First night on tour with The Offspring in San Diego

The Offspring kicked off their tour in San Diego at Cal Coast Amphitheatre on the SDSU campus. I love seeing the opening night of a tour, especially after a pandemic; everyone is just stoked to be back onstage doing their thing again. That said, The Offspring did play Blue Ridge Rock Festival in 2021, but this is […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 70: Zarate Zaaló

On this episode of Eclectic Soundtrax, hosts Skunk Manhattan and Victor Ramos chat with Karate Zaaló (aka, Squiggly Finesse) — keyboardist, vocalist and mastermind of the Bourgeois Mystics. This fantastically eclectic group of intergalactic eccentrics currently reside at their 38-acre Austin-based commune (definitely, not a cult) and make outer-worldly music to inspire (or conquer?) us mere […]

Car Seat Headrest sells out House of Blues, San Diego

Some shows take you by surprise, no matter how prepared you are for them. I’ve been a fan of Car Seat Headrest for years now… having seen them only once, opening up for Death Cab at the Hollywood Bowl. I went to that show specifically for CSH back in the summer of 2019 and remember […]

Kishi Bashi concludes tour at Basement East Nashville

Kishi Bashi is not what you would consider a ‘household’ name in the music industry. He isn’t sharing stages with the likes of Billie Eilish, but he has created his own rabid fanbase during his many years performing. Once a member of the band Of Montreal, Kishi Bashi now has the distinct honor of having […]

Hippo Campus quakes San Diego’s North Park Observatory

Hippo Campus lit up the night in San Diego at the Observatory North Park on April 10th, 2022. The line to get in was wrapped around the building for the sold-out show; you could feel the pre-show excitement in the air. Chatters of wishes to hear old favorites and claims of the band’s fame were […]

Pinegrove impresses San Diego’s Observatory North Park

Pinegrove brought their headlining tour to The Observatory, North Park in San Diego recently on April 5th to promote their latest album release, 11:11 (Rough Trade). Alongside the band were the super vibey dudes of Peaer and a completely down-to-earth guy known as ‘Drench Fries’ (a solo project of Levi Natrass). It was a night […]

Ohana Fest brings female-forward lineup for 2022

Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Fest is back and 2022 is bringing the best lineup yet! This fantastic three-day festival returns to its home along the sunny southern California coast at Doheney State Beach in Dana Point, CA September 30th through October 2nd. With the none other than the Fleetwood Mac queen herself, Stevie Nicks, headlining Day […]

An interview with Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre

After nearly three decades of music, psychedelic rock gods The Brian Jonestown Massacre are still going strong! Longtime veterans in the music scene, they have managed to keep their style fresh and ever evolving. Their 19th studio album, Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees, is set for release June 24th and they are hitting the road […]

Two full weeks of SXSW 2022

SXSW is known for many things… whether it’s throngs of happy music lovers, rediscovering their love of seeking the best new bands, or the pack of tech guys in networking nirvana. Or, the film geeks and geek-ettes, gawking in gritty discourse over the merits (or lack thereof) of their latest screening. For me, though, SX […]

The Darkness rocks Nashville like never before

I walked into my favorite Nashville venue — the Brooklyn Bowl — on a recent Friday evening, not truly knowing what to expect from the upcoming night of music. I was there to see The Darkness and local favorites, The Dead Deads. The latter all-girl grunge rock group is widely considered to be one of […]

Sad Summer Fest to hit the road once more for 2022

Hey emo kids! We might be in a post-Warped Tour era, but that doesn’t mean all our emo rock punk summer vibes are lost! Sad Summer Fest is back for its third installment and have yet another STUDDED lineup across 8,177 miles of the United States. In fact, they’re even bringing Waterparks(s)! Thats right, Waterparks […]

Anastasia Elliot emotes pure love in “London” single

Enigmatic artist Anastasia Elliot returns with the third offering off her forthcoming LP, A Petite Mort — a concept album on life, love, loss and rebirth. Known for her colorfully curated style and appearance, Elliot pairs music with visual artistry, creating immersive experiences for her listeners both on and off the stage. Now, with the […]

SXSW 2022: Best Bands

SXSW made its cautious, yet triumphant return earlier in March after its abrupt cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. The city of Austin took a safe approach to this year’s festival by opening many onsite testing facilities, as well as administering a digital pass for all vaccinated festival-goers. Even with safeguards in place, the […]