Featured Articles
Elvis, Cash, Perkins, and Jerry Lee Jam Again in South Coast Repertory’s ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Supergroups have always carried a certain thrill.
Long before collaborations and mashups dominated playlists, fans were already fascinated by the question: what happens when more than one genius walks into the same studio? The answer is rarely predictable, but always electric.
Think of the Traveling Wilburys in the ’80s—George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan swapping verses like old friends. Or Freddie Mercury teaming up with Dav...
Supergroups have always carried a certain thrill.
Long before collaborations and mashups dominated playlists, fans were already fascinated by the question: what happens when more than one genius walks into the same studio? The answer is rarely predictable, but always electric.
Think of the Traveling Wilburys in the ’80s—George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan swapping verses like old friends. Or Freddie Mercury teaming up with Dav...
Noted Newport Beach Bassist Murphy Karges Pens ‘Basics for Bassists’ Book - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
When Newport Beach resident Murphy Karges, a founding member of the band Sugar Ray, sat down to write his memoir, something unexpected happened.
Instead of chronicling the unfathomable highs of stardom, the lows of lonesome nights on tour away from family, and the tell-all of being in a successful 1990s rock band, he found the love of music and his instrument cutting through that.
“When I was writing my book, I wasn’t thinking ‘this has to be go...
When Newport Beach resident Murphy Karges, a founding member of the band Sugar Ray, sat down to write his memoir, something unexpected happened.
Instead of chronicling the unfathomable highs of stardom, the lows of lonesome nights on tour away from family, and the tell-all of being in a successful 1990s rock band, he found the love of music and his instrument cutting through that.
“When I was writing my book, I wasn’t thinking ‘this has to be go...
‘Ain’t Too Proud’ at Segerstrom Center Tells the Musical Tale of the Temptations - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
The first time I heard the Temptation’s “Just My Imagination” was on my Studebaker radio.
You can hear that song, along with many of their other hits, in the musical “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations,” that runs at Segerstrom Center through Sunday, Oct. 29.
The musical is full of the group’s R&B songbook performed so well that the original Broadway cast recording was nominated for a Grammy.
It was too tempting to pass up c...
The first time I heard the Temptation’s “Just My Imagination” was on my Studebaker radio.
You can hear that song, along with many of their other hits, in the musical “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations,” that runs at Segerstrom Center through Sunday, Oct. 29.
The musical is full of the group’s R&B songbook performed so well that the original Broadway cast recording was nominated for a Grammy.
It was too tempting to pass up c...
NBFF Review: ‘Immediate Family’ Spotlights Studio Musicians - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Session musicians are the Buddhist monks of Rock and Roll. I say this because they lose their ego in a way no other musician does.
Session musicians aren’t in it for the fame, they are the ones who play in the studios—nameless musicians whose notes add the depth and playability that the most famous songs need.
Now it’s finally time to shine the spotlight on them, and that’s exactly what “Immediate Family” does.
The film is full of interviews fro...
Session musicians are the Buddhist monks of Rock and Roll. I say this because they lose their ego in a way no other musician does.
Session musicians aren’t in it for the fame, they are the ones who play in the studios—nameless musicians whose notes add the depth and playability that the most famous songs need.
Now it’s finally time to shine the spotlight on them, and that’s exactly what “Immediate Family” does.
The film is full of interviews fro...
Ohana Music Festival Returns to Dana Point Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstein | NB Indy Soundcheck Writer
Orange County has been the home of Ohana Festival for the past seven years. The festival builds a community of sun, surf and music like no other. It’s one of my favorite California music festivals: intimate and low-key, with the sounds of the waves crashing on Dana Point’s shore in the background, stage lights and palm trees mingling in the sunset, and the best mix of music new and old.
The top acts to see this at this year’s Ohana Festival (Sept....
Orange County has been the home of Ohana Festival for the past seven years. The festival builds a community of sun, surf and music like no other. It’s one of my favorite California music festivals: intimate and low-key, with the sounds of the waves crashing on Dana Point’s shore in the background, stage lights and palm trees mingling in the sunset, and the best mix of music new and old.
The top acts to see this at this year’s Ohana Festival (Sept....
Time to Twist and Shout with Classical Mystery Tour and Pacific Symphony on July 4 - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Roll up, roll up to the Classical Mystery Tour—it’s waiting to take you away into a world of orchestration, symphonic genius, and a respectful time warp through the Beatles career.
The world of music is nothing if not innovative, and the Beatles are perhaps the best example of that. From introducing the sitar to the Western world to using horns and orchestras in songs such as a “Day In The Life,” The Beatles transformed the way we view classical...
Roll up, roll up to the Classical Mystery Tour—it’s waiting to take you away into a world of orchestration, symphonic genius, and a respectful time warp through the Beatles career.
The world of music is nothing if not innovative, and the Beatles are perhaps the best example of that. From introducing the sitar to the Western world to using horns and orchestras in songs such as a “Day In The Life,” The Beatles transformed the way we view classical...
She Rocks Awards Honors Judy Collins and Trailblazing Women in the Music Industry - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Girls rock. We all know this. From Joan Jett to Joan Baez, women in music have made melodies that outlast time, changed the social order, and pushed the boundaries of music.
The She Rocks Awards – Founded in 2012 by the Women’s International Music Network and part of the NAMM Show that took place at the Anaheim convention Center April 13-15 – is dedicated to honoring women in the music industry for their grit and innovation as we diversify a dis...
Girls rock. We all know this. From Joan Jett to Joan Baez, women in music have made melodies that outlast time, changed the social order, and pushed the boundaries of music.
The She Rocks Awards – Founded in 2012 by the Women’s International Music Network and part of the NAMM Show that took place at the Anaheim convention Center April 13-15 – is dedicated to honoring women in the music industry for their grit and innovation as we diversify a dis...
The Relaunched CREEM is the Cream of the Crop for Rock Journalism - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
“We’re not chasing a trend; we’re creating a trend. We put content out into the world,” John Martin, the CEO of the newly risen CREEM Magazine, tells me. Less Frankenstein and more reincarnation, the new CREEM isn’t just a quarterly glossy print, but an entertainment brand.
“We’re an IP generator,” Martin jokes, “We’d love to put on CREEM music festival. When we have an article, we’re thinking ‘Can this be a spin-off or series? Can we make a pod...
“We’re not chasing a trend; we’re creating a trend. We put content out into the world,” John Martin, the CEO of the newly risen CREEM Magazine, tells me. Less Frankenstein and more reincarnation, the new CREEM isn’t just a quarterly glossy print, but an entertainment brand.
“We’re an IP generator,” Martin jokes, “We’d love to put on CREEM music festival. When we have an article, we’re thinking ‘Can this be a spin-off or series? Can we make a pod...
Guitarist Robby Krieger of The Doors Lights His Fire at The Coach House - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
The Doors lit up the night at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano September 23 when former Doors guitarist and founding member Robby Krieger brought his memorable music to the stage and proved that genius never dies.
Krieger and his son Waylon have been carrying the torch and lighting the fire the Doors left with their historic music catalog that immortalized L.A. in the late 60s and early 70s. Touring in support of his new book “Set the Nigh...
The Doors lit up the night at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano September 23 when former Doors guitarist and founding member Robby Krieger brought his memorable music to the stage and proved that genius never dies.
Krieger and his son Waylon have been carrying the torch and lighting the fire the Doors left with their historic music catalog that immortalized L.A. in the late 60s and early 70s. Touring in support of his new book “Set the Nigh...
Jeff Buckley: An OC Musician for the Ages - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone, NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Orange County has given us incredible talent, which we have a lot to be proud of.
Artists that broke through social pressure with their wild ingenuity, who hungered for something more than our picturesque sandy shores and amusement parks that drove them to unimaginable success, who grew up with the same groves and beaches we did. We’ve been home to old souls who can write songs that touch our hearts.
One such talent was Jeff Buckley, who died 25...
Orange County has given us incredible talent, which we have a lot to be proud of.
Artists that broke through social pressure with their wild ingenuity, who hungered for something more than our picturesque sandy shores and amusement parks that drove them to unimaginable success, who grew up with the same groves and beaches we did. We’ve been home to old souls who can write songs that touch our hearts.
One such talent was Jeff Buckley, who died 25...
‘Let There Be Drums’ Documentary Explores the Beat-Driven World of Drummers - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Why do some people play the drums?
Many musicians head straight to the melodic guitar or lead singing and they leave the primal beats to a more rhythmically inclined bandmate. For others, there were no other instruments but the drums.
Why are some people wired that way? This is the question filmmaker Justin Kreutzmann seeks to answer in his fascinating documentary “Let There Be Drums” which premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival last Octob...
Why do some people play the drums?
Many musicians head straight to the melodic guitar or lead singing and they leave the primal beats to a more rhythmically inclined bandmate. For others, there were no other instruments but the drums.
Why are some people wired that way? This is the question filmmaker Justin Kreutzmann seeks to answer in his fascinating documentary “Let There Be Drums” which premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival last Octob...
Funerol is Resurrecting Underground Punk - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone, NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Okay, maybe underground punk never really died, but Funerol might put some lesser bands in an early grave.
Funerol is an apt name for the indie punk band that explores the precarious line of when good times turn bad. The group conjures images of Modelo and leather jackets with their catchy melodies, growling vocals that are just lo-fi enough, and eerily poetic lyrics.
Front man Evan Escoboza, who lives in Costa Mesa, met drummer Adam Avalos and b...
Okay, maybe underground punk never really died, but Funerol might put some lesser bands in an early grave.
Funerol is an apt name for the indie punk band that explores the precarious line of when good times turn bad. The group conjures images of Modelo and leather jackets with their catchy melodies, growling vocals that are just lo-fi enough, and eerily poetic lyrics.
Front man Evan Escoboza, who lives in Costa Mesa, met drummer Adam Avalos and b...
‘The Sound of the Surf’’ at the Newport Beach Film Festival Documents the Rise of Surf Music - Newport Beach News
By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Ahh, the sound of the surf: waves crash, gulls screech—retro guitar riffs?
The new documentary “The Sound of The Surf” at the Newport Beach Film Festival examines the birth of surf music that started on our picturesque beaches and our own backyards.
Balboa Island and Newport Beach aren’t just known to be the home of chocolate dipped frozen bananas and Balboa bars. The Fun Zone also created Surf Rock as we know it. Through a myriad of interesting...
Ahh, the sound of the surf: waves crash, gulls screech—retro guitar riffs?
The new documentary “The Sound of The Surf” at the Newport Beach Film Festival examines the birth of surf music that started on our picturesque beaches and our own backyards.
Balboa Island and Newport Beach aren’t just known to be the home of chocolate dipped frozen bananas and Balboa bars. The Fun Zone also created Surf Rock as we know it. Through a myriad of interesting...
