San Diego Concerts: Ozomatli, Anti-Flag, The Used

Given that 2010 is officially upon us, I’ve come to realize a few things; not the least of which is that a majority of the noteworthy occurrences in the music scene both local and beyond tend to transpire in the immediate vicinity of January 1. 

Now, whether this happens to be a true epiphany or merely a realization attributed to diligently keeping my finger on the proverbial musical pulse (no pun intended)… I haven’t a clue. What I do know, however, is there are a plethora of musical matters that require my (and your) attention, so I’m going to do us all a favor and shut the f#$k up and get down to it.

There are a number of shows coming up you should definitely have on your radar. First and foremost, Ozomatli has a two-night stint at the Belly Up this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 22 and 23. Ozo rarely disappoints; and the last time I saw them play, happened to be at the B.U. and it was one of the better shows, both musically and performance-wise, I’d seen in a long while. (pictured)

Anti-Flag is also in town this weekend and will be hitting SOMA’s stage Saturday night with Aiden, Cancer Bats, and Trash Talk. The Used are at the House of Blues Wednesday, Jan. 27, and while the jury’s still out on their new album, Artwork, the band’s always managed to put on a solid show. And for the young, or the young at heart in my case, New Found Glory will be at the H.O.B. Friday, Jan. 29, for their 10th Anniversary Tour. Sharing the stage will be Saves the Day and Hello Goodbye. 

And then there’s Coachella…

The official lineup was announced on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and in comparison to past bills, this year’s event may prove to be one to remember (or attempt to recall, depending upon your substance(s) of choice) for years to come. 

The eleventh installment of the Arts & Music Festival hits Indio’s polo fields April 16-18, and this year’s lineup leaves few musical stones unturned. I’d love nothing more than to relay the lengthy list of artists in this here “blog,” however, in the interest of brevity, I will focus upon the highlights (of which there are literally too many to list): Thom Yorke, Jay-Z, newly-reunited Pavement, Muse, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Gorillaz, Phoenix, Passion Pit, Florence and the Machine, the Specials, Echo and the Bunnymen, Sly and the Family Stone, and of course, Faith No More.

The aforementioned bands don’t even do the bill justice, as there are countless other artists gracing the stages and tents over the course of the three-day event. The DJ talent alone is equally impressive; with Benny Benassi, Deadmau5, Wolfgang Gartner, 2 many DJ’s, Bassnectar, Craze, David Guetta, Kaskade, Tiesto, Z-Trip, etc.

For a complete breakdown of the talent and dates of scheduled appearances, check out coachella.com. 

And now that we’ve addressed the most important item on our hypothetical to-do list, I will leave you with a song and a band to satiate your aural fixation until I return to the blogosphere in a couple of weeks.

I was tuning an attentive ear to Marky Ramone’s Punk Rock Blitzkrieg show on Sirius/XM satellite radio the other night, when I heard a track entitled “When We Were Angels,” by post-Danzig Misfits frontman Michale Graves. 

Apparently, the song debuted on Ramone’s show Dec. 17, and will soon be available for download on iTunes. If only Graves were releasing a full-length album… (Yeah, it’s fairly impressive). 

Also check out a local band by the name of Life Deposits (myspace.com/lifedeposits). These guys are playing a show Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Piano Shop (4237 Kansas St.) for the Matt Kelly Fest. If an indie-rock-infused At The Drive-In sound is your particular brand of scotch, I strongly suggest you be in attendance. Thanks to Tim Pyles and The Local Show on FM 94.9 for bringing them to my attention. 

Okay, I’m going now… I need to fill more sandbags and make sure my Labrador isn’t swimming in the front yard.

To invite Bradley to a show e-mail bschweit@discoversd.com