It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a music writer isn’t going to get rich plying his trade, but at least he’ll get free stuff: albums, concert tickets, swag, perhaps even the occasional backstage pass. …

Hip-hop group San Diablo Allstars will drop a new album around early May, currently being mixed and mastered with a new member in place of the late Van Bates, aka Black Hesher, who died in …

Work on the new album from Fine Then began on March 16, 2020, the day of the first covid stay-at-home announcement. Hugh J. Noble (Slum Summer, Seance Weather), who cofounded the band with Andrew Fitzgerald …

Americana band Mrs. Henry is teaming up with a fellow local, Eagles songwriter Jack Tempchin, for a live project called Drunkard’s Dream Arts & Music Festival. Tempchin is best known for penning “Peaceful Easy Feeling” …

Chris Leyva, who grew up in Mexico City, also books bands at venues around town and co-manages the Black Cherry Group. His group Falling Doves will release a new album via local label Pacific records …

This is a story about the summer of ‘79, but it starts a year earlier, circa mid-’78. That’s when I first drove into San Diego. Within minutes of my arrival, I was almost murdered — …

“I recall the show went very well, the band seemed to be in good spirits,” remembers XTC drummer Terry Chambers about the final concert that band ever played — in San Diego, circa March 1982. …

A vet of local bands such as Secret Seven, Divided by Zero, Ghoulspoon, and octogenarian Weezer tribute Geezer, Zach Goode has been announced as the new lead singer of 1990s alt-rock icons Smash Mouth, replacing …

Last year, Ethan Miller and his band Howlin Rain released their sixth studio album, The Dharma Wheel, which they described as “a six-track, 52-minute dive into a joyous fantasy realm of exaggerated present.” Having recently …

“I wanted to work with Miles Showell at the hallowed Abbey Road Studios in London, because he is perhaps the best mastering engineer in the world right now,” says Scott West about recording his new …

Singer/bassist Jin Salamack was originally from Hawaii before relocating to San Diego and co-founding pop-punk band Wanted Noise with San Diego singer-guitarist Suryendra Sherman. A seven song EP called Plate Lunch was released in 2017, …

From 1978 to 1985, James Call played with local punk icons the Penetrators. “Morgan Miller III and I have just finished the first issue of a new project, 2021 Book 1,” says Call of the …

“The Ché Café scene did so much to shape us as people and performers, but didn’t leave much of a historical record,” says former Noise 292 guitarist Matthew Rothenberg. Founded in 1980 as an all-ages …

April 1 will see the release of the sixth studio full-length from the Greyboy Allstars, Get a Job: Music from the Original Broadcast Series Soul Dream, released via the band’s own Knowledge Room Recordings label. …

Founded in Chula Vista, rock trio Los Saints features first-generation Mexican-Americans, including frontman Angel Mariscal, guitarist Gianluca Exposito, and drummer Emiliano Garcia. Their debut singles “I’m In Need” and “As Bad As the First” were …

Americana fiddle rockers Lexington Field specialize in punked up versions of classic traditional Celtic tunes like “The Wild Rover,” “The Old Black Rum,” “Pretty Irish Girl,” and “Molly Malone,” as well as original songs such …

“To be honest, when asked to describe my music, I won’t describe it,” says Justin Pearson. “I think words, specifically genres, are limiting and misleading. However, when I get asked what kind of music I …

Not So Stoopid "What do indie musicians and Tupperware have in common?" That's what an article in the June 20 issue of Newsweek ponders as it suggests local O.B. reggae-rockers Slightly Stoopid have tapped into …

“I started performing music in public during my high school years and had a successful band in Cleveland, Ohio back in the 1970s called Buckeye Biscuit,” says light classical jazz guitarist Ron Franklin. “We’re mentioned …

While still living in Chicago, singer-songwriter Tamar Berk played in power pop group Starball, known for their 2001 track “New Year’s Day” (“I wanted to write a holiday song”). She movied on to an electro-punk …

Academy Award-nominated Andra Day began singing at Chula Vista’s First United Methodist Church, then studied music at the School of Creative and Performing Arts. Her 2012 cover of Jessie J’s “Mamma Knows Best” peaked at …

It feels good to be a winner. Who doesn’t love being the best — or at least the first, or the luckiest? People congratulate you, make you feel special and singled out. And you get …

A songwriter since early childhood, Julia Sage plays Chilean folk, blues, and Americana. She performs bilingual songs as a solo artist, as part of Grampadrew’s Flim Flam Revue, and with her band the Bad Hombres. …

The Frequency Conspiracy features members of Raven, Last in Line, 24-7 Spyz, and Seventrain. Their Quarantine Covers album contains “Sailing” (Christopher Cross), “Carry On Wayward Son” (Kansas), “Life in the Fast Lane” (Eagles), “Hell Bent …

Online newspaper editors have been sitting on prepared obituaries for part-time Rancho Santa Fe resident Betty White, who just passed away at age 99, for as long as there's been an "online." The Reader has …

“This album has been a long time in the making,” says Julia Sage of her new full-length Desnuda. “We recorded three of the singles a long time ago now. ‘Ni de Aquí, Ni de All …

Since 1991, Kearny High grad Marc Intravaia has been collaborating musically with Eve Selis, who won Best Americana or Country at the 2008 San Diego Music Awards. “The best thing about maintaining a musical collaboration …

Mechanical engineer and musician Tristan Shone is the man behind the industrial drone-doom one-man band Author & Punisher. A new album called Krüller is due February 11 via Relapse Records, featuring newly upgraded musical machines, …

Fronted by Canada-born Sherri Anne, Sister Speak combines alt-blues rock with world music. “The idea was a collaboration of musicians supporting the expression of the woman’s voice through music,” says the spokesperson for local Taylor …

Local singer-songwriter and cinematographer Scott Wilson says he was taken by surprise when Saturday Night Live recently did a parody version of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis” video in a musical sketch called “Walking in …

Western-tinged Dani Bell & the Tarantist is yet another band championed by local star Alfred Howard, who performs with the group and signed them to the label he co-owns, Redwoods Music. Singer Dani Bell (Boychick) …

According to a November 20 online message posted by pop-punk rockers Local Natives, “We covered a few songs for and were in last night’s episode of The Shrink Next Door streaming on Apple TV+. To …

“I just want to change the way people look at music, or maybe just destroy it in general.” That’s The Locust singer Justin Pearson, who also heads up the band’s record label Three One G. …

Inspired by Krautrock and Japanese psychedelic bands when it launched in 2001, psych rock power trio Earthless features drummer Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket from the Crypt, the Black Heart Procession), guitarist Isaiah Mitchell (Nebula), and bassist …

Singer-guitarist Larry Teves, AKA Chickenbone Slim, premiered his third Chickenbone Slim & the Biscuits album Sleeper at Proud Mary’s just before the Covid lockdown, on February 7, 2019. “On the 8th, I played my last …

Brought together by skateboard icon Danny Way, Spray Allen is an alternative desert rock band with a mildly psychedelic blend of ‘70s to ‘90s influences. Founded by drummer Wade Youman (Unwritten Law, Demasiado) and bassist …

Pop-punk band Urethane was formed during the 2020 pandemic shutdown by professional skateboarder Steve Caballero, who has also played guitar with bands such as the Faction, Odd Man Out, Soda, and Shovelhead. He’s joined in …

“Our band Back to the Garden is backing Richie Furay for his farewell concert in New Jersey next month,” reports guitarist Marc Intravaia of the group’s upcoming November 14 gig, their second time playing with …

Illustrations by Jay Allen SanfordIt usually surprises people to discover that my own artwork was never published in a single issue of Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics from 1989 through 1994. Nor did my drawings ever …

There are plenty of musical Nathans in San Diego — nearly four dozen of them show up in the Reader’s Local Music Database, including well-known talents such as Nathan Hubbard, Brown, Lewis, Williams, Jarrell, Welden, …

Heavy metal band Cave Bastard was founded in 2014 by bassist Troy Oftedal, a former member of Cattle Decapitation who left that group in 2009, and guitarist Nick Padron, formerly of Bridge Jumper. Their initial …

Photographs by Getty ImagesI found out my friend Tanner died from a Facebook post. The weird thing was, I had to scroll really far down through his timeline to discover his death, because posts had …

With a new single called “I’m An Idiot,” pop singer Scoobert Doobert’s current album Big Hug is the follow-up to last year’s Little Hug EP. “The goal of my Big Hug LP is simple,” he …

“He was the real deal, not an ounce of artifice in him,” says guitarist Greg DouglassG of George Frayne, best known as Commander Cody, who passed away September 26 from esophageal cancer at the age …

Extant since the late 1990s and fronted by Jeff Freedman, The Yucks were founded by drummer Bill Yuck. They’ve been a longtime staple of the local scene, with a five-song EP called Full Of It …

UC San Diego Professor of Music David Borgo is a saxophonist who plays tenor, soprano, and a variety of other instruments from all over the globe. He cites multi-instrumentalist Dr. A.J. Racy, from UCLA, as …

Roger Shy, aka Valentino Frankenstein – who for a time called himself Raven White – has reportedly passed away from Covid. The Escondido musician played keyboards and guitar, and sang alongside his longtime love Cher …

The new six-song Jordan Krimston EP All Commodities includes tracks such as “Quiet Conversations,” “Spare Key,” and “Dog in the Manger.” “I recorded these songs at Singing Serpent with Daniel Charlson of Dark Horse Coffee,” …

Pop punk rockers Urethane came together during the 2020 pandemic shutdown. The group was founded by professional skateboarder and guitarist Steve Caballero (The Faction, Odd Man Out, Soda), with War Fever singer-guitarist Tim Fennelly (living …

Eating people is the ultimate control You won’t find Dahmer’s Diner on the bill at the Cannibal Bar in Mission Beach. In fact, DD has been banned from all but two venues in town, SOMA …