Radio News: Tommy Hough Takes The Helm of 91X Morning Drive & Garett Michaels Returns to San Diego with KFMB-FM

Back in October, it was announced that "Local Media San Diego, LLC and KFMB Stations, two leading digital and broadcast companies in the greater San Diego area, announced a joint operating agreement that preserves local ownership and operation of San Diego’s top-rated radio stations. Magic 92.5, Z90, 91X, 100.7 Jack FM and AM 760 KFMB will now make up the largest local radio broadcasting platform in San Diego."

At the time, I didn't post the press release, because it's the kind of things radio nerds like me care about, but so long as it didn't affect major shifts on the stations, it didn't seem something necessary to share. Fast-forward a few months, and we're starting to see just the impact the joint operation is having and it is a good thing for San Diego. Besides some "shared assets", in the way of focused sales and promotions staff able to work across formats and stations, yesterday it was announced that Tommy Hough would be taking over full time on morning drive at 91X and that Garett Michaels is returning to San Diego as the new Program Director at KFMB-FM (Jack FM).

Garett Michaels from back in his FM 94/9 days

I'll post the full news releases after the jump, but I have to say the most interesting thing about the news was this quote by SDLocal Vice President / General Manager Gregg Wolfson (Wolfie!), who said about Michaels, “with his large market experience, knowledge of San Diego, and his proficiency in CHR, AC, Alternative, Triple A, Rock, and Country, he is the perfect fit for the future format of KFMB-FM.” (emphasis mine) Could this mean change is coming to Jack? I certainly hope so, because I don't care how high DSC ratings are, Dave is off the rails and shouldn't have a mic in his face anymore, and with the recent sale of KPRI-FM, there is definitely a void in San Diego radio in the realm of Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) and really breaking new music in the market, which is only reinforced every time a new show is booked in San Diego and the agents ask for our "KEXP or KCRW equivalent" and we have none. But that's just my little projection. Congratulations to Tommy and welcome back, Garett. You'll both be hearing from me, I'm sure. Full press releases after the jump.

Media Newsy Bits

Sophie flipped! Christy gets perm! Lefsetz Quits Being Mean!

Last week, I read that Sophie was changing formats and posted about it (thanks to sdradio.net and radioinsight.com for the scoop), but there was no word as to how soon it would happen. The very next morning, Radio Sophie sent a newsletter notifying their listeners to get ready for new Energy 103.7 which would launch at 5pm that afternoon. Now flipped (or expanded as they might sell it), the station, which is owned by CBS networks, is rumored to be modeled after their sister station, AMP 97.1, in Los Angeles, under the guidance of Kevin Weatherly, Senior Vice President, Programming, CBS RADIO. You can see their dreadful playlist here. The station press release also says a whole lot about a "360 degree audio and visual experience" using social media to complement the station and that Chàrésë Frügé, current program director, will remain, but with Kevin, I suspect she'll maybe have more of a media platform oversight role or will be let go at some point, as radio nationalization and delocalization seems to be the radio strategy du jour. I'm not trying to bust anyone's balls and I hope that the station retains staff, many of whom I consider friends, after their 10,000 songs commercial-free play through, but realistically, the station will probably move to voice-tracking as so many stations across the country (and plenty in this city, too) have already done.

In other station news, since Garrett Capone left his post as Program Director at 91X, there was a lot of speculation about who would step up and fill his shoes. Christy Taylor was acting as the interim PD and from the many loud rumors in town, there were plenty of submissions from all over the map, and in range of experience and qualifications. It was announced on Friday that Christy Taylor was officially named Program Director for the station, a promotion from her previous post as Music Director.

San Diego Newsy Bits

Over the holidays, there were some newsy things that were Facebooked and Tweeted and such, so I thought I would just highlight a couple in case you missed them.

• The New York Times highlighted San Diego in their 45 Places To Go In 2012. They highlighted our booming beer culture and some of our favorite haunts and put our fair city at number 14 among places like Tokyo, Cuba, and Glasgow, with Panama taking the number one spot. 
• The San Diego Foundation awarded $285,000 arts grants among several local artists and musicians. Among them were musicians Joel P West and Gilbert Castellanos and artist Wes Bruce. You can read about their projects at the U-T, NBC, CityBeat, and Sezio.
• This week The Guardian (London) named Psychic Dancehall their new band of the day. "Chuck Rowell and Hollie Cook's synth-pop noir is inspired by San Diego's seedy side – with a dollop of David Lynch". Check it in the player below.

Psychic Dancehall - Dreamers LP by wearesolidgold

Finally, this month the Casbah is celebrating 23 years. It's been an honor to be a part of the family for the past few years and if you haven't checked out the calendar lately, I added the remainder of January's shows in the sidebar. Several of this month's shows celebrate new releases, so be sure to check out new stuff from A Scribe Amidst The Lions, Black Box Studios, The Beautiful View, and The Howls. You're also going to want to stay tuned because with Coachella being two weekends this year, you can count on some of the bands playing shows in town. I can't spill the beans just yet, but you're gonna want to pay attention.

Newsy Bits and Information Updates

It's been a while since I've posted news because this is usually stuff I allocate to Twitter and Facebook these days, but here are some things on my radar I thought you might want to know about.

SXSW 2012 is now accepting band submissions. You have to go through SonicBids and pay $30 but you never know...it could be worth a shot. To be honest, the majority of bands attending SXSW and playing shows in Austin are not considered "official" showcasing bands. I think in the last few years, no more than 5 or 6 local artists have been selected...that doesn't mean you don't have a chance. Make sure you have a QUALITY EPK. I can tell you from our Adams Avenue submissions that the volume gets lost, so make sure your songs sound good and clear through a regular computer speaker. Have a friend or 12 look over your materials before you send anything.

Blitzen Trapper and Dawes have announced a co-headlining tour this fall. They'll be at the Belly Up on October 9 and no doubt this show will sell out. Get presale tickets from each band's respective sites starting at 10am on August 5. Additionally, Blitzen Trapper will be releasing their new record, American Goldwing, on September 13, but you can pre-order now.

The San Diego Music Awards are almost here! Next Monday, August 8, the SDMAs take over Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay. If you've never been before, you're in for a great time with a who's who in the local music scene. Reserved tables are $500, but there are limited GA tickets available for $30. The event has consistently sold out over the years, so get your tickets now.

Over the past year, I've become more involved in San Diego music than ever before. Here are a few updates on some bands I've been working with this year:

• Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels are currently in the process of recording their second album at Lost Ark Studio. Jesse & James recently performed at Alex's Lemonade Stand and the full band will be performing tomorrow afternoon at the Handlery Hotel Pool from 5-8 and opening for The Horde and the Harem tomorrow night at the Soda Bar. Jesse LaMOnaca and The Dime Novels are nominated for Best Americana for this year's SDMAs.
• Josh Damigo just kicked off a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for his sophomore record. He was last year's Best Acoustic winner at the SDMA's and though he has been doing well for himself in LA and just did his first southwest tour, he might be coming back for an opportunity too good to pass up. Help him get that record going!
• Michael McGraw has wowed me onstage since we met earlier this summer. He played my showcase at Eleven and recently opened for Jeremy Messersmith at Soda Bar and he's a prolific songwriter so I can't wait for him to keep busting out new music. This month, however, he's taking a little break to get married this weekend and head out on a beautiful Hawaiian honeymoon. Congrats to Michael & Jen! Looking forward to booking him for some more shows upon his return.
• The Heavy Guilt recently celebrated the release of their 2nd album, In The Blood, to a crowd of over 400 people at Device Gallery in Barrio Logan. They've also played a couple of out of town shows and will certainly be playing around the region in upcoming months. Good luck to them on their SDMA nomination for Best Alternative Album.

I've also been booking a whole lot more. Besides the North Park Festival of Arts, this year I'm on the music committee for the Adams Avenue Street Fair. I also have some upcoming shows for your radar:

• August 4- Colin Clyne @ West Coast Tavern
• August 13- Dynamite Walls, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, The Morgansterns @ The Ken Club
• August 23- FMera, The Short Eyes (need one more) @ Casbah
• September 10- San Diego Music Thing Showcase: Ume, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, My Jerusalem, The Heavy Guilt, Strange Vine @ Soda Bar
• September 29- SoundDiego Live/Birthday Show (Lineup TBD) @ Casbah
• October 17- Dos Hermanos @ Bar Pink

I also just got a whole slew of new shows to post on the Casbah's calendar, so check in this week to see a ton of onsales this Friday.

San Diego Newsy Bits

I read so many emails that I intend to post about later and then I just generally forget, so as an apology, here are a few things that I failed to write about but should have.

Humphrey's 2011 schedule was recently released and some shows have already sold out, including Adele and Chris Cornell. I suspect the same fate for many of the shows, so save that cash and get your tickets (or go buy a kayak).

North Park Festival of Arts is just around the corner, taking place on Sunday, May 15. Once again I'm stage producer for the main stage. We've already got our bands lined up for the festival, but vendors and juried artists are very much encouraged to apply. You can find information here. The festival is free, but there is a ticketed Craft Beer block for those 21+ that includes food and beer tastings. And, since this weekend's Citybeat Festival of Beers is already sold out, I suggest you not wait.

Red Llama Dog, a local band from the Mira Mesa area, recently entered a contest to rewrite the jingle for Folger's coffee and out of over 3,000 entries, have made it to the top ten. Check it out and vote here. (They're the ones from San Diego if you don't go straight to their video)

LiveNation announced a couple more shows at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre this summer. If you're into Zac Brown Band or A Perfect Circle, tickets go onsale this Friday, so get ye over to Ticketmaster (or try band fan clubs for presales.) As for me, I updated a ton of shows for the Casbah's calendar this week, so be sure to check it out.

Last, about SXSW and all of my updates, I uploaded a ton of video this week, so as soon as I'm done with my listings (at this rate, around 4 am), I'll try to get some of those updated and posted, too. On to finish those dang listings...

San Diego Newsy Tidbits

It's been a while since I posted any newsy bits, and since I don't have a lot of time before I hit two Christmas parties and at least one show, I'll keep it brief.

First, congratulations to my dear friend and colleague Tim Pyles (photo by Natalie Kardos) for being named the 2010 SubModern Host of The Year for his "FTP" show on FM 94/9. We all know he rocks, but it's nice for FMQB to take note and spread the word among the radio world. It would be super awesome if his show was syndicated to other stations, dontcha think?

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A couple weeks ago, I posted about O'Connell's being sold. Apparently that report was premature and at the last minute, the buyers dropped out, so for now, O'Connell's is still O'Connell's. As they'd planned on moving on, there were no shows booked for December, so if you want or need a show in December, you might wanna hit them up.

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Other tidbits- The Styletones will no longer have a Monday residency at Bar Pink come 2011. Though they'll still be all over town, those Mondays became a ritual for manyso be sure to catch them before the year ends. ** Word on the street is that Dirty Sweet has called it quits. With a long history in the San Diego music scene, I suspect they'll find new outlets down the road. **CityBeat reports this week that Seth Combs new venture will be a lifestyle site call GFYSanDiego. Presumably "Go Fuck Yourself", and with SDGossipScene closing up shop and heading to New York, I can already feel the target on my back from my favorite frenemy. Best of luck to Seth.

newsy stuffs

The Album Leaf at Street Scene, 2007

Some newsy stuff worth mentioning over the past couple weeks, so here's what I've got. Nothing breaking, but still pertinent if you care about music in San Diego.

At their recent sold-out show at Birch North Park Theatre, The Album Leaf played their last show with the lineup that was consistent over the past 8 years, with Drew Andrews and others venturing off to their own projects. The band performed as a four-piece with Jimmy Lavalle, Matt Resovich, Brad Hall, and drummer James McAllister (who also plays with Sufjan Stevens) at the Memorial Day weekend Lightning In A Bottle Festival in Irvine, billed as headliners. According to the band's twitter account, The Album Leaf will be announcing dates in Australia soon.

Seth Combs gave his final fuck-you to the San Diego Reader when he told writer Chad Deal that he was moving to Maryland to be a farmer. (Sorry, Chad, he gotcha on that one.) His cohorts backed his story when it was fact-checked, and the gossip-hound was left once again confirming a story that had no factual merit. The Reader also used a photo of Seth without permission and without crediting the photog, but even funnier is that you can see Seth's face pre-Scene Wolf.

Last week, new CityBeat music editor Peter Holslin broke the news that the Radio Room was in the process of being sold to Hamilton's/Small Bar owner Scot Blair. Murmurs abound that the new spot will be call 11 (as in "this amp goes to eleven")and will have music 4 nights a week. Scot, I want to work for you. Let's talk.

Local musician Kenseth Thibideau has been known for his impact on the scene with Pinback, Three Mile Pilot, and Sleeping People (among many other projects), is releasing a solo record caled Repetition, being released by Temporary Residence Ltd out on July 20th. You can download the first track, "Black Hole", here. (right click to save)

Wavves, aka Nathan Williams, will be releasing a single via Mountain Dew's Green Label Sound called "Post Acid", followed by a full LP, King of the Beach, on August 3. Read more here.

Newsy Bits

I haven't done newsy bits in a while but there are some things I wanted to mention:

• Soda Bar is open. It has been for a couple weeks now, and since I'm lagging on my recap of The Shaky Hands who played there on Sunday, I thought I should mention it. It's on El Cajon Blvd, located at what used to be Chasers. It's pretty, clean and safe inside. Parking can be tough and people never cease with the 'sketchy neighborhood' comments, but if you park on El Cajon and not side streets, you should be just fine.
• El Dorado is opening on Monday. Located downtown on Broadway between 10th & 11th in what used to be the Hong Kong, it promises to be a great spot and with close proximity to Chee Chee, maybe there is reason to go downtown again. This is not to be confused with El Camino, the new Mexican restaurant in South Park next to Rebecca's. I haven't tried it out yet, but my friends really liked it (though since it's beer & wine only, skip the margaritas)
• Manuok released a new album this week called No End To Limitations. Last night was the CD release show with Little Dragon at the Beauty Bar, and they're on a quick Cali tour this week, but I'm sure we can look forward to some local shows in the near future.
• XIFM.com has a local radio show. This was the second week and it sounds great. The show can be heard & streamed on Friday's from 6-8pm. Local bands can submit music via the same website.

M.I.A. is marrying Ben Brewer?

Woah. So last time I talked to Ben, he had moved to San Diego from New York "for love". Granted, that was a while ago and I know he was going back to New York to work on music with his band The Exit, but I guess other things happened along the way. Rumors abound that he's engaged to M.I.A. and apparently she's preggers. Anyway, here's a post I wrote about him from 2006. Don't mind the lame pics at the Oxygen Bar.

Random Bits

I haven't written random news in a while, and now, for some reason, I feel like going off the top of my head.


Lots of change ups in local bands these days...Daniel on guitar left Team Abraham and Christopher on guitar left Frantic Romantic...(sorry for the previous error that Chris was on bass. That's what I get for writing at 4 am)


I ran into Gregory Page the other night and he's hanging up his hat, at least as far as recording goes. "This album says all I need to say. I've made 20 solo albums and been a part of 40 total. I'm done. Music is who I am, so I won't stop, but I'm getting rid of all my recording equipment. This album has what I've been trying to say all of my life."...


Ponce's is traditionally closed on Sunday, but for the last several months have had secret Sunday night parties, with cheap tacos & DJs. This Sunday will be the last Sunday of the year and it's supposed to be on the down low, but from 7pm til 1am, they'll have a DJ, cheap food, and those famous Ponce's margaritas to go around...


CityBeat has gone through some major changes in the last year. With Troy leaving last fall, it was a case of not knowing how good you have it until it's gone. Well, Nathan Dinsdale stepped down and Seth Combs and Todd Kroviak are the new co-editors of the music section. If you walked away from CityBeat, it's time to give the rag another shot...


As I've mentioned, The Chee Chee Club is on the upswing, so if you find yourself downtown, I recommend stopping by for some cheap as hell drinks and a fun jukebox. I'll be there before both nights of Street Scene...


Next week brings the San Diego Music Awards and Street Scene, so it should be a great week for music...


Also, to keep on the radar, it has been nearly 2 years that I've built this site. Keep an eye out for a new format and site redesign, but also save the date: November 10th will be the 2 year "blogiversary" show at The Casbah, featuring Writer, Low Red Land (from SF) and Emery Byrd...


Last, my God-sister Claudia is living in Alabama these days despite living with my family 6 out of 7 days a week since she was an infant. She has the rare opportunity to attend the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. She is 10 years old now and it would be a momentous and historical event for her to attend. Any donations and ad revenue to this site for the next two months will contribute to her fund to make it to D.C., which will cost about $600 out of pocket. If you have even a couple bucks to spare, please consider donating to send my sweet little girl to be a part of history. Use the paypal donation icon on the top right of this site to help.

Missed The Boat: Newsy Bits

I'll be brief because I need to get some sleep but wanted to note a couple things :

• For those lucky people "in the know" or who happened to spend Friday at Bar Pink Elephant, The Night Marchers played a special show. I was at the Johnny Rad Fest at the Ken Club, but I heard it was a great night.
• The Radio Room opened tonight. I really look forward to checking out the former Zombie Lounge. I just hope Chris is better about posting shows at the new spot than he is for Kadan because I'd like to keep the venue in my weekly listings.
• Comic-Con is just a few days away and San DIego is buzzing. All 4 days are now sold-out. I heard a rumor that Saturday is going to be a real treat, but alas, I'll just have to follow the tweets since I won't be there. One year of madness was good enough for me.

News and Newsies

Even though I've been posting here and there over the past couple weeks, I feel like I haven't been on top of things as much as I'd like to be. I've seen some great shows over the course of the past couple weeks and I have pictures to upload, but in the meantime, here are some newsy things I didn't post on.

Chickrawker covered this here, but Anya Marina has just been signed to a record deal so she is leaving FM 94/9. This came right at the same time that it was announced that Hilary will be joining the FM 94/9 team. Additionally, FM 94/9 Insiders received a greeting from Amanda, the new host of Big Sonic Chill, who replaced Midori. ch-ch-ch-changes.

I did note that my homie Kallao has departed San Diego and will be PD at a station in Milwaukee. I pulled it since I pre-leaked the info (sorry, Kallao), but now it's all official and I wish Kallao the best of luck. It's been really fun following Kallao on his journey across the country as he drove and kept us updated on Twitter. Go find him there. He's awesome.

In the past year I've become a huge fan of Port O'Brien and happily discovered they blog! I firmly believe every band should. They wrote about their favorite show in Europe, in a church with Von Iva and on their recommendation got to check out that amazing band at U-31. That show rocked. I'll post pictures this weekend and want to give those ladies a shout and a thanks for hooking me up with a CD.

I don't think I'll be attending Comic-con this year, unless last minute passes fall in my lap as they did last year, but tons of comic enthusiasts and Hollywood notables will descend on our fair city in just a couple weeks. I guess it makes it an appropriate weekend for theComedians of Comedy to call it quits, at least as a group. They'll be at Spreckels on Saturday, July 26. The show lists "special guests". I swear to god, if David Cross is in town that weekend, my phone better be blowing up with people calling to tell me where to find him. (Also worth a mention, the Casbah has no listing that night. Perhaps some private party? hmmm. mystery...)

Bob Dylan announced a fall tour that will be passing through San Diego. He'll be at Qualcomm Stadium Concerts on the Green on Saturday, September 6. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Saturday, July 12) at all ticketmaster outlets.

North County Times wrote about The Feelings Mutual and because I've been such a jerk and haven't reviewed the CDs they sent me, I thought I'd note it here. They've got a few upcoming dates around town, including a show at the Casbah for Anti-Monday League on the 14th, the same night Joanie Mendenhall releases her CD. Two great reasons to be at the Casbah on Monday night.

My homie Mario, over at SanDiegoish is featured as this week's "Street Person" inStreet. Perhaps you recall I wrote for them for a couple weeks when they were on a family vacation? Well, they cover a lot of San Diego things that I don't...fashion, sports, downtown hot spots, and store openings, so check them out.

Last, I know I don't cover hard rock, AOR, or metal all that much. Mostly because I know nothing about it. But local boys Mower have been added to Metal Mayhem, taking place at Cricket Amphitheater on Wednesday, July 16, alongside the likes of Slipknot and Disturbed, so congrats to them for nabbing that spot. Even if I don't get it.

That's all the news I've got for now. Time to immerse myself in photobucket hell.

News Flash: Zombie Lounge- SOLD!!

Ah, how punk nite reveals so much. The Zombie Lounge was sold and will be closed for at least two weeks. The last night open as it exists? I'm not sure, but they're trying to move current shows to other bars...Chasers, The Ken...so pretty immediate. If I can get anything more out of all the drunk punk-rockers, I will post here. Hey Reader...steal this story, you owe me $25, Bitches.

Brief Notes

I'm done writing for the night but wanted to mention a couple things:

- I'm hoping I'll get to posting all my listings for the week on Monday night, so check back in.

- Looking ahead to next weekend (already) and I'm excited for two big events:

The first, on Saturday, is Art Around Adams. Many of the galleries, restaurants, salons and coffee shops on Adams Avenue will be open and have art on display by local artists. Additionally this year there will be music all day. Kadan will be feature DJs and electro-ish music, Lestat's will host acoustic acts, there will be an outdoor stage at Smitty's, and the Ken Club will have bands all day. The event is free and will run all day from 2-10pm with free shuttles running between Kensington and Normal Heights. I'm helping out the promoters with some booking, so if you're available to play, shoot me an e-mail and I'll see if we can work your band into the event.

The second big event next weekend is FM 94/9's Independence Jam on Sunday at Southwestern College. Tickets are $40 flat and the station has added shuttles that include a ride to and from the show and a burrito for the ride home for $10. Shuttles will run from 3 places: Hamilton's in South Park, Winston's in OB, and Cass Street Grill in Pacific Beach. Tickets for the shuttle are available at the pick-up spots and are limited, so get yours early. It's really unfortunate that the Sigur Ros show in TJ is the same night, but you can't do it all, right? I'm really looking forward to this lineup, particularly Nortec Collective, The Ting Tings, Santogold and the local stage.

- In between shows this weekend, I spent a lot of time at home just chilling out and had a chance to read Troy Johnson's book, Family Outing: What Happened When I Found Out My Mother Is Gay and it's excellent. I couldn't put it down. It's a little strange reading something so personal from a good friend but I really learned a lot about my friend and I'm really, really proud of him. You can pre-order the book or see him at one of his book readings/signings at Borders and The Whistle Stop later this month. The book is officially released on June 12.

- This week I'll get around to posting about the shows I caught this weekend, including LadyTron and Datarock at the Belly Up as well as Team Abraham, The Grams and The Shambles at the House of Blues.

Guess that's all for now. Off to dreamland.

Brief updates

I went to House of Blues last night for The National. That band seriously kills me. It was hard taking photos when his voice just makes you well up with tears. Not like sad tears, more like cathartic happy this-music-is-too-fucking-good tears. Too bad my HoB experience was less than stellar. Man, seriously that venue is one step forward, two steps back. I was privy to some information that just pissed me off...but I'll write about all those things later tonight with all the pictures.

In the meantime, I wanted to follow up on a few of the newsy bits I posted last week.

First, now that Street Scene is back in the works, I had a couple people point out that in addition to Cat Power scheduled to play on Friday, September 19, The New Pornographers are also sheduled to play according to the Matador Records website.

Second, a follow up about Ray Suen joining The Killers. If you take a look at my contributors, you'll see Ray was added there. He was up at Sasquatch over the weekend working for The Flaming Lips and told me he'd try to write a recap of his experience at the festival since he was going to be costumed onstage during their performance, but he hasn't done so yet. (No pressure, Ray) We chatted on Firday and he was ecstatic that he's gonna be joining up with The Killers. They're doing a huge tour so he'll be travelling all over, playing Leeds, Reading, and all those huge shows. He'll be playing guitar and keys for the band which gives him a good change from mostly strings he played with Louis XIV. Maybe enough nudging and he can write about all that himself...

Last, I wanted to mention that next week there's an election in San Diego, and I wanted to throw my endorsement behind Eric Bidwell. The guy is one of us and deserves some serious credit for having the balls to call out Mr. Douche Sanders and that complete dick, Steve Francis. Our city is in some dire need for change and I think I'd rather have someone completely green and willing to learn on the job than these dicks who just sit pretty and make backdoor deals for all their fatcat friends. If you want more info, go to http://www.revolutionarymayor.com/

I'll be online tonight to post all those pics...

Newsy Bits & Notes

I haven't done any "newsy bits" in quite some time and I apologize for that, but unfortunately it looks like I'll probably writing even less than I already am after a couple kinks in my personal life. But I'll keep up the Twitter, so become a follower if you want the breaking news stuff as I hear it. If you ever wanna help me out and don't want to just give an outright donation to the site, I'm open to taking submissions, news tips, cd reviews, show reviews, and a small way you can help is by clicking on some of those Google ads on my page or instead of using the Google home page, using the Google search widget on this page.

First, some personal news- looks like I'm going to be an aunt again...to twins! My brother and his wife are expecting. His 7 month deployment should be complete before the babies are due so fingers crossed and sending out positive thoughts to the universe that he's not extended beyond his scheduled tour.

On the music front, there's some things I've certainly been neglecting, so here's a few things I've come across:

• The big news of the day is that Ray Suen, who recently toured with Louis XIV and is known locally for playing with Ex-Friends and Joanie + Secretaries has joined The Killers. Turns out Dave, a high school friend of mine and apparently a friend of Ray's, recommended him and one thing lead to another and now Ray is a Killer.
• The Shambles will be playing at the House of Blues next week (in addition to a show at the Troubadour in LA)
  June 1 @ House of Blues in San Diego
  w/ The Grams and more - 21 and up!
  FREE TICKETS FOR THIS SHOW ARE AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE BAND!!, so find them on MySpace and just ask.
• If you haven't heard by now, Foxborough Hot Tubs is playing the Belly Up. The band is really Green Day, but apparently they won't be playing any Green Day songs. Tickets are only available the day of the show, with a two ticket limit per person. Personally, I'll be checking out Margot & The Nuclear So and So's at the Casbah, but if the rare performance in a small club is more your speed, plan on lining up early.
• This news came out last week, but I certainly didn't mention it. My Morning Jacket has announced a tour in support of Evil Urges, including a date in San Diego on September 25 at the Open Air Theater. You can read about the tour on NME.
• Some of our local-acts-gone-big have been getting some airplay and have big tour dates this summer. Augustana released Can't Love, Can't Hurt which is more rock and less ballad than their debut. They'll be headlining the House of Blues on June 12 and touring with Counting Crows and Maroon 5 this fall, with a stop at Cricket Amphitheatre on September 13.
• Local Tristan Prettyman released Hello...x with a video playing on VH1. No major tour announced as yet, but I suspect one will come soon, or perhaps some festival/county fair dates.
• Recently, my mom asked me if I know Jason Mraz (I don't), because she loves his new single "I'm Yours" that she's been hearing on the radio. It's from his new album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things (released May 13). He's got a bunch of festival and European dates this summer, but nothing announced locally.
• Another San Diego troub, Greg Laswell, is on the verge of releasing a new album, Three Flights From Alto Nido. It will be released on July 8 and he'll be playing at the House of Blues on June 25th. In his blog, he writes, "The album will have 11 tracks including alternate versions of "days go on" and "how the day sounds". and no, it will not include a fourth version of "what a day". that would be just plain silly."
  "brandon the beloved side-man and i recorded it in a little under a month and i was lucky enough to get the extremely talented greg collins to mix it. i am more proud of it that anything i have done to date and the process of recording it was something i will never forget. i will be playing a few of the new songs on the upcoming tour with ingrid michaelson."
  You might recall that Ingrid, the voice behind that catchy Old Navy commercial, featured Greg in her video for the same song as the commercial, "The Way I Am." Damn, I should start working on trying to get a photopass for that show.
• Switchfoot will be going on another Music Builds tour which benefits Habitat For Humanity. That tour hits Cricket Amphitheatre on September 27. The very holy tour also features Third Day, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, and Jars of Clay. I wonder if they'll serve beer at that show.
• I guess there was more action on the Street Scene front this week, but I already wrote what I knew here. Now I can say that the proposed dates are just Friday and Saturday, September 19 & 20. Also, I'm still holding that Cat Power is playing if all the permits go through, according to her record label. I've also heard that the festival "going back to its roots" might mean that radio stations or venues control entire stages, and The Casbah is supposedly going to be presenting a local stage, though I imagine with the help of more sponsors.
• Denver's SCMX (SoCoMusicExperience) lineup was announced today. For San Diego, we've already got The Black Keys lined up, but Denver's offerings include Gnarls Barkley, Blonde Redhead, Swayback, and P-Knuckle. Usually at least a couple bands do all of the SCMX stops, so perhaps a free Gnarls show in SD? I don't know, but after Flaming Lips last year, this lineup will surely have to bring out the big guns to top it.
• Sheryl Crow was slated to play this summer at AEG's "Concerts on The Green" venue at Qualcomm Stadium. That show has now been moved to Valley View Casino. I don't know if AEG is bailing on the venue altogether or just this show has moved, (weak sales, perhaps?) but all tickets will be automatically refunded and ticketholders will be given a special pre-sale code if they want to get tickets for the Valley View show. Pre-sale will be May 28-June 5, with onsale to the public on June 6 at 10am. Hopefully Valley View has added some large projection screens so people in the cheap seats can actually see what's going on onstage.

I've been receiving a ton of music lately, so I wanna thank all the bands who keep me in the loop. Even if I don't write reviews, it helps me to know which shows to check out, what to tell people when they ask "who are you listening to these days?" and in some cases, when bands ask me for recommendations on bands they should play with. There's also an upcoming Art Around Adams event on June 7 with an all day stage at the Ken Club and I've certainly submitted some of your names as recommended bands, so believe me, I'm listening.

It's gonna be a great 3 day weekend, rain or shine, so big love to everyone this weekend. Be safe. If you're at the Ken Club tonight, consider this your after party invitation. xoxo

Syphilis On The Rise In San Diego: Blame SDSU?

According to Health & Human Services, syphilis is on the rise in San Diego, with cases increasing by 200% in the last five years. There were 109 reported cases in 2003, jumping to 312 in 2007.

You can read about it at NBC San Diego here.

I only raise the question of whether SDSU is the center of the breakout because last May, there was a campus "outbreak". Remember that? Well, if you don't, I wrote about it here. As PeeWee would say, "Connect the dots, la lala la la..."

Reminders and Randoms

So I don't keep reposting the same stuff:

• 2 bdrm/1 bath apartment is still available in Kensington. $1400.


• I have 1 ticket to Wilco available. $42. You would be sitting next to me.


• Wine Cabana Event-I've talked about how much I love Wine Cabana and how cool the owner, Keith Franz is. You can go check it out on Thursday for a good cause:

Unfortunately, I won't be there because I'll be trekking up to Harrah's Rincon Casino, but if you're around, go check it out. $10 gets you in and includes complimentary apps (most likely cheese and crackers) and featured wine specials. Wine Cabana also serves beer, if wine isn't your thing.

"Between Heights" Community Meeting

I just got home from the community meeting held at the Air Conditioned Lounge, hosted by Councilwoman Toni Atkins. "I have to say, this is my first community meeting in a bar." There was a Lieutenant from the SDPD Western Division and a few other officers (which covers more or less the area east of the I-805 to as far north as Linda Vista, though the southern boundary wasn't made clear.) At any given time, there are 104 patrol on the streets of greater San Diego. Also present were representatives of Neighborhood Watch, the Stonewall Citizen Patrol, the Adams Avenue Business Association, the owners of A/C Louge and Kadan, and 80+ citizens of the community. Noticeably absent: more bar patrons who are the ones likely to be walking home or to their cars in the late hours of the night. For that reason, I will do my best here to give a detailed description of what was discussed.

The first part of the meeting was to summarize the homicide and assault that took place last week at the 2900 block of Suncrest Drive. Because the investigation continues, few details were given though there are leads on the perp. The suspect was described as an African American male between 20 and 30 years old and he left on foot from the scene, though there was a light colored van in the alley that may or may not be related to the crime. Per usual, any tips can be called in to (888)-580-TIPS if you have any information that might be related to the crime that took the life of 30 year old Timothy Traaen. The police also informed the audience that another major crime took place within the last week in the form of a robbery of the 7-11 on Adams and Ohio.

The second part focused on how not to be a victim of crime... safety in numbers, be aware of your surroundings, look like you know where you're going, and in the case that you are mugged, to just give the criminal what they are asking for ( with the recommendation of minimizing the cash and personal items on your person, and dividing your cash stash between wallets, pockets, etc.) There were also suggestions about what can be done within the community and there were very obvious suggestions that I think people should really take the time to do.

1. Turn on your porch light. Many of the areas in the Heights are dark. Even the streetlights have a soft orange glow because we are in the flight path of Lindburgh Field. If you notice street lights out, call the office of Toni Atkins and they will be replaced. (I'll list all numbers at the end of this post). Don't be afraid to carry a flashlight while waltzing through these darker parts of the neighborhood.

2. Know your neighbors. It's not hard to introduce yourself to the people who live around you. You don't have to be friends, but knowing who they are, what car they drive, what kind of people they entertain can go a long way in being able to spot when something is askew. Because most of this audience was older and not the 'bar crowd', I would go even further and say it's easy to give your neighbors your number. When I have a big backyard party, I leave a note with my phone number, suggesting that if the noise gets too loud, that they can call me. This is usually a good faith measure and because of it, I've been left alone all these years.

I will also add that as regular bar patrons, people generally do not like us. Despite the majority of our hoods being mixed-use and generally pedestrian oriented, the community represented here do not like us. They don't like the bars staying open late. They don't like the noise generated from the bars. They don't like the noise generated from people leaving the bars. They don't like the transient population that finds a safe haven in or near the neighborhood bars. They don't like the group of smokers hanging outside any given bar on any given night. They don't like people pissing in their yards. Just by the representation of these community members at this meeting and the lack of any significant number of bar patrons, it is clear why there has been a crackdown on music venues, or bars with jukeboxes that are too loud, or dj's that are too loud. And after the empowerment people felt from this meeting, you can guess people are gonna have their ears perked a little bit more. I would just say check yourself, check your friends.

The Stonewall Citizens Patrol was an interesting part of the meeting. They formed after the string of hate crimes after last year's Pride. They are a community patrol who volunteer to monitor the hood Thursday through Sunday 9p-3a, from Hillcrest to Normal Heights. They are trained by SDPD and cruise in one marked SUV and also in private vehicles with magnetic identification on the side. They are "the eyes and ears" of the Police and do not engage in any interaction with citizens except to pass out literature, flashlights and safety whistles. They are seeking volunteers all the time and said that if you called today, you could be on patrol this weekend. Another function they serve is to notify the city when streetlights are out. (They just reported 37 this past weekend).

There were two programs mentioned to help light up the neighborhood. One is a city granted security light program. Many people complained of gang activity, prostitution, and drug activity occurring in dimly lit areas. Because there are strings of alleys throughout the neighborhood, and they are usually not lit by streetlights, the city has a security lighting program that will install, at no cost to landowners, motion detecting security lights. If you live in an apartment, approval is needed by the owner, but at no cost, it's hard to see anyone objecting to such lighting. If you think you could use such a program, contact the office of Toni Atkins. In cases where streetlights are desired but bogged down in bureaucracy (they can take 9 months for approval), there is a program through SDG&E where property owners can split a prorated cost of streetlights over a course of time with community funding.

There was almost an hour of community questions that the presenters usually had a good answer to, in the way of the programs mentioned above. Then there were kinda off the wall questions like "In a home invasion, is it true the intruder has to be in my house before I can shoot them?" But for the most part, it felt like people just felt good about the meeting and the people that represent our community. Almost 100% of the attendees showed interest in future meetings to create more neighborhood watch-style programs. I would say that while it's nice to MySpace bulletins and whatnot, actions speak louder and unless people take a stand to reclaim the neighborhoods in which they live, these criminals will continue to target our areas.

Important Numbers Below:

Police Department Non-Emergency Number: 619.531.2000
Councilwoman Toni Atkins' Office: 619.236.6633
Stonewall Citizens Patrol: 619.305.0976
Adams Avenue Business Association: 619.282.7329

Between Heights Website

Come On Feel The Noise: Another Cop Crackdown On Live Music

Eric from the Modlins sent me the following account of the show last night at the Zombie Lounge. This is really starting to bum me out. As it is, Beauty Bar shows are ending by 11 on weeknights, Sports Club had to stop booking bands for over a month, Chaser's noise has stopped at least two shows (and resulted in the brawl that has me now excluding the venue from my listings), and pretty soon the encroaching housing could possibly affect other venues, like the Casbah (with the new high priced condos across the street). Just out of curiousity, can I call a noise complaint on my asshole landlord who installed the biggest A/C unit I've ever seen right outside my bedroom window and runs it all night long? Or how about the 3 a.m. Starbucks delivery guy who slams his carts for a good hour every night? If people want quiet, they can move to the burbs. Or wear earplugs.

so last night matt, dee and I went to the beta lion show at the zombie lounge. it went pretty late (beta lion started after midnight), but as they had just started their second to last song, one of the guys from the zombie lounge came up to OP (sp?) on stage mid-song and whispered something to him. OP then stopped playing, turned to the audience and said "okay sorry guys, new song .. it's called the cops are here." they apologized and had to stop playing. apparently they thought one of the people at the apartment complex across El Cajon had called the police. I guess this has happened before on late sunday shows. no crazy drama though, but everyone was bummed. and the venue and beta lion just felt bad. SDSC, Chasers, Zombie lounge. It's hard to be a venue in san diego.

Thanks for the tip, Eric!