Stories | Musician Interviews
Hot Mess
Published Aug. 6, 2008
“I’ve always enjoyed music and singing,” says singer/songwriter Jodi V, “but I grew up in a religious household, so singing anywhere else but at church was not an option.” Her first public performance was at age ...
Air It Out
Published July 30, 2008
The spotlight lit up Erik Peterson as he stepped onto the stage at Dreamcatcher at Viejas dressed in a plaid kilt accessorized with shaggy fur wristbands and a plastic Viking helmet with fake blond braids. ...
Tugboat Morin
Published July 23, 2008
“My checkered past includes skippering a tugboat on the San Francisco Bay and sinking boats as a brown-water river sailor with the Vietnamese Navy,” says blues singer/guitarist Jeffrey Joe Morin. “As soon as I left ...
Donkeys in the Gig Rig Published July 16, 2008
A brief mention in the May issue of Spin provided San Diego band the Donkeys with some national exposure, but the A&R reps at the ... More Post a comment
Girls on Deck Published July 9, 2008
Back in the early ’90s my roommate and I spent hours in my apartment near Balboa Park watching and listening as our British friend Eugene ... More Comments (2)
So Ill on the Mic Published June 25, 2008
Brendan Bohan (aka Brendan B) is a rapper out of Ocean Beach. Like many San Diegans, he’s a transplant. Brendan grew up in Chicago — ... More Post a comment
Rock That Bears Its Soul Published June 18, 2008
Nautical Disaster plays bluesy pop with a dose of ’80s new wave to keep things clubworthy. The three-piece rose from the ashes of the Daffodils, ... More Comments (5)
Time to Kill Published June 11, 2008
“I know it sounds lame, but I actually did come down here [to San Diego] seven years ago to follow my dreams of grandeur,” says ... More Comments (4)
Rock On and On Published June 4, 2008
You may not be familiar with guitarist Greg Douglass, but you’ve probably heard him play — he cowrote and played on the Steve Miller Band ... More Post a comment
Weirdos Rocking Our Name Published May 28, 2008
War Stories is fronted by singer-keyboardist Evan Robinson who, though he wasn’t born in San Diego, has lived here for most of his life and ... More Post a comment
The Sound Is Music Published May 21, 2008
San Diego’s Trummerflora Collective is intended to “provide a network of support for San Diego’s experimental and improvised music community.” The musicians seem very sincere, ... More Post a comment
Metalminded Published May 14, 2008
Cory Oliver lives in Pacific Beach and attends High Tech High Media Arts in Point Loma. He is 16 and plays guitar in Oden’s Fist, ... More Comment (1)
Jingle Hit Published May 7, 2008
What San Diego musician can claim the title of Most Local Airplay? Pinback? P.O.D.? Jewel? The honor goes to Leonard Tucker. You many not recognize ... More Post a comment
Which One’s Steely, Which One’s Dan? Published April 30, 2008
Hank Easton is the guitarist for the Steely Damned, a local Steely Dan tribute band also featuring members of Rockola. The New York native began ... More Post a comment
The Piano Thief Published April 23, 2008
Growing up, Greg Laswell says he confiscated his sister’s upright piano after she showed no interest in the instrument. “It was my sister’s 13th birthday ... More Comments (2)
Scaring the Natives Published April 16, 2008
Hellyeah is a rock “supergroup” featuring members of Mudvayne, Pantera, and Nothingface. Their self-titled debut sold 45,000 copies in its first week. Hell Yeah is ... More Post a comment
Fresh Every Time Published April 9, 2008
Young Mass (a.k.a. Fifth Element) is, at age 21, the youngest member of the rap and hip-hop collective Digital Underground. His family moved from Chicago ... More Comment (1)
Stevie Ray, with Feeling Published April 2, 2008
Alan Iglesias says his Stevie Ray Vaughan show is more a “recreation” than a tribute. “Looks, appearances, and body language are extremely important if you ... More Post a comment
Strength in Numbers Published March 26, 2008
Miki Vale hails from Oxnard, California, making her musical debut on The Awakening, a 2004 compilation album from SGM (Sleeping Giant Music). In 2006 she ... More Post a comment
Crazy Enough Published March 19, 2008
There’s been a buzz about Grand Ole Party for a while now. The band recently released their first CD, Humanimals. The artwork was done by ... More Post a comment
Revolutionary Stepladder Published March 12, 2008
Many hip-hop artists describe themselves as activists, but Southeast San Diego native Bennie Herron fits that bill more than most. With a master’s degree in ... More Post a comment
Mystically Influenced Published March 5, 2008
Originally a three-piece band, Merkaba Bandits moved here from Washington D.C. last year and added a fourth member. Their sound is a mixture of contemporary ... More Comment (1)
Rare Attack Published Feb. 27, 2008
The Swedish Models formed in early 2007 after guitarist Andrew Bernhardt, original bass player Mark Wiskowski, and drummer Dustin Paul called it quits with their ... More Post a comment
Pre-Bummer Haight-Ashbury Published Feb. 13, 2008
“Ultimately, this music is our attempt to add a tile or two to the fluid mosaic that is California and its mythology,” says Eric Nielsen, ... More Post a comment
No Rehash Published Feb. 6, 2008
Vegitation is San Diego’s solution to keeping reggae fresh and green. They produce original reggae songs instead of rehashing those Marley tunes that most reggae ... More Post a comment
Techno Pioneer Published Jan. 30, 2008
DJ and recording artist Jon Bishop has been at the forefront of the Southern California techno scene since 1991. His radio show Sounds of the ... More Post a comment
Barely Legal Published Jan. 23, 2008
The Atoms are a young band, barely old enough to play the bars around town. The members came together at Bonita Vista High School in ... More Post a comment
Drawn to Dive Bars Published Jan. 16, 2008
Singer/guitarist Kyle Phelan was honing his rock chops while still in high school, crafting his first album at the age of 17. After graduation he ... More Post a comment
Sinatra Speaks Published Jan. 9, 2008
José Sinatra is a good-time party and music man around town, first as front man for the former José Sinatra and Troy Dante Band and ... More Post a comment
Hunky Dory Published Jan. 2, 2008
Louis XIV formed in early 2003 when former members of alt-country locals Convoy chose sexed-up pop over redneck rock. In January 2005 the Illegal Tender ... More Post a comment
Hear Me Roar! Published Dec. 27, 2007
Jenn Grinels grew up in Northern California before landing at UC Irvine to study musical theater. After graduating she moved to San Diego and began ... More Comment (1)
Paul Has Contributed the Most Published Dec. 20, 2007
Steven Ybarra is a Texas-born Carlsbad resident who began studying music when he was three. He was the front man for 34Below, which released five ... More Post a comment
Daily Rant Published Dec. 13, 2007
'When it comes to politics, sometimes I get a bit carried away," says singer/songwriter and activist Bill Farkas. "I started 'The Daily Rant,' my political ... More Post a comment
The Hi-Lites Published Dec. 6, 2007
Album: Hi-Altitude (2007) Artist: The Hi-Lites Label: self-released Where available/price: Online at hilitesgoska.comfor $10. Songs: 1) Time Has Come 2) Best of Your Abilities 3) ... More Post a comment
Jesus Don't Mind Published Dec. 6, 2007
Adina Tarralik Leger, stage name adiVa, was born and raised in Canada's high arctic in a small town called Coral Harbour, population 800. Her father ... More Post a comment
Love it Local Published Nov. 29, 2007
'I never focused on the music scene until a few years ago," says Alyssa Jacey. "I always listened to music and appreciated everyone who was ... More Post a comment
Great Shot Published Nov. 21, 2007
Hargo got his first taste of fame at the age of 16 when his song "Giving" was selected as official theme song for the 1999 ... More Post a comment
From China, with Guitar Published Nov. 15, 2007
Singer/songwriter Brenda Xu was born in Harbin, China, near Russia's southern border. "I was five years old when I first came to America to live ... More Post a comment
"I Love an Exotic-Berry Wine Cooler." Published Nov. 8, 2007
Jon Shimmin is a hard-working local drummer with a day job; at night, he's at area clubs behind the skins. He has played in several ... More Post a comment
Gone Underground Published Nov. 1, 2007
Mike Stax moved from the U.K. to San Diego in 1981 to join his favorite band, the Crawdaddys. Two years later Stax launched Ugly Things ... More Post a comment
Sucker for Donuts Published Oct. 25, 2007
John Hermsmeier, a.k.a. Josh Herms, is a local drummer for hire. "I came to San Diego in 1996 to begin my freshman year at Point ... More Post a comment
The $180,000 Fender Published Oct. 18, 2007
I was at 'Canes watching local tribute band Cash'd Out doing Johnny Cash tunes. They recently won $20,000 in a battle-of-the-bands contest at Viejas. Near ... More Post a comment
Invisible Man Published Oct. 11, 2007
'I play for a myriad of artists in a variety of venues," says Brandon "the Sideman" Walters. Walters can be seen all over San Diego ... More Post a comment
Get Out of Here! Published Oct. 4, 2007
When Deep Purple played 4th&B on August 16, I hoped they wouldn't play "Smoke on the Water," which I consider one of the worst songs ... More Post a comment
Flow with It Published Sept. 27, 2007
Hip-hop artist MC Flow -- a.k.a. Abby Schwartz -- raps about politics and women's issues. She grew up in New York City and moved to ... More Post a comment
Bad-Luck Band Published Sept. 20, 2007
A Scribe Amidst the Lions used to be called Split Infinity -- the band changed the name after discovering it was claimed by several other ... More Post a comment
Things to Say to a Girl Published Sept. 13, 2007
Steve Serrano, drummer for Dynamite Walls, says that the first night of their first national tour was, unbeknownst to the band, spent in a home ... More Post a comment
Stay Human Published Sept. 6, 2007
Since forming in 2005, the CHI Club have been playing shows around San Diego wherever they can. Whether you run across the band rocking on ... More Post a comment
My Little Moog Published Aug. 30, 2007
AntiQuark is a San Diego electronic music duo with an international feel and flair. Ant Dakini is originally from Torino, Italy, and when she is ... More Post a comment
Ferrell Laughed Published Aug. 23, 2007
Several months ago, I went to the Sunset Strip in Hollywood to see Slash and a few of the members of the Doors play at ... More Post a comment
Sounds Like a Blizzard Published Aug. 16, 2007
Some of the Beatles' first recordings -- before they became "The Beatles" -- were collaborations with English rocker Tony Sheridan. Today Sheridan frequently appears at ... More Post a comment
Happy Kid Published Aug. 9, 2007
Sacha Boutros attended the University of San Diego on an athletic and academic scholarship. "I played soccer growing up; I learned how from hall-of-famer Jean ... More Post a comment
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