Category Archives: interviews

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Poetic Memory: Dessa (List)

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When your first album has people favorably comparing you to Joni Mitchell and Roseanne Cash, you’re off to a good start. But when you update those influences with a hip-hop edge, you’re off to an even better one.

Such has been the case for the one-named Dessa, who released her debut, A Badly Broken Code, last year. The Minneapolis native’s unique combination of rapping and singing has earned her plenty of attention, and her current headlining tour should only add to the buzz.

Dessa will play the Casbah on Sunday, May 8, along with Doomtree label-mates Sims — whose latest album, Bad Time Zoo, is currently at the top of the CMJ hip-hop charts — and Lazerbeak. For a taste of what to expect, you can watch Dessa’s video for “Dixon’s Girl” above.

Tickets for the show can be purchased here. In anticipation of the event, Dessa was kind enough to share her top 5 influences, in order of appearance: Continue reading…

interviews, listen, san diego

Poetic Memory: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess (List)

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MP3: Tori Roze and the Hot Mess – “Sweet Drank”

Tori Roze has a big voice. With a set of pipes that powerful, she could crack safes, cause hurricanes, or devour Tokyo. But luckily for San Diego, she uses that voice as a force for good, tirelessly treating fans to her sultry mix of blues and soul.

Along with her backing band, The Hot Mess, Roze can be heard around town covering everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to MGMT, or wowing audiences with cuts from her own arsenal of swanky originals. Her talent hasn’t fallen on deaf ears — the song “Sweet Drank” was recently featured as a Tim Pyles Local Member of the Day selection and she was nominated for Best Acoustic Act at last year’s San Diego Music Awards.

Tori Roze and the Hot Mess have a slew of gigs lined up in the coming weeks — including an appearance at the San Diego Art Walk and Street Fair — and in September they’ll take their steamy stylings abroad for a European tour. Playing all those shows requires plenty of stamina and dedication, so we asked them for a list of the things that inspire them. Their Poetic Memory and a list of tour dates are below. Continue reading…

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Poetic Memory: The Wealthy West (List)

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Photo credit: Andrew Ryan Shepherd

MP3: The Wealthy West – “Love Is Not Enough”

“Love is not enough
But if singing about it’s what you want
Then la-di-da, la-di-da, la-di-da
There you go.”

So goes the sardonic chorus of “Love Is Not Enough,” the opening track off The Wealthy West‘s Volume 1 EP. It’s a dazzling introduction to Austin musician Brandon Kinder and the various elements — acoustic twang, piercing melodies, and a world-weariness undercut by tongue-in-cheek humor — that make his music so distinctive.

Every song on Volume 1 is a home run, from the steadfast “Give Me Resurrection” to the forlorn “Home.” Its unrelenting quality and minimalist, down-home charm make the 5-song tour de force reminiscent of — and every bit as good as — The Avett Brothers’ Gleam EPs.

We spoke with Kinder — who also fronts the band The Rocketboys — about where he gets the inspiration to write such beautiful songs. Let’s just say his answers, which included everything from cheese dip to Jim Carrey, weren’t quite what we were expecting. You can check out his Poetic Memory below. Continue reading…

interviews, listen, san diego

Poetic Memory: The Midwinters (List)

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Photo credit: Rosemary Bystrak/SDDialedIn.com

MP3s: The Midwinters – Hinges (EP)

Back in 2006, a bunch of San Diego scene regulars decided to try something new. Soon, Americana was introduced to power pop and The Midwinters began to catch on. The band — currently comprised of Paul Donovan on vocals, Chris Hobson on keys, Jeff Hoyer on guitar, Matt Cliff on bass, and Erik Ekdahl on drums — has been writing, playing shows, and recording ever since, with the excellent EP Hinges released last year (download it for free at the link above), and another scheduled for 2011.

The band will play the Tin Can Ale House tonight, April 13. If you’re lucky, you might hear some of those new songs. In anticipation of the show, Paul and Matt sent us lists of their influences. Check it out below…

interviews

Poetic Memory: Emily Long (List)

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MP3: Emily Long – “Dirty Face”

If it were 1995, Emily Long would be huge.

That’s not a backhanded compliment, either. Listening to the Tucson native’s second album, Dirty Face, transports you to a time when flannel was worn un-ironically, the Empire Records soundtrack was wearing out your CD player, and MTV played videos instead of bottom-feeding reality show tripe.

From the opening moments of Dirty Face, you can hear the influence of bands like Veruca Salt and Letters to Cleo in the forceful but delicate vocals, fuzzed out guitars, and flogged drums. Long’s voice may conjure women like Nina Gordon, Louise Post, and Kay Hanley, but there’s also a bit of Tegan and Sara in the way she projects ripples of vulnerability into her rock-star belting.

It’s a compelling combination, and repeat listens makes Long’s music even more rewarding. The ass-kicking musician was kind enough to share some of the things that make her tick, which you can find below, along with a behind-the-scenes video on the making of Dirty Face. Continue reading…