Come Out Tonight......

Lord Howler started as a solo project by Charlie McRee who drums for variety of bands (currently MEX and Wirepony).  He started recording music that he enjoyed to play. Doing lead vocals and lead guitar,  McRee needed a band to capture the love of thrash and classic rock.  Recruiting drummer Jake Najor, bassist Pete Pisaturo, guitarist Mike Shultzman, Lord Howler came about.  They just released a 10 song self titled album recorded in no other than Chaos Records.   


It's gritty, it's grungy, it's one album that is proper for the 2010 upcoming summer fun.  Ladies and gentlemen when you hear the song "Come Out Tonight."  Lord Howler means it.  From the moment you press play all you want to do is jump over the hood of the inferno red '69 Camaro drop top down, and gun it across the country fist pumpin into the air. 


This heavy, dirty, southern rock album should be praised correctly.  When this album hit my cd player, all I could think about was a cross breed between, ZZ Top, Turbonegro and old school Metallica (when they didn't suck). Each song delivers it's own unique madness for high speed driving.  The fast heavy hitting songs such as "Come Out Tonight"  is almost the new Friday night theme song.  Also, songs like "WMSP" and "Space Terror" are in the top list of songs that I have enjoyed from this album.  One song however put me in to utter shock on the way it was not only arranged, but the vocals as well.  "Before the Cold" had a very Alice In Chains sound to it.  A melodic song that starts very somber and half way through it picks up enough beat and tempo as the old 90's grunge ballads. 


The gritty style hard rock album is a great pick of albums for fast driving through the open road.  Please don't get a speeding ticket.  Next show that Lord Howler plays please make sure to pick up an album.  

Ghetto Blaster Making a Scene

The one front man that can entertain everyone including a cat in heat is no other than Ryan Foxe. From the stories I have heard over and over from people around town is two things, the man is both a legend and a "fucken tool."  The former Fishwife front man has been staying busy with two projects, The Grids and now Ghetto Blaster.  


Ghetto Blaster has only played two shows with their opening at Bar Pink with Dog Shredder and supporting Red Fang at Casbah.  This band can be described as an experimental math-rock (not like Rush).  Of course on their myspace.com page they describe themselves as Christian Rap, and Ghettotech, and Regional Mexican.  Just put it this way, loud energetic and ready to melt your face.  Ryan Foxe is all over the stage but not with the same antics as before, unless he is waiting for the right moment. His vocals can be best described as a nasally croon of Jello Biafra and a pissed off cookie monster on acid.  Knowing Foxe more of his characters will be coming as the months progress.


Hopefully this isn't going to be a part time band, with some EP's and full lengths.  Maybe a tour?  They recently played at the RRNLSG show on Saturday May 29th with Lord Howler and Brian Howlerda from Blackout Party.  Many people where blown away from Ghetto Blasters performance.  What did you expect when you have great local musicians getting together to form one spectacular project.  What more can a band ask for when they have only been together for 4 months.  A few EP's sold and a few shirts sold!  


Ghetto Blaster will be playing again with Lord Howler and Black Hondo at the Radio Room June 12th.  

Weekend Picks! What's Worth Watching and Where!

Its been a while since I have updated this site.  Mainly because I have been out of town.  Being in another country and coming right back to it all was exhausting and was completely unprepared for the shows about to come.   With in the first week of being back I saw Shawn Rolhf and The 7the Day Buskers, Lemon Sun, Midnight Rivals, and Behind the Wagon twice.  Last night I saw Doones Boys at the Riviera which included Joey Harris (Beat Farmers)  and Stephen Rey (Deere Johns, Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, Bartenders Bible).  So far these two weeks have been a riot of shows!  


So back to your regular schedule of rockn roll and YOUR WEEKEND PICKS!


May 14
Brawley, Cash'd Out @ Casbah
Pocket @ Bar Pink
The Notice CD Release / Public Jones (LA) / Duchess@ The Ruby Room
Apes of Wrath, Hotel St. George @ Whistlestop

Sister Kisser(NY), The Getdown, Prosthetic Arms @ Radio Room

OF SONS AND GHOSTS, Eclipse 79, Old Tiger @ Soda Bar


May 15
Bob Log III, Jail Weddings and Glossines @ Casbah
The Strangers / Reason To Rebel / i45 / The Wrath @ The Ruby Room
BRENDAN B & THE BREAKS, Height With Friends, Yo! Drew & Drew Tube @ Soda Bar

May 16
Lights On, Midnight Rivals, The Dabbers, The Neverout, Sara Petite, and Roxy Jones @ Bar Pink Stage (NP Fest of the Arts)
Daygo Produce, Skrapez, Odessa Kane, & Illuminauts @ Radio Room
Dave Booda's Singer/Songwriter Night @ The Ruby Room 





Ready Set go... Ill see ya guys at the shows this weekend!  

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!