Everyone's a Critic
Entering the Belly Up while Helmet performed their classic album Betty was like walking into a ’90s time warp. Front man Page Hamilton, the only original member of the band, has changed very little in …
There are a number of swing-dance blues bands performing in Southern California, but none more genuine than San Diego’s own Blue Largo. On dance night at Tio Leo’s, guitarist Eric Lieberman and his versatile lineup …
“Would that make it a better song?” Lou Reed asked a caller into an NYC radio show. Caller wanted to know if the dead girl in “Street Hassle” was real. Lester Bangs didn’t print the …
Continuing to chip away at their college rock roots, Guster's Evermotion further obscures the band's acoustic guitar and bongo-backed beginnings. The opener, “Long Night,” provides an overture of sorts, lulling the listener in with dreamy …
When guitarist and vocalist Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes gets onstage, things get weird, and Sunday night’s opening performance was no exception. With the casual mannerisms of a human-hearted automaton and a fierce stage …
Elder statesman of British rock Noel Gallagher has ignored the speculation of an Oasis reunion to concentrate on making new music rather than backtracking. However, “Riverman,” the opening scene of the cinematographic Chasing Yesterday, is …
Here’s a phrase that’s probably never been uttered by man: “the banjo player with mystique.” That’s Noam Pikelny in a nutshell. Decked out in a white suit, Pikelny’s deep voice and deadpan banter served as …
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 …
With a chorus reminiscent of classic Elton John and viral video amassing more than 100 million YouTube views, “Take Me to Church” quickly placed Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne (aka Hozier) on America’s musical pulpit. While …
"There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men for this treachery." I'm going to switch up that Tolkien quote and say, "There is no sufficient honor in Elvish, Entish, or the …
On his solo debut, Arcade Fire’s Will Butler attempts to scramble out from the behemoth shadow of his indie-rock super group. But the dreamy rock feeling that flows so freely from his previous band does …
San Diego pop-punk band Blink 182 returned to their roots by playing the all-ages Soma last Friday night. Tickets for the 2300-capacity venue sold out in, well, a blink. The buzz surrounding the concert was …
That leadoff track adds up everything in its unequal-length verses, the pieces of a life, the happier bits fallen out, rotten pieces in a too-humid jigsaw — and every equation equals no peace. That’s the …
Fans danced, fans whooped and sang along as Sacramento-based singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Jackie Greene performed for a packed Observatory North Park. With his fingers flying over the neck of his guitar and his voice effortlessly reaching every …
Kicking off the head-trip that is the Loons’ Inside Outside Your Mind, “Siren City” engages with its hypnotic riff and upbeat melody, cruising comfortably detached from the surrounding pandemonium. Snapping at its heels is “Moon …
Pisces people began circling the Merrow early for birthday-girl Laura Jane Willcock’s annual Fish Party. Ensuring this year’s festivities would hit the high-water mark, Willcock booked three hyperactive rock-and-roll bands to school the multitude of …