Good 2010 Performers I enjoyed

Gaslight Anthem The modern New Jersey sound, beneath all that snow, is timeless rock and roll. Though some people say Southernness is needed to make real rock and roll. :-D

Black Keys


I've dug these cats a while now, they really blew up this year. I see a great four or five year run for them, getting nothing but bigger in 2011.


You can hear where the Black Keys've changed from here, where I found them:


http://citizenbandmusic.com/ If you liked the Keys, you might like the more Americana-slanted blues of Jeff Berkley and Citizen Band, "the most interesting band in the world." :-D If you like the Eagles or Wilco or Jackson Browne or Nils Lofgren, I don't see why you wouldn't dig CB. Mike Spurgat played live at House of Blues with a couple of bands; he may have been the best lead guitar player I saw this year! He brings a little "Joe Walsh" to the mix. He can bend it ruthlessly, babe. Check out "Broken Man" and "For Lillian" for two standouts.



How about some DJ's?
My sister Debra introduced me to DJ Tiesto. What else?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nFdlwmkCKw&feature=player_embedded
Robyn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmFu-hF6iKc&feature=player_embedded







Chad Cavanaugh I used to enjoy meeting artists at his java Jones gig. The atmosphere had quite a mix of people rather engrossed in their laptops, but I saw some great live music there before drawing Dna #1 drew me out of the loop. I tried sketching and even tried my hand at some songs that have received more complete and unique forms since then. As for artists, the first one, Nicole Torres, was super nice, told good stories, and blew us away. She also designed the jacket for her friend

Lindsay White’s first cd, which I reviewed at this link. Java Jones itself has passed on as an entity, to some new owner or redesign coming next year.

R.I.P. Ocean Beach’s own Matt Cook Live show I think the hardest part about this city is getting people to go to things more than a few blocks away. Maybe one day we’ll have awesome public transit here in San Diego. At least it’s played some part in keeping me from living as a hermit in downtown, getting Integr8d Soul Productions up to its commercial potential and hoping everyone has better luck this coming decade.

I really enjoyed my visit, as I was personally invited by Dana Ralston to see Flying Laura.
Dana
Flying Laura
Finally here was part of why I'd love to live in Encinitas; you can just walk down the street and meet someone good for a creative jam. More ideas and possibilities than time! Plus you have Moonlight Beach. Downtown's benefited me mostly with hermitage, though a nicer asylum I've never known.







Florence and the Machine
This lady is a star, if she wants it. Goth ethos and bright hooks alternate behind the biggest new voice in rock.






I found K'naan on Austin City Limits, about the time of the World Cup


Patrick Watson





San Fransisco music pretty much opened up to me through the gateway of videos branching off songs by A Place To Bury Strangers. Macabre group name? They are not doctor's office music, but they are drop dead slick. FB Friends with a friend of the band :-0




I think Silversun Pickups have a great sound and they're just getting more creative.
I almost didn't include them here for 2010 (I am most in love with "Panic Switch") but they did have a new song out after all.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPzU1Uz8ujw

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Local Brew Local Grooves All Access, the 201st show

Here's more of the line-up from the Sunday night Local Brew Local Grooves All Access, the 201st show:

Bobby Pena and the Stowaways:


Simeon Flick


Erin McLaughlin

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San Diego Music Awards spotlight

San Diego Song of the Year

Single for Best Jazz Album, my friend Steph Johnson

World Music Band of the Year

and from the Classics file, here's lifetime achievement winners Iron Butterfly, with the song they performed at the awards
More next time. Yep, that means Switchfoot and Slightly Stoopid---but also some acoustic and hard rock!

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San Diego's Funk Scene

My friend and neighbor Tuf Dana Alan is one of the most talented songwriters/ arrangers/ performers I've ever known. Several times now I've seen his perennial band, Zamore, anchored by G. Whiz on bass, featuring the S.D. Sax Man, and of course, my good friend Tuf-Dana. The lead singers rotate a bit, but those three are always there. My favorites are their Prince and Michael Jackson covers; they also did Atlantic Starr's "Always" So here's a little of their flavor, from B.B. King's in Hollywood.









Tuf-Dana is always in the funkiest bands in San Diego. He's the one who turned me on to Funk's Most Wanted. They play new songs from Nelly, Outkast, Parliament, Earth Wind & Fire, Prince, Morris Day and the Time, Venega Boys, Robert Palmer's "Early in the Morning", "Take On Me," Cameo and, really, all kinds of good Old School.

http://www.funksmostwanted.com/


My favorite FMW show was at House of Blues; my Mom was visiting (!) and insisted on going with us, despite intimations that the show could be a little, er, burlesque. Well, the first act was...Mom never went for this kind of thing growing up, but we were close by, gettin' down, while she stood with our friend L.O. (whose ankle was in a cast) beside the stage. During "the Single Life" one of the singers looked straight down at her and said, "How 'bout YOU, Mama?!?" She turned bright red...which is hard to see in a House of Blues....

My gift to you: the sounds of Astra Kelly

Hey, good luck to this fellow up here drumming! He's heading for Afghanistan. This song, you find on the Astra Kelly band cd of eleven songs recorded here in S.D. at Studio West. Look for her at 11 am at the Hard Rock Cafe, Sunday the 17th!
"music" at SD Indy Fest





From Chicago we have Astra Kelly,who's graced San Diego for the past few years. with her powerful alt-rock sound, incorporating a guitar-driven rock line-up but also violins, and a passionate singing voice. You can hear those soul/ blues influences when she cuts loose. She's got several years of touring under her belt, and presently she's playing shows all over California.

Like all the musicians featured here, the words matter as well as the music. Her page describes the sound as "Catchy and smart, lyric-based, melodic rock with a message."
Her November 2009 release Battling the Sun can be found here:

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/astrakelly2

When I listened to it, I found a stripped down acoustical side that highlighted her vocals, and even a reprise of track 2, "One and Only" hidden at the end that continues the intense rock out of the second half of the EP.

She has a lot of fun; tonight she taught the Dublin Square Pub how to clap along with a tune like a real Irish pub. LOL, San Diegoans. I think they knew the Bob Marley "No Woman No Cry" better. I do like it, as it's drunk-optional the way some traditional fare sorta isn't!
Next time I'll include the cool and fun back cover, like its front, illustrated by Billy Martinez, a name I recognize from local comics! He's the creator of Neko Press and also gives studio classes.
http://www.sandiego.com/arts/san-diego-artist-has-eyes-for-bots-babes

And most anything else you want to know? Start here: http://www.astrakelly.com/

Here's Astra Kelly and band at the Ruby Room; it's quite a scene!



This is the 2nd part of my local sounds series; I absolutely WILL finish up my ongoing story this weekend, it's all ready to go but for the typing...