San Joaquin Sound

The Montereys released the 45 single Darlin (Send Me a Letter)/ Darlin (I Love You So) in 1962. It was released on the label Trans-American which was owned by movie star Aki Aleong. The lead singer was Manuel Cañez along with Tom Rey, Tom Lopez, and Santos Cepeda. The record is not extremely rare and sought after. I interviewed Santos Cepeda about his time in the band and recording this record.

The most underrated band of the 2000s is Loser Life. It's fitting because they were an underdog band, in an underdog town in the middle of the desert in California. Back in 2005, they were the flagship band of the Munoz Boxing Gym home to other legendary Bakersfield bands like The Pine and The Contaminators. They take the feeling of growing up in Bakersfield in the early 2000s and distill it into...

Bakersfield California is home to the greatest country music that ever was. Everyone knows Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. But in 1972, Sonny Anglin debuted his first record: Mrs. Olsen with Today’s Tomorrows Yesterday on the B side. He’s played all the classic spots like the Blackboard, Tex’s Barrel House, Trouts and even toured the US and headlined a show at the Sahara in Las Vegas. His most iconi...

Ed Sanner who is 88 years old and still working on guitars and making pedals. He worked at Mosrite, a legendary guitar company based in Bakersfield, California. For rock and roll, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Fred Sonic Smith from MC5, and Johnny Ramone of the Ramones played mosrite guitars. Mosrites were ubiquitous in surf music, most famously played the Ventures. They even had their own model. Mosrit...

Prohibition is a Powerviolence band from Bakersfield, California with ties to Oildale. They have released an incredible EP: PROHIBITION'S Greatest Hits Vol. 1 that injects a country influence into Powerviolence. This interview features Liam, lead vocalist and Cannon, Lead Bassist and Backing Vocals.

Did you ever go to the Bakersfield Jazz Festival in the 30 plus years it was running? If so, you have Doug Davis to thank. He ran the festival, booking artists like Dizzie Gillespie and Larry Carlton. And Local legends Mary Osborne and Mento Buru. In addition to running the festival, he was also a professor in charge of the Jazz Program at CSUB. Doug Davis is an incredible professor, amazing piani...

Matt Riot played guitar and drums in multiple Bakersfield bands. He played drums in a reggae band called The Soulsteppers. He also played in Death Valley driver, a wrestling themed powerviolence band that had the band members fighting each other mid-concert. They often played in the Munoz Boxing Gym (see Episode 1.) Matt also played in bands The Prolapse Nation, and The Kill. This interview is fil...

This is Part 3 of a 3 Part series of interviews with Willie Cantu, the Buckaroo. This episode covers his time after he left Buck Owens and the Buckaroos and went on to pursue other musical adventures. He spent time in Toronto as a studio musician, then moved to San Francisco and pursued Jazz while becoming a part of the Avant-Guarde movement. Then he moved to Nashville and continued drumming inclu...

This is Part 2 of a 3 Part series of interviews with Willie Cantu, the Buckaroo. This episode covers his time with Buck Owens and the Buckaroos. Icons of Country music, they took Bakersfield Sound on the road, toured the world, and recorded hit after hit. Stay tuned for Part 3!

This is Part 1 of a 3 Part series of interviews with Willie Cantu, the Buckaroo. This episode covers his time growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas and working the clubs as a drummer while still a teenager. It also talks about him joining Buck Owens and the Buckaroos and moving to Bakersfield and his first experiences there. Stay tuned for part two!

Chris Goodsell has been performing music since he was a child. He got into punk music in the 80s and learned guitar and bass. He was in bands like Big Jed, The Mutilators, Cradle of Thorns, and The Wichitas. He has played shows for decades all over Bakersfield and has gone on multiple worldwide tours. He has opened for Dee Dee Ramone, Willie Nelson, and even Korn.

Norm Hamlet was the Pedal Steel guitarist for 49.5 years with Merle Haggard and The Strangers. He was a pioneer of The Bakersfield Sound. He played on 9 Gold and Platinum albums. He has toured all over the United States and internationally. This interviews covers his beginnings with as a musician, touring with Merle, and his current tours.

Marc DeLeon promoted many concerts throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He played guitar, bass, and drums in many bands including Hossbruten, Adema, Premonition, American Standard, Cholo Biafra, and the Mentors. He has owned Mad Dog Tattoo for over 30 years. He has played our local American Legion, Gilman, CBGBs, and even the Eindhoven Metal Meeting. This conversation covers Bakersfield scene, San Fran...

Billy Haynes has played Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, and even a Cambodian Orphanage. A talented Bassist and Vocalist, Billy has been the bassist for Tina Turner, Lou Rawls, and Paulie Cerra. He started out in East Bakersfield playing The Cotton Club, and The Elks Club, even winning Battle of the Bands at Lake Ming. He has had an incredible career spanning 60+ years and I was honored to inter...

Burning Image is a Deathrock band from Bakersfield, California. By combining diverse influences, Burning Image created a unique sound. Even though protesters picketed their shows, it didn't stop crowds from coming to see them perform. An interview with Moe Adame, guitarist, singer, and songwriter for Burning Image.

The Soda Crackers are Bakersfield's premier Country & Western band. They tour all over the United States as ambassadors for authentic Bakersfield Sound, complete with fiddles and a lap steel guitar. This interview is with Zane Adamo, fiddle player, vocalist, and one of songwriters for The Soda Crackers. We talk about his band and dive into the interesting history of The Bakersfield Sound that...

Hardcore Punk band GOLD has been touring all throughout California representing Bakersfield. We talk about what it's like living in an economic sacrifice zone and what to do about it. An interview with all 5 members, who came up going to shows at the Munoz Gym. BAKERSFIELD RULES. OK?

Often referred to as "the Queen of Jazz Guitar," Mary Osborne was a Bakersfield treasure. She cut her teeth playing Jazz in New York City in the from the 1940s through the 1960s. She moved to Bakersfield in 1968 where she taught numerous guitarists and performed all over the city. An interview with one of her students, Paul Cierley.

The Paul Munoz Boxing Gym was a Legendary DIY Punk Music venue from 1998-2015, located in East Bakersfield, California. An interview with Ron Ramirez, who ran the venue. We talk about his Grandfather, boxer Paul Munoz and the story of his gym.