Everyone's a Critic
Elaborating on textures from his 2011 debut, Sun Shadows, Beta World Peace sees a continuation of Mike Gao’s signature lurching bass lines, asymmetrical percussion, and glowing synth leads, orchestrated, in part, by his brainchild, Polyplayground …
John Cale is not psychic! (Unless he is.) The man couldn’t have predicted Steve Albini’s second-motioning those mundane haters of Cher’s “Believe”; but he intuited that tipping point where the hip(sters) went (reflexively) bleech at …
In the beginning of MTV it seemed that any band with a video got airplay, then "genres" caught on. One of those was the rockabilly revival spearheaded by three main "Cat” bands; the Stray Cats, …
Nevada's finest are back in action with guns blazing. After nearly four years, the Las Vegas-based alt-rock band the Killers released their fourth studio effort, Battle Born. After the band's previous release, Day & Age, …
The “Chris Isaak Christmas Show” rolled into town for two nights at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. The Stockton, California, native and swoon-worthy crooner charmed a sold-out crowd with an energetic set that ranged …
Seventeen years ago I put on Scott Walker’s album Tilt for the first time; the real-life Phantom of the Opera began to sing as I watched a storm overtake a city center, from my picture …
Matt Vasquez for president! That’s what I was thinking as Delta Spirit rocked House of Blues on election night, giving fans of the band a much needed break from politics. Delta Spirit delivered a full-throttle …
I purchased After Hours, one of the four freshly minted CDs in the Complete Columbia Albums box, many years ago, on vinyl. Shouldn’t having the original — the cover of which is minutely replicated, as …
Bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee struggled to hit the high notes on the opener, keyboard-centric “Subdivisions,” which was no surprise considering the studio versions helium-high voice. However, Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart were so …
Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast donned herself “Bratty B” in her rowdy yet sweet debut Crazy for You. She wrote catchy teen love songs that included her cat Snacks and a bunch of weed. But …
Mike Watt and his loyal Missingmen landed in San Diego for a second time this year to deliver an encore performance of the band's rock opera Hyphenated-Man. The trio tore into the piece with a …
Since 1997, Godspeed has sounded like a prodigious teen's imagination: splaying the guts of the world with youthful abandon. The band had painted the sounds of life with a better view. Godspeed explored great heights …
Like a juvenile Neil Young, guitarist/vocalist Brian King cast electrified chords to the night sky over UCSD’s (partially open-air) Porter’s Pub. As the last blast drifted on the wind, the ample crowd applauded. King beamed, …
Rarely has a format seemed as fitting as “country rock opera” does for Giant Giant Sand’s meshing of folk/jazz/rock/blues/country with offhand theatricality. Based on the group’s most dependable obsession/location — the Southwest — Tucson is …
John O’Regan, who has sanctioned the stage name Diamond Rings, brought his ’80s pop show to Soda Bar. In support of his sophomore release, Free Dimensional, the Canadian had been opening for the band Stars …
Ex-Grandaddy mastermind and current Montana mainstay Jason Lytle played an intimate show at the Casbah for a modest crowd on a late October night. Though there were probably 30 or so heads at the club, …