Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. While we're being thankful for family, friends, our health and safety, let's also be thankful that we have a relatively vibrant music scene here in Monterey County, despite the economy.
With no big names on the near horizon, at least until New Year's Eve, this is a good time to check out some of our local bands, with a couple of Bay Area bands (and two from Motor City) thrown in for good measure.
OK, and I'll even throw in one from Smell-A, I mean L.A. Actually, SoCal-based Lemon Sun, playing Friday night at Jose's Underground Lounge, is one damn fine rock band.
The band has a retro-'60s sound, with great pop-rock harmonies, crunchy guitars and hooks galore, but somehow manages to sound modern at the same time.
Lead singer Rob Kolar has this gritty, almost-insolent, bad-boy rock star voice, almost if he were the demon spawn of Liam Gallagher and Chris Martin.
I can easily see this band making it big with the right kind of luck and promotion. So what does that mean? Get down to Jose's post-Turkey Day and hear for yourself, then call me an idiot if you don't agree...or even if you agree, I'm feeling generous.
Beside, there are two other damn fine bands on the same bill: Bay Area band Leopold and His Fiction and Salinas-based The Mystery Lights.
The former is also a retro-sounding band, but heavier (think The Doors, The Seeds or Stooges) and more low-tech — heavy bass and drums, psychedelic White Stripes