Since the late 1970s, the freaky lounge music made by occasional duck owner and mannikin enthusiast Gary Wilson has been championed by everybody from Beck to Jimmy Fallon and the Roots. Favorite locals to share …

New age guitarist Shambhu, who studied with Carlos Santana and meditation guru Sri Chinmoy, will introduce his third studio album, Soothe, with a solo performance at Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga on March 11. “There’s …

“I landed my song ‘Without a Bang’ in the new Sharon Stone film Running Wild, just recently released in theaters,” says singer-songwriter Justin Werner. The placement came about from knowing the film’s sound designer. “I …

“The Big Stir Powerpop Show was something I first organized last year in San Diego in conjunction with L.A. band the Armoires, who hold monthly Big Stir shows up in North Hollywood,” says singer/guitarist Scott …

"I miss the ocean,” says songstress Barbara Nesbitt, who left San Diego in 2011 for the musical mind-meld that is Austin, Texas. Her new album, Right as Rain, debuted January 13, sporting production and guest-playing …

“The phrase ‘alternative facts’ immediately hit me as being very Orwellian,” says Matthew Stewart, who used the phrase coined by presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway as both title and topic of a new tune currently popping …

Two years after their debut full-length, Hideout’s sophomore album, So Many Hoops, So Little Time, is due February 3 via Small Plates Records, preceded by singles for “Doctor” and “I Got Your Message.” 500 vinyl …

“Relampago-go Records is releasing Songs 4 Swingin’ Sinners on marble blue vinyl,” reports Andy Rasmussen of the upcoming EP from Action Andy & the Hi-Tones. It’s the latest wax offering from the band, which also …

I first caught Jose Sinatra and the Troy Dante Inferno back at one of those mid-1980s Comic-Cons, doing a raucous lounge act that veered somewhere between Bill Murray and Tom Jones, with a touch of …

“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 …

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 …

"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 …

“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 …

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 …

"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 …

“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 …

“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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

"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 …

“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 …

“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 …

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 …

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 …

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), …

“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 …

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 …

“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 …

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 …

"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 …

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 …

‘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 …

“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 …

“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 …

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 …

“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 …

"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 …

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 …

“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 …

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 …

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 …

“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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

“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 …

‘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 …

“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 …

“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 …