A band that didn’t exist, but needed to exist — for the sake of a book. A book that demanded songs, plus a band to sing and play them. But let’s back up a bit; …
December 18, 2025
Andrew Hamlin likes to photograph shoes and write about dog shit. He was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, where he resides today. He attended the Evergreen State College, where he wrote and edited arts coverage for the Cooper Point Journal. He is the film critic for the Northwest Asian Weekly, and he’s published arts coverage and criticism in the San Diego Reader, Village Voice, Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, Goldmine, and other publications. He misses Helen Wiggin. Hamlin’s website is andrewhamlin.org.
Articles by Andrew Hamlin
Bison Bridge crosses over from fiction to reality
Soul Shakedown: Bringing the boogie to Moonshine Beach
A one-day mini-festival at Moonshine Beach, featuring six bands and an electronic light show. Sounds daunting, doesn’t it? But for Chubbs Dandelón, manager of Boostive and one of the masterminds of the upcoming Soul Shakedown …
December 11, 2025
John Waters brings his own brand of Christmas cheer to Lou Lou's Jungle Room
He filmed a 300-pound transvestite eating dog manure. He made a movie about a guy with a singing asshole. He filmed two folks having sex — with a chicken in between them. So perhaps you …
November 28, 2025
Kahlee's juggling act gets less dangerous but more important
Let the word go out to friend and foe alike: San Diego’s rappin’ Kahlee, currently repping his new cut “Big Deal” across streaming platforms, exaggerated, just a teensy tad, his prowess at juggling. Regarding his …
November 13, 2025
Reggae metaphysics with Rafael Pondé
Rafael Pondé moved from Brazil to Ocean Beach to play reggae in 2022. He spent a year living — and meditating — in a minivan. His music — meditational reggae, heavy on the metaphysics — …
September 25, 2025
SUNBENDR: Up from the tunnels
“He did ask that we record the album naked, which was a strange request,” says Chris Cote, regarding the recent sessions with his band SUNBENDR at Tom DeLonge’s home studio. This reporter took “naked” to …
August 7, 2025
Shaggy set to strut with the Symphony at the Shell
Shaggy — government name Orville Richard Burrell — hits the stage any way he wants, as befits a man who’s slung discs like griddlecakes and rocked crowds in the five and even six digits. (He …
July 31, 2025
KBong and Johnny Cosmic take a moment to experience reality
Spirit of the Light, new from KBong & Johnny Cosmic, unfolds as an album’s worth of reggae inspiration. No doctrinaire preaching the necessity of adhering to the strictures of Rastafarian “livity,” but a bright and …
June 26, 2025
Sledges was born from an Instagram jam invite
Sledges’ new single “Fading” fades in with undulating soft tones that suggest some wavering seascape — the sort of thing the Cure did so well in their salad days. Then the menacing bass from Alex …
May 1, 2025