Best of 2022 pt. 3, with Local Show host (and Fresno musician) Nate Butler
Plus, a calendar list for January, 2023.
For five years (almost to the day) Nate Butler has been creating a series of one-hour musical archives as the host of The Local Show Fresno on KFSR.
As such, he’s keyed into the bands and musicians making things happen in the Fresno scene and is a great choice for the final installment of Bandgeeek’s 2022 wrap-up series. Below are some of his favorite musical discoveries of 2022, taken from his Local Show Fresno playlists.
“This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I apologize to anyone I’ve left out; a comprehensive list of EVERYTHING that was great in 2022 would’ve taken up more space than you’d wanna read.”
Dying Suns (Fresno, CA) — “Starcade” EP (2022)
Without a doubt, Dying Suns made a big splash this year with their energetic live performances and the release of their “Starcade” EP. I have musician friends from my generation (post-50 years old) who believe Dying Suns are the most exciting young band to come on the scene in a while, and I don’t disagree.
And despite their ferocious retro-rock look and sound, they also happen to be polite and very witty gentlemen, with a sense of humor and cheekiness that reminded me of the early Beatles in interviews. I love the whole EP, but my fave track might be the 5-minute-plus psychedelic/Zeppish rock of “Smile.”
“Starcade” is streaming across digital platforms now.
The Moonjacks (from Clovis, CA, now in San Luis Obispo, CA) — “Sk8 Hi” from the album “Bad Guy Stuff” (2022)
Hailing from Clovis CA, The Moonjacks caught the attention of Indie Record Exec Brian Witkin, who signed them to San Diego’s Pacific Records. Their 2022 album “Bad Guy Stuff” is great fun!
This song “Sk8 Hi” brings me so much joy, and I don’t even skate! It’s a fun up-tempo indie rocker about the joys of just waking up and pursuing your bliss (“Because I gotta live my life / Someday gonna die”), with a poignant minor 4th chord over that second lyric that is to die for.
Hyacinth (Fresno, CA) - “Your Friends” from the “Original Sin” EP (2022)
This single dropped in May 2022, and it’s amazing: a unique blend of flamenco-esue guitar, jazz/pop songwriting (think Steely Dan), and driving rock that makes for exciting music that reveals new details on repeat listenings. Expertly produced and performed, this song deserves to be on repeat-play!
Chase Hagerman – (from Coarsegold/Yosemite, CA) “Wildflower” from the album “The Rainbow Opus” (2021, but didn’t get this whole album in my hands until 2022, so I’m including it here)
Chase Hagerman is an amazingly gifted multi-instrumentalist and producer. His recordings are multi-layered and inventive, incorporating all genres from classical to classic rock, with a touch of The Beatles’ psychedelia and The Beach Boys’ multi-layered harmonies thrown into the mix. His full-length album “The Rainbow Opus” is a tour-de-force of creativity, and the opening track “Wildflower,” with its mix of fairy-tale romanticism, prog rock, and dense harmony, is a great introduction to Chase’s unique style.
Blackcoats (Fresno, CA) - “Traitors Stormed the Capital” single (2022)
Blackcoats are a sort of Fresno super-group, comprising members of The Miss Alans (Scott Oliver, Ron Woods), Sparklejet (Victor Sotelo), Paul Canales (now-famous owner/chef of Oakland’s Duende restaurant), drummer/producer Peter Wolf (of Fresno’s WolfSound Audio Engineering) and Chris Estep, who has played drums with many local bands (including Thunderbolt 650, They Can’t Hardly Playboys, The Suppressors, Saltwater, Lance Canales and The Flood, and others) but who plays guitar here.
As Blackcoats, these guys have been indulging their punk rock roots, casting classic folk/punk disdain upon political leaders who have failed us. Their excellent single “Traitors Stormed the Capital” was released on Bandcamp as a free track on October 12, 2022, in honor of the final Jan. 6 hearing, and I think the title tells you all you need to know.
Judah (Fresno, CA) - “Good Times” single released October 22, 2021 (2021)
The band Judah has been around since at least 2018, but I didn’t discover them until 2022, when I caught up with the release of their single “Good Times.” Featuring Duncan Shuck on lead guitar and vocals, Noe Lozano on bass, Eddie Fuentes on rhythm guitar, and Eric Estrada on drums, this band rocks! It’s got melodic punk/pop with hooks and an aggressively frustrated vocal that sucks me right in.
Willdr (formerly Fresno, CA – lives in Boston now) - “Bet I Will” single (2022)
Back in the late 1980s, one of the very popular bands on the Fresno scene was The Wounded (formerly The Walking Wounded), fronted by singer/songwriter/guitarist and totally cool dude Andy Getsy. I had wondered over the past three decades whatever had become of Andy, and I got this answer last year!
Recording under the name Willdr (a childhood nickname that is a mashup of his first and middle names William Andrew), Andy Getsy released four singles last year, and they rock. I especially love “Bet I Will,” a driving rocker that is a modern update of a classic Wounded song.
Bad Spring (Fresno, CA) – “Outside” single (2021)
This song reminds me of the classic “college radio” music that KFSR played in the ’80s and ’90s: melodic, guitar-oriented, and somehow joyful and melancholy/whistful at the same time. I don’t know much about this duo (Cole Elliott on guitar, bass, and vocals, and Kaeleb Dummar on drums), but I hope to hear more music from them soon, because I love their sound.
Art and the Resistance (Bakersfield, CA) - “The Fonk” single/video (2021)
Art and the Resistance aren’t a new band – they’ve been around for at least six years – but I only discovered their 2021 song/video “The Fonk” in 2022, and I love it! It’s an interesting mix of ska, rock, and metal that’s sure to get the blood pumping. Also, it’s a solid defense of trying to make one’s living as a musician.
There’s a cool video on YouTube, too.
Sun Umbra (Fresno, CA) - “How We Died” from the album “Sun Umbra” (2022)
Although they label themselves a ‘psych rock’ band, Sun Umbra’s inventive music is difficult to categorize. But my fave track off their recent self-titled album is “How We Died,” which definitely sounds like a song that psychedelic pioneer Syd Barrett would’ve created if he’d had access to a modern studio, and lived through the COVID pandemic. It’s fun. You’ll see.
Rebecca Potts (Fresno, CA) - “Maiden in the Forest” from the album “Expansion (Part One)” (2022)
From appearing on Netflix’s “Sing On” to performing the National Anthem for the NFL’s final game in 2021, Rebecca Potts has already done a lot in her career, but during the pandemic she learned to play the piano and began writing her own songs, and she recently released her first EP titled “Expansion (Part One).”
Many of Rebecca’s songs are exquisitely crafted pop ballads, but my fave track from her new album is “Maiden In The Forest,” which plays out like a mystical medieval madrigal.
RockOn! (Fresno, CA) - “My Rock Dream” single (2022)
RockOn! is a teenage rock band started by siblings Alex Cha (singer/songwriter/guitarist) and Belle Cha (bassist) in November of 2018 and they have been recently gaining some local attention. They have a melodic, clean, and straight-ahead rock style, and from the content of Alex’s songs they are clearly ambitious.
Although no album yet, they have a handful of videos on YouTube, and believe that their youthful drive and energy portents great things to come!
Kevlar P.I. (Fresno, CA) - “All The Way Up (feat. K. Pizzle)” from the album “Kung Pow” (2021)
Rap artist Kevlar P.I. released some great new singles in 2022, but I’m still groovin’ to this track from his 2021 album “Kung Pow.” It’s a laid-back track about just kickin’ back and smokin’ some doobage, and it’s hard for me to disagree with that vibe. An instant classic.
Bel (Clovis, CA) - “Big City” from the EP “Jet Lag” (2022)
I’m such a huge fan of this artist originally from Clovis, CA. Bel starting releasing her original music in 2020 during the pandemic, and with every release I just fall more in love with her sound (and her first single “Silver Line” is still one of my all-time faves of any local artist). This single “Big City” from her first EP “Jet Lag” is dreamy and driving at the same time. I encourage everyone to check out all of Bel’s music online; her vibe will enrapture you, too.
Stateless Rat (Fresno, CA) - “Stay With Me” single (2022)
Stately Rat band is a side project from the bassist of Stargaze (David Ramos), also including Desiree Gonzales (guitarist/songwriter), Alyssa Najera (vocals/keyboards), and Josh Hill (drums). This song was written for Desiree’s wife.
This is a tasty bit of College Radio-style dream pop that would’ve fit in well on the KFSR playlists of the ’80s and ’90s, and I absolutely love it.
Life Jacket (Fresno, CA) - “Death By Stereo” single (2022)
Released on Jan. 17, 2022, this single rocks my world. It combines all the best sensibilities and melodicism of pop/punk, even including a ‘clap-along’ chorus!
The Wayside (Fresno, CA) - “I Am A Misfit” single (2022)
Featuring Chris Erlenheim on lead vocals and guitar, Anthony Amorino on guitar and backup vocals, Jacob Selway on drums, and Andrew Bernard on bass, The Wayside describe themselves as ‘Personal, Punk-Minded, Chapter Book Rock,’ and yeah, they are ALL of those things.
This fun single celebrates being a ‘misfit,’ and frankly, that’s something I can personally relate to.
Plus, the song rocks, and is very inventive.
Iwanaga (Fresno, CA) - “Mr. Boomer” from the album “Is This A Joke?!” (2013)
Okay, here’s a band that is not new. They’ve been around since 2008. But this old fart (me) just ‘discovered’ them, when we were recently performing at the same venue. I was taken with the band’s energy and great songs, and also discovered that one of the band members had been a former songwriting student of mine.
So, maybe everyone else already knew about Iwanaga (pronounced “e-wa-nah-gah”), but I’m a new fan.
One of my faves from their 2013 album “Is This A Joke?!” is “Mr. Boomer,” a laid-back ska tune poking fun at guys like, well, me.
Motel Drive (Fresno, CA) - “End of the World” from the album “Rescue Me” (2022)
This is a really touching and solid rocker/ballad from Fresno stalwarts Motel Drive, from their recently-released album “Rescue Me.” This is storytelling-based Americana rock that everyone can enjoy. I know it touches my heart.
Concerts list for: January, 2023
Here’s a quick (just a sample-sized) run down of the shows happening in Fresno in January. Calendar these things now.
Joyce Manor, 7 p.m. Jan. 5, Strummer’s. SOLD OUT.
The Fall of Troy, 7 p.m. Jan. 6, Strummer’s. $25, all ages.
Burger Fest 2023, 5 p.m. Jan. 7, Destructive Warehouse, 160 M. Street. $10, donation.
Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12, Fulton 55. $25-$30.
Spray Allen, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13, Fulton 55. $15.
Trish Toledo, 8:30 p.m. Jan. 14, Fulton 55. $22-$25.
Kyle Smith, 6 p.m., Jan. 15, Strummer’s. $10-$15, all ages.
The Grouch and Eligh, 8 p.m. Jan. 15, Strummer’s. $20, all ages.
REO Speedwagon, 7 p.m. Jan. 16, Saroyan Theater. $4-$123.
The Reverend Horton Heat + The Surferajettes, 8 p.m. Jan. 21, Fulton 55. $27-$30.
Jared James Nichols, 7 p.m. Jan. 22, Strummer’s. $12-$15, all ages.
Laurie Morvan Band, 8 p.m. Jan. 26, Painted Table. $45-$55.
16th Annual Jurassic Rock, 7 p.m., Jan 28, Fulton 55. $15.
That’s it for this week. Remember you can now hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com