Cultivating a sound that draws upon a wide range of musical influences, running the gamut from reggae and ska to punk to soul and beyond, the Whiskey Avengers aren’t an easy group to categorize—and that’s just fine with them.

The Avengers—who formed in San Jose in 2006 but are now mostly based in the San Diego area—are more concerned with making good music and connecting with fans than with fitting neatly within the parameters of a specific genre.

“We’re a little bit of everything—a little bit of punk, a little reggae, a little gypsy-pirate music, a little bit of banjo/country/folk,” Stefan Meissner, the group’s singer and guitarist says. “We have a direction. It’s every direction.”

This Friday, Meissner and his bandmates, Clint Westwood and Kevin Higuchi, will be returning to their city of origin for a show at the Back Bar SoFa.

Meissner and Westwood grew up together in San Jose, bonding over their mutual love of music. The pair first joined creative forces in high school, co-founding the hip-hop group Language Arts Crew in 2000.

Six years later—almost by accident—Meissner and Westwood stumbled into creating what would become the Whiskey Avengers. The duo attached a ska song they’d written to the end of a Language Arts Crew album as a secret track and the response was overwhelmingly positive. They recruited Higuchi to play drums and the Avengers were born.

After making a name for themselves in clubs up and down the West Coast, and releasing three full-length albums and one EP, the core trio found themselves making the move to Southern California a couple of years ago.

“We did it for multiple reasons, we were kind of just getting stagnant, you know? Doing the same thing,” says Meissner.

Their time in San Diego has been fruitful. The band has recorded a new EP, “Ballads in the Key of Dub, Vol 2: Ro-Bit,” which they will release at their upcoming San Jose show.

“It’s a fun little project—a little rap/ska mixup,” Meissner says. “We used some old ska tunes, they’ve just kind of been re-vamped and flipped out, and we wrote some extra lyrics to them.”

In keeping with the feel and sound of their first dub EP, the group plays with preexisting instrumental recordings, chopping up the tracks, creating new parts and often adding different effects, such as heavy echo or reverb—“dubbing” over new components to the songs.

Meissner says that the dub series isn’t indicative of a change in direction, adding that fans can expect a new full-length album of original material out some time in the spring or summer of next year.

“We’re almost done,” he says. “We’ve recorded all the music and vocals, and we just have to wrap up some last minute tracks—that’s going to be the real one.”

Since the band moved, they’ve also gained some new off-and-on members—guitarists and keyboardists living in various parts of California and even Arizona that join the core trio at different shows, giving each gig its own flavor.

“It’s fun for us, because it’s always something different,” Meissner says. “We’re always mixing it up, doing different sets. It makes for a unique show every time.”

While the San Diego scene has been providing a supportive environment to gig and write, the members of the Whiskey Avengers are looking forward to coming back home and playing around the holidays—particularly at a space that holds some good memories for the band.

“It’s the back of the old Cactus Club, which is kind of funny,” Meisser says. “That was our old stomping ground, before this band—we were in other bands that played there—that was the best place in San Jose back in the day. Plus I haven’t been up there since February—and all of our friends are in the Bay Area.”

The Whiskey Avengers play Back Bar SoFA on Nov 28, 9pm. More info.

It’s hard to tell just how serious local punk rockers, Trashkannon, are being, especially on their new album Crappy Days. Their breed of loud, middle-finger-waving, three-chord skate punk is so perfectly composed and so flawlessly offensive, it makes one wonder, “Is it a joke?”

The answer, I wager, is yes and no. Trashkannon are a tongue-in-cheek characterization of purposely offensive, over-the-top punk rock—their crazy live shows and comically ridiculous videos attest to that. Yet, it really is gritty, raw punk rock.

It’s just that the core members have so many other highly varied bands—Language Arts Crew (hip hop), Whiskey Avengers (ska), Insolence (nu-metal)—that they need to create whole new identities for every possible musical genre they play.

A major part of the Trashkannon identity is that off-the-wall madness, which is meant to be funny more than actually offensive. Crappy Days soars through nine songs in 21 minutes, cramming in references to zombies, cops, sex and finger-pulling. The title track—one of the funniest on the record—starts out sounding like a depressive “woe is me” pop-punk song, which quickly degrades into a series of sing-along “fuck you’s” and then ultimately shifts into an upbeat parody of the Happy Days theme song—only instead of “happy days” it’s “crappy days.”

What distinguishes Trashkannon from the standard, run-of-the-mill outrageous punk band, is how good the musicianship is, which shines through in subtle complexities, even if they intended to sound simple and unsophisticated. Songs “Rampage” and “Zombies” have breakdowns and accents that are perfectly syncopated and flawlessly executed.

Truly no die-in-the-wool punk rockers would be capable of such perfection. It would take the work of the truly diverse, well-studied musicians—even if they like to pretend they’re just a bunch of goons.

Trashkannon play Johnny V’s on Friday October 5th at 9pm. Tickets are $5.

Local ska, rock-steady group, Whiskey Avengers released the first video off their new album, Dead Man Rockin’. The song they chose, “Me, Myself and I” is one of the only non-ska songs on the record. It’s a banjo-driven, punk rock, sea-shanty with a feel that transports the listener back to a pre-rock ‘n’ roll era. Appropriately, the video has the look and feel of an old-timey silent movie.

Dead Man Rockin’ is the group’s third full length is their most cohesive and their most well-produced album to date. It has primarily a soulful-rock steady feel, with some variances.

The video, much like the song, is a fun romp. The old-timey effect is obviously fake, as are the band-members’ fake mustaches—all to comedic effect. And what would a Whiskey Avengers be if there weren’t lots of young ladies—or in this case, wenches—biding for each member’s attention?

Whiskey Avengers play the Blank Club on July 13 at 9p. Tickets are $10.

Anyone who has spent time navigating San Jose’s music scene has likely crossed paths with Clint Westwood, if for no other reason than he’s in so many bands.

He’s a member of hip-hop foursome Language Arts Crew and also the popular local ska band Whiskey Avengers. When he’s not busy with those two groups, he’s gigging with Trashkannon and Insolence or he can be found at Terrible Tuesdays, his weekly club night at Johnny V’s.

Clint recently shared his thoughts on the San Jose scene and some of his favorite local haunts with us.

What part of San Jose are you from?

I grew up in Cupertino during the early 90s. It had a small town vibe tucked in the Foothills where we were free to roam the wilderness and still pursue the mischief of city life. There was a lot of great bands and musicians that came out of the west side, and a good amount of off-the-wall places to play. I have a lot of friends and colleagues from way back when who are still in touch today. Those were the good old days, it’s been downhill ever since. Haha.

What’s the best show you’ve seen in San Jose?

The Most memorable one might have been when Flogging Molly played music in the park a few years back. It was great to see such a rad band play for so many people downtown. There were also many memorable (or forgotten, depending on drunkenness) national acts that played the late Voodoo Lounge in its heyday. Local music hasn’t been the same since.

What’s your favorite local band?

Right now, I’m really into the local roots blues band Tip of the Top. They have a really authentic sound and keep it dirty. I’m a sucker for old-timey music, like a grumpy old man griping about those damn dumb kids and their lousy techno pop.

What’s your favorite place to get a drink in San Jose?

I’d have to say The Place (Kevin’s Place) on 1st St. Great dive bar, lots of shady characters and great shwag decor. Drunks need a lot of stimuli so they don’t get too many bad ideas. Other than that, I go wherever my friends are pourin’, cuz it be hard times for us musical drifters.

Where’s a cool spot to get clothes?

Savers on Bascom. Where else are you supposed to get a “These Colors don’t Run” T-shirt and the Florescent Gecko hammer pants to match? Spend less time at the mall and go buy merchandise from a touring band.

What’s your favorite spot for a cheap bite in San Jose?

Two Super Tacos from the back of the liquor store on the corner of 10th and Reed, or the roommate’s leftovers in the fridge at 2am.

Metro Newspaper’s Best of 2012 issue hit new stands today, highlighting a variety of local talent selected online by readers. From cutting-edge DJs, to old-school blues and cover bands, this is the best of Silicon Valley.

READER’S PICKS

Best Local Cover Band
The Peelers
Considering how long it’s been automatic for DJs, it’s remarkable how long it took cover bands to catch on to the mash-up concept. The Peelers were, in fact, the first ones we heard doing it, and according to our readers, they’re still the best. Whether it’s layering T.I. raps over Tim McGraw or sliding from ’80s pop to hip-hop, the Peelers are monster mashers.
Runners-up:
Joe Sharino
Sage

Best Local Original Band
JC Smith Band
It’s about time one of the South Bay’s most talented bluesmen got his due. What’s led to his jump in popularity all of a sudden? We’d be willing to bet it’s Smith’s profile-raising stint as leader of the all-star blues band that grew out of the Metro Fountain Blues Festival. Whether it is his fellow blues artists who sign on to play with him or the fans who vaulted him to the top of this category, the South Bay loves the group.
Runners-up:
Whiskey Avengers
Anya & the Get Down

Best Singer/Songwriter
Anya
Anya Kvitka’s rise in the South Bay scene has been a perfect storm. Her vocal gifts went fully operational at the same time she came into her own as a songwriter, brought together a killer band for Anya and the Get Down, and found the support of some of the most influential people in the hip-hop scene. The songs she has been working on for her album show her new level of confidence, projecting her voice across genre boundaries and creating a sound that’s both classic and electro-futuro.
Runners-up:
Ben Henderson
Justin Morales