North Park Music Thing is Upon Us
Writer (photo by Brad Swonetz)
If you’re a local musician, a friend of a local musician, or otherwise dipping your toes in the San Diego music scene, then you don’t need us to tell you about the North Park Music Thing. But if you haven’t heard of it, here’s what’s worth knowing: NPMT is a combined conference and music festival in the style of Austin’s South by Southwest, albeit on a much smaller scale. This year, the event starts on Friday, August 13 and continues all the way into the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Non-industry folk won’t be too interested in the conference portion, which consists of lectures and panel discussions aimed at bringing budding musicians up to speed on the quirks and pitfalls of the industry, but for the rest of us there’s a huge lineup of local acts lighting up 14 music venues scattered across Midtown.
Personally, we’re stoked – stoked enough to actually use the word stoked — that a ton of our favorite local bands, and lots that (we’re embarrassed to admit) we have yet to see, are all playing over the course of two nights. Here’s where you’ll find us, obvious schedule conflicts notwithstanding: Continue reading…
Alec Ounsworth’s New Vision
When it was announced that indie darlings Clay Your Hands Say Yeah would be going on hiatus, fans clasped their hands and screamed no. Such breaks rarely bode well for a band’s future, and assurances from the group that the split would only be temporary did little to assuage concerns. Though the Brooklyn-based band’s future remains uncertain, fans can at least take comfort in following frontman Alec Ounsworth‘s new solo career. (more…)
Polysics Invade San Diego
San Diego is a great place to see live music, but there isn’t always a synth-heavy, eccentric, Japanese spaz-punk band around when you need one. In a gracious effort to fill that void, Tokyo natives Polysics will be playing the Casbah on January 30th.
Citing Devo as a major influence, Polysics are truly a sight to behold. With their orange jumpsuits, science fiction glasses, and synchronized robotic movements, the hyperactive quartet put on one of the most bizarre and exciting shows around. The band’s self-described “technicolor pogo punk” is a thrilling spectacle, made all the more enthralling by front man Hiroyuki Hayashi’s boundless enthusiasm and slippery grasp of the English language. (more…)
The Vision of a Dying World Just ‘Don’t Understand’ (MP3)
Jackson Milgaten gets a lot of press. Whether it be as co-founder of red-hot San Diego label Single Screen Records, his work promoting and booking shows under the Action Jackson Promotions moniker, or for his omnipresence in a slew of “side projects” that include Cuckoo Chaos, The Paddle Boat, and Maren Parusel’s backing band, a lot of metaphorical ink is spilled on Milgaten’s behalf. So much so, in fact, that it can be hard to remember that his main band, The Vision of a Dying World, is still around and kicking.
In case you do need a reminder, the band will be releasing a new EP, titled I Will Not Fear What I Don’t Understand, this Saturday at the Soda Bar. The songs were recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jackson’s equally busy brother/Vision guitarist Keith Milgaten (also of Black Mamba and Jamuel Saxon fame) and marks the band’s first release since 2007′s Skelephone Call From The Eastern Side. Here’s a little background on the EP from Jackson himself: (more…)
The Paddle Boat – The Paddle Boat
2009, Single Screen Records
As a live band, San Diego’s The Paddle Boat have built a reputation not only as excellent performers, but as a rare alternative in an oftentimes homogenized music scene. Drawing from, among other things, early 20th century folk and jazz, the eccentric trio can’t help but stand out in a sea of rock and rollers. Now the group is bestowing their first release upon the public—a 7-inch single aptly titled The Paddle Boat—but does the record capture the many facets that make the band a diamond in the San Diego rough?
Single Screen Records Signs Black Mamba
Ethereal piano-pop band Black Mamba has become the latest artist to sign with San Diego label Single Screen Records. They are currently finishing up a 6 song EP, which will be released through the label on 12-inch vinyl in early 2009.
And while you’re eagerly awaiting the release of their EP, do yourself a favor and go see them live. They’ll be playing at the Beauty Bar with Drew Andrews and Boomsnake on December 9th, and at The Casbah with Tape Deck Mountain and Madison County on December 22nd.
