“It was sponsored by Jack Daniels, who put up money and booze so we could do this thing, and as you can imagine that night was a whiskey-soaked endeavor,” says singer-guitarist Daniel Cervantes of Mrs. …

Book-lovers chew the fat at the Mission Hills Library His watch tells him 6:45. This Mission Hills branch stays open tonight — it’s Monday. He slaps the book closed, reshelves it, glances to his left. …

An El Vez show is like a cross between an Ike and Tina Turner Revue, a Tom Jones Las Vegas gig, the LSD episode of Dragnet, and Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback special. The self-proclaimed “Mexican …

Jeff Berkley and Calman Hart, aka Berkley Hart, have long been staging occasional themed concert programs. “We do it just to put a different spin on things,” says Hart. “For New Year’s 2001, we did …

Based in Carlsbad, Americana band Murderers of Love features singer-songwriter and graphic designer Jaimie Muehlhausen, a one-time open mic host at Drowsy Maggie’s (which helped launch Steve Poltz and Jewel). His new five-song EP Motel …

Second Chance San Diego will be raising funds and awareness to stop the cycle of incarceration and poverty with a packed bill that includes Deep Sea Thunder Beast, Hurricane Kate, Black Cat Sabbath, and headliners …

“I made a new record with Talls from the KneeHighs that we’re releasing December 6,” says Edgar Alminar, aka DJ GarGar, one half of the Beautiful State. The duo builds multilayered hip-hop tracks from recorded …

Astra Kelly began her singing career after taking note of Chicago’s subway performers while en route to her job. Already trained in classical and jazz guitar, and with a few pointers from a veteran subway …

The San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza runs November 27 through December 1, with multiple stages hosting over two dozen acts, including Dan Levinson, Molly Ryan, John Royen, Katie Cavera, Carl Sonny Leyland, Marty …

“Our music draws from singer-songwriter, indie-folk, country, spoken word, and electronic influences,” says singer-songwriter Amy Day, one half of the Spiritual Motels. “Our sound has been compared to the Head and the Heart, the Avett …

Female-fronted heavy metal death rockers Beekeeper came together in 2010 when Ally Levine (Sumu Pitchayan) and Dylan Marks (Eukaryst) found themselves bonding over albums like Slayer’s Show No Mercy and Sepultura’s Arise. Citing other influences …

“This will be our first full-length album, which we have assembled as a sort of concept album,” says Ben Ringgenberg of the Lost Monarchs’ release party for Eye on the Sun. “The album title takes …

The Black Crowes played their first show in six years on Monday, November 11 in New York City, with the founding Robinson brothers now backed by an all-new flock of Crowes including local Earthless guitarist …

SDSU’s Jewish Studies Program presents a concert in celebration of the intersection of Jews and Blues. Local performers, well versed in ethnic music and the blues, will be playing songs with lyrics sung in both …

The Locust, who recently reunited and played their first gig in four years at the Desert Daze Festival, released a typically bizarre video for their track “Recyclable Body Fluids in Human Form.” The band also …

Specializing in metallic prog perfect for a smoked-out fog, Old Man Wizard was founded in late 2011 by singer/guitarist Kris Calabio and bassist/guitarist/violinist/singer Andre Beller (both of Platypus Egg), along with drummer/keyboardist/singer Francis Roberts (Dread …

The talent lineup for this year’s Peter Tosh Birthday Celebration may be populated with second stringers in today’s ever-growing reggae scene, but at least several are pedigreed B-listers whose roots date back to Tosh’s own …

“This is my first official solo studio recorded LP,” says Mrs. Magician singer-guitarist Jacob Turnbloom. “Started writing in summer 2018, started recording on October 19th. Ten original songs and one cover [Squeeze’s ‘Up the Junction’], …

Alt-country blues rockers the Drug Hunt were originally known as Bad Vibes. After releasing their album No One’s Safe, they signed to local Blind Owl Records earlier this year and changed their name to the …

San Diego keeps turning up in the Beatles story, from George Harrison’s part-time residence at a North County meditation retreat (as well as staying with Ravi Shankar while working with the sitar master in Encinitas), …

Island reggae band Safety Orange was founded in 1996 by singer/bassist Sol Turpin (40 Oz. to Freedom), a San Diego native, with guitarist/vocalist Greg Karlo (who once played with Turpin in a Cure tribute band). …

Sweet Tooth is not to be confused with Matt Silvia’s defunct San Diego band once known by the same name. This fairly new Sweet Tooth is a trio featuring Jacob Schrimpf (vocals, guitar), Trevor Barber …

“I moved to San Diego in November of 1999, and I’ve absolutely loved living and working here. I found and married the man of my dreams here,” says Cathryn Beeks, who played with the Gandhi …

It can be hard to take Lenny Kravitz seriously. It didn’t help that, straight out of the gate, the first thing most of us heard about him in the late ‘80s (when he was still …

"We cut a killer track..."

Although this column tends to focus on homegrown acts, and Diego’s Umbrella certainly sounds like a locally coined band name, the gypsy rockers are actually from the Bay Area. Still, they certainly wouldn’t look out …

Electronic rockers Sonic Solutions Inc features two Encinitas brothers from an earlier band called Physics, John Goff (drummer and bagpiper for Crash Worship) and Will Goff, who plays guitar and keyboards. When Physics split, Jason …

Spanish organizers of the 2019 Resurrection Fest have dropped the reunited As I Lay Dying due to negative backlash over singer Tim Lambesis’ conviction and imprisonment for trying to hire an undercover police officer to …

Since 2000, the UC San Diego Library has hosted the Toy Piano Festival to pay homage to the birthday of experimental composer John Cage, who wrote “Suite for Toy Piano” in 1948. Its Geisel Library …

Heavy metallers Pathology used to be a local joke. Formed in 2006 by Dave Astor (the Locust, Cattle Decapitation) and Levi Fuselier (Disgorge), later joined by fang-wearing vocalist Matti Way (Disgorge, Liturgy), they quickly found …

Jordan Krimston is a vet of bands like Big Bad Buffalo (whose 2012 debut self-titled three-song EP was released while Krimston was still in high school), Band Argument (an analog-digital hybrid), Weatherbox, and Miss New …

DIY lounge rocker Gary Wilson headlines an all-local bill that also features Javier Escovedo, whose musical family members include Alejandro Escovedo (No Depression magazine’s 1998 Artist of the Decade), and brothers Coke, Peter, and Mario. …

William Seth Russell, aka Forbidden Pigs founder, singer/songwriter, bassist and frontman Billy Bacon, passed away Tuesday evening, August 20. "Last time I spoke with him, he was planning on selling his place in Texas and …

“Of the hundreds of songs the Carters produced, only a small lot of them are performed or even recorded,” says acoustic crooner Tom Brosseau, whose album with Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), In the Shadow of …

Founded in Ocean Beach seven years ago, MohaviSoul is an original, soulful contemporary bluegrass band rooted in folk and Americana. Their festival-friendly sound is anchored by the songwriting and singing of West Virginia-raised Mark Miller …

Holly Hofmann began her music education in Cleveland at age five by picking up a child’s flutophone, playing along with her jazz guitarist dad. She’d go on to win Best Jazz at the 2008 San …

How Sanford came to the Reader: I was still in the comic book publishing biz (Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics, Carnal Comics) when I spotted the notice in a 1994 Reader offering $500 for local music …

Influenced by Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, and similar renegade country stars, Sickstring Outlaws call themselves “hillbillies on steroids” and describe their live show as an “electric hoedown.” Frontman Ron Houston started off as an …

Carnifex’s seventh studio album World War X, which drops August 2 via Nuclear Blast, will be supported on the Summer Slaughter tour with the Faceless, Rivers of Nihil, Nekrogoblikon, and Brand of Sacrifice. The first …

Gilbert Castellanos curates the Sunset Poolside Jazz Series on the rooftop of the Westgate Hotel, where colorful sundowns more than make up for blighted views of the nearby all-but-abandoned Horton Plaza. This edition features singer/songwriter …

Based in Encinitas and Carlsbad, the Paragraphs were founded in early 2009 by Mike Hunt (drums) and Jesse Lee Hofbauer (vocals, guitar). After two initial releases (2009’s Gallows EP and 2010’s Hey! EP) and a …

You don’t need a Comic-Con pass to enjoy related events around town this week. On Thursday, July 18, Animaniacs in Concert features Rob Paulsen, the voice of Pinky from Pinky and the Brain and Yakko …

The real stars of Comic-Con By Jay Allen Sanford Not long ago, few had ever heard the word “cosplay.” Nowadays, pretty much any pop culture convention will be overflowing with costumed role-players posing for snapshots …

Lilac fire survivor comes to the races On December 7, 2017, horse trainer Joe Herrick said, “Hell came to town.” Herrick was was involved in trying to rescue 450 thoroughbred horses caught in the raging …

As part of the Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival, violinist and ethnic music archivist Yale Strom and his band Hot P’stromi will perform with local guest players including Fred Benedetti (guitar), Gunnar Biggs …

Slightly Stoopid’s video for “One More Night” collects vintage footage of the band over the last 20-plus years, from early days with Bradley Nowell (Sublime) through tours with Snoop Dogg, Bob Weir, Sly and Robbie, …

Occasional Monkee Micky Dolenz has a history in San Diego dating back to mid-November 1965, when the pre-fab foursome shot scenes for their TV pilot “Royal Flush” at the Hotel Del Coronado, including the country …

Winners of a San Diego Music Award for best hard rock, Lord Howler will debut their third full-length Dance of the Ghosts this week. “The title refers to environmental degradation,” says drummer Charlie McCree. “The …

“No Kings plays a sonic fusion derived from the rhythms of first and second-wave ska and reggae, the guitar sounds of psychedelic, and surf rock, interspersed with the frenetic energy of punk,” according to singer …

Ocean Beach pop singer, author, coach, and founder of the Sexy Mama Movement Luci Lampe will debut Bare, her first release in seven years, at the Stronghold martial arts school in Point Loma. The mother …