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Stories by Jay Allen Sanford

No lunch for Lenny Morris

“Now that my son has grown older, I’m reinserting myself into the local restaurant and bar scene,” says singer-songwriter Lenny Morris, who’s kept a low profile since his 2012 release No Secret. Up until his …

January 11, 2017
Record-releases to kick off 2017

When Grizzly Business plays a release party for Spanish Old-Fashioned on January 7 at Soda Bar, “Attendees can definitely expect a ghost of Christmas past to join us on the stage,” according to cofounder Walter …

December 28, 2016
Now you know: San Diego singer/songer, boss juggler Sam Bybee

"Here’s why open mics are important to me,” says Sam Bybee. “Fifteen years ago, there wasn’t much in the way of outlets for artists of any kind who were welcome to come and hone their …

December 28, 2016
Sounds of freedom from Fishbone

“The very first time Fishbone played the Belly Up,” recalls bassist Norwood Fisher, “our [former] guitarist Kendall Jones jumped up and cracked his cranium on the side of one of the hanging speakers during our …

Jingle Bell Rock

New Year’s Eve guides are a dime a dozen, but what to do if you find yourself out and about on Christmas Eve? The Infinity stage at Pala Casino is hosting Help!, a Beatles tribute …

December 20, 2016
Teenage singer/songwriter Marissa Grace lists her faves

"I play pop rock, infused with some folk, funk, and jazz,” says La Mesa’s Marissa Grace, who started studying piano at age four. The 13-year-old took vocal lessons with local stars Eve Selis and Mattie …

December 14, 2016
In Standing Rock, the world is the bubble

“I just got back from the Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline protests [in Cannonball, North Dakota],” says singer/songwriter Scott Wilson. “I edited a short video on the issues surrounding why they’re protesting the construction of …

December 8, 2016
Mike Spent feels fairly compensated

“We started in 1979 in the garage, ended in 1982, reformed in 1992, disbanded in 1997, and reformed in 2002,” says Mike Sainz, aka Mike Spent of Carlsbad punk rockers Spent Idols. “Along the way, …

December 7, 2016
Record roundup for Christmastime

New releases this week include the debut full-length from local rapper (and former convicted bank robber) Manistylez, People in High Places, plus a compilation on Accretions Records featuring defunct early-2000s noise rockers Quibble and Jon …

November 30, 2016
Where is Joe Strummer when you need him?

Jon Kanis spent around two years working on his upcoming full-length, Fundamentalism Is the Only Way, co-producing with Christopher Hoffee (Atom Orr, Truckee Brothers) at Chaos Recorders in Escondido. “The album was conceived to be …

November 23, 2016
The Obama effect

As revealed in the recent Reader cover story “What WikiLeaks reveals about San Diego,” former Blink-182 player Tom DeLonge is apparently obsessed with interviewing federal and military bigwigs about the truth behind UFOs. However, local …

November 16, 2016
Now you know: The Lulls

"Our music is something like surf rock meets shoegaze, but there’s a lot more to it than that,” says singer/guitarist Rutger Rosenborg of the Lulls. “It’s a little post-punky and ambient, but it also has …

November 16, 2016
Happy Ron Hill's happy hips

“I’ve lived most of my life with extreme tension and pain in my body due to the lack of a hip socket on my left side,” says singer-songwriter Happy Ron Hill. “Sitting up would make …

November 9, 2016
Lucy Ring's spaghetti western

“We changed our name to the Lucy Ring because Sean Cox started playing with us, and he was so good, he quickly began singing some lead,” says bassist/singer David Hyman of the band formerly known …

November 2, 2016
It's not Ben, it's you

Inspired by Swedish and Polish death metal, Ashen Earth founders Jeff Meredith (vocals) and David Cox (guitar) have taken their fascination with bands like Bloodbath and Decapitated and matched it with the prog leanings of …

November 2, 2016
November record-release roundup

Crooked’s To the Dancing Ground EP premieres October 29 at the Whistle Stop. “This one has nine original songs and one old-time tune,” says bassist/singer Chad Pittman. “We’ll play it from front to back...our music …

October 26, 2016
Reggae boom

The so-called “San Diego sound” has at times been described (usually by non–San Diegans) as pop punk (Blink-182, Pierce the Veil ), Christian rock (P.O.D., Switchfoot, As I Lay Dying), screamo (Far, My American Heart), …

October 12, 2016
Radio Moscow, dialed in

“It’s actually kind of strange how the band ended up here,” says Parker Griggs of Radio Moscow. The psychedelic-blues/hard-rock trio was founded in Story City, Iowa, before moving through Eureka and then Humboldt County. “Our …

October 12, 2016
Add some Phantoms to your day

Victor Penalosa has played multiple instruments in a number of area bands, with a partial list including the Burrito Brothers, the Melanies, Sidewalk Scene, Riot Act, Unruly Bangs, Baja Bugs, Got it Covered, ADD/C, the …

Blackwater crash recovery

“As of now, all the songs we were ready to record had to be rewritten musically,” says frontwoman Syren Franco, whose Jamul-based Blackwater Prophecy was recording their second album earlier this year, a symphonic rock …

Fall record releases from San Diego bands

Punk rockers Just In Case will release Prior Knowledge via Rdub Recordings on September 27, with a single for “Profiles” now available. The debut self-titled full-length from Oceanside prog-reggae quintet Fluid Foundation premieres October 8 …

September 28, 2016
Poison Headache's feel-good Phil

"It’s aggressive and energetic music,” says Wovenwar’s Phil Sgrosso of his new side band Poison Headache. “Something your parents would think is total crap, but that’s sort of the point.” The busy singer/guitarist/bassist has had …

The price of music promo

Debora Galan’s new full-length All About Love was originally planned for release as an EP in 2013. However, “I had to make changes in the production team after investing considerable funds and re-do some of …

September 14, 2016
Ypsitucky — goes with everything but hip-hop and reggae

‘We came together while playing in El Monte Slim, and when that was put on hold almost two years ago, we just decided to keep it going with Heather Vorwerck on fiddle full-time,” says Ypsitucky …

September 7, 2016
Allison's shock factor

“Wanderlust was created to be a musical travel postcard of sounds and images from around the world in six languages,” says Allison Adams Tucker of her third full-length, which debuts September 16 at North Park’s …

September 7, 2016
Duping songumentaries

“We’ve been doing these song releases we coined ‘songumentaries,’” says Duping the Public singer/violinist Angie Walton. “We did our first release ‘Cold Sweet’ with Chris Hoffee at Chaos Recorders, and we just finished recording our …

August 31, 2016
Stacks of September records

On Friday, August 26, the Fremonts will debut their new blues-roots record, Alligator, at Tio Leo’s, while reunited punk rockers New Addiction premieres their Filters CD at Soda Bar, for a bill that includes One …

August 24, 2016
I.B. Strong

“We recorded our first EP in May at King’s Ransom Studios in Lakeside with Jeff Sers, who’s been fighting cancer for the past couple years,” says Adam Baez, one-third of the grungy goth rock trio …

Dark-rock duo Blood Ponies tracking that fuzz all over town

"Our music is dark, heavy post-punk, made by two people who make a surprising amount of noise," says Jeff Terich, who partners with Candice Renee in Blood Ponies. “It sounds best at night when our …

What do Marilyn and Snoop require backstage?

Before Marilyn Manson makes his appearance at Sleep Train Amphitheatre on Wednesday, August 17, his backstage rider specifies that “All rooms shall have private flush toilets (Porta Johns are specifically not acceptable).” In addition, “Promoter …

August 10, 2016
Big Bang dreams

“The album took over eight years to complete,” says Matt Rhea of the Manganista’s upcoming full-length, Shooting at the Big Bang Seams. “What seemed like a good idea four or five years ago didn’t always …

August 3, 2016
San Diego bands releasing records in August

New recordings are dropping all over town on Saturday, July 30. Encinitas-based punk reggae rockers Hazmatt has a CD-release party planned for Mr. Peabody’s in Encinitas. Sight Unscene’s third full-length, While the World Unfolds, drops …

July 27, 2016
Wartime on the boulevard

La Mesa–based MC Riston Diggs (the Known Unknowns) recorded his debut album, The Blvd Experience, following the completion of a nine-year Navy career where he served as an aviation administrator. I asked him about the …

July 27, 2016
John Meeks, darkly

“I’ve spent the past couple of years trying to slither out of my Americana, old country skin and get a little less genre-specific,” says John Meeks, who won Best Americana or Country Album at the …

July 20, 2016
Events you can come to without a Comic-Con pass

You don’t need a Comic-Con pass to enjoy these Con-themed music events around town. Darkwave Garden at the Bancroft has a costume dance party planned for Thursday, July 21, as do other weekend DJ events …

July 20, 2016
Summer records by San Diego bands

Country Rockin’ Rebels will play two release parties for Ride Rebel Ride, with an acoustic set at Rosie O’Grady’s July 1 and an electric gig at Mother’s Saloon on July 22. Levi Dean & the …

June 29, 2016
Switchfoot switches gears this year

It’s easy to forget that multi-platinum alt-gospel rock act Switchfoot was an indie band from its recorded debut in 1997 all the way through 2003. The glory days came with their major-label releases such as …

June 29, 2016
Horse with no permit

“Federal law says we can busk, ’cause we’re entertaining for tips, not panhandling, or begging,” says Brian Demers, who used to play guitar in GG Allin’s hard-rock band Malpractice but now can be found busking …

June 22, 2016
Jakob Nowell's Sublime dad

‘Our very first show in 2013 was with Mike Watt & the Missingmen,” says Law frontman Jakob Nowell, son of the late Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell. The 21-year-old, who grew up in San Diego, was …

O.B. Doves

“I just could not make another band with people in every other band, which is what San Diego will do to you,” says Chris Leyva, whose group Falling Doves features two locals (him and Oceanside …

June 15, 2016
Vintage Henry

“We recorded this album one hundred percent analog with engineer Jordan Andreen at Audio Design Recording here in San Diego,” says Daniel Cervantes of Mrs. Henry’s upcoming self-titled two-volume set. “Tracked on vintage gear, while …

June 2016 record releases by San Diego bands

Marcelo Radulovich has a new release this week, Insomnia Party Feathers, issued under the moniker Son of Radul. “It hops around various genres, instruments, and languages, with six songs in English, six in Spanish, and …

May 25, 2016
Eaten by Canadians

Based in Oceanside, Taken by Canadians features fiddler/keyboardist Anna Zinova, bassist Marco Savoia, drummer Tristan Faulk-Webster, and singer/guitarist Ben Ambrosini, who’s currently prepping Oceanside’s Silver Cloud Lounge for a grand re-opening. “We Eat You Like …

Gone Baby Gone's latest, Love Stories, inspired by local band gossip

“This album is self-released, because DIY is how we roll, baby,” says Gone Baby Gone frontwoman Veronica Collins (aka Dizzy). “Not to say we wouldn’t love to have someone take us under their wing and …

May 11, 2016
Cue the blues: R.I.P. Candye Kane

Local blues belter Candye Kane lost her long battle with cancer on Friday, May 6. She had been hospitalized in Oceanside on January 4, to await transfer to Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, and signs …

Sometimes, it was something

“Our first encounter was in a dive karaoke bar, where ordinarily nothing good happens,” says Rick Walker, whose band Sometimes Julie , cofounded with Monica Sorenson, is about to release a new EP. “The title, …

April 28, 2016
The Reader's record-release roundup for May

Gone Baby Gone’s Love Stories CD drops Thursday, April 28, at Bar Pink, while Ohana, the first self-produced album from reggae rockers Pepper, premieres at a sold-out show at Casbah. Alt-blues band Fighting Able will …

April 27, 2016
We blow you up

Based in Ocean Beach, electronic reggae band Trans_Conduit is fronted by Osprey Recording studio and label owner Kevin Mankins, alongside Cape May Sound operator Ed Fletcher (Cubensis, Electric Waste Band). An experience from Mankins’s service …

April 13, 2016
Cardboard selfies

“I can guarantee you there will be more glitter present at the Glamorous Creatures show than anywhere else in San Diego,” says singer/pianist Normandie Wilson of her new art installation, debuting April 21 at the …

April 13, 2016
Parker and the jazzmen

“I’m doing performances in a trio with me on vocals, jazz drummer Nathan Hubbard, and jazz bassist Harley Magsino,” says Jack King, aka Parker Edison of hip-hop trio Parker & the Numberman. “We’ve definitely had …

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