Staring at the Sun Vol. XIV

Those of us of a certain age remember the old Homegrown compilations that KGB radio used to issue in the 1970s and ’80s.

Bart Mendoza, the prolific promoter, journalist, and musician (and now San Diego Music Hall of Famer!) picked up that mission in the early 1990s with the Staring at the Sun series of compilations—with the latest iteration, Volume XIV, out now.

The big difference is that while all but the final Homegrown compilation (which were issued from 1973 to 1983) required submissions to not only be from San Diego artists, but also to be about San Diego, Staring at the Sun removed that cheesy requirement. (And, really, has ANY San Diego band ever had a better set of local references than non-local Mel Tormé’s “They Go to San Diego” from his 1957 LP California Suite?)

If anything, the Staring at the Sun series takes in a broader range of music than the Homegrown series did—although neither series ever fully tapped into the local jazz, classical, hip-hop, or Latin music communities.

The two-disc Volume XIV collection takes in 47 tracks covering 46 bands, clocking in at over two and a half hours. There is a nice mix of well-known veteran acts, such as Jeff Berkley, Black Market III, Spud Davenport, and others with less recognition.

And tying Staring at the Sun directly to Homegrown is the presence of “Earthquake” by Blue Wind—from 1977! This pre-punk song first appeared on Homegrown V.

Further tying the two local compilation series is the presence of the Farmers—Jerry Raney’s enduring offshoot of the Beat Farmers, who appeared on the final Homegrown compilation in 1983. Here, they continue that tradition with a track from their most recent release, Farmers SD (2018).

The first disc takes in everything from ska (Sandollar, Smoke & Mirrors Sound System) to rootsy Americana (Amanda Cogan, Black Market III, Lissa Dee), indie rock (Swive, Sorry It’s Over) to R&B (Chloe Lou & the Liddells).

Fuzz Huzzi kicks off the second disc by channeling early Alice Cooper on the rollicking “Let It Go.”

Another unexpected treat is Spud Davenport’s bluesy instrumental bridge, the 40-second “Only One Parade.” It’s got a gorgeous little riff of ear candy that could serve as the heart of a much longer jam. (And Spud gets a full-length track on the first disc with the lusciously poppish “Paper Maps” as well—the only repeat artist on the collection.)

Nathan Raney’s “Framework” is a heavy bit of grunge that sounds like it came out 30 years ago, while the cleverly named Split Rail Fence contributes the smoldering “A Man’s Job Is Never Done,” which blends blues and classic rock vibes.

Singer / saxophonist Jonny Tarr’s “The Rules” has an ’80s New Wave vibe, before Hemisphere’s “Transition” keeps the MTV feel going with more of a New Romantic theme.

The nearly four dozen bands here provide a nice reminder that San Diego’s music scene has grown exponentially over the past 40 years—from a time when it was major news when a local band got signed to a national label to now, when San Diego-based labels are signing major national acts.

If, like your loyal correspondent, you want to support the local music scene but are unsure where to even start exploring what is going on in our burg, this is an outstanding place to start.