San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
To be sure, the singer-songwriter is honored that he’s been nominated. But, he says, he doesn’t think he deserves an award as much as the other nominees, including popular electro-pop duos Hyena and Jamuel Saxon.
First of all, Andrews hasn’t played very many shows or released anything lately. “I was really taking a break over the past year,” he tells CityBeat. Secondly, he’s not even an electronic-music artist. Yes, he used to play in electro-intensive act The Album Leaf and he’s incorporated synths and other electronic elements into his music. But his recent singer-songwriter fare isn’t electronic music—a point he acknowledged when he accepted his award for Best Electronic at the 2010 SDMAs.
Check out the list of nominees at sandiegomusicawards.com. Do a little research and pick out your favorite. Just, please, don’t vote for Andrews. “I’d love to recognize some of these other dudes out there,” he says.
Sezio is up in arms over San Diego County’s recent decision to deny the arts nonprofit a $5,000 grant for its Four Day Weekend concert series. In an impassioned announcement on the group’s website, sezio.org, founder Zack Nielsen argued that the series meets the goals of the county’s Community Enhancement Program, which funds groups and events that “promote and generate tourism and/or economic development.” To help get funding in the future, Nielsen is asking people to email San Diego City Councilmembers Todd Gloria and Kevin Faulconer and county Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts.
Indie-soul outfit The Hot Moon will celebrate the release of its self-titled debut at Soda Bar on Saturday, July 9. Then, guitarist / saxophonist John Paul Labno and singer / keyboardist Sasha Pfau will leave town for Santa Cruz, where Labno plans to study history at University of California, Santa Cruz and Pfau will attend Cabrillo College. The Hot Moon isn’t breaking up. But Labno, a Grand Ole Party vet who’s also been keeping busy with his solo project Vegetarian Werewolf, says he’s looking forward to less grueling work and rehearsal schedules. “Also, I want to be in the forest,” he says. “I miss immediate access to nature.”
