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The 2012 Great Demo Review
Our annual critique of local music submissions San Diego CityBeat's 2011 Great Demo Review
Our music nerds review every San Diego band that sent something in How to get on Pitchfork's Forkcast
A step-by-step guide to making it in the blogosphere Gayle Skidmore runs deep
Local chanteuse’s emotional volatility creates compelling art and nearly derails an interview Keep it in the family
Art Fag Recordings is growing, but Mario Orduno is keeping the label tight-knit The Great Demo Review of 2013
Behold and beware: It’s our annual critique of local music submissions Serenity now
Even after an accident nearly killed them, these screamo kids never thought about giving up We're with the band
The Muslims regale us with tales from the road and SXSW Orko Eloheim is supreme at being
Two decades into his career, veteran San Diego rapper is still going strong Artists on the rise in 2012
San Diego musicians, bands and labels that are making moves

Wednesday, March 6,2013
Local Music Issue

Silly styles for 2013

Some genres to watch out for

By Peter Holslin

It used to be that music snobs would turn up their noses at genres like pop-punk or soft-rock. These days, though, even the most uncool sounds are cool again, as we’ve seen with the rise of sentimental soft-rockers like Bon Iver and M83.

Wednesday, March 6,2013
Local Music Issue

Aki Kharmicel is a man with a plan

Hip-hop artist is full of brilliant ideas

By Peter Holslin

Aki Kharmicel can’t stop. A local rapper and self-described “beat head,” he keeps his two Akai MPC beat machines on 24/7, and brings them along whenever he travels.

Wednesday, March 6,2013
Local Music Issue

The Great Demo Review of 2013

Behold and beware: It’s our annual critique of local music submissions

By CityBeat Staff

We got a lot of demos for this year's Great Demo Review. No, seriously. We got a lot—way more than we usually do. We got 223, to be exact.

Tuesday, March 5,2013
Local Music Issue

Dustin Illingworth steps out of the wilderness

Scene vet channels his grief into a gorgeous folk-pop tribute

By Seth Combs

Dustin Illingworth has always been a scrupulous songwriter. He has an innate, some would say God-given talent for pop hooks and composition, but it doesn't always come easy to him.

Wednesday, March 7,2012
Local Music Issue

The 2012 Great Demo Review

Our annual critique of local music submissions

We don’t put together the Great Demo Review to pick on the music scene. We want to discover new sounds, highlight great artists and clue you in to music that might’ve otherwise been over looked.

Wednesday, March 7,2012
Local Music Issue

Artists on the rise in 2012

San Diego musicians, bands and labels that are making moves

By Peter Holslin

Ask anyone who pays attention to local music and they’ll tell you that the scene is getting bigger each year. Nowadays, San Diego has more buzz-worthy acts, a wider array of live-music venues and a growing population of bar-goers who seem just as interested in checking out live music as they do in getting drunk and laid.

Wednesday, March 7,2012
Local Music Issue

Orko Eloheim is supreme at being

Two decades into his career, veteran San Diego rapper is still going strong

By Quan Vu

Orko Eloheim is one of San Diego’s most influential and prolific hip-hop artists, but he remains an enigma.

Wednesday, March 7,2012
Local Music Issue

Low Volts wants to blow your mind

Local one-man band makes timeless tunes with raw power

By Peter Holslin

Tim Lowman has big plans for Low Volts, his one-man band. Think bottom-heavy riffs tearing out of a stack of amplifiers. Pounding drums with the power to crack sternums. An enormous structure of two lightning bolts positioned in a “V” shape, their lights pulsating to the rhythm.

Wednesday, March 2,2011
Local Music Issue

San Diego CityBeat's 2011 Great Demo Review

Our music nerds review every San Diego band that sent something in

Ever since we started doing the Local Music Issue in 2004, CityBeat’s Great Demo Review has worked like a musical game of Russian roulette.

Wednesday, March 2,2011
Local Music Issue

Gayle Skidmore runs deep

Local chanteuse’s emotional volatility creates compelling art and nearly derails an interview

By Seth Combs

I’ve just made Gayle Skidmore cry. “Stop the tape,” she requests, pointing to my voice recorder.