the reportoire fueling their upcoming Universal Republic debut album, due out later in the year - hitting the road in support of Finnish rock stalwarts H.I.M. The extensive, 28 city tour launches in Philadelphia, PA, on March 26th, hurtling through multiple major cities such as Boston, MA, on March 28th, Cleveland, OH, on April 1st, Chicago IL, on April 9th, Los Angeles, CA, on April 23rd, and winding down in New York City on May 7th. - more on this story

 SAN DIEGO MUSIC "SCENE" MENTIONED IN THE NEW YORKER

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/2010/02/08/100208goni_GOAT_nightlife
"...Christmas Island, from the growing San Diego lo-fi scene, crafts scenester beach-party tunes."

Quotes like above in the new New Yorker are puzzling - San Diego finally getting national acclaim for something as inconsequential and ultimately fleeting as its paint-by-number "lo-fi scene" is like how Lady Godiva, reportedly one of history's greatest beauties and a prodigious tax-battler and renters-rights activist, is only famous for that one horsey ride....just sayin'.... 

Two legendary groups with San Diego connections return!

Feb. 5 / The Nashville Ramblers

Feb. 19 / Ron Silva & The Monarchs

Two legendary groups with San Diego connections are making appearances at The Tower Bar this February:

The Nashville Ramblers (Feb. 5) / Ron Silva & The Monarchs (Feb. 19).

Nashville Ramblers, led by Carl Rusk (guitar) with Tom Ward (bass) and Ron Silva (drums) stage a rare reunion show at The Tower Bar on Feb. 5. Their song “The Trains,” first released in 1986, is now considered a power-pop classic and was included in the Children of Nuggets box set from Rhino Records. Meanwhile the trio has also spent time as members of other noted combos such as The Crawdaddys, The Gravedigger Five and Mystery Machine.

Then on Feb. 19, Silva and Ward return with the recently reunited, Bay Area based, rhythm & blues combo, Ron Silva and the Monarchs. This time out, Silva is frontman and the group features another San Diego ex-pat, Nick Rossi (ex- Loved Ones) on guitar. First established in the early '90s, this band is a monster! If you like your R&B, gritty, sixties styled and incredibly danceable – this is the band for you!

The Nashville Ramblers

Friday, February 5, 2010

Ron Silva & The Monarchs

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Tower Bar

4557 University Avenue

San Diego, CA 92105-1918

(619) 284-0158

9 PM, $5

+ guest DJs Tony The Tyger and Action Andy

www.myspace.com/ronsilvaandthemonarchs

www.myspace.com/thenashvilleramblers

LOCAL SINGER MAKES TOP 10 ON CHINA'S POP IDOL TV SHOW - Over 100 Million Viewers Cheering On Nikki Nova of Liquid Blue!

Nikki Nova, a vocalist with Liquid Blue, has beat out some of the best singers from around the world to reach the Top 10 in MN Idol, which was broadcast on live TV to over 100 million viewers over the last week of January, 2010.

Nikki's achievement is all the more impressive when you consider she does not speak any form of Chinese but has sung throughout the competition in a dialect called "Minnan," out-performing a host of native speakers. One judge describes her performance, "like having Celine Dion sing a Minnan song on stage." The Minnan dialect is most popular in Southern China, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

The seven-strong indie-rock-dance group Liquid Blue is officially the "World's Most Traveled Band," having performed in over 100 countries across six continents. And now, one of their "Blue Girls" has become the first American to reach the Top 10 of Asia's version of American Idol. They were the first band from the U.S. to sign to a Chinese record label.

Liquid Blue was "certified green" by the County of San Diego in 2009 and is likely the very first certified GREEN act in America. They performed at the Beijing Olympics CCTV Kickoff Concert in 2008.

Liquid Blue's music is a mixture of dance and rock, featuring eastern Indian instruments such as tablas, sitars, and kanuns. They recently released the single tracks "Dominate" and "Earth Passport."

Jumping Turtle Still Has Some Bounce by Jay Allen Sanford “The Jumping Turtle is not going out of business,” says owner Matt Hall, despite having lost his most recent appeal to keep the City of San Marcos from revoking his venues' entertainment permit ... (more Jumping Turtle )

A MESSAGE FROM

First off, thanks to everyone who made it out to The Casbah last Thursday for our 501(c)(3) event. We raised $2,000 and are extremely grateful to Tim Mays and The Casbah, Martian Horses, Joel P West, Jamuel Saxon and all of you who came out to support. This money will help us buy a case of disposable cameras, prepare for a big Art/Music event on June 12th and launch our Membership Program this spring.

If you didn't make it out that night, or you have blurry memories from the crazy dance party Jamuel Saxon and friends provided, click here for some footage.

 

More exciting news! Sezio will launch a weekly, hour-long radio program this Friday on Legit Radio. Focusing on hometown and national talent, Sezio's hour-long program will feature a mix of music, cocktails, weekend events and special guests. We're stoked to be working with Chris Cantore, Dave Brown and all of
the great folks behind the Legit community. So tune in this Friday at 2pm to LegitRadio.com.

 

Following their December release of Homes & Houses, Oceanside-based Longstay has taken a weekly residency at Beauty Bar for the month of January. We caught up with the soulful rock quartet to investigate their beginnings, new record and the online maze they constructed to download their digital treasures.
Longstay plays their last residency night at Beauty Bar tonight! Check out their feature here.

 

A MILLION RECORDS FOR SALE?!

Calling all collectors of vinyl records! San Diego-based Revolver Boutique has lost its lease on its warehouse and is now liquidating one of the nation’s largest collection of vinyl records – one million pieces in stock – all up for immediate sale.

“We lost our warehouse and must liquidate this enormous vinyl record collection,” said Gabe Galvez with Revolver Boutique. “This is a great addition to any record collector’s collection and it is available below cost.”

The diverse collection of music covers everything from rock and jazz to even classical and pop music. Most of the record inventory covers the span of the 1950s to the 1980s, but the album collection for sale pretty much has something available for every music lover.

“We are willing to take options on medium size to large size orders of these albums,” Galvez said. “We are even willing to work with the buyer to help sort the albums or even help move them. No appropriate offer will be rejected.”

Revolver Boutique acquired the record collection in the takeover of San Diego-based vintage clothing and music store Thrift Trader. Thrift Trader was an active purchaser of vintage vinyl records in the greater San Diego area and stored the extensive collection in a local warehouse.

“They were buying 10,000 or more vinyl records per month,” Galvez said. “It’s easy to see how this diverse collection of records grew to more than one million albums very quickly.”

For more information on the extensive collection of more than one million vinyl records, or to make an offer to acquire the inventory, please contact Gabe Galvez with Revolver Boutique at 619-507-5946 or via email at gabe.galvez@revolverboutiques.com.

For more information on Revolver Boutique, please check out their brand new website at http://www.revolverboutiques.com. 
Revolver Boutique
Phone: (619) 507-5946
Email: Gabe Galvez - gabe.galvez@revolverboutiques.com

RELATED ARTICLE: The Day I Sold My Albums to Off the Record

BLINK 182 DOCUMENTARY MOVING FORWARD

A trailer has been posted for the upcoming Blink 182 documentary titled The Blinkumentary. The film was put together by Handsome Randsome and aims to document the band's 2009 tour and the events leading up to it. check it out here

This is the third documentary to feature the band - the earlier films were:

  Riding in Vans with Boys

  Blink 182: The Urethra Chronicles

    

MRAZ GET THE AXE - HIS OWN GUITAR MODEL!

AntiMusic.com reports: Newly christened Grammy winner Jason Mraz has spent the past thirteen years performing everywhere from local coffee shops to stadiums with his Taylor guitars. Along the way, Mraz has released three studio albums, several EP's and live albums including the recently released Beautiful Mess - Live on Earth DVD/CD. Mraz's live shows have garnered critical acclaim around the world and his albums have earned multiple Grammy nominations. Late last year, his hit single, "I'm Yours", set a music industry record for the most weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

In early December, Mraz visited the Taylor factory to meet with the company's design team and to complete work on his own Taylor model, the Jason Mraz Signature Model (JMSM).

The JMSM is based on Mraz's go-to guitar, a Taylor nylon-string NS72ce, a guitar he says "nurtured a whole album's worth of songs" and in performances, "gave me a way to communicate with the audience without a guitar standing in my way. It felt like it was part of me, it was a part of the energy that I wanted to put out there."

Crafted from a back and sides of Indian rosewood and a top of Western Red cedar, the JMSM includes key design touches provided by Mraz. The fretboard inlay, in Mexican cypress, features the phrase "Be Love" set below a design that features a triangle within a circle, which mirrors a forearm tattoo he got in July 2009.

"I chose this symbol simply because I want to be whole in mind, body and soul," Mraz explains. "I think that's a divine trinity there. What is 'Be Love' but cutting out the middle man. You don't have to have a certain someone to be loved. You don't have to have certain conditions to have love in your life. You can just be love. So, it's basically a practice of unconditional love, a practice of unabashed generosity." - more on this story

(click to enlarge)

 ALBUM LEAF HITTING THE ROAD WITH SEA WOLF

Sea Wolf burst into 2010 in the Twilight: New Moon movie, with their song, "The Violet Hour." This followed the release of the band's sophomore album, White Water, White Bloom, on Dangerbird Records, as well as a national headline tour.

On February 3, Sea Wolf will team up with The Album Leaf for a West Coast run that will stretch as far north as Vancouver and culminate with a hometown show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. Sea Wolf's orchestral pop narratives will serve as a perfect primer for The Album Leaf's dreamy and cinematic soundscapes. Alex Brown Church, aka Sea Wolf, will also be guest hosting MTV2's "Subterranean" in the coming months.

Heralded by Amazon.com as one of the Top 100 albums of 2009 and described by the Austin-American Statesman as "an eclectic brand of indie-folk in the vein of the Decemberists," White Water, White Bloom, is a masterful marriage of vivid storytelling and intricate instrumentation. Relix exclaimed: "Church and his fellow musicians craft an overwhelming sonic landscape that is almost visually palpable."

The Album Leaf officially began in 1998 as the solo project of Jimmy LaValle, who had performed in several other local bands, including Swing Kids, the Locust, and GoGoGo Airheart.

When the band formed, LaValle had been playing guitar in the post-rock instrumental band Tristeza. Being a multi-instrumentalist, he began playing drums for San Diego band Gogogo Airheart during downtime in the fall of 1998.

LaValle played his first official Album Leaf show at the Che Cafe in the winter of 1999. Band members for this show consisted of Rafter Roberts(of Rafter), James Lehner (of Tristeza), Leilani Clark (of the Straight A’s, also with LaValle), and Benjamin White (of Gogogo Airheart).

The band won Best Electronic at the 2008 and 2009 San Diego Music Awards.

 SAN DIEGO'S REELIN' IN THE YEARS CHRONICLES THE BRITISH INVASION

Dusty Springfield - Once Upon A Time 1964-1969

Small Faces - All Or Nothing 1965-1968

Herman's Hermits - Listen People 1964-1969

Gerry & The Pacemakers - It's Gonna Be All Right 1963-1965

The Invasion Arrives March 23, 2010

Over forty-five years after the Beatles sparked the legendary 'British Invasion' that forever changed the face of popular music, Reelin' In The Years Productions, in association with Voyage Digital Media, is proud to announce the release of the initial four DVDs in the new British Invasion series. The four titles are Dusty Springfield - Once Upon A Time 1964-1969, Small Faces - All Or Nothing 1965-1968, Gerry & The Pacemakers - It's Gonna Be All Right 1963-1965 and Herman's Hermits - Listen People 1964-1969. Distributed by Naxos of America Inc., all four DVDs will be available separately and as a deluxe boxset featuring a bonus fifth disc with over 2 hours of additional content.

Produced by Reelin' In The Years Productions, each DVD features complete 1960's television performances filmed at the time the songs were hits and while the artists were at the height of their careers. Interspersed between the performances, original band members and others who helped create their classic music, talk about each song and recount special moments in the history of the group. In addition, all performances have been transferred from the original master tapes and include best-possible video and remastered audio. Each DVD also includes a 24-page booklet with insights and essays by noted rock historians as well as previously unseen photos and memorabilia. The series, originally released only in the UK in September of 2009, has received both commercial success and critical acclaim, with four-star reviews and inclusion in many year-end “Best Of 2009" lists in the British music press.

Reelin' In the Years is the San Diego-based company that has produced some of the most highly-regarded anthology DVD series including the four-volume, GRAMMY-nominated American Folk Blues Festival series, the multi-platinum selling Definitive Motown series (Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles) and the award winning Jazz Icons series. As in all of their projects, each DVD is produced with the full support and cooperation of the artists or their estates.

Notes about each of the four individual releases:

 DUSTY SPRINGFIELD - Once Upon A Time 1964 - 1969

Features 20 definitive complete television performances by Britain's greatest pop diva including “You Don't Have To Say You Love Me," “Son Of A Preacher Man," “Wishin' And Hopin'" and “I Only Want To Be With You." Dusty's story is told through new interviews with Burt Bacharach, Madeline Bell (who sang back-up for Dusty in the '60s), Simon Bell (Dusty's back-up singer from the '70s to the '90s), and a newly discovered interview from 1978 with Dusty herself. Bonus features include Dusty's complete 1965 and 1966 New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert appearances as well as a duet with Burt Bacharach on “A House Is Not A Home." Annie Randall, Dusty's biographer, wrote the accompanying essay.

SMALL FACES - All Or Nothing 1965 - 1968

In the mid-1960's the Small Faces challenged the Who, Kinks, Rolling Stones and even the Beatles for UK chart domination. This is the band's first official anthology and features 27 complete performances capturing every aspect of their brief but brilliant run including early Mod/R&B classics such as “What'cha Gonna Do About It", “Sha La La La Lee" and “All Or Nothing", timeless rockers like “Tin Soldier" and later psychedelic treasures including “Itchycoo Park", and “Green Circles." Nine songs are included from the band's masterwork Ogden's Nut Gone Flake including “Lazy Sunday", “Song Of A Baker", the title track and the six song “Happiness Stan" suite. Also included are interviews filmed exclusively for the DVD with original members Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston as well as archival interviews with the late Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. The 24-page booklet includes an informative essay by pop historian Ken Sharp as well as rare in-studio photographs by famed engineer Eddie Kramer.

 GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS - It's Gonna Be All Right 1963 - 1965

The first band ever to have their first three singles top the British charts, Gerry & The Pacemakers rivaled the Beatles in the early years of the British Invasion. Their first official anthology DVD features 17 classic complete performances including the smash hits “How Do You Do It?," “I Like It" and “You'll Never walk Alone" as well as the timeless classics “Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" and “Ferry Cross The Mersey." Also included is an interview with Garry Marsden that was conducted exclusively for the DVD at Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club. Bill Harry, founder/publisher of Mersey Beat, the music paper that originally chronicled the Liverpool scene, also tells the band's story both on screen and in his accompanying liner notes.

 HERMAN'S HERMITS - Listen People 1964-1969

The DVD is their first official anthology chronicling their meteoric rise melding a traditional British music hall influence with good time rock 'n roll. Among the 22 full-length performances are all of their biggest hits including “I'm Into Something Good," “Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter," “I'm Henry VIII, I Am" and their later evocative masterpieces “No Milk Today," and “Listen People." The Herman's Hermits' story is told by original members Peter Noone, Keith Hopwood, Karl Green and Barry Whitwam as well as in the accompanying essay by GRAMMY-winning music historian Rob Bowman. A complete concert filmed in 1966 for Australian television is included as a bonus feature.

(David Peck with Elvis Costello, courtesy Reelin' In the Years)

David Peck's Reelin' in the Years Productions maintains an archive of over 10,000 filmed musical performances, as well as representing others with footage to license for broadcast or video releases. VH1 probably couldn't make shows like I Love the '70s and Behind the Music without Peck's ever-growing database of footage.

Peck told staff writer Dave Good about how the Reader played a role in his Grammy-winning career as a music video archivist.

“I was in Off the Record one night. I was 18 at the time. The guy who worked there turned me on to all these great Stones videos. This was ’84, when video collectors were underground. There was no YouTube; there was nothing. Collecting videos was a swapping thing. So he turned me on to this great rare stuff — the Stones playing with Muddy Waters — and that’s when I got the bug and started collecting.”

“In ’86, John D’Agostino, who was then writing for the Reader, wrote an article about me as a collector, and it kinda went from there. I started doing research and consulting on projects. By ’98, I started representing video libraries, and now I have amassed the world’s largest library of music footage.”

Peck once told me a great story about locally-shot footage that includes longtime local DJ Jim McIness.

Reelin' holds a piece of historical footage featuring McInnes, which it has licensed for use to VH1. "I got ahold of a piece of film that was shot at a backyard party here in San Diego , around 1981," he says. "Weird Al Yankovic was there, before he really broke big, when he was still doing 'Another One Rides the Bus' on [syndicated radio show] Dr. Demento. Jim is playing with him, and he's playing Weird Al's accordion and somebody comes by and spills beer on the thing. Weird Al got really upset with him, because it was a brand new accordion! And Jim is just shrugging his shoulders, like, 'hey, it's just an accordion, not a Les Paul,' but Weird Al wasn't laughing. Shows which one of them actually had the sense of humor, huh?"

McInnes explained to me in a phone interview "What happened was that my friend tried to pour a beer in my mouth while my hands were occupied trying to play accordion for the first time, and it spilled into the [instrument's] bellows. [Weird] Al was a good sport about it - he'd just had the accordion cleaned!"

www.reelinintheyears.com

TOM DELONGE'S sd HOUSE JUST GOT A LOT CHEAPER - Mark Hoppus says the neighbors are a-holes

WSJ.com  reports: Tom DeLonge, frontman for blink-182, has cut the price on his Rancho Santa Fe home to just under $5 million, about 25% less than what he spent on the house, renovations and décor.

The single-story house, first listed for $6.25 million in 2007, sits on 1.1 acres in a gated golf community of Rancho Santa Fe, about 25 miles north of San Diego. The guitarist and vocalist paid $5.5 million for the house in 2005 with his wife, Jennifer, an interior designer who redecorated the home. The five-bedroom, five-bath house of 6,500 square feet was built in 2003 and comes with a pool. The DeLonges are looking for a bigger property for their family, according to their agent, Laura Barry of Barry Estates.

 I guess it makes sense that rockers as rich as the guys in blink 182 can afford to deep discount. "I guess this is growing up..." and all that, dontcha know.

So it's kind of a hoot to discover that in 2007, three years before Tom DeLonge opted out of homeownership in Rancho Santa Fe, the debut album by +44 with Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker included a track dissing Hoppus' former neighbors in oh-so-upscale neighborhood.

His rage against the Rancho is mainly directed at the neighborhood's homeowners association. Hoppus told newstimeslive.com “There's a song called ‘Lillian’ on the record that's about people that try to control other people's lives...And there's a place in San Diego called Rancho Santa Fe, which is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life. It's country sides, rolling hills, there's trees everywhere. It's this gorgeous place, and it's filled with some of the most backstabbing, evil, just bitter, bitter people in the world."

"The homeowners association is very strict and it's strange because everybody who lives there is very wealthy…They're just bitter and it's a sour, sour community. The woman who started the homeowners association there is a woman named Lillian. So it's kind of about people trying to control one another.”

Hoppus seems pretty bitter and sour himself, judging from the tune's lyrics:

"The place I used to live, made me feel like a tourist - I couldn't coexist with the cold and suspicious - When the last remaining left was starting to filter - It seemed the perfect time to step into the future

Your heart is no grave to be perfectly honest - Your mouth's a smoking gun -And you smile while your twisting the knife in my stomach - Until everything is gone - Take all you can from me I've got weak constitution - I'm led so easily So easily

I left it all behind, in the dead of last winter - I left it all behind, but the question still lingers - So long forgotten friends, no, you don't know the difference - Between love and submission, and I'm not that obedient

 I expect the next +44 album will include a tirade against Hoppus' Porsche mechanic ("Fixed my air with faulty parts, now my leather interior smells like farts").

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FREE ANGELS & AIRWAVES ALBUM

In a recent Modcam, Tom DeLonge revealed the tracklist for the new Angels and Airwaves album LOVE, according to AbsolutePunk.

The site reports that album will be offered as a free download and will be followed up with a physical release that contains 30 extra minutes of music used in the LOVE movie.

Track Listing 1. The Flight of Apollo 2. It Hurts So Badly 3. Young London 4. Epic Holiday 5. Clevor Love 6. Triumphant 7. Hush 8. Dear God 9. Hallucinations 10. Atomic 11. Seque (sunshine) - AbsolutePunk

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STRAWBERRY ALARM PUMPKINS

Antimusic reports: Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan is not only hard at work on new music of his own; he's busy inking bands to be on a brand new label. The eclectic label will feature a diverse roster ranging from underground punk legends The Germs to 60s psychedelic rockers The Strawberry Alarm Clock as well as The Electric Prunes, Starchildren, Fancy Space People and YaHoWha 13.

The announcement was made in the following blog entry on Wednesday:

 A quick update on the Pumpkins recordings for Teargarden By Kaleidyscope: We have 5 songs mixed and another song is tracked and ready to be mixed. Song number 2 should be ready for download within the next 2 weeks. I will let you know when we have a solid date.

Billy and I are happy to announce the birth of our record label! The name of the label will be made public soon. (We need to make sure that we have the name rights before we can announce it.) We are very excited to be collaborating with amazing artists that have made a huge impact on the underground music world... From the psychedelic garage rock of the 60's and the punk rock insanity of the 70's and 80's to the post-punk Pleiadian power-pop that is now. - more on this story

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 "TOO MANY TRAILS, MAN" - OR "WHY I STOPPED TAKING PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS....."

Because who can get any work done with all THIS going on????

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LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS

Mo 2/1: Bruce Willis, Ne-Yo
Tu 2/2: John Travolta, Shaun White, Ben Harper & Relentless7
We 2/3: Sarah Silverman, Jeremy Renner, Nneka, a Top Ten List presented by Paris Hilton
Th 2/4: Jamie Foxx, Amanda Seyfried, Robin Thicke
Fr 2/5: Jack Hanna, Joe Wong, the Swell Season

Mo 2/8: TBA
Tu 2/9: Jennifer Garner, Sade
We 2/10: Jessica Biel, Christoph Waltz

THE JAY LENO SHOW, NBC

Mo 2/1: Jessica Alba, John Shuster
Tu 2/2: Pre-empted
We 2/3: Jessica Biel, Jimmy Fallon
Th 2/4: Wanda Sykes, Evan Lysacek
Fr 2/5: Bill Maher, Gretchen Bleiler

THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC

Mo 2/1: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joel McHale, John Mayer Trio (R 6/4/09)
Tu 2/2: Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, Neko Case (R 6/11/09)
We 2/3: Kobe Bryant, William Shatner, Incubus (R 6/17/09)
Th 2/4: Adam Sandler, Peter Sarsgaard, Kate Voegele (R 7/20/09)
Fr 2/5: Rachel McAdams, Mindy Kaling, Diane Birch (R 12/4/09)

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, ABC

Mo 2/1: Evangeline Lilly, Caitlin Upton, Katharine McPhee (R 1/14/10)
Tu 2/2: Serena Williams, Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse, Lady Antebellum
We 2/3: Dr. Phil McGraw, Nick Jonas, Demetri Martin
Th 2/4: Eric Dane, Kourtney Kardashian, the Bravery
Fr 2/5: Ozzy Osbourne, Barry Manilow

Mo 2/8: Eric Dane, Kourtney Kardashian, the Bravery (R 2/4/10)
Tu 2/9: Jamie Foxx, Dave Salmoni and animals, Ryan Bingham
We 2/10: Emily Blunt, Bryan Greenberg, the Editors
Th 2/11: Patrick Dempsey, Lake Bell, Greg Giraldo
Fr 2/12: Mark Wahlberg, the "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue cover girl, Dashboard Confessional

Mo 2/15: Patrick Dempsey, Lake Bell, Greg Giraldo (R 2/11/10)
Tu 2/16: Topher Grace, Sade
We 2/17: Tracy Morgan, Brad Paisley
Th 2/18: Robin Thicke
Fr 2/19: Lauren Conrad, Wale

LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON, CBS

Mo 2/1: Jim Parsons, They Might Be Giants (R 12/11/09)
Tu 2/2: Rosie Perez, Switchfoot (R 1/4/10)
We 2/3: Jason Segel (R 1/8/10)
Th 2/4: Chris Kattan, Tina Brown
Fr 2/5: Claire Danes, Jill Scott

Mo 2/8: Pierce Brosnan

LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON, NBC

Mo 2/1: Rosario Dawson, Tony Siragusa, New Kids on the Block
Tu 2/2: Meredith Vieira, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Motion City Soundtrack
We 2/3: Jessica Alba, Josh Topolsky, Harper Simon
Th 2/4: Channing Tatum, Aubrey Plaza, Hot Chip
Fr 2/5: Brian Williams, Amanda Seyfried, Sean Patton

LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY, NBC

Mo 2/1: Masi Oka, Danny Setiawan, Doves (R 10/30/09)
Tu 2/2: Emmy Rossum, Zach Hyman, Crocodiles (R 11/13/09)
We 2/3: David Plouffe, Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, Metric (R 11/18/09)
Th 2/4: Bill Simmons, Dmitriy Salita, the Raveonettes (R 11/19/09)
Fr 2/5: Morena Baccarin, Lingerie Football, Lisa Hannigan (R 11/20/09)

TAVIS SMILEY, PBS

Mo 2/1: Ed O'Neill, John Yoo
Tu 2/2: Wyclef Jean
We 2/3: Bill Withers, Sen. John Cornyn
Th 2/4: Franklin McCain, Joe Scarborough
Fr 2/5: Patti Smith

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART, Comedy Central

Mo 2/1: Austan Goolsbee
Tu 2/2: Brian Williams
We 2/3: Atul Gawande
Th 2/4: Rep. Anthony Weiner

THE COLBERT REPORT, Comedy Central

Mo 2/1: Nicole Detling Miller, Jessica Smith, Harold Ford Jr.
Tu 2/2: Eliot Spitzer
We 2/3: Peter Cove, John Durant
Th 2/4: Henry Louis Gates

CHELSEA LATELY, E!

Mo 2/1: Camila Alves, Ben Gleib, Michael Yo, Sarah Colonna
Tu 2/2: Andy Whitfield, Arden Myrin, Donnell Rawlings, Guy Branum
We 2/3: Shorty Rossi, Mo Mandel, Heather McDonald, Josh Wolf
Th 2/4: Wil Anderson, Dan Levy, Brad Wollack
Fr 2/5: Dax Shepard, Ross Mathews, Jen Kirkman, Matt Braunger (R 1/27/10)

Mo 2/8: Ozzy Osbourne, Matt Braunger, Randy Sklar, Jason Sklar
Tu 2/9: Amanda Seyfried, John Caparulo, Natasha Leggero, Chris Franjola
We 2/10: Dave Salmoni, Christina Pazsitzky, Jo Koy, Greg Proops
Th 2/11: Whitney Cummings, Jeff Wild, Ross Mathews
Fr 2/12: Camila Alves, Ben Gleib, Michael Yo, Sarah Colonna (R 2/1/10)

LOPEZ TONIGHT, TBS

Mo 2/1: Giovanni Ribisi, Jessica Capshaw, Iyaz
Tu 2/2: Jon Heder, Russell Peters
We 2/3: Billy Zane, Brandon T. Johnson, Fabolous
Th 2/4: Christian Slater, Alessandra Torresani, Matt Morris

THE VIEW, ABC

Mo 2/1: Mario Cantone, Gayle Haggard
Tu 2/2: Ashton Kutcher, Melissa Rivers
We 2/3: Gabourey Sidibe, Andrew Young
Th 2/4: Sarah Silverman, guest co-host Meghan McCain
Fr 2/5: Jamie Foxx, Amanda Seyfried

Mo 2/8: Jenny Sanford, Dr. Mehmet Oz
Tu 2/9: David Hasselhoff
We 2/10: Jackie Collins, Tim Gunn, Sade
Th 2/11: TBA
Fr 2/12: Jeff Bridges, Katharine McPhee

LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY, syndicated

Mo 2/1: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Miss America Caressa Cameron
Tu 2/2: Vanessa Williams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson
We 2/3: Jessica Alba, Channing Tatum
Th 2/4: John Travolta, Rich Ackerman
Fr 2/5: Pierce Brosnan, Robin Thicke

Mo 2/8: Bill Paxton
Tu 2/9: Rosario Dawson
We 2/10: Jennifer Garner, Ruby Gettinger
Th 2/11: Eric Dane, Kim Kardashian
Fr 2/12: Jessica Biel

THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, syndicated

Mo 2/1: Rihanna
Tu 2/2: LL Cool J, Jessica Capshaw
We 2/3: Ellen Pompeo
Th 2/4: Heidi Klum, juggler Anthony Gatto
Fr 2/5: Ozzy, Sharon, Jack & Kelly Osbourne, Chef Roberto Martin

Mo 2/8: Jessica Alba
Tu 2/9: Bradley Cooper, Emily Blunt
We 2/10: Demi Moore, Channing Tatum, Michael Buble
Th 2/11: Patrick Dempsey
Fr 2/12: Anne Hathaway

THE BONNIE HUNT SHOW, syndicated

Mo 2/1: Elizabeth Gilbert, Jane Kaczmarek, Kristin Cavallari
Tu 2/2: David Arquette, Busy Philipps
We 2/3: Elisha Cuthbert, Sterling Knight, George Wallace
Th 2/4: Serena Williams, Adrianne Palicki
Fr 2/5: Lily Tomlin, Kelly Cutrone

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COMING IN 2010 - ROCK 'N' ROLL COMICS: JOAN JETT AND THE RUNAWAYS

Here's a sneak peek at the cover art for the full-color Runaways issue of Rock 'N' Roll Comics, which will be released to tie in to the Runaways movie --- www.myspace.com/rocknrollcomics

Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics: The Runaways with Joan Jett and Lita Ford

Writer: Spike Steffenhagen, Jay Allen Sanford

Artists: Joe Paradise, Larry Nadolsky

 

Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics presents the Runaways, the ‘70s jailbait rockers whose story is wild and crazy enough to merit both a feature film starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning and an even more revealing no-punches-pulled comic book bio! Three complete full-color stories chronicle the rise and fall of the Runaways themselves, as well as going far beyond the bio-pic to also cover the solo careers of band stars Joan Jett and Lita Ford. 

 

Scripted by rock ‘n’ roll historian Spike Steffenhagen (Kiss: Comic From the Elder) and San Diego Reader columnist Jay Allen Sanford, this lovingly illustrated edition features art by Joe Paradise (Overheard in San Diego) and Larry Nadolsky (Deposit Man). Unauthorized and proud of it!

 

Here's a sneak preview of the story and art -----

 

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/40472/2068009180
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http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/45758/2286475540
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http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/46451/2549638090
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http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/44915/2243644840
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FREE TRILLION DOLLARS FROM OBAMA!!

The government is handing out Trillions.  Now you can too!  Help spread the wealth and holiday cheer by forwarding this Trillion Dollar gift to all of your friends! Print and pass it on!

 

Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to print out Trillion Dollar Bills and share the wealth!

Want another Trillion Dollar gift for your friends?  Get the Trillion Dollar Bailout game!  The perfect stocking stuffer only $7.99.  Check it out!!!!

 www.obamanationcardgame.com!!! 

And HO HO HOBAMA!!!

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Shipping in Autumn 2010 from Bluewater Productions

ROCK 'N' ROLL COMICS - The Led Zeppelin Experience:

The Led Zeppelin saga is one of the wildest in rock history, and this graphic novel pulls no punches in dramatizing the backstage, behind-the-scenes story. From their early days as the New Yardbirds on through their rise to superstardom (and controversy), all five issues of the original Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics series are collected in one rockin’ volume, with art by Scott Pentzer (Razor), Marshall Ross (Deepest Dimension), David Neer (Sports Superstars), Francois Escalmel (Frank Zappa: Viva La Bizarre), and others. The collection also includes update material, bringing the saga up to 2010.

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SHIPPING SUMMER 2010: ROCK 'N' ROLL CARTOON HISTORY - THE SIXTIES

Here's the first look at the cover art for the 300 page graphic novel Rock 'N' Roll Cartoon History: The Sixties, shipping summer 2010 from Bluewater Productions. www.bluewaterprod.com  --  www.myspace.com/rocknrollcomics 

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 THE RETURN OF ROCK 'N' ROLL COMICS!

Here's a sneak peek at the first promo art for the locally-produced Rock 'N' Roll Comics: Hard Rock Heroes, a 400 page graphic novel shipping from Bluewater Productions in early 2010, as well as the 240 page Beatles Experience comic, the Pink Floyd Experience, Led Zeppelin Experience, the Elvis Presley Experience,  and more -

JAS

 

First, here's the first look at the Elvis Presley Experience cover art:

And here's the scoop and a first look at the cover of the Pink Floyd Experience:

The Pink Floyd Experience: All five issues of the Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics series The Pink Floyd Experience have been out of print and in demand for over fifteen years. As showcased in Pink Floyd’s own official box CD set Shine On, the Floyd comics chronicle rock’s most enigmatic psychedelic warriors, from their early dayz with stoner icon Syd Barrett, through their split (and later reformation). With art by Marvel and DC star Ken Landgraf (Wolverine, Hawkman, Nightwing & Flamebird, etc.), the collection also includes update material, bringing the saga up to 2010.

 

 

 

Hard Rock Heroes: What goes together better than comics and rock music? With almost 300 pages of Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics, Hard Rock Heroes goes WAY beyond Behind the Music, to tell the real life, behind-the-scenes stories of rock’s most heavy hitters. Creators include Stuart Immonen (Superman: End of the Century), Ken Landgraf (Wolverine), Jay Allen Sanford (Overheard in San Diego..), Todd Loren (Beatles Experience), Scott Pentzer (Razor), Mike Sagara (Ninja High School), and many others.

 

Hard Rock Heroes is a book-length pictorial history, covering bands like Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Poison, Megadeth, Pantera, Anthrax, Motorhead, Sammy Hagar, and more. The cinematic stories are realistically drawn, researched from countless photo and video archives, with an encyclopedic eye toward visual accuracy, dramatic flair, and journalistic depth.

 

 Also includes the never-before published “missing” Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics #8 from 1990, on Skid Row. The lack of an eighth issue has vexed collectors and catalogers for years – exactly 20 years later, the story can finally be told, and collectors can finally own ALL the Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics!

 

As a bonus treat, Hard Rock Heroes also features the Motley Crue comic story from their official box CD set Music To Crash Your Car To II, released in 2004 and written and drawn by original Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics creators Lyndal Ferguson and Larry Nadolsky. Shipping February 2010.

 

 (colors: Christie Maconnell)

 

 "Great ideas, like the marriage of rock 'n' roll and comics, have the half-life of Uranium and will always be popular," says series co-creator Jay Allen Sanford, who has worked on over 200 reality-based comic books and thousands of similar cartoon strips for the San Diego Reader, as well as for magazines like Rip, Spin, and Oui. "The folks at Bluewater clearly have their fingers on the same pop culture pulse that enabled the original Rock 'N' Roll Comics to become one of the top-selling indie comics of the '90s. Truth is often stranger than fiction...and certainly much more interesting!" 

 

 

The Beatles are bigger than ever, now available online for the first time digitally, on the Vegas stage in “Love,” and in the new Beatles: Rock Band video game. Now comes the most comprehensive and encyclopedic illustrated Beatles story ever, the Beatles Experience! Over 200 pages, dramatizing one of the most compelling tales in pop culture history, drawn from thousands of photos and interviews, meticulously researched and featuring stunning art by Mike Sagara (Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics) and Stuart Immonen (Legion of Super Heroes, Ultimate X-Men).

 

Covering the Beatles’ lives from birth and beyond their breakup, dramatized in dialogue and scene recreations more akin to a film bio than a mere documentary, the Beatles Experience also includes a Chronolog timeline going down each page, with encyclopedia background and footnotes detailing related events happening at the same time in the world, in music, and in the Beatles’ own tumultuous and extraordinary lives. 

 

  

 

 The Led Zeppelin Experience:

The Led Zeppelin saga is one of the wildest in rock history, and this graphic novel pulls no punches in dramatizing the backstage, behind-the-scenes story. From their early days as the New Yardbirds on through their rise to superstardom (and controversy), all five issues of the original Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics series are collected in one rockin’ volume, with art by Scott Pentzer (Razor), Marshall Ross (Deepest Dimension), David Neer (Sports Superstars), Francois Escalmel (Frank Zappa: Viva La Bizarre), and others. The collection also includes update material, bringing the saga up to 2010.

www.rocknrollcomics.com  ---  www.myspace.com/rocknrollcomics

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WHY AL KOOPER HATES LOCAL WRITERS (BUT LOVES SAN DIEGO)

Legendary keyboardist Al Kooper has played with Dylan, the Stones, George Harrison and countless others, but he still has time to beef about local music reporters like Buddy Blue and a certain Reader columnist... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/29/the-return-of-black-heart-procession-plus-anya-mar

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ANYA MARINA GETS STONED!

Rollingstone.com has added Anya Marina to their "breaking artist" profiles - http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/29/the-return-of-black-heart-procession-plus-anya-mar

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 THE BEATLES IN SAN DIEGO

 8-28-65 – the Beatles: For the Beatles' one and only local appearance, at Balboa Stadium, radio station KCBQ declared that Saturday "Beatle Day" and gave out pins saying so to attendees. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/29/the-return-of-black-heart-procession-plus-anya-mar

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 UNEXPECTED BEATLES ART - The Fab Four turn up in the oddest places... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/29/the-return-of-black-heart-procession-plus-anya-mar

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MAHARISH COMIX AND STORIES, OR "YOGI MAKES A BOO-BOO"

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/29/the-return-of-black-heart-procession-plus-anya-mar

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WEIRD BEATLES MERCHANDISE - WTF were these licensors (and bootleggers) thinking... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/feb/06/my-brunch-with-yoko-plus-weird-beatles

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MY BRUNCH WITH YOKO - Brunch with a Beatle bride... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/feb/06/my-brunch-with-yoko-plus-weird-beatles

YOKO ONO COMICS AND STORIES  - When Johnny Met Yoko, with dialogue and captions paraphrased from published Lennon interviews. Plus John Lennon: A Life in the Day

... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/feb/06/my-brunch-with-yoko-plus-weird-beatles

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LENNON OR McCARTNEY??  --We asked 25 local performers about their fave Beatle (and why), and got some surprising (and frequently revealing) answers...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/dec/13/we-asked-25-local-musicos-lennon-or-mccartney

  CELEBRITY HOUSE HUNTING IN SAN DIEGO - Real estate broker Jeff Paiste has squired several famous musicians around San Diego in their search for decent digs to lease or rent, including Bread frontman David Gates and the late George Harrison.... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/13/celebrity-house-hunting-in-san-diego

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 JOEY MOLLAND/BADFINGER INTERVIEW - Badfinger's last man standing, Joey Molland, reveals more about the tragic story of Badfinger, as well as meeting and working with John Lennon, George Harrison, and Todd Rundgren, plus the Concert for Bangladesh, and more.  http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/aug/21/x-jam-cancellation-controversy-plus-how-i-snuck-in/

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THE DAY JOHN LENNON WAS SHOT - Local celebs share their recollections of December 8, 1980, plus guest essays from Al Kooper (who was recording with George Harrison that day) and others....  http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/25/john-lennon-12-8-1980-we-ask-local-celebs-where-we/

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LEGO ALBUM COVER RECREATIONS! Those wacky kidsters at toyzone.com put together this great tribute to OCD Legoholics everywhere... http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/29/the-return-of-black-heart-procession-plus-anya-mar

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Exclusive preview and new interview with one of the creators/performers behind the new internet Trek series - click for more ---http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/happy-rons-hormonal-harem---loving-san-diegos-musi/#

READER EXCLUSIVE - For the first time anywhere on the web, here's the promo trailer for Star Trek: The Continuing Mission, episode six: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/audioclips/66/

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The Twilight Zone made it's TV debut 50 years ago, on 10-2-59 - we asked local musicos to tell us their own favorite Zone episodes --- (more "What's Your Favorite Twilight Zone?" )

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THE ROCKETEER AND OTHER FAMOUS '80S COMICS BEGAN RIGHT HERE IN SAN DIEGO - Here's a detailed history of local Pacific Comics, who recruited comic superstars like Jack Kirby to create one of the first successful indie comic book lines. Pioneers in the fight for comic creators' rights and royalties, former employees and operators reveal how they did it, and what went so terribly wrong...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/08/pacific-comics-the-inside-story-jay-allen-sanford

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THE KOMPLETE KISS KOMIX KRONICLES - Comprehensive collection of stuff I’ve done about working with Kiss on a comic book series in San Diego, along with a bunch of never-before-seen artifacts from the Kiss Komix archives AND an article by Kiss comic author Spike Steffenhagen, offering his own very-different take, ala Rashomon, on the same events I describe in my essay...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/12/komplete-kiss-komix-kronicles

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ROCK 'N' ROLL COMICS: THE INSIDE STORY - In 1989, San Diego's Revolutionary Comics ("Unauthorized And Proud Of It") launched Rock 'N' Roll Comics, featuring unlicensed biographies of rock stars, most of which I wrote. Some performers, like Frank Zappa and Kiss, were supportive, while others like New Kids On The Block considered our comics akin to bootlegs and sued. In June 1992, publisher Todd Loren was found dead in his San Diego condo, brutally murdered...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/12/rock-n-roll-comics-the-inside-story

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK VS REVOLUTIONARY COMICS - The inside story of how a hugely successful boy band tried to sue local-based Rock 'N' Roll Comics over an unauthorized biography of the group, sparking a court case that established, for the very first time, first amendment rights for comic books. Illustrated by comic superstar Stuart Immonen (Superman, etc.)...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/13/new-kids-on-the-block-versus-revolutionary-comics

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OVER A MILLION CARNAL COMICS ARE IN PRINT - Here's how and why we made some of the top-selling erotic comics of all time, right here in San Diego, including what Gene Simmons has to do with it all, backstage tales of porn stars, and more confessions of a comic pornographer...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/08/carnal-comics-the-inside-story-jay-allen-sanfor

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COMICS AND CENSORSHIP - DON'T BE AFRAID, IT'S ONLY A COMIC BOOK - A local-centric history of comic book censorship, and the fight for the rights of comic creators...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/06/comics-and-censorship-a-local-centric-illustrated

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TWILIGHT ZONE AND STAR TREK WRITER GEORGE CLAYTON JOHNSON PRESENTS - The inside story of a local horror comic book series featuring Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, plus sci-fi king Larry Niven, Zap Comix co-founder Spain Rodriguez, Matthew Alice artist Rick Geary, Vampire Lestat painter Daerick Gross, yours truly JAS, and many more...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/05/deepest-dimension-terror-anthology-twilight-zone

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THE BIRTH OF IMAGE COMICS: INSIDE STORY OF A LOCAL PUBLISHING POWERHOUSE - Illustrated tale revealing how Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and local comic artist Jim Lee (the Punisher, etc.) conspired to create the ultimate creator-owned comic books...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/03/the-birth-of-image-comics-an-illustrated-history

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 Down the Slippery Slope - Arrested For the Crime of Viewing Manga

On March 30, 2004, when Dwight Whorley found the Japanese website of Fractal Underground Studio via Yahoo and clicked on a couple of the thumbnail images... ( http://comipress.com/special/miscellaneous/down-the-slippery-slope-the-crime-of-viewing-manga )

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"Before It Was The Gaslamp: Balboa's Last Stand" - Cover story 6-21-07: In the late 70s/early 80s, I worked at downtown San Diego's grindhouse all-night movie theaters, for the owner of the Pussycat Theatre chain, Vince Miranda - this detailed feature recalls those dayz, the death of the Balboa Theatre, etc.

More Before It Was the Gaslamp

 

"Battle Of The Peeps" - feature article about a weird gig I had in the mid-'80s, running a strip club called Jolar, for the nation's second biggest pornographer, Harry Mohney (Deja Vu Showgirls founder).

More Battle of the Peeps - An Insider History of San Diego Porn Shops

"Field Of Screens" - Cover story 7-6-06: Complete theater-by-theater history of San Diego drive-ins thru the years, including a few which screened X-rated fare for awhile.

More Drive-In Theaters in San Diego: Complete Illustrated History 1947 thru 2008

  

"Pussycat Theaters - When 'Cathouses Ruled California" -- for the first time, the detailed inside story of the west coast Pussycat Theater chain of adult moviehouses, which peaked in the '70s but later died out. Told by those who actually ran the theaters!

More Pussycat Theater History: When Cathouses Ruled CA

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Like this blog? Here are some related links:

OVERHEARD IN SAN DIEGO - Several years' worth of this comic strip, which debuted in the Reader in 1996: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/overheard-san-diego/

FAMOUS FORMER NEIGHBORS - Over 100 comic strips online, with mini-bios of famous San Diegans: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/famous-former-neighbors/

SAN DIEGO READER MUSIC MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/sandiegoreadermusic

JAY ALLEN SANFORD MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jayallensanford