Category Archives: Audio File

AUDIO FILES: Listen to Matthew Sweet, Summer Twins

Riverside’s Summer Twins have toured with Matthew Sweet this year. (Joy Newell/Contributed Photo)

It feels like a power pop Saturday to me.

One of my favorite songwriters is Matthew Sweet. I love the guitar work on “Girlfriend.” I love the lyrics on “I’ve Been Waiting.” I think “Sick of Myself” is one of the most perfect pop songs ever written.

I interviewed Sweet a few years ago and asked him about writing “Sick of Myself” and he told me that song came out all at once, when he was leaving town to start recording “100 % Fun,” the album that has the song on it.

Fun fact: Sweet also makes pottery. If you’re looking for a present for the cat-lover in your life, check out his work.

Sweet has been on tour a lot this year and he’s been bringing Riverside’s own power pop outfit Summer Twins with him.

Check out the handclap power of “I Will Love You.”

AUDIO FILE: Listen to Suedehead, The Debonaires

The Debonaires (Contributed Image)

One of my favorite SoCal bands in recent years is Suedehead. I first saw them open for Social Distortion for my birthday last year and then got to catch them rock it at Coachella 2012.

If you’re into the punk scene, you might recognize singer Davey Warsop from his old band Beat Union. And if you follow the ska scene, you might recognize the horn section from Riverside two-tone heroes The Debonaires. Here’s “Small Town Hero” and “Long Hot Summer” from Coachella 2012.

You can see Suedehead live Oct. 26 at The Fonda in LA with Tiger Army.

I mentioned The Debonaires before and they are yet another great Riverside band that deserves far more recognition than they have.

Here’s “Criminals” from a show at The Glass House last year.

AUDIO FILES: Listen to Lit, P.O.D.

Lit will play X103.9’s Merry Meltdown on Dec. 16. (Contributed Image)

Earlier this week I posted about X103.9’s Merry Meltdown happening at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on Dec. 16. Tickets for the show go on sale Oct. 6 and the show features a lot of really great music.

I wanted to throw the spotlight on two of the bands playing. Up first is Lit, a band from Fullerton that broke nationwide in the late 1990s with the fantastic album “A Place in the Sun,” which had big hits “My Own Worst Enemy,” “Miserable” and “Zip-Lock.” I still rock that album all the time.

I picked up the band’s newest release “View From the Bottom,” after I caught their ridiculously fun set at Summerland earlier this year. It’s a solid record and if you’re a Lit fan, you will definitely dig it.

This one is one of my favorites, “Happy,” off “A Place in the Sun.”

Another band on the bill for the Merry Meltdown is P.O.D. out of San Diego. I interviewed them at Australian Rolling Stone back in 2002 at the height of their massive “Youth of a Nation” and “Alive” wave of popularity there in the Southern Hemisphere. Even though they were already massive in the United States by that time, they were four very down-to-earth guys who really just loved music and their families.

“Boom” has always been a favorite of mine from back in the day.

Which band are you the most excited to see at the Merry Meltdown? Vote below.

AUDIO FILES: Listen to Revoltaire, win tickets to see the band

You only have a few more days to enter our contest to win tickets to the Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival Oct. 12-14.

We’re giving away five pairs of three-day passes.

If you’re one of the lucky winners, you can catch up-and-coming band Revoltaire.

Singer Ruby Stewart has some rock DNA in her favor–her dad is Rod Stewart. She can wail on the vocals, too.

Here are a couple standout tracks from the band. Up first is “Where Do We Stand”:

“Pretty Girls Dig Graves” was another standout for me.

If you haven’t entered to win tickets to the Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival yet, click here

AUDIO FILES: Listen to The Black Cadillacs, INXS

The Black Cadillacs. (Contributed image)

I mentioned it earlier, but I was at an incredible wedding over the weekend, a union of sight and sound while my friends behind Swampcandy and Sugar Farm Productions tied the knot.

The amazing thing about having artist friends is the creative and fun things that happen when they all get together.

For the music at the wedding, their friends The Black Cadillacs came up from Tennessee for some indie blues rock fun. They sounded fantastic. If you like The White Stripes and older Black Keys, you will probably enjoy this band.

Check them out at http://black-cadillacs.com/.

Here’s their song “Shade”:

They also did a killer cover of the INXS classic “Never Tear Us Apart.” That classic ballad, which also has an amazing saxophone solo, is off the band’s seminal album “Kick,” which was released 25 years ago. I remember rocking it on an old cassette deck.

Here’s the original version.

AUDIO FILES: Listen to Sean Hayes

The Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival is nearing and the fest is known for having artists before they get big.

We’re giving away five pairs of three-day passes to this year’s festival, set for Oct. 12-14. We’ll be randomly selecting winners Oct. 4 so you have a few more days to enter. Visit our contest page and fill out the form and you can win.

Now, let’s get on to some of the music from this year’s festival.

Today’s artist is Sean Hayes. He has an incredible, unique voice.

Check out his new single “Miss Her When I’m Gone”:

This one is “When We Fall In”:

If you haven’t entered to win tickets to the Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival yet, click here

AUDIO FILES: Listen to TV themes

Jimmy Fallon (AP Photo)

I love TV theme songs. So do Jimmy Fallon and the cast of “Guys With Kids.” Check out this incredible medley from them that appeared on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” the other night.

The theme from the “Greatest American Hero” was the point at which I started cackling.

However, there was one I felt was missing from this tribute.

What are your favorite TV theme songs?

AUDIO FILES: Listen to Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston (AP Photo)

I seem to be getting a lot of press releases about Whitney Houston (R.I.P.) lately and it’s started a megamix of her greatest hits in my head.

Also, I had the “Whitney” album on vinyl. I think “So Emotional” is my favorite song from the album, but “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” had the best video. I’m posting both today. What’s your favorite Whitney song?

Do you get “So Emotional”?

Or do you just “Wanna Dance With Somebody”?

AUDIO FILES: Listen to PSY, Daler Mehndi

Everyone’s talking about “Gangnam Style.” My colleague Alicia Robinson, who covers Riverside for the P-E, is even challenging people to send in their own Riverside “Gangnam Style” parodies. Turns out the Gangnam District of Seoul is a Riverside sister city.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, behold the amazing PSY:

However, I am convinced I have seen some of these dance moves before. Behold, the amazingness of Daler Mehndi and “Tunak Tunak.” Before “Gangnam Style,” “Tunak Tunak” swept the mega-brownstone where I lived on campus at Boston U. There may have been some organized dancing. I’m just thankful I wrapped up my college days before the YouTube revolution so no visual evidence of our dance exists. Fun fact: Apparently PSY also went to B.U.

AUDIO FILES: Listen to Swampcandy

Swampcandy (Contributed Image)

For today’s blog, I wanted to put the spotlight on a friend of mine from back east who happens to be an incredibly talented musician. Swampcandy is the brainchild of Ruben Dobbs, who has played in a variety of bands that ultimately led him to this Delta blues-inspired project.

Also, his nuptials to the talented photographer and visual artist Alison Harbaugh are happening this weekend. You can see the awesome work she’s doing at Sugar Farm Productions. I think this might be the only wedding that will have better music at the reception than my own.

Also, here’s a link to my favorite Swampcandy track, “Positive Drinkin’.”