SoundCheck Flix

Episode 8: Austin Mahn (a.k.a Captain Auzmo) - ”The Abyss” (1989)

On SoundCheck Flix episode 8, hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens sit down at the Casbah San Diego with Austin Mahn (a.k.a Captain Auzmo), the singer and frontman for Auz Fontaine. They dive into The Abyss (1989), directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.
Austin Mahn (a.k.a Captain Auzmo) is the singer & frontman for Auz Fontaine. Hailing from the depths of east county San Diego, Auzmo was forced to claw his way into the San Diego music scene. Through years of toil in his craft, he would find out, simply being from East County did not ‘align’ with the dogma of certain bands and venues. Seeing his options limited, he decided to forge his own path in the music scene. With the help of his loyal brethren, The Crackle Boys, they cobbled together any and all gear he could find. From crackling guitar cables, to blown out speakers and defunct audio equipment, they built the foundation for what would become known as…Crackle Pop.
 
Growing up in the pre-streaming world of the 80’s and 90’s, Auzmo was heavily influenced by the movie theater culture. Whether hanging out at the midnight screenings of films, or debating what franchise has the best CGI, Auzmo’s affinity for the iconic movies of this era continue to play a massive role in his art today. With pop culture references throughout his songs, Auzmo blends topics of the mundane with biting, contemporary lyrics to create unique and unforgettable sound. Whether it’s science fiction, fantasy adventure or block-buster action films, Auzmo probably has 2 copies on VHS. You’ll regularly find him at Re-Animated Records in La Mesa seeking to add more hidden treasures to his cache. The crown jewel of this collection of course being a bootleg version of “The Abyss” by James Cameron, Directors Cut; that he personally recorded off a Starz free movie weekend. Please enjoy this love letter to one of the most iconic and ground-breaking films of the 20th century.
 
The Abyss (1989) - A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

Episode 7: Ric Scales & DJ Root - ”House Party” (1990)

Episode 7 of SoundCheck Flix features two movers ‘n’ shakers in the San Diego hip-hop scene, Ric Scales and DJ Root. SCF Co-hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens sit down with Root and Scales on stage at the Casbah San Diego to discuss the 1990 movie House Party starring the New York hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play.
Ric Scales is a hip-hop artist based out of San Diego who has opened for the likes of Mos Def, KRS One, Raekwon & Ghost Face Killah of Wu Tang and more. As one half of the hip-hop group 18scales, founder of monthly showcase Slappin’ Hands, and multiple time champion of the Battlebot freestyle competition, he is most known for his freestyle ability, witty yet thoughtful content, and carefree performance.
DJ Root is currently a member of the No Sucker DJ’s, Good Vibe SD and San Diego Best DJ’s collectives where you can regularly catch him spinning at concerts, dance parties, weddings and working as one of San Diego hip-hop’s most dedicated and tireless advocates.
House Party is the quintessential 1990s American teen movie starring the hip-hop twosome Kid ‘n Play. When Play’s parents go out of town, he does what teenagers do in the movies, he plans a house party of all house parties.

Episode 6: Hillary Laughery - ”Labyrinth” (1986)

On SoundCheck Flix episode 6, Hillary Laughery (Lead Pony) joins SCF hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens at the Casbah San Diego to chat about Jim Henson’s 1986 film Labyrinth starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. 
Hillary Laughery is a vocalist and keyboardist who started playing music with friends in the early days after graduating high school when life was tough sometimes and music with friends made it better. 13 years later she’s still playing music with some of those friends in the San Diego Rock and Roll band Lead Pony. This year they released their full-length record “Vultures” and plan to tour extensively to promote it.
Labyrinth is a cult fantasy movie directed by Jim Henson. Sixteen-year-old Sarah played by Jennifer Connelly must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother from the Goblin King played by David Bowie. Labyrinth is full of fantastical moments with music and the magic of puppetry.

Episode 5: Ben Johnson - ”Suburbia” (1984)

On episode 5 of Casbah Presents: SoundCheck Flix, San Diego Director, Author and Musician Ben Johnson joins SCF co-hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens at the World Famous Casbah San Diego to talk about the punk rock coming-of-age flim Suburbia (1983), written and directed by Penelope Spheeris.
Ben Johnson is the creator of Fanboy, a feature length rock and roll thriller movie released in January of 2021. He is also the author of the Webworld Trilogy of books and has played in numerous bands throughout the years including Tourettes Lautrec, the Long and Short of It, and Hostile Combover, and is currently in Owl Be Damned.
Suburbia is a coming-of-age film written and directed by Penelope Spheeris. Bill Coyne stars as Evan Johnson, an angst-ridden kid living in L.A., who bands together with a group of other young societal rejects and immerses himself in the mid-'80s punk rock scene.

Bonus Episode 1: Alia Jyawook & Ash Easton - ”Barbie” (2023)

We have a special SoundCheck Flix Barbie episode dedicated to the summer hit directed by Greta Gerwig, during which SCF co-hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens talk with the 2023 San Diego Music Award Winning Best New Artist Ash Easton and Scary Pierre’s Alia Jyawook about the summer blockbuster at the Casbah San Diego. 
Alia Jyawook is a local music teacher and multi-instrumentalist. She received her Doctorate in music education from Boston University. Alia has performed with numerous San Diego bands, and currently plays guitar in Scary Pierre. 
Ash Easton is not your average San Diego, CA artist. She came to disrupt the music scene and is doing just that as the 2023 San Diego Music Award Winning Best New Artist. Her album, “Rough & Tough,” is out now available on all streaming platforms, and is available for purchase on vinyl.
Barbie (2023) is co-written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach but is the only billion-dollar blockbuster solely directed by a woman. The movie stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.

Episode 4: Justin Pearson - ”The Holy Mountain” (1973)

SoundCheck Flix Co-Hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens sit down at the Casbah San Diego with the prolific musician Justin Pearson, who many of you know from The Locust, to discuss Alejandro Jodorowsky’s 1973 film The Holy Mountain in SCF episode 4.
The Holy Mountain (1973), written, directed, and starring Alejandro Jodorowsky, is a beautifully captured surrealist film in which an alchemist leads a messianic character and seven others (and its audience) to the Holy Mountain on a journey through illusion and truth.
If you haven’t seen The Holy Mountain, it’s a surrealistic trip we recommend. And, if a recommendation from a member of The Locust isn’t enough for you to watch the film, perhaps after you learn more about Justin, you’ll follow his lead on The Holy Mountain.
When thinking of the prolific musician Justin Pearson as an artist, there are a multitude of bands/projects one can look to, each of which his presence as a bassist/vocalist is distinctly felt alongside the immense talent of the countless others he’s worked with. The most well-known of his long resume is probably The Locust or, most recently, Dead Cross. The Crimson Curse, Some Girls, Holy Molar, Head Wound City, Retox, Deaf Club, Planet B, and Satanic Planet are only some of the others– each unique, but also unified in their intensity. He has collaborated in various capacities with an array of artists including Mike Patton, Martin Atkins, Dave Lombardo, Kool Keith, and Satanic Temple co-founder, Lucien Greaves. This fervency goes well beyond playing music. He is also the owner of Three One G Records, started in 1994. In 2010, Pearson further expanded his list of talents by becoming a published author with the release of “From the Graveyard of the Arousal Industry.” This was followed in 2011 by “How to Lose Friends and Irritate People,” and a comprehensive collection of his lyrics titled "The Race to Zero" in 2018. Justin found himself acting for the first time in 2013 under the direction of Asia Argento and alongside Charlotte Gainsbourg for the film “Incompresa,” of which he also contributed to the soundtrack. In 2016, he even ventured into the realm of cartoon voice overs, taking on the role of a vegan snack elf on Cartoon Network's Uncle Grandpa. He has also more recently taken on the world of Podcasting alongside co-host and Planet B/Satanic Planet bandmate Luke Henshaw in the form of Cult and Culture.

Episode 3: Dave Warshaw - ”Billy Jack” (1971)

SoundCheck Flix Co-hosts Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens talk to San Diego-based musician and artist Dave Warshaw of the Creepy Creeps and CREEPXOTICA about the 1971 movie starring Tom Laughlin, Billy Jack, in SCF episode 3.
Dave Warshaw is a multi-faceted artist and musician offering the world Billy Jack-level badassery - a family man, a legendary San Diego tattooist, a professional illustrator with over 20 years of experience, owner of Warshsaw’s Provisions, and guitarist in the surf-punk band Creepy Creeps and their alter-ego CREEPXOTICA. While based in San Diego, Dave is currently accepting new clients for commissioned artwork and design projects. He can be contacted through Warshsaw’s Provisions.
Billy Jack is an independent Western-Action-Drama released in 1971 by Tom Laughlin, who co-wrote, directed, and starred in the movie. It centers around a Green Beret Vietnam War veteran and hapkido master, Billy Jack, who defends a hippie-themed Freedom School and its students from the local authorities and townspeople who don’t like the counterculture and diversity represented there.

Episode 2: Seton Edgerton - ”Point Break” (1991)

Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens sit down with musician and surfer Seton Edgerton of Well Well Well to discuss Point Break (1991) and surf culture in Southern California.
Seton Edgerton, a real blue-flame special, is the lead vocalist/guitarist of Well Well Well - the Arnold Palmer of modern pop music. The music has been characterized as “easy listening for uneasy people from Southern California.” Well Well Well has a new album, "Palm Springs: Demos & Deep Cuts," out August 4th via Royal Oakie Records. 
Point Break (1991) is an action crime-thriller, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. The movie centers around a young undercover FBI agent, Johnny Utah, who infiltrates a gang of bank-robbing surfers.

Episode 1: Lety Beers - ”Rock ’n’ Roll High School” (1979)

Tim Pyles and Graham Stevens sit down with Lety Beers to discuss Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979).
Lety Beers is the drummer and founding member of the Schizophonics. She’s played in several projects that include the Rosalyns, the Little Richards, Bobby and Pins and often fills in when the legendary El Vez needs a drummer or bassist. When she’s not busy ripping it up all over the globe on her drum kit you can find her dancing in the front row at a show, skating with her skate gang, spinning records at one of the local hot spots or hanging out with her wiener dog, Beanie. 
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School features the Ramones helping a rebellious student fight the powers that be at Vince Lombardi High School.