All posts by chris maroulakos

Poetic Memory: The Old In Out (List)

San Diego’s music scene offers plenty of options. Want gorgeous jazz vocals shimmering with old-timey charm? We’ve got Erika Davies. Need a mainlined dose of fast, endlessly catchy powerpop? We’ve got The Powerchords. Have a hankering for exquisitely depressing tales of heartache, complete with eerie saw-playing? We’ve got Black Heart Procession. But if you’re looking for a band that rocks so hard they’ll shatter your pint glass, you need look no further than The Old In Out.

Blending the raunchiest elements of blues, garage rock, and psychedelia, The Old In Out are a hailstorm of loud guitar, sledgehammered beats, and sneering swagger. We recently had the opportunity to pick drummer Christopher James Carroll’s brain about what inspires him:

“I’ve found that inspiration comes from within and without. Everything and anything from a cool movie to seeing a great art show to watching the sun set, or reading a good book on a rainy day afternoon. The things that truly influence me are the things that create whole new worlds to peer into: worlds of mood, color, and shape that challenge and unlock new doors of understanding.”

We’ve been fortunate enough to obtain Poetic Memory lists from lots of musicians in the past, but his is definitely one of the more eclectic ones we’ve seen. Carroll’s multifaceted nature is also apparent in his music; in addition to his work with The Old In Out, he also drums for up-and-coming prog monster Shapes Of Future Frames. Carroll’s Poetic Memory can be found below. Continue reading

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. Continue reading

Review: The Silent Comedy; January 17, 2010; Bar Pink, San Diego

Few bands in San Diego inspire the kind of rabid devotion that The Silent Comedy enjoy. From their Prohibition-era wardrobes and Old West mustaches to lead singer/bassist J. John’s manic ramblings, the band have struck upon a winning combination of musical chops and good-natured theatricality that has earned them a passionate following. Celebrating their return to San Diego at Bar Pink after a brief but hectic West Coast tour, The Silent Comedy were greeted by a characteristically packed house. And, from the raucous opening song “Poison” onward, the band had the crowd exactly where they wanted them. Continue reading

Blood Red Shoes Get Fired Up (Video)

Rock and roll has seen its share of great duos in recent years—The White Stripes and The Kills being among the best—but no other band attacks the senses with as much raw power as Steven Ansell and Laura-Mary Carter, better known as Blood Red Shoes. The Brighton, England group’s 2008 debut, Box of Secrets, was a cherry bomb of a record that dripped with raw, dangerous sexuality. The fast and furious album’s bloody hooks and visceral appeal landed it a spot on Owl&Bear’s world-renowned Best of 2008 list, and we’ve been waiting anxiously for its follow-up.

But now the wait is over. Out on March 10 through V2 Records, Fire Like This contains ten highly combustible tracks from the band. Those eager for a sampling of the album can go to the band’s official website, where they’re streaming a new track every week until its release. “Light It Up”, “Colours Fade”, and live favorite “Keeping It Close” had previously been posted to the site, and the band just today added the red-hot “Heartsink”, which the group describes as “a pop song that we tried to destroy from the inside out”. Those inclined to join the band’s newsletter will be rewarded with a free download of “Colours Fade”. Continue reading

Drew Andrews Celebrates His ‘Birthday’

Let it never be said that Drew Andrews can’t multitask. The multi-instruentalist’s best-known gig, San Diego flagship electronic act The Album Leaf, are set to release their fifth full-length album, A Chorus of Storytellers, on February 2nd through Sub Pop records. Andrews also plays in the side project Via Satellite with fellow Album Leaf member Tim Reece. He’s even written two novellas, The Shepherd’s Journals and Lella, both of which are available as free downloads from Feedbooks. But when Drew Andrews isn’t dividing his time between those worthy endeavors, he devotes his energies to his best project yet: Drew Andrews. Continue reading