The holidays are upon us. Please consider giving our local independent music related businesses from Paras Newsstand to Cow Records, Classic Bows to Taylor Guitars, your business when it comes to this year’s gift giving. But there are also many local writers, musicians, artists etc. that offer great options for seasonal giving, or perhaps a […]
San Diego native Gary Shiebler was last heard from on last year’s When the West Steals Your Heart, a project with his Nashville band Thursday Night Fishing Club. On that two-disc release, Shiebler displayed, on several ear-catching acoustic and alt-country tunes, a knack for capturing catchy, lightweight melodies written about ordinary life and ordinary people, […]
In the 1950s Johnny Cash eschewed the rhinestones, cowboy hats, and other gaudy costuming that had become part of the aura and marketing that had become expected of country performers. The Man in Black also pared down the sound of his ensemble, doing without banjos, fiddles, pedal steel guitars, and high-lonesome harmonies. There was Cash, […]
The dobro, or resonator guitar, has become an important part of the bluegrass arsenal since its original development in the 1920s. On the occurrence of ResoSummit’s 10 year anniversary, let’s take a look at the Summit and the instrument. The leading educational event in the dobro world is ResoSummit, produced by Rob Ickes and the […]
Clarence Williams was among the Golden Age of jazzmen, who first got me turned on to old time music. A pianist, leader, composer, and vocalist, he was born on October 8, 1889, in New Orleans and died on November 6, 1965, in New York City. His brother, the equally talented Spencer Williams, was born on […]
Laurence Juber is a triple threat musician. He is a strong electric lead guitarist, personified by his playing days with Wings, a virtuoso acoustic guitar artist, and a notable guitar educator, as personally witnessed when I was on staff with him at the 2000 National Guitar Workshop session at USC. His recently recorded holiday CD, Holidays & […]
There are plenty of tribute bands in San Diego, but nothing quite like the Steely Damned 2. Built around the music of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, aka Steely Dan, the 12-piece band doesn’t attempt to look or dress like the real deal, instead they focus on the music, making sure that every note of […]
When people come over to the house/studio that my wife and I share, they often look at my Abbey Road poster, framed prints of both John Lennon and George Martin, and various other Fab Four paraphernalia and say, “Wow, someone really likes the Beatles.” While it’s true that I do enjoy their music (and I’ve […]
Describing it as a collection of “Christmas tunes for heathens,” local stalwart Marcelo Radulovich (Playground Slap, Gunther’s Grass, Mike Keneally) has released a disarmingly disparate collection of re-imagined holiday favorites that sound like nothing else you’ve ever heard. Ranging from a post-punk melancholy to art of noise effects to occasionally pure vocals and acoustic accompaniment […]
