Dirty Sweet Winner Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered to win tickets to Dirty Sweet, The Silent Comedy and The Sess at the Hard Rock Hotel. Congratulations to Tony S for being my winner.

Transfer <3's Kyle Proehl

Kyle Proehl wrote a quasi-Pitchfork review about Transfer's new EP a few weeks back on SignOnSanDiego's Street. In turn, Transfer made Kyle their "fan of the month" and gave him a beard of his very own. Just a little morning fun....

Things To Do In San Diego: February 29, 2008

Correction on the Reeve Oliver show. See below.

Friday, February 29, 2008:

• Reeve Oliver @ ERC Green, UCSD, 8pm, Free (Eleanor Roosevelt College)
• The Raveonettes, Be your Own Pet @ Casbah (Sold Out)
• Syndicate, The Modlins, Repeater @ Ken Club
• Bartender's Bible, Sangre Sangre, Silverbird @ Heavy Press, 2312 El Cajon Blvd
• Hostile Combover, Floating Goat, Get Your Death On @ Chasers
• KPRI Homegrown Presents Republic of Letters, Emery Byrd, Astra Kelly & The 47s @ Beauty Bar
• Bankhead Press, Genius Of Soul, Inspired Flight @ Tower Bar
• Feel The Noise presents The Black Kenan Bell, Von Iva @ U-31
• The Creepy Creeps @ Bar Pink Elephant
• "WINTERSPLASH" Sister Nancy, Elijah Emanuel & The Revelations"Rocka" @ 4th & B
• Get Back Loretta, The Silent Comedy, Scarlet Symphony, Paper Mache, To Talk Panda @ Epicentre
• The Mario Escovedo Experience (MEX), Jackson Price, Melanie Frontz @ Lestat's
• Pocket @ Whistle Stop
• Just Like Jenna, Desert Diamonds, Pleasure Device, Fayuca @ O'Connell's
• Boogie Nights presents Final Warning w/ DJ Eddie Money @ Belly Up
• KingSpade & Hed(pe), Sub Noize Soulijaz & DFrost @ Cane's
• The Rocketz, Faraway Boys, The Whiskey Dicks, The Bleeding Irish @ Zombie Lounge
• Trunk Fulla Funk, Four Finger Five @ Winston's
• Severed Roots, Midnight Reign, Soundescape, The Yellow Guns @ Brick By Brick
• Hot Topic Presents: The Sub City Take Action Tour featuring: Every Time I Die, From First to Last, The Bled, August Burns Red, and The Human Abstract @ House of Blues
• Beford Grove, Anglin, Aquaculture, Heaven Is For Sinners, The Wrong Trousers @ Soma
• Faded Chroniclez @ 710 Beach Club
• Rockola @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Negro spirituals highlights the CD Release "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" by pianist Richard Thompson, performing with Duncan Moore drums, Bob Magnusson bass, & special guest NYC soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
• Tom Scott, Paulette McWilliams @ Anthology (7:30pm)
• Cash'd Out @ Anthology (9:30 pm)

Saturday, March 1, 2008:

I Am My Hero

Just kidding. I've been tooling with my blog template for months trying to figure out why, when viewing my site on a standard computer screen, the links all dropped to the bottom of the page after loading. I still don't know exactly why they did, but I tweaked my profile and it looks like the problem is fixed. If it's not, it's ok to burst my bubble by leaving a comment and telling me so. This site still doesn't look like I want it to; I need a whole different template for that, but this should do for now.

And in SignOnSanDiego News:

Kyle Proehl was fired from Street. He posted on his blog here. And Kyle, I do care.

Also, Natalie is this week's "Street" person. You can find her in print in the Night & Day section, or click here. Actually, click here for the full article- and she gave me such a sweet shout out. Thanks, Natalie. Feel better soon.

MSTRKRFT Tickets Are Gone; Still Tickets To Dirty Sweet

Just wanted to congratulate Martin W for being the winner to tonight's MSTRKRFT show.

For the rest of you, fret not, tickets are only $20 and if booty shakin is your thing, I think you should check out the show, just know that you're in for a late night. Best start coughing at work now so its more believable when you call in sick tomorrow.

I will draw my winner for the Dirty Sweet/Silent Comedy/The Sess show at the Hard Rock tomorrow afternoon, so it's not too late to enter. Let me just say, it helps to follow directions.

Send an e-mail with "Dirty Sweet" as the subject. Include your full name and a phone number where you can be reached. I can't tell you how many people I didn't include in the drawing because they didn't even put contact info. Send the email to sddialedin AT gmail DOT com. 21+ only.

Things To Do In San Diego: February 28, 2008

I specifically wrote a list of shows to post that weren't regular venue shows that I check when compiling my list, so I wanted to note that I've added a couple shows I missed before, specifically Carpool playing on Saturday at Mueller College (across from Twiggs. 9pm. $8) They're also looking to adorn their walls with art, so if you want to hang your talents, contact Carpool via MySpace. Pre and post party at Lancer's, or so I'm told.

Also, there's a great show at Heavy Press, a print shop near Dao Son, on Friday night. Bartender's Bible, Sangre Sangre, and Silverbird are playing, plus there's art, and the show is Fuh-Ree! There's gonna be a bunch of art there, too. Seriously, Friday is going to be a killer night in SD because there are so many great options...

If I missed anything else- shows, supporting bands, house parties- let me know.

Thursday, February 28, 2008:

• MSTRKRFT, LA Riots, Shark Attack DJs @ Hard Rock Hotel "Legends" Room
• Sweet Tooth, eight minutes to twilight @ Ken Club
• Electric Frankenstein, ADHD, Thee Corsairs @ Casbah
• Musical Pursuit with Adam Gimbel @ Whistle Stop
• Endoxi, Roses On Her Grave @ Winston's
• Tally Hall @ Beauty Bar
• The Material, Flight To Athena, Magnolia Black @ 710 Beach Club
• Solana Beach Baseball Bash feat. Atomic Groove @ Belly Up
• Sean Healy & Canes Present: MURS, Kahli, Brendan B, Grindhart Ent @ Cane's
• The Coma Lillies, Hello Vegas, Eclipse79 @ Chasers
• Appleseed, Wendy Bailey, Justin Newman @ Lestat's
• Wes Hoppe, Terry Mullan @ Brick By Brick
• Dave Attell (comedy) @ House of Blues
• The Soul Persuaders @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Karaoke @ O'Connell's
• Flamenco guitarist Chris Burton Jácome & dancers Lena Jácome & Martin Gaxiola @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)
• Anthology House Band @ Anthology

What Made Milwaukee Famous: Video for "Sultan"

Did you know that Swim Party Alex is homies with WMMF? Well, they were hanging at his house last weekend in between nights of their residency in LA and showed off their new video. When I heard this, I immediately messaged the manager to ask when the vid would be released, but there was some exclusivity issue with MySpace so it couldn't be leaked...but now it's on MySpace and Stereogum and other sites, so now, I share with you:

sultan

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Man, I have been loving Barsuk, by the way...with Rocky, and John VanDerslice, and the new What Made Milwaukee Famous...and then Nada Surf's "Lucky"...the label just can't do wrong with me.

Things To Do In San Diego: February 27, 2008

Don't forget, its not too late to enter my contest for tickets to the Hard Rock for Thursday and Saturday. Just send an email with the show you want to attend in the subject to sddialedin AT gmail DOT com. Also, I'll be selling merch at The Raveonettes on Friday, so drop by and say hi...

Wednesday, February 27, 2008:

• Marie Haddad @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• "Commune" feat The Muslims, DJ Mikey Face @ Ken Club
• This Holiday Life(CD Release Party), Red Letter Agent, Writer, & Andrea Hamilton @ U-31
• Helio Sequence, The Builders and the Butchers, Calico Horse @ Casbah
• Soul Control, Trash Talk, Clocked In, Rotting Out @ Che Cafe
• Moontucky Risin @ O'Connell's
• Punch Brothers (feat Chris Thile) @ Belly Up
• NSD Presents: Building A Better Spaceship, Myliye, Loprobi & The Leevyns @ Cane's
• 2 Dollars Out The Door, Cancer Bullet @ Zombie Lounge
• DPI, gizzards, Old Devil, Pig Champion @ Winston's
• The Flimz, Kenny Eng, Jordan Reimer @ Lestat's
• Voodoo Glow Skulls, Knockout @ 710 Beach Club
• Pat Matheny Trio, Christian McBride, Antonio Sanchez @ Anthology

Sunday Recap: Frantic Romantic, Inigo, The Clap, et al.

Sunday night rolled around and I wouldn't have missed the Casbah for the world...great bands, free food, a bunch of my friends were going to be there, and of course I had to be there to say goodbye to Marco, since he's leaving this Friday. I got there right at 7, but found out the food wasn't there yet. I called Jason and he explained there was some issue or something, so he'd only be bringing a few pizzas. No matter, we were all hanging out, I caught up with Marco and Natalie, and even my friend Tarol was there. It was one of those nights that I had the most random conversations with random people, and it was just the way I liked it. Eventually 5 pizzas showed up, so those of us hovering in the back got fed, then headed in for the show.

I was a little bummed that Frantic Romantic had such an early slot because I think they were probably the biggest draw of the night, but they set the bar high for the night. They sounded excellent and at least half a dozen people asked me who they were...so I guess that's how bands build their following...being on a good bill and rockin people's socks off. My camera was malfunctioning all night- I think the room was fogging it up so I couldn't focus, so my pics are even worse than usual, but some of the bands from the night asked me to post, so this is for them.

Frantic Romantic




Inigo was up next and it was my first time seeing them though a few of them are friends of mine. I really enjoyed them, but I felt the mic was muffling for some reason, so lyrics weren't really distinguishable. Still, the music sounded great. Hopefully they get a couple more shows in before Pete has to relocate up north. (I'm working on it, Michael.) Sorry that these pics are even more fuzzy.

Inigo




After Inigo, I was hanging out with Natalie near the front door and let me just discreetly say someone I never thought I'd see again, ever, showed up and it was like seeing a ghost, and it certainly changed my mood for the night. I can't really go into it but I was not a happy camper. We moved away from the door and ducked away in the bar.

We went into the club for The Clap, and Aaron insisted the band is just a joke, but honestly, I love watching him on stage. Even when they're singing songs about STDs or singing "Too Drunk To Fuck", he still owns the stage and I was entertained. I hope, even if it is a joke, that they play some more shows.

The Clap




After The Clap, I was talking to a friend and the ghost from my past tapped me on the shoulder and asked if we could talk. It was weird and awkward and I've never been more uncomfortable in the Casbah, a place that normally feels like home. But I got over it and ended up hanging with my friends the rest of the night, catching bits and pieces of War Stories and Get Your Death On, but not enough to review and I didn't take any more pics. Still, weirdness and all, it was a great night. It was great to see so many people I hadn't seen in a while all in the same place at the same time and since it was an early show, despite there being five bands, it was still a relatively early night (though Abe and I made a late night stop afterward).

I knew I was behind in my posts and my animals were slightly neglected over the weekend (as evidenced by my dog not letting me go to work on time), so I opted to stay home on Monday and again tonight (sorry, Beezeley!) I do have plans for this week, so hopefully I can get my timing mastered, because there are a couple nights where I hope to catch multiple shows. We shall see how that works out, but fingers crossed, I hope to catch some great music this week.

Saturday Recap: Ex-Friends, Buckfast Superbee, Fluf 2.23.08

I got up much earlier than I normally do for a Saturday and I was glad I had, because Dagart and I had a fun day which I mentioned the other day- that involved lunch, some friends from the hood stopped by, we took the tour of Hard Rock, then caught 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days at the Ken, which was a great film, albeit quite heavy. After, I dropped Dag off, then headed to the Casbah.

I got there when Matt & The Ex-Friends were already playing and immediately found my way up front. Their music is such happy sing-along music, it was a nice pick me up after seeing kind of a downer flick. Plus, who doesn't love seeing Ray Suen in his Elvis glasses?

Matt Curreri & The Ex Friends






I only caught Buckfast Superbee very briefly because the crowd up front was so packed in, and frankly, I had some friends to catch up with on the patio. Still, I thought they sounded great and their high energy got me pumped up for fluf.

Buckfast Superbee


When I first ran into O earlier in the night, he said he didn't know why I kept pumping up the show like it was a reunion show; he said they'd never quit, but just haven't played as much because of Reeve Oliver, but still for me, it's been at least 6 or 7 years since I'd seen them play, and I was really excited to see them again. They played a long set, so I was inside for part of it and out on the patio then back again, and O gave me a shout out on stage which is the easiest way to get me to blush. They've got some more shows lined up, so make sure you catch them if you can.

Fluf




When I got home, I did my ritual of watching the week's episodes of In Treatment until I realized it was morning and I should go to sleep, so Sunday was for the most part a lazy day until it was time to get ready for the Casbah early show. I'll post those pics next.

Friday Recap: Team Abraham, Swim Party, Jamuel Saxon 2.22.08

Friday was a good night, wasn't it? I worked a little late but it was just fine because when I did finally leave the office, I was ready for my weekend to get going. I mentioned I sat at home reading a movie script, the I got ready and headed out, arriving at the Whistle Stop right around 9 because I'm never quite sure when everything's gonna get started there.

Team Abraham took the stage at 10, which gave plenty of time to catch up with friends and ease into the night. I think the band sounded great, no mic problems like they thought they had at the Casbah a couple weeks back, so from start to finish, they sounded clean, and the harmonica sounded beautiful accompanying the music.

Team Abraham




Then, of course, after Swim Party got all their equiment and lights set up, they got
to playing to a pretty crowded Whistle Stop. We know I love them, end of story there.

Swim Party




After they finished, I quickly left and made my way to Chaser's to catch Jamuel Saxon. It wasn't until Randall pointed out that its a mock of Samuel Jackson that the lightbulb clicked. I'm so dumb sometimes. But anyway, there was a good little crowd at Chaser's dancing and getting down, and Jamuel Saxon was awesome. There's some prerecorded beats, a dj, and Isaac from Get Back Loretta and another guy banging their hearts outta a couple drums and bongos, all the while Keith singing and sounding killer. Those brothers Milgraten never cease to amaze me with not only their talent, but their diversity of talent.

Jamuel Saxon




of course I chatted with T-Bone a bit and took a pic of the best hoodie I've ever seen...


After Chaser's, I hit the Ken for last call and it was packed for Roses on Her Grave and Desert Diamonds, even though they'd already finished. I ran into Aaron and we played half a game of pool, I did a couple shots, and for once actually went home after closing time and went to sleep.

Hard Rock Hotel Presents: MSTRKRFT 2/28, Dirty Sweet 3/1

Surprise, surprise- I didn't quite get to all the writing I thought I would on Sunday, so I'm now even more behind than usual. I'll post about the shows I went to over the weekend later this evening, along with the full listings for the week, but for now, I wanted to remind everyone that I've got a pair of MSTRKRFT tickets for Thursday night and a pair of Dirty Sweet tickets for Saturday. I will choose my MSTRKRFT winner at random by 5 pm on Wednesday, so it's not too late to enter. (email sddialedin AT gmail DOT com)

I had the opportunity to do a tour of the Hard Rock Hotel this past weekend and I think people will be impressed. I had been to Sweetwater, one of the bars owned by Cindy Crawford's beau, but we know that I'm just not down with NY and LA style clubs in SD, so I probably should've just skipped that whole experience. This time around, we got to check out some of the conference rooms that will be used as concert rooms. There is supposed to be a full fledged music venue, but it wasn't really clear if it's just being held back or if plans somehow changed last minute. Of course, as Hard Rock's go everywhere, there is a good amount of rock memorabilia throughout all of the hallways, including a whole hall of Beatles and Stones stuff.

The first room we saw is called "The Edge". It's the corner of the building, as a music venue will hold about 400, and has beautiful floor to ceiling windows, spaced about 5 feet apart along the two external walls, giving pretty views of the convention center and 5th Avenue below. The room wasn't set up with a stage- but I'm pretty sure Hard Rock knows how to convert a room- so this will be the room used on Saturday for Dirty Sweet, The Silent Comedy, and The Sess.

The second room we looked at was a much larger room that can be divided in up to 6 separate meeting rooms. It's called "Legends" and is the room that MSTRKRFT will be using on Thusday night. There are large white panels on all the walls that look like TV projection screens, but in fact are part of the acoustic setup. We were told that this room can hold about 700 with the full stage. I imagine with all the staging and lighting and the type of music going down on Thursday, if you're even just intrigued by dance music, this is probably an event for you.

After showing us the main rooms, we went up to the Terrace, checked out the bar and pool up there, and the "rock wall" inside the hotel that has some of the most recognizable band logos in rock history, including some surprises like NOFX and OKGo,among RHCP, The Sex Pistols,etc. The wall is very visually stimulating.

I was encouraged by the tour of the Hard Rock Hotel. I was mostly impressed when our host told me that for shows, the bars would be handled differently then the regular bars. He couldn't tell me prices, but assured me drink prices would be reasonable (he read my complaints about $10 vodka tonics at Sweetwater). "We can't expect people to drop $20 for a concert ticket and then another $10 per drink."

The other thing that impressed me is that the venue is circumventing Ticketmaster prices by making their tickets only available at the hotel concierge desk. $20 even gets you into MSTRKRFT, who will be joined by LA Riots, San Diego's own "Shark Attack" DJs, and Walter Meego. There's also a live art show. The whole thing goes down from 8pm-2am on Thursday, with MSTRKRFT hitting the stage at midnight.

For Saturday night, $15 even gets you in the door to see some of San Diego's finest...Dirty Sweet, The Silent Comedy, and The Sess. Or you can e-mail me and hope to win my pair of tickets...

Either way, I hope people take the time to check out the Hard Rock for some of the shows they're booking. I'm a little torn, personally, because I had other plans for Saturday night, but I might try and work it into my plans because I think Silent Comedy will blow up that room.

Things To Do In San Diego: February 26, 2008

Tuesday, February 26, 2008:

• Nautical Disaster, White Denim, Trophy Wife @ Casbah
• The Muslims @ Basic Urban Kitchen
• The Bone Skakers, The Bandits @ Zombie Lounge
• The New Forward @ Chaser's
• Skull Kontrol DJs @ Starlite Lounge
• Qu-est'ce Q'cest, Crash Engine @ Beauty Bar
• Cash'd Out, Joey Harris @ Winston's
• Deadites Revenge, Nuthin Speshl, Zombie Surf Camp, The Abrasives @ O'Connell's
• Adrian Belew @ Belly Up

Why I Was Late To Work Today

As I was leaving the house this morning, my dog stopped me at the door and made me think she needed to pee, so I let her out. As she wandered around the yard, I went to put my laptop and bag in my car. The gate doesn't close all the way when it rains, so Pascha made her way to my parking, and as I opened the car door, she jumped in to the passenger side and wouldn't budge. When I opened the passenger door, she merely moved to my driver's side. I was on a work conference call trying not to laugh my ass off. I drove her around the block thinking after I reparked, she might get it that we were back home. It was only when I pulled out my camera nearly 30 minutes later that she decided it ok for me to leave and to get back in the house. Man, I love this girl.

"Falling Slowly"- Snubbed at Grammys, Triumphs At Oscars

I saw two movies at a theatre last year, and one of them was Once, and it still resonates with me when I think about it or listen to the amazing soundtrack. Last night, while we were all at the Casbah, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova took home the Oscar for best original song. Below is their performance and their acceptance speech, which certainly makes me love Jon Stewart even more than I already did.

Things To Do In San Diego: February 25, 2008

Oh, man, did last night at the Casbah rock my socks off! What a perfect night of local music, good friends, and good times. Unfortch, the result is that I didn't get to posting about any of the weekend's shows or any of the numerous posts I was supposed to get to, including my tour of the Hard Rock Hotel. I will get to all of it, but in the meantime, you should know there are two killer shows at the Hard Rock Hotel this week. I'll write about them in detail later, but Thursday night is MSTRKRFT and Saturday there's a local show featuring Dirty Sweet, The Silent Comedy, and The Sess. I have a pair of tickets to give away for each show. Like I said, I'll repost later, but if you wanna check out either show, put the bands in the subject line and email me at sddialedin AT gmail DOT com with your name and phone number. 21+ only.

Monday, February 25, 2008:

• Anti Monday League presents: British Sea Power, Colourmusic, The Modlins @ The Casbah
• Jay Farrar, Anders Parker @ Belly Up
• Bad Weather California, Red Pony Clock, Old Man Hands @ Che Cafe
• Lady Dottie & The Diamonds @ Tower Bar
• Marilyn Manson, Ours @ House of Blues
• Sean Costello @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Mitch Budd @ 710 Beach Club
• Electric Waste Band @ Winston's

Things To Do In San Diego: February 24, 2008

Sunday, February 24, 2008:

• The Local 94/9 Presents A Birthday/Going Away Party for Marco Collins: Get Your Death On, War Stories, Inigo, The Frantic Romantic, The Clap* FREE FIORI'S PIZZA* Radio Broadcast! Early doors, first band at 8pm @ The Casbah

• The Rippers, Tony The Tyger @ Tower Bar
• Earl Thomas, Amber Ojeda and Justus Ewing performing a Benefit Concert for the NCCS Food Bank @ Belly Up
• Emergenza Music Festival feat. Rhythm & The Method, Mindstress, Soul Ablaze @ O'Connell's (Early Show)
• Emergenza Music Festival feat. A Dull Science, Don Truesdail, A Scribe Amidst The Lions, In Every Breath @ O'Connell's (Late Show)
• Jose Sinatra's OB-o-ke @ Winston's
• The Donnis Trio, Selena Garcia @ Lestat's
• "ACOUSTIC ALLIANCE" ft. Chris Clarke, Kenny Eng, Kerri Dopart, Peggy Lebo, Ken Rahn, Austin Jennings, Katie Christine Smith, B Violin, Reverend Stickman, J Scott Bergman, Allegra, Andrew Gil @ Brick By Brick
• Sycuan Presents Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Jupiter Rising, Dago Braves @ House of Blues
• Candy Kane @ Anthology
• Maldonado (10 am) @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Hank Easton @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

WWRD: A Brief Recap Of My Week

This is still a personal blog, meaning an online journal of sorts. I don't get as personal, perhaps, as I did once when I knew I had 13 readers per week, but I feel like writing, so skip this part if you prefer me as merely a scene observer and read on if you enjoy the cheesy glimpses in my personal world.

It was a short work week, and anyone who works with demanding clients can atest, that merely means a condensed week of hard labor. I didn't hit any shows during the week. Tuesday I came home from work, I wrote, I read, and I watched a full marathon of Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo. While I'm not personally looking for a millionaire, it was interesting to watch a show that makes a first impression on a date as critical as a job interview. Let's just say if it comes to "mustard or pants", in most minds I'd be dirty khakis. It's like when I watch What Not To Wear and feel like they're evaluating me...what's wrong with a hoodie and jeans anyway? So that night ended up accompanied by a bottle of wine and I was in happy homesteading heaven.

Wednesday night I met up with Andrea at a "singles" wine event at the Wine Vault. It was cool because there were free tapas, but a little weird because all the singles were more in the soccer mom/ex-husband range and for the first time in a while, I felt uber young. Nat, Pete and Derek met us and we pretty much avoided the whole single thing going on around us. From there, we had some delicious grub at El Indio, then met back at the Ken Club after. As some things go, that part of the night I'll keep to myself because things eventually got awkward and that's just stupid to share here.

Thursday I had plans of hitting the Lyceum and Confidential- instead I opted for sleep and crashed out heavily.

Friday I stayed late at work and got to read a movie script which made me feel very Hollywood and I made up for my lack of show-going in the week by hitting the Whistle Stop, Chasers and the Ken Club all in one night, which I'll surely post about all three on Sunday, when I have the day to lounge and write.

Today, without any plans, Dag came by and we ended up with a full day. We lunched at Ponce's, hung out in the backyard reading, did a tour of the Hard Rock Hotel, and then saw a movie at Ken Cinema. From there, I headed off alone to the Casbah for a bitchin rock show-- again all which I'll post about later when I have the energy to post the pictures.

So all in all it was a great week for me and I have some great stuff to post this week, so I can't wait, yet at the same time, I'm gonna listen to JayMay one more time tonight, then hopefully stay up till sunrise watching this weeks collection of HBO's In Treatment because the show fuckin kills me, and at three in the morning, what better thing to keep you up?

Things To Do In San Diego: February 23, 2008

Saturday, February 23, 2008:

• All day show at Winston's:

2pm Siren's Lure
2:30 D.D.LO
3pm Eddie Jason Coven
3:30 Reverend Stickman
4pm Chelsea Flor (and an appearence by Brenda Panneton)
4:30 The Grass Gypsys
5pm Stratosphere (with new members!!!)
6pm Compass Rose
7pm Scott Wilson

• Fluf, Buckfast Superbee, Matt Curreri and Ex-Friends @ The Casbah

• Secret Apollo, Beta Lion, Drowning Men @ Tower Bar
• Her Grace the Duchess, The Viewmasters @ Bar Pink Elephant
• Downs Family, Whiskey Dicks, Jimmy Dean & Friends @ San Diego Sports Club
• The Widows, Monsters From Mars, Thee Cormans @ Ken Club
• In Perfect Agony, D.P.I @ Alibi
• The Locust, The Atoms @ Che Cafe
• danger danger & Urb "The Next 100" withThe 87 Stick Up Kids @ Beauty Bar
• Keith Haman and The Grizzly Circus, Fat City Reprise, Podunk Nowhere @ Tio Leo's
• Emergenza Music Festival feat. Apes of Wrath, Given Life, Ruben Angel, Exit Theory, The Luxurians @ O'Connell's (Early Show)
• Emergenza Music Festival feat. JD Combs and The Soul Stealers, Sound Sector, The Morning Riot @ O'Connell's (Late Show)
• Atomic Punks, Steel Rod @ Belly Up
• Hive @ Cane's
• Titanarium, Bumbklaat, Nuclear Tomorrow @ Chasers
• Ron Zimmerman @ Acoustic Music San Diego (4650 Mansfield)
• The Wastrels, The Dirty Panties, The Quitters,The High Rollers @ Zombie Lounge
• Elijah Emmanuel & The Revelations @ Winston's
• The Robin Henkel Band @ Lestat's
• Osal8, Inspired Flight, Genius of Soul, Tidepool @ Brick By Brick
• Sycuan Presents Badfish(a Tribute to Sublime), Scotty Don't, Mystic Roots Band @ House of Blues
• Hello Marquee, Fight Fairm, Let Live, Numbskull, The Days Sets Fire, Adieu Adieu @ Soma
• Battle of the Bands Finals feat The Handsome Devils, Kennedy's Curse, Blue Spring, FiffenMarket @ 710 Beach Club
• Challenged Athletes Foundation Singles Auction and Silent Auction (4pm)@ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Viva Santana @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Piano virtuoso/composer Mike Garson (longtime music director for David Bowie, as well as accompanist for Mel Torme, Roberta Flack, & Nancy Wilson) with his trio featuring Sam Minaire bass & Billy Mintz drums, as well as special guest flautist Lori Bell @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)

Move over Feist: Meet JayMay

I don't know what it is about me, but I've always been a tough critic when it comes to chick vocalists. In my music collection, I'd estimate that less than 5% of my CDs are from female vocalists. I'll always be a fan of The Sundays, Natalie Merchant, and Hope Sandoval, but generally, I really have to be moved by a CD to get into it. I never really got into the Lily Allen CD that I was told would be the next big thing, I freakin despise Amy Winehouse, and I just couldn't jump on the whole Feist bandwagon. Their music really does nothing for me.

Perhaps because it's a lazy Saturday morning, perhaps because I'm in a really good mood, or perhaps because it arrived in my mailbox at the end of a hectic week, like a little postcard from the karma gods understanding just how I'd been feeling, for some reason from the first line of the first song to the last line of the last song, I love this disc.

So here's a piece of the press release:

New York City songstress Jaymay has confirmed a March 11th U.S. release for her debut full length Autumn Fallin' on Blue Note Records.

Currently touring the UK where Heavenly Recordings has released Autumn Fallin' to slew of 4-star reviews (see below), Jaymay got her start at a NYC open mic night in 2003. Soon after she was invited to play at various Lower East Side venues such as Pianos, Mercury Lounge, and her much buzzed about (and oversold) Living Room Residency, which moved Gothamist to gush "Girls with Guitars are everywhere in this city, but this one --like a siren--was pulling people into this room and leaving them silent, speechless even. Shocked and lulled into a stupor."

Jaymay eschewed the inevitable and numerous label offers that came in the wake of these shows, opting to self-release the beautiful Sea Green See Blue EP, which scored an "indie spotlight" on iTunes and frequent rotation on Los Angeles' influential KCRW. She then began work on Autumn Fallin’, a song cycle that vividly details the story of a New York City relationship gone south for the winter.

Ultimately, EMI made her an offer she creatively couldn't refuse, resulting in perfect homes at Heavenly Records in the UK and Blue Note here in the states.

Since then, Jaymay (born Jamie Kristine Seerman) has taken up residence in London, touring Europe and the UK with the likes of Bright Eyes, Jose Gonzales, Caribou, and Okkervil River.

I'm on my second listen through as I type and I still can't put my finger on why this chick is getting through to me, but I'm really digging it.

You can check out an MP3 HERE, her MySpace HERE, or her official site HERE.

"It's not that I hate you; I never loved you enough to hate you."

Things To Do In San Diego: February 22, 2008

Friday, February 22, 2008:

• Swim Party, Team Abraham @ Whistle Stop
• The Gift/Curse (acoustic), Vanja James @ Across The Street (4603 Park Blvd, 8pm, All ages)
• Roses on Her Grave, Desert Diamonds @ Ken Club
• The Album Leaf, Kill Me Tomorrow, Manuok, What Laura Thinks and Feels @ The Casbah
• The Sess @ Bar Pink Elephant
• Maystar, VV Morgue, Antiquark @ Tower Bar
• The Blasters, The Hacienda Brothers, DJ Gonzo@ Belly Up
• Tropical Depression, Jamuel Saxon, Sunny (from Get Back Loretta) @ Chasers
• In Every Breath (CD Release) @ San Diego Sports Club
• DJ Mike Czech with The Kindness Kind, Ultraviolet, Hyper Crush @ Beauty Bar
• Kindle To Ember @ O'Connell's
• Club Pop Noir @ Static Lounge
• Cathect (South Bay Anarcho punk), The Americans (San Diego Crustcore), All or Nothing Hardcore (Los Angeles Female fronted Hardcore) @ Che Cafe
• A Dull Science @ Epicentre
• Rockin Johnny White's Awards Showcase: Foil, Blue Sky Blonde, Sirens of Shipwreck & Children of Nova @ Cane's
• Sam Bybee, Justice Fingers, The Grass Gypsys (CD Release), Mother Grundy, The Blonde Brothers @ Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club
• Run Barbara Run, Wardogs(SF), Societys Parasites, Vultures United @ Zombie Lounge
• Dante's Boneyard, Fulcrum, Society!, Blizzard @ 710 Beach Club
• Stranger @ Winston's
• The Bankhead Press @ Gordon Biersch (8pm)
• Jane Lui, Dave Ash, Joey Ryan @ Lestat's
• "ROCK THIS TOWN" ft. Buzz Campbell & Hot Rod Lincoln, Handsome Devils, Cathouse Thumpers @ Brick By Brick
• Sycuan Presents Led Zepagain, Bonfire @ House of Blues
• All That Remains, Chimaira, Black Tide, Light This City @ Soma
• Rockola celebrates the birthday of George Harrison @ Anthology
• Makai (9:30 pm), Electric Soul (6pm)@ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Poetry & jazz with the presentation of A FORK IN TIME featuring poet Steve Garber with multi-instrumentalist Dave Curtis, singer/songwriter Gregory Page, & drummer Danny Campbell @ Dizzy's (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center)

"Coachella East" Lineup Announced - All Points West Festival

Like you're gonna go to New Jersey in August for a festival. Ha! But here's the goods anyway:

Official Site
Filter Blog

Friday, August 8th

* Radiohead
* Underworld
* Spearhead
* The New Pornographers
* The Go! Team
* Girl Talk
* CSS
* Forro in the Dark
* Juana Molina
* Little Brother
* Andrew Bird
* Mates of State
* Nicole Atkins

Saturday, August 9th

* Radiohead
* Kings of Leon
* Animal Collective
* Metric
* Chromeo
* The Roots
* The Black Angels
* The Virgins
* The Felice Brothers
* Alberta Cross
* Sia
* K'Naan
* Duffy
* Your Vegas

Sunday, August 10th
* Jack Johnson
* Cat Power
* Rodrigo y Gabriela
* Amadou & Mariam
* Youssou N'Dour
* Black Kids
* Jason Isbell
* Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
* Rogue Wave
* Neil Halstead

The Coronas "San Diego Song"

One of my Google Alerts pointed me in the direction of this song. The band is called The Coronas and they're from Dublin, but they penned a song called "San Diego Song" and I guess I'd call it a grower...first listen isn't groundbreaking, but they grow on you. You can listen to their song on MySpace here.


We sleep all day and we drink all night
We are not wasting our time
We refuse to hide... we're going out tonight

Single in San Diego - 6 weeks just wasting time.
We moved in with the girls and left it all behind
So what's wrong with this life you say it's not enough,
What does it feel like? You think you're better than us.

'Cause we sleep all day and we drink all night
We are not wasting our time,
We refuse to hide... we're going out tonight

Lonely in San Diego - just don't let it get you down
'Cause I've been there before but I know better now.
Just one last storm before the calm while we're still young
Yeah we know yeah we understand what needs to be done.

'Cause we sleep all day and we drink all night
We are not wasting our time,
We refuse to hide - we're going out tonight

Ask and You Shall Receive: Lucy's Fur Coat Playing The Casbah

Yesterday I posted about the fluf reunion show this Saturday night at the Casbah. I wrote, "Bands like Creedle reuniting in December, or John Reis forming the Night Marchers seems to get everyone a little hopeful...like when are we gonna see Lucy's Fur Coat?"

Today, Adam directed me to the Casbah site and lo and behold, there are two Lucy's Fur Coat dates scheduled. May 15 & 16, for $20 (each night), you can behold the madness. Since I was in high school back when I loved them, I only got to see them at the old Soma or MayDay or the WorldBeat center. Now I'm all growed up and get to watch them the way they should be seen- in the legendary Casbah with a frosty adult beverage in my hands. No opening acts are announced, but locals should be all over that. Or perhaps The Ringers?

Things To Do In San Diego: February 21, 2008

Thursday, February 21, 2008:

• Art Opening for Eric Wixon, Music by Republic of Letters @ Lyceum Theatre (Horton Plaza) Free Beer sponsored by Stone Brewery, 7-10pm
• Human Canvas presents Acamonchi @ Confidential
• Liars, No Age @ The Casbah
• Bumbklaat, Swann Danger @ Tower Bar
• Lilith Velkor, The Loaded @ Ken Club
• Bloody Hollies, Two Word Name @ 710 Beach Club
• UBUV @ Kadan
• Tentacle Sessions @ Porter's Pub (UCSD)
• Down To Nothing, Mongoloids, Cruel Hand, Violation, Masterpiece @ Che Cafe
• 91X Loudspeaker Presents Agent 51, Pivit, The Strangers Six, Arm The Angels @ Belly Up
• The Reverse Cowboys, Calabai Yau, Sidro Punks @ Chasers
• Frontyard, Love & Groove, Red Channel Revue & Project Out of Bounds @ Cane's
• Without A Motorcycle, Silent Armada, The Dirty Legs @ Zombie Lounge
• Salvador Santana, Brain Buckit @ Winston's
• Skull Kontrol @ Livewire
• Carlos Olmeda, Mark Huff, Branden Land @ Lestat's
• Crimson Reign, Yesterday's Papers, Aepnia @ Brick By Brick
• Canceled- Siouxsie- The Mantaray & More Tour @ 4th & B
• Sycuan Presents Queensryche, Don Dokken, The Hits Acoustic @ House of Blues
• Anthology House Band @ Anthology
• Jesse Davis @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

Wild Weekend Needs A New Bass Player!

Here's a repost for Wild Weekend:

Our bass player had to quit Wild Weekend due to her busy schedule, so we’re looking for a new female or male bass player who is dedicated, reliable and excited about playing music. If you have experience playing bass, similar taste in music (punk, garage, powerpop, 60s pop/rock, etc) and a good sense of humor, then you might be a good match for us. We usually practice on Sunday nights. When we have a show we’ll have an extra practice during the week after 6pm. Of course we’re totally willing to accommodate your schedule if Sundays don’t work for you. We plan on playing in LA frequently (mostly on weekends) and are considering going on mini tours in the future. Please write us back and tell us a little about yourself and we’ll get back to you. myspace.com/wildweekend07 or email Kelly at thekellyaffair (at) aol (dot) com. NO flakes or junkies. THANK YOU!

Help A Sista Out: Jenn Grinels' Guitar Stolen In NYC

From Jenn Grinels-

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - MySpace Blog

bye bye guitar

So yeah, my first day in New York City and my guitar is stolen out of my trunk.

Its both tragic and cliché. I'm at a loss, not sure what to do. I think for now I'm going to borrow one from the very nice bartender I met last night. A few of you have been sending messages asking what you can do. At first I felt weird about accepting anything, but ya know what? I need to get over that, it's just hard to admit that you need help. (I sound like some sort of addict)

My snail mail address is on my website: http://www.jenngrinels.com/ and there's always PayPal (link on the website). Or . . . there's just simply spreading the word. I'd rather sell a CD than receive straight up charity, ya know?

Or maybe you know someone who works for a guitar company? Long shot, but ya never know.

For those of you who have expressed interest in helping - THANK YOU. Its enough just to know that you care.

Everyone has been telling me not to judge New York by this experience, and I figure things can only get better from here, so we'll see.

Anyway, life goes on.

Don't cry for me Argentina. :)

Jenn

Kite Flying Society Calls It Quits

Repost from Dustin:

KFS Amicably Breaking Up :(
Body: Hey Friends -

Just wanted to give you a heads up on the status of Kite Flying Society -- we are now just friends instead of bandmates. There are a number of reasons why this is happening; however, it is mainly because two of our members are moving away from San Diego -- Derek to San Francisco and John to Shanghai! This seemed like a good time for all of us to pursue other things, musical and otherwise.

Regarding The Aviary (for which we have about 9 tracks finished) -- I believe we are going to be putting those up as free downloads on our myspace page very soon. We might do something Radiohead-esque and put our PayPal link below the tracks, letting you decide how much or how little you think we deserve for our efforts.

As for my personal musical future, I am taking 3-4 of my favorite, unpublished tracks from The Aviary recordings and combining them with a number of new songs to begin my next music project. I have all kinds of stuff written from this past year that I want to release. I am very excited about this and I will release tracks and details regarding the new project very soon.

Finally, I wanted to thank you all for the love, support, comments, wishes, and letters -- you have truly made our efforts rewarding. I wish you all the best.

love,
Dustin

Job Openings: Media Supervisor, Media Planner, Media Coordinator

For anybody who doesn't know, my day job is at an ad agency. My office is small but growing, but we're part of a much larger media agency which is under the umbrellla of one of the largest media corporations in the world. I try not to mix my day job world with my website world, but we're hiring and we need people desperately. If you or someone you know has experience in media planning, media research, account supervision of a major US account, or anywhere in between, please contact me. Our company just got two large wins in LA and we can't hire enough people fast enough. There are two positions that would be based in San Diego, and one would be in Irvine, in addition to several in Los Angeles. These are not entry level jobs, but for people with varying degrees of agency experience. If you're interested in hearing about the specifics, please contact me at sddialedin AT gmail DOT com, and please spread the word.

fluf Playing This Saturday

There's been some excitement lately over some of the local band reunion shows that have happened over the past few months. Perhaps we get all excited about musicians resurrecting because they pretty much dropped off the planet. Bands like Creedle reuniting in December, or John Reis forming the Night Marchers seems to get everyone a little hopeful...like when are we gonna see Lucy's Fur Coat? Then there were other bands that came and went, but the musicians stayed active, so maybe there's a little less buzz about the whole thing. But that's not really fair and they deserve an equal amount of attention.

So I told you to lock in Sunday for Marco's night, but lock in Saturday night at the Casbah, too- cuz Fluf is playing and O rocks. Mmmm- Mangravy. They'll be joined by Buckfast Superbee, and Matt Curreri & The Ex-Friends.

Things To Do In San Diego: February 20, 2008

Wednesday, February 20, 2008:

• Singles Wine Tasting @ Wine Vault, free apps
• Red Feathers, The Sessions, The Paddle Boat @ U-31
• Lovemakers, Buddy Akai, Astra Heights, Oslo @ The Casbah
• Shook Ones, Hour of the Wolf, Lewd Acts, Tantive 4, and Young Favorites @ Che Cafe
• The Baja Bugs @ Bar Pink Elephant
• Jezebel, River City @ Beauty Bar
• Tom Cusimano, Fat City Reprise, Delancey @ Dublin Square
• Bedpost Buzzards, Noisegod @ O'Connell's
• Stone Senses, Psydecar and Roots Covenant @ Belly Up
• Pruitt-Igoe (CD Release), Danyavaad & The Shimmy Sisters & Art Showcase @ Winston's
• Flowerthief, Isaac Cheong, Alyssa Jacey @ Lestat's
• Afrika Bambataa @ Cane's
• As Plain As Day, Ricksha, One Lonely Robot @ Brick By Brick
• Third Day, The Myriad, Revive @ House of Blues
• Reggie Smith @ Anthology
• Split Finger, Sandollar @ 710 Beach Club
• Johnny Eager Band @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge

Some Newsy Bits: CityBeat, The Reader, Former 91X DJs

A few things have come up that I thought I should get to posting:

• First, the big CityBeat local demo review will be coming out soon. Bands interested in submitting their demos must have them postmarked by Monday, February 25th. Send your demos to CityBeat/ 3550 Camino del Rio North Ste. 207/ San Diego, CA 92108. Some personal recommendations- send at least a couple CDs and read my post about the music 101 seminar that has some recommendations about packaging, CD labeling, etc. Also, grow some thick skin.

• I got a little bit more information about the supposed lawsuit against the Reader. While I don't know what instances specifically people are suing for, I was told they're going for a libel suit in small claims claims court, which has a max of $7,500 and doesn't allow lawyers. A person suing for libel has to prove two things. 1. That the libelous article printed was false and caused you embarrassment in the eyes of your peers. 2. That the libelous article written caused you to lose business in some manner. (At least per the e-mail I received. I'm certainly no lawyer and my one time in small claims was a horrible, miserable experience, despite winning my claim.) I think it's gonna be a tough case to win, because journalists have a lot of protections. Ken can write what he wants and protect sources (or make them up, or pretend he tried to get sources but they were unavailable or refused comment, or just twist the shit out of their words which is his usual M.O.). I would just suggest if you're contacted by the Reader because they wanna cover your band, first, ask for Jay Allen or Bart or someone else to do the interview, second, record your own conversation so you can see if, in fact, you were misquoted, and if that doesn't work, just flat out refuse the coverage; sometimes its just not worth it.

• A follow up with the 91X DJ sitch. While Ruggy has taken over as BMOC at Yelp or something like that, I'm told he's still with 91X and helping with production and promotion and other duties. Chris Cantore has been keeping up his blog quite frequently and he's begun some pod-casts for people who miss hearing his voice in the morning (and I know there are thousands of you wondering where he is, judging by how frequently you all are Googling him and finding my site). You can find his podcasts here. He plans on doing 2-3 per week. If you wanna catch him in person, it is highly likely that he'll be at Marco Collins' going away party on Sunday. Also, Marco's working on a podcast of his own with 120 Minutes veteran Matt Pinfield and Rich McLaughlin of Left of Center that will be available soon on iTunes. Last with the 91X crew, Jennifer White has been at Radio Sophie for some time now, but if you wanna meet her, or at least see her in person, head over to the Karma Lounge at the W Hotel this Thursday, when Jen becomes a celebrity bartender.

• Last thing, perhaps you noticed a post I made about a certain summer tour that would be back in San Diego. The information is still accurate but I pulled it down because, let's just say I blew my wad prematurely and the info wasn't ready for release. Anyway, if you're savvy, you can still find the post- because nothing ever leaves the Internet once it's posted, but I'll repost it later when the organizers are ready to spill the beans.

Big Sunday! Marco's Birthday & Going Away Party

I don't like to look too far beyond Fridays when it's only midweek, but I wanna make sure everyone saves Sunday night. DJ, music guru, all around good guy and my good friend Marco Collins is moving back to Seattle. This month's FM 94/9 show will be his goodbye party as well as a celebration of his birthday. On top of all that, Jason's bringing Fiori's pizza, the bands are awesome (The Clap, Get Your Death On!, War Stories, Inigo, Frantic Romantic) and it's all free. So you have no excuse to not be there.

Free Tax Filing

If your adjusted gross income was less than $54,000 in 2007, there is a list of companies who offer free online filing. Click here for the list. Just be sure to read the fine print. Some "free" companies, charge for rushed returns or advances on returns, or charge a separate fee for filing state taxes. If you're in this bracket, there are enough free services that you shouldn't have to pay a dime, just do your research.

Things To Do In San Diego: Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Tuesday, February 19, 2008:

• Nudity, A Scribe Amidst the Lions, Thieves & Liars @ Casbah
• MC Flow & Nicky Click @ Kadan
• Merkaba Bandits @ Hensley's Flying Elephant
• The Inevitable Mr. Chris, Death Is A Holiday, Saveamos, Vanja James, Quinn Allan @ O'Connell's
• The Goddamn Gallows, Mosquito Bandito @ Chaser's
• Tiki Tuesday feat Craig Prior & His Hawaiian Sounds @ Bar Pink Elephant
• Sonata Antica, Sanctity @ House of Blues
• The Cool & Deadly, Climate Crisis @ Winston's
• Nathan James & Ben Hernandez @ Humphrey's Backstage Lounge
• Stan Ridgway presents Wall of Voodoo's Call of the West, Cindy Lee Berryhill @ Belly Up
• Stellita's Groove @ Anthology
• Comedy Open Mic @ Lestat's

Presidents' Weekend- the rest of my weekend

Sunday was another chill day, and when my friend cancelled plans to go to the Belly Up, I lost motivation and ended up staying in (though the show at the Belly Up and The Casbah were both really good.) I figured even though I had today off from work, I needed to get back on a normal person's sleep schedule. Plus it meant that today, I got to hang out with my niece and the rest of my family. First, with lunch at El Zarape and a couple hours at Balboa Park, then dinner and hanging out with my parents at my sister's house. It was a lovely day and put the period on what was an excellent weekend.

I still have to post my Saturday pics, but for now, some pics of my little preciosa.

Writer, The Ringers & This Holiday Life, Beauty Bar, 2-16-08

So I had quite the weekend and have over a hundred pictures to sort through from Saturday, as well as my weekly "things to do" listings to get to, but I'm not really in the mood. I just feel like writing about the rest of the weekend...pics will come later, as well as video of Swim Party from last Monday, The Prayers from Thursday and Cory Branan from Friday.

Saturday night was a Beauty Bar night for me. The bands are starting a little bit later these days, so I had some time to hang out, grab a bite nearby, and post up for This Holiday Life. It was my first time seeing them and I really enjoyed them. They fell in the vein of Agualung for me...beautiful soaring vocals and very piano heavy. I realized that I'd left my camera battery at home, so Abraham and I snuck off mid-set to pick it up. I clocked it and my apartment is 3 minutes from the Beauty Bar.

By the time we got back, we heard there was some mix-up and the Ringers went onstage second instead of Writer. Perhaps it was a weird booking to put the two together, but I know there was a little anxiety that The Ringers super high energy show would somehow overshadow Writer's more melodic and quiet set, but I'm happy to say that not only did both bands play well, but the crowd stuck around for both bands and I think appreciated them both.

The Ringers of course were all over the stage and did their LA brand of rock n roll and they do not disappoint. Again, another dude-heavy fanbase, but it was ok, I strapped my camera around my wrist and did my best to take some pics.












After they were done, I met them outside. Joe, the singer, has a sister named Rosie, so he was really nice to me and we kinda talked about the lineup change, and it just seemed like a fluke- nobody to blame but they had to get back to LA.

Back inside, Writer took the stage and sounded great. I kept joking that after The Ringers, they'd have to keep up the momentum with a few leg kicks, but they did what they do and nobody seemed to mind that they were much more mellow. I freaking love them and really can't say enough about how much I love their CD as well as what great people they all are "in real life."






After the show, Abe and I hit the Ken Club for last call, then hung out until 6 am sitting on my kitchen counter just shooting the shit, before I eventually went to sleep.