The New Black

What is the new black?  DIY music videos.  From bands such as Republic of Letters, Hotel St. George to The Nervous Wreckords.  Bands this year have been bring out the camcorder calling up their crew and getting the visual stimulation going.  A few months ago. Hotel St. George invited me and about 50-100 of their friends to help them shoot a music video directed by David McHank for their single "That's Why I Drink Every Night."
Also around that same time The Long and Short of it came out with their very indie DIY release of "Turtle Island 2012."   Republic of Letters release their video "Stories,"  which was filmed at The Ruby Room.

Below are the new released videos of the our local favorites:


Little Children's Bones - Hotel St. George


Vast Systems - The Long and Short of It


Stories - Republic of Letters


Doing it to Do it - The Nervous Wreckords

Enjoy.  Hopefully I will be seeing more videos as San Diego has some talented people and should constantly be utilized!

Weekend Picks! What's Worth Watching and Where!

Yeah it's Thursday night and I should have had my weekend picks.  However, as the days grow closer to the summer the shows get better.  Making it hard to decided where to go and what to do.  I should be at a show right now.  Tonight will be a night of rest and catch up!  I want to make sure you my readers are getting your fill of RRNLSG.  Expecially since I have been absent for a good amount of time!  


Well San Diego i'm back and here are your weekend picks:


Friday 4-30
Lemon Sun and Leopold and his Fiction @ Bar Pink
Cat Party, Repeater, The New Assembly, Veil Veil Vanish @ Ruby Room 
Grand Tarantula, Shapes of Future Frames, Life Deposits @ Soda Bar.  
Street of Little Girls, The Dabbers, Moviegoers @ Tin Can Ale House
Buckfast Superbee , Wirepony , State To State, The Fascination @ Casbah


Saturday 5-1
Title Tracks (ex-Q And Not U), Maren Parusel, teamAWESOME! @ Soda Bar
The Shambles performing Cheap Trick's Budokan plus DJ Mikey Face @ Bar Pink
Michael Dean Damron  with Chad Price and Micah Schnabel @ Radio Room
Jamuel Saxon, Brother Face (come see who they are!), River City @ Tin Can Ale House

Heartless Bastards, Hacienda , Amy Cook @ Casbah 

Sunday 5-2
The Ponys, Disappears, Christmas Island @ The Casbah
(Livewire Bar and Bar Pink for just a relaxing night at the bar! sans Rockn Roll which is unheard of)


Alright Folks ill see ya at the shows! 

The Rivals of Rockn Roll!

If there was a band that takes over where The Rolling Stones left off after Exile on Main Street.  You would know it must have come from a city made of great talent. San Diego has been stirring the scene with new upcoming acts.  Midnight Rivals have arrived.


The rock gods answered some prayers. A high energy band that not only brings it, but has the a great front man to prove that they can bring it!  Have you ever seen Lucy's Fur Coat?  I have.  Ever heard stories about Charlie and his antics on stage?  I have heard and seen way to many to write about it while keeping this sweet and short.  The line up of the band is :Charlie: vocals (Lucy's Fur Coat) Mark: drums (Convoy and Louis XIV) Mike: Guitar  (Lucy's Fur Coat) Morgan: Guitar (The Front) Pete: Bass (Petey X of Rocket from the Crypt).  If you are looking for a band that can make you dance, shake and shimmy in your shoes while tossing back a few cold ones then this is it.  Surprisingly enough I have seen almost all the show they have played and worked one show as their merch girl.  Seeing these guys come from amazing bands to start a new one always makes me giddy inside.  


The difference between a rock band and a rockn roll band is based solely on their influences.  The Midnight Rivals are pretty much an example of a modern Rockn Roll band.  They do not have gimmicks or fancy lighting, no tricks up their sleeves.  On the contrary they have been getting on stage and just plain rockin out.  Making this easy to dance and listen to.  Bands that produce music that can be played almost anywhere (shower, while cooking, deserted on an island, stranded during a flat on the highway) are hard to come by.  MR composes music that can be played in any situation


With great musicians the last thing you need is creative differences. In their music you can hear a bit of Rolling Stones, Faces, The Who and mainly anything rock coming out of '64-78. With the song writing talent of Morgan Smith.  It is easy to channel what he believes his band mates might be able to grind a stone towards a great tune.   The combination of Charlie and Morgan is what makes the process of writing music with the band almost expediental.  The way a song can be engraved into the writers head and then brought out with different ideas and tuning that wasn't thought during the initial writing process.  


As of late they have been recording a new full length with Brian Karscig (Louis XIV, Convoy, Nervous Wreckords) producing the eleven track album.   When it comes to working with Brian, Morgan has mentioned "that it is like working with Dr. Awesome."  Making sure that the band is recording to its full potential prior to moving on to its next song or track for that matter.   After a few days in the studio, MR might have gotten their sound down.  Their record should be coming out with in the months to come.  Keep an eye out for that.  


Till then their next show is April 17th at The Ruby Room (next Saturday) with Lessons from Zeke, Trip to Dover and SilentLune.  

Wait what? Almost a year?

It seems to me that have been writing all my life.  If I can write my life in two words it would be : Composition Book.  The one thing that is constantly carried in my bag.  Notes on shows that are coming up, bands that have been newly introduced to me, show, and cd reviews.   Sometimes I worry that it will get lost and all my ideas will be giving credit to by some one else who read what I have in my head.  Then carried out.   Luckily enough that hasn't happened.


Can you believe it?  It has been almost a year since I started this blog.  I started writing about bands a while ago working with SLAMM mag when I was 16 years old.  Now I am 26 turning soon and here I am on my computer still writing about bands and local San Diego music.  To celebrate the 1 year turning of this blog, I have teamed up with Sean Cute of Ruby Room for a show that is not to miss.

(Click on the flyer to make bigger for the blind)

Lord Howler is a band that started as a solo project with lots of energy from Charlie McRee (MEX, Wirepony) that needed a rockin band to back up the influential rockn' roll that he wanted to create.  

Red Tiger is Steve Rodriguez (Dragons)  with the ambition of a new of an almost Punkn' Roll band with the similar rockn roll attitude. 

Brian Holwerda is going to be bring up some of his buddies on stage to help him with his unplugged plugged set.  They will be doing a few Blackout Party tunes and also some solo songs as well.  

This is a great line-up of a show.  Knowing all these guys, they will be ready to get an early start drinking for this Rockn Roll show.  So mark your calendars and get ready for the One Year Anniversary for Rockn Roll Never Looked So Good! 

Weekend Picks! What's Worth Watching and Where!

Shaking, rattling and rolling, not just a song, but the way the earth has been moving lately. Don't be scared just roll with it. If you think thats all the rattling from those St. Andres fault lines then your crazy! The weekend picks are enough to create more shaking with this rockn and rolling that beautiful San Diego does.
Check it out the Weekend Picks:

April 8th
Ride the Sun, Snail, Archons, Across Tundras @ Ruby Room
Rats Eyes, Stab City @ Bar Pink
Fever Sleeves, X-Ray Press, Fkenal @ Soda Bar
Melly Frances and The Distilled Spirits, The Cutaways @ Tin Can Ale House
Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich & Fussible, Illuminauts, Revulab @ Casbah

April 9th
Geezer, A Little Big Star (Alex Chilton tribute), and Secret Seven @ Bar Pink
Cattle Decapitation, Phobia, Destroyed in Seconds, Warkrusher, Dead Ghosts @ The Ruby Room
Stereo Summer, The Red Ribbon Army(LA), Save Amos, The Inheritance @ Radio Room
JOY, Low Volts, The Smart Brothers @ Tin Can Ale House

April 10th
Mashtis (CD Release) / Black Hondo / Cozy Corners / Joey Harris and The Mentals @ The Ruby Room
Los Straitjackets , Big Sandy and His Flyrite Boys , El Monte Slim@ Casbah
Firethorn, Petticoat, Swore, Breakhouse@ Radio Room
Rumble San Diego w/Pepper Rabbit, Writer, Black Mamba, DJ sets by Jamuel Saxon@ Bar Pink
Jungle Fever, The Watusis, The Sharp Objects, Mermaid@ Soda Bar
One I Red, Bella Novela, The Flowerthief@ Tin Can Ale House

April 11th
Murder By Death , Ha Ha Tonka, Linfinity @ Casbah (nuf said!)

April 12th
Andrews Avenue/Spero Lumina @ Ruby Room
The Styletones@ Bar Pink 

Serena Ryder , Ryan Star , Cuff the Duke@ Casbah

Can't wait to get this weekend started with tonight!!! I will see ya'll at the shows! 

Weekend Picks! What's Worth Watching and Where!

Hello San Diego. Guess what? Im back into town.  Fighting this horrible jet lag, But here I am still bring you the weekend picks.  Scotland was exactly what I remember it being, snow, rain, a bit of break in the clouds and a bit of green.    New things are coming up for RRNLSG and myself.  I am currently booking a tour for a local band which will be announced soon.  Also next Thursday get ready for a awesome show that will be announced. I will keep you all in suspense till then.  For now here are the weekend picks!  


April 1st
The Bloodflowers, Lord Howler @ Bar Pink
Serengeti Rocks, the Beautiful View, Bella Novela, Gun Runner @ Ruby Room
The Hot Moon, Manuok, The Flying Objects (DJ set) @ Soda Bar
The Wedding Present, Ringo Deathstar @ Casbah
Aaron Swanton, Spencer Rabin, Randy Hernandez @ Tin Can Ale House


April 2nd
MR ROCK DUDE! w/ Lights On, The Death Eaters, The Franks@ Soda Bar
A Scribe Amidst The Lions, Day of Anomie,Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra @ Radio Room
The Silent Comedy , Doll and the Kicks, Links@Casbah
Illuminauts, The Paddle Boat @ Whistle Stop
Hyena @ El Dorado.  (and thats if your desperate) 


April 3rd
Gram Rabbit , Blackout Party, Black Hondo @ Casbah
The Dabbers, Captain Ahab, @Soda Bar
The Goddamn Gallows(MI), The Strikers, Hands Down South, Jody Wayne Wood Band @ Radio Room
Lanterns,Da Bears, D/Wolves Cover @ Tin Can Ale House


April 4th 
The Dabbers , A Punch And Judy Puppet Show, Mission: Valley , Myth, DJ Nightrocker @ Casbah


April 5th
Primitive Noyes, Mousefire (Florida), Manta Rae, Samhears @ Tin Can Ale House

See ya at all the shows!  

Long Hard Road outta Austin .. SXSW recap

The drive to Austin, TX is not as bad as people say.  It is just a gruesome twenty hour drive if you got it in you to gun straight through each state.  Don't  forget about the check points on the way to Texas.  Dogs sniffing through all the bags and slobbering all over the pillows and blankets.  Sometimes its just well worth all the traveling hell just for the week long music that occurs yearly.

Years ago the recommendation of getting a badge and a hotel room, eat all the fancy BBQ in Texas would guarantee the best time of your life.  Probably also spend over 2000 dollars.  This year was a little different.  Take 300 dollars, volunteer and sleep in a car or find a place to crash.  By the end of the trip I had twenty dollars left.  (It was a budget made specifically for myself in order not to spend more money than I wanted to).  

From the moment the van arrived with all 5 passengers it was game time.  First stop was  The Lustrepearl.  Checking out the San Diego Ho-Down sponsered by Bar Pink, CityBeat, The Loft and Stone Brewery.  This un-official show case had some of San Diego's up and coming musical acts such as The Nervous Wreckords, Tape Deck Mountain, and El Ten Eleven.  Let us not forget your favorite acts such as Steve Poltz, Dirty Sweet and Transfer.  The free show included free Wahoo Fish Tacos and free Stone beer and Trumer Pilsner.  

As the night went on, the walk around the city.  Music was coming from every part of the main drag.  6th street Austin, Texas is the place to be this week.  This unfamiliar city has left everyone in awe.  (For those who have not been to Austin, please do yourself a favor and check this beautiful city out.)  So many shows to catch. So many bands to watch.  Stumbling around the city we walked into the One 2 One Club where The Twalls from Austin Tx was playing.  This band is composed of local musicians.  Dancing the set away, it was getting towards the time that Steve Poltz would be playing at the Hilton Garden Inn on the 18th floor.  

After watching Poltz played we decided to  walk the strip again.  Just to see what was going on.  Food, decided was the best thing at that point.  Beer's in hand, phillycheese sandwiches in the other and Chad (my partner in crime) walked our merry way around.  

Meeting up with the rest of the crew at The Hideout, a local coffee shop that included free WI-FI and nice Italian sodas.  Back to the van and back to the place we were crashing out at.  


The next day was more about checking out the strip and waking from venue to venue.  Seeing who was playing when and what time.  The morning started with breakfast taco.  I do not know what it is about texas but they are big on wrapping food as tacos.  This is however the craze during the whole trip.  Tacos and BBQ.  


At mid day my partner in crime went in to Darwin's Pub to check out what seemed to be an LA rock back.  No my mistake.  It was a pop-rock Los Angeles wanna be generic band from Nashville.  This band was not worth seeing.  November was the name of the band.  They had five members, one who looked like an overgrown 16 year old in leather pants and bleached streaked hair.  Their keyboardist was wearing sunglasses and a hoodie trying to cover up the fact that he might have been way to old to play in the band.  Again a band that thought they were too cool for school.  We walked right out.

Right across the road was Leslie and the Badgers playing at another bar.  5 bucks to get in.  Well, we decided against paying due to the fact that they had open windows and you can still hear them from the outside and see their back side.  It was really because we had open containers of alcohol in our hand.  
The night ended on a positive note.

The next day while the boys went around putting up flyers for a record company that they decided to volu volunteer nter for, I went down to the lawn party to check out Dum Dum Girls and Yellow Fever.  This isnt really my cup of tea when it comes to music.  So I just sat and wrote about the experience that i have been going through in two journals.  Mason and I went back to The Hideout to meet up with the rest of the crew.  We left Mason as my partner in crime, the dreamy Ryan Blue and myself went off putting up more posters.  By ten pm Ryan mentioned the Hilton Garden Inn again.  We all walked over that direction to catch the show.  When we walked up the lady at the door said "7 dollars." I mentioned that I would go in as soon as I found out if the band we are here to see is actually playing. She noted that I took out a journal and stared jotting down the names of the artist for that showcase.  She looked over at me and said "You guys don't have to pay.  If you guys wanna come in its free for you."  

We walked in right in time to see Correatown play.  Their set was very folky.  A genre that I normally don't get tired of.  After that set a sweet Julie Feeney from Dublin Ireland get ready.  With the snaps of her fingers her set begins. She starts the first song a-capella.  She has the voice of an angel.  She can whisper a fairy tale with her voice and sing it almost in a rhythmic lullaby with a harp to accompany her beautiful voice.  

I looked at the clock and it was soon to be midnight.  No we were not turning into pumpkins.  However, DANKO FUCKEN JONES was about to take the stage.  I would not miss this show for the world.  With the quickness of our feet we walked right back to the Texas Rock Fest stage right as Danko Jones went on stage.  This is the kind of music that gets me antsy for rockn roll.  They played "Code of the Road, "Lovers Call," and a few new tunes off their up coming release Below the Belt. Once they were done, Broken Teeth took on the stage next to them.  Another great rockn roll band from Austin.  With in a few tunes in, lead singer Jason McMaster called up Danko Jones to help him out with “Viva la Rock, Fantastico!” an amazing rock song that is to debut in Broken Teeths' new album. 


To much rocking and rolling, I dont think so, but it is bed time the next two days will be to die for!  
Wake up the next morning.  (i believe this is day 3.)  By this time all the days are meshed in together the whiskey is no longer taking effect!  Hello Requiemme Showcase!  

The Aquarium is the place to be for the first unofficial showcase for Requiemme, The Call the Office, and Bar Pink conjoined showcase.  Featuring some amazing bands.  The line up (in order they played) Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, Maren Parusel, The Bellrays, Nico Stai, Broken Gold, Darlings of Chelsea, MadJuana and The Zeros.  I, of course am behind the merch table.  With Mario and the Requiemme artist, doing merch for the guys is always fun!  The highlight of this showcase was The BellRays and MadJuana.  Of course my west coast heroes and now friends The Zeros.  Free Beer, loads of friends and a great time ahead.  The BellRays have the energy of a ADD crack baby and its all over the place.  It sounds bad, but infact it is some amazing vibing going on when lead singer Lisa get that microphone in her hand.  Jumping,dancing, swaying, and rockin the day away.  Thats the BellRays way.  

 After this show case, it was time to hit up Alejandro Escovedo at the San Jose motel.  When your intoxicated a mile and a half walk isnt that bad intill you realize holy shit.  We have been averaging a total of 5-6 miles a day of walking.  By this time, I think I hit my "im done" button.  Passed out on the backseat of a car while everyone watched Broken Bells at the Lustrepearl. Granted I was able to hear them since it was only about 100 feet where I passed out for the night.  

Next morning we started off at Sam's BBQ. Yeah it was about time we tried the very popular Texan BBQ everyone raves about.  It was tasty I will admit.  We went to Over Coffee to check out the handsome Ryan Blues' friend.  Singer song writer Devon Sproule.  Entertaining funny, witty songs.  Folky and with a country twang.   After that set we all took the Austin Metro back to 6th street.  Went into a bar and just relaxed.  This was the last day of the 4 day leg of the SXSW  "Freelance Writers Tour."  What happens when alcohol doesnt have effect on you.  The drinking doesnt stop but your not sure if you want to continue?  You grab some street food and keep on trucking!  The Last showcase of the night.  

The Requiemme official show case.  The line up (in order they played) Transfer, Maren Parusel, Darlings of Chelsea, MadJuana, Lady Dottie and The Zeros.  In this show case Michael Monroe, Ginger from the Wildhearts, Sami Yaffa (who is in MadJuana) all were hanging out while Darlings of Chelsea played.   Sami Yaffa who used to play in bands like Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls, and Michael Monroe new band.  Plays guitar for MadJuana, and killed it on their set.  First time ever seeing them play live, however have all ways been a big fan of them. Their music is best described as gypsy folk with balls.  Not exactly Gogol Bordello, however in that similar genre.  Karmen Guy's vocals makes the band a different from what is normally noted for similar bands.  


Again, behind the merch table, I sold out of Maren Parusel ep's.  All of Darling of Chelsea Albums, and  all their shirts except for 2 which Jay Millette said its cool to keep. (Thanks Jay) A few Zero's items.  Once the Zeros finished their set.  They did two more encore songs.  The audience was not wanting them to end.  However, it was over the the club was not wanting them to continue.  The rest of this night has declared off the record due to the adventure in a van and what was an after party with 8 cases of beer.


Recap on this whole adventure :  Unofficial Shows and street food, Breakfast tacos.  Please beware of the Border patrol going to the festival.  Look out for Free Beer shows, they fuck you up! and Make friends with Canadians they are fucken amazing people. Till next year!