It took place a few weeks ago, but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is finally airing on HBO. And this year’s ceremony was pretty spectacular. Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello gave one of the best induction speeches I have ever heard when he passionately welcomed the original four members of Kiss to the Hall, and Nirvana’s all-female line-up of guest singers was oddly fantastic. Annie Clark and Joan Jett did a great job with "Lithium" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit," respectively. But it was Kim Gordon’s wild rendition of "Aneurysm" (my personal favorite Nirvana tune) and Lorde’s slaying of "All Apologies" that stole the show. Wow. Good stuff. The only bummer of the night was that Linda Ronstadt’s ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease kept her from the ceremony, but Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, and Carrie Underwood did an outstanding job singing her songs. Hall & Oates, Peter Gabriel, the E Street Band, and Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) were also inducted. Check it out while you can. Now, let’s get to some local music news.
• One-time San Diego rockers
Crocodiles have announced their summer tour itinerary, and they’re hitting the
Casbah on August 10. Great show in a small room. Get your tickets
here now.
• Local hip-hop trio
Far From Ya Average is set to release their new
The Basement LP in July. Recorded over the last year with San Diego’s own Mr. Ridley (who also produced and guested), additional tracks were produced by Infinity Gauntlet, Edgar Isreal, DJ Inform, Bonita Basics, and FFYA’s own Def Shon. And if that wasn’t enough, the new album is packed with guest appearances including Jayo Felony, Black Mikey, Beehive, Madd Joker, Bo Roc of the Dove Shack, Ed O.G., Kaus, Champ Da Greight, Legacy and Amanda Jane. DJ Inform and DJ Redlite were on board to handle the DJ duties. The first single, "Molecules & Music," is out now
here.
• Quick reminder:
The Donkeys'
Ride The Black Wave comes out tomorrow. Don’t miss their hometown CD release show at
the Irenic on Friday night.
• Former Ohioan and current San Diegan, Mike Wojniak, just released “Stone & the Sea” – the first single off of his forthcoming
Anima Mundi EP. Wojniak’s new collection of songs is due out July 22 on Golden Wave Records. Check out the single
here.
• Local troubadour Tolan Shaw has a new single and video. “Be My Girl” was recorded right here in San Diego at Slithering Serpent and Studio West. Check out the video by David Brooks
here.
• Heading back to the national scene, there are a bunch of cool new albums worth checking out this week. New records tomorrow from: 50 cent, Andrew Bird, Camper Van Beethoven, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Die Antwood, the Donkeys, Echo & the Bunnymen, F---ed Up, Meshell Ndegeocello, Miranda Lambert, Hamilton Leithauser, Klaxons, Bob Mould, the Orwells, Buzz Osborne, Parquet Courts, SBTRKT, and Tijuana Panthers.
SoundDiego
Music. Community. Culture.
Show of the week: Allah-Las at the
Belly Up tomorrow night. I love this band and am excited to see them at the Solana Beach venue. The L.A. quartet hasn’t yet released a follow-up to their excellent self-titled debut, but I’m sure there will be new songs in the set. And in a rare media mash-up, a pretty cool looking surf movie will premiere before the music. Check out the trailer
here.
