music news, san diego

One Light Goes Out

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TV on the Radio have announced that bass player Gerard Smith died this morning of lung cancer. The 34-year-old Smith was diagnosed with the disease only a month ago, and had been sitting out the band’s current Nine Types of Light tour.

All of TV on the Radio’s tour dates from April 20 to 26 have been cancelled. As of now, the May 2 show at San Diego’s House of Blues is still set to proceed as planned. If they do go through with the show, it’s sure to be a solemn and emotional event.

UPDATE: Though originally scheduled for May 2, according to SD Dialed In the show has been postponed until May 13.

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MP3: Dark Dark Dark – “Daydreaming”

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MP3: Dark Dark Dark – “Daydreaming”

Minneapolis chamber-folksters Dark Dark Dark have hit the road, and it’ll take them to The Loft on April 29.

The acclaimed sextet is touring to support its second full-length, Wild Go. With the new album, the band furthers its efforts to blend disparate influences like New Orleans jazz, Americana, and Eastern European folk. The resulting sound, combined with lead singer Nona Marie Invie’s soaring and gliding voice, makes Dark Dark Dark’s latest effort as evocative as it is unique.

We’re pleased to offer two tickets to see Dark Dark Dark at The Loft ton April 29. To enter the contest, simply comment below and include your email address in the form (your email won’t be visible to the public). The winner will be chosen at random on April 27.

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Transfer Return to San Diego

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It’s not every day a San Diego band gets to tour Europe. But that’s just what hometown heroes Transfer got to do in recent months, traipsing across countries like Germany and Poland.

Fun as all that globetrotting sounds, Transfer have finally returned to America’s Finest City™. You can welcome the boys home on Thursday, April 21, when they play the latest edition of Fluxx Live.

Transfer will be joined by Rafter, whose eccentric, dancey tunes can always be counted on to keep local butts shaking. In January, he released Quiet Storm, a surprise album that added black metal to his otherwise brightly colored palette of influences.

Rounding out the San Diego trifecta, Republic of Letters will open the night with their radio-friendly rock. If you miss them on Thursday, you can catch them on April 25 at Soda Bar, where they’ll play with the UK band Brother.

As usual, this month’s Fluxx Live event will be hosted by the omnipresent Tim Pyles. Ikah Love, who was recently voted the Commune’s Local of the Month, will handle DJ duties. You can RSVP on the Facebook event page, and tickets can be purchased here.

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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…

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