Shammy Dee- Transcripted Thoughts

Check it ya’ll Shammy Dee be in the hizzle. But we only try to be slightly ethnic. But seriously, our featured artist this time around is the one and only Shammy Dee, local DJ gone hip-hop artist with his debut CD Transcripted Thoughts. The album has that old school 60’s 70’s soul feel that we all love so much theses days, but with a twist. Hard honest lyrics. This isn’t some hip-hop album rapping about your usual assortment of gansta ho’s and grills. This is intellectual hip-hop/R&B as you’ll ever know it.

The man does everything. Producing and mixing his own cuts while doing vocals which apparently is something for being a DJ makes it hard for one to express his own feelings through words. This full length CD takes you on a soulful trip as he constructs as simpler time before the bling. There are a few guests on the album too, paring up with local artists Zandi De Jesus, Peace Be Free and The Feel Good Choir backing him up.

And this isn’t everything that Shammy Dee does. The man keeps himself busy through out the town. You can find him:

On air with Jazz 88.3 - every 4th Wednesday night from 11:20 to Midnight
The Onyx Room - every Saturday night from 9 - 12 with DJ Sachamo and Mike II Bless
Kadan's - the last Friday of the month
And Illfonix Friday

Shammy Dee is an artist you should definitely check out. And buy buy buy his album. It’ll make you shake your groove thing and all other parts associated with it. And who says San Diego gots no hip-hop game.

Jim Bianco- Handsome Devil

Brooklyn born, Long Island raised, Berkley educated, L.A. living, Hollywood loved Jim Bianco. Yeah like we said he's from L.A./Hollywood area. But it's Southern California, and.....we love him. Not since the Royal Crown Revue has anything shook up the L.A. "big band" underground scene. Starting more or less solo, doing some stuff with Tim Davis, another fantastical big band composer, and than releasing "Well Within Reason," Jimmy's first "major" release in 2003 and again now with his new.....er album "Handsome Devil." Ok. So were a little off the release date news, Handsome Devil being released in 2004. Any who....moving on. The album is great. So yeah. Usually that's all we would have to say but it's really great. Heh. Lyrically outstanding along with that raspy voice of his adds a subtle sexiness to the lyrics which, as we've seen live sometimes, can lead to dirty minds "interpreting" them the wrong way. What can we say? Jim wishes he had two tongues.

Moving on. If your board, and in Hollywood at any time you can usually catch him playing at the Hotel CafeBut for the next few months he'll be wrapped up with a tour with them called the 2005 Hotel Cafe Tour; feature a bunch of cool cats like Gary Jules. You can catch everything and anything at Jim's very own webby site. and you can catch him and the Hotel Cafe Tour at The Casbah on Thursday October 13th. So go check his stuff out. Support him, love him, embrace him, and his large nose, hehe, and buy his cd. Cause it's cool. And great to play at cocktail parties.

Buddy Akai

Buddy Akai. Hands down one of the hardest working bands in the San Diego area. Seriously. You may not know who they are, but I bet you’ve seen them. Somewhere, some place, from the Beauty Bar to some hole in the wall in Tijuana. Think of them as The Killers on steroids and crack and a dash of sanka for kicks.


We saw these guys perform during Pop-Rocks at the Beauty Bar one night and said “who the hell are those guys playing on the stage”? Well at least our Producer said that. At any rate, the four piece band, comprised of the following: Memo Rex on the SM-58 and keys/synth, Waly Mayhem on the 6 strings, Rotny on the 4 strings and Alvaro Lazo, aka Pills, on the skins, have been around since late 2004 and have, since then, played nationally and over the border, opening for touring acts and Djs.

They hold true to something that most Brit-pop and poppy alt-rock bands fall short of; which is simply making your “Groove Thing” move on the dance floor. Cause where you get jumpin around and bouncing off each other in a weak pit Buddy Akai will seriously get you dancing like it was the disco in the 60’s.

Releasing their self-titled debut, produced by Uriel Esquenazi, an international DJ/Producer who has worked with various artists like Plastilina Mosh, ZOE and Thievery Corporation, is amazing. Taking you on a melodic emotion ride filled with synth and steady beats to shake it to. Although the synth does make most of the songs sound the same, it definitely fills a void in the beats that would otherwise just not work out.

Watching them live is a crazy experience as well, with Mr. Rex multi-tasking on the keys and mic, as well as the rest of the band backing their lead. If you hooked the band up to an intelligent laser light show it would be sure to star seizers.

Everything combined makes Buddy Akai a must have for your local collection and a must to catch at The Beauty Bar, where they frequent as if they were drinkers instead of a band playing. We’re definitely proud to have them as our “This Time Around” featured artist on Latitude 32°.

Flogging Molly- Whiskey on Sunday

Break out your Guinness and have a sit. Flogging molly is back. Sort of. So what is Whiskey on Sunday? Well it’s a documentary of the band over a course of two years or so through their world tour. And honestly you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you won’t be able to tear your eyes away from your TV screen. And I’m not bull-shiting you. Pretty much single handedly produced, shot and edited by Jim Dziura the full-length DVD breaks down in the fantastic story of how the band started and everyone’s history and involvement in the maturity of the band including the record label, Side One Dummy’s, humble starts pretty much for the band. Dave King’s story of his trek from Ireland to L.A. and how he met Bridget at the one and only Molly Malone’s is simply amazing to listen and watch. From his beginnings, through the death of his father whom he honors in song up to now and how the bands faith in his words drives them.

Traveling through seven countries over two years you’ll see how an actual working, non-stop, touring band lives eats and breaths all the while having the strength and passion to kick ass at every show they play. Theses guys pour their heart, blood, sweat and tears into every note they play at every at every show, during every festival and this is one of the most humble band’s you’ll ever meet. They all have a story to tell and yet as the band continues to thrive they continue to write it.

The DVD comes with a “soundtrack” as well. Soundtrack being songs performed live during the documentary but it does come with one brand spanking new recording. Laura is the latest single for Flogging Molly and that’s all it is. A Single. According to Nat and Dennis, who we interviewed at the SoCo Music Experience, it’s just a one time thing. A song that’s been lying around being played live but never recorded in studio.

The whole compilation is simply amazing. You have to understand that everyone from Flogging Molly, Dave, Bridget, Dennis, Nathen, Matt, Bob and George are really just regular guys (and gal) who believe in what their doing. So do yourself a favor, fan or not, go check Whiskey on Sunday. If you are a fan, you’ll shit yourself, if you aren’t you’ll become one and than shit yourself.

The Elected- Sun, Sun, Sun

So Guitarist/ Vocalist Blake Sennett from Rilo Kiley has formed an indie darling of a band known as The Elected. And what better for an indie darling band to do than sign with the indie record label, Sub Pop. Bless their souls for sending us this compact disk. Releasing their first debut album back in 2004, called “Me First,” set the foundation for the sound of the band with its wifty, wavy, California country guitar pop sound. Being recorded with Mike Mogis and Jimmy Tamborello, who leave their notable musical marks, the album was and is really bloody amazing. Than came the new Rilo Kiley album which whisked Blake away.

Now back with the Elected’s sophomore album, “Sun Sun Sun,” Blake (vocal and guitar), Mike Bloom (guitar/steel guitar), Nate Greely (bass) and Sander Steen (drums) are back. And they did it again. Sun Sun Sun is for the most part a finer tuned version of Me First. But it’s a sound on its own, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Take a page from the Chili Peppers or Postal Service. Speaking of which as you can tell by some of the names we’re throwing at you there is a definite love triangle of sorts going on between not only Jimmy Tamborello and Blake Sennett, but throw in lil ol’ Jenny Lewis and your probably scratching your head. But don’t. Cause if you look carefully at those album credits you’re find that theses guys love each other and work so well together on each other’s bands.

While Blake was in the studio recording Me First with Jimmy and wrapping up with Rilo Kiley’s second album tour and all, Jenny was recording with Jimmy and the Postal Service. And don’t forget that Sander Steen is lil bro to Ryland Steen who plays in Reel Big Fish. Go figure their all one big happy family. This is truly a hog-podge of musicians from different groups.

But The Elected are truly indie darlings, capitalizing on the new indie-alt-country sound with the story telling lyrics. They really do tell a story though out the album. And naturally if you like Rilo Kiley or the Postal Service (and in that case Death Cab for Cutie) you’ll love the Elected. But don’t get the wrong impression. They stand on their own.

The 88- Over and Over

Here we go kids. The 88. L.A. based Pop-rock band comprised of 5 guys in very dapper suits, and one guy with incredibly large curly hair. Kinda reminded me of Claudio Sanchez from Coheed and Cambria. So. The 88. Some may be asking; Why Will, who are the 88? Well truth be told they’ve been around for a few years, their first CD, titled “Light”, first debuted back in 2003. They quickly rose up the L.A. music chart ranks and managed to con many of the Hollywood types to join their fan base. These guys are seriously hitting the break out point, straining to get that break from online music videos on MTV online and spots on Craig Ferguson and the O.C., to actually being a headlining national touring band, so that when we go back on the streets and ask people, do you know who the 88 are? They actually can say, “yeah I’ve heard of those cats.”

But honestly folks lets cut to the chase. Do they have what it takes? Well when we received their latest CD, Over and Over, we were…….well….we weren’t sure what we were at the time. Their music is pop in a serious way but it seems to be missing something. We’re not sure what it is. To be honest again, cause that’s what we are, it really sounded a lil cookie cutter. Don’t get us wrong, it’s a fun album, and the lyrics have some meaning if you listen. But it seems on some level they want to reach that Ben Folds Five status without a Ben Folds. Would it kill them to get out of the 4, 4 beat anyways and kick it up a notch and like rock out. Maybe that’s it. You listen to them and theirs no attitude, no raw energy, nothing really sticks with you.

At any rate, we’re rambling. So we’ll stop while were somewhere. We checked them out live, and had a “chat” with the boys, their good guys, and their live stuff is fun, but when you boil it down they turned the Casbah into cheers. Which would be a good cover for them. On a personal opinion I would have to say that their almost there, all of the T.V. spots and rubbing elbows with the stars have gotten them this far, but now it’s time to stop playing bit parts and mature as a band a little more and get some sole in their music. Maybe match they're look and they're sound a little better. They’re not bad, but they’re not quite great yet.

http://www.the88.net/

http://www.myspace.com/the88