Bart Mendoza
Encyclopedia
Bart Mendoza is an American
journalist
, musician
and songwriter
.
From 1981 to 1990, he was frontman and chief songwriter for mod-influenced group Manual Scan
. Since 1991 he has performed with power-pop group The Shambles
. In 2009 he also joined Wendy Bailey & True Stories fulltime as guitarist.
From 1985 to 1991 Mendoza co-produced a series of music festivals in San Diego, New Sounds, featuring Mod
and sixties oriented groups from the U.S. and Europe. In 1986, Mendoza performed with a one-off band, Boys About Town, at the festival. The band's lineup included Mendoza and British musicians Edward Ball
of The Times
and Television Personalities, Paul Bevoir
of The Jetset
and Small Town Parade, as well as Simon Smith
of the Merton Parkas and Mood Six
.
The festival ran until 1991, with a final edition in 1999. He also published a fanzine, Sound Affects, which ran to nine issues and wrote for several modzines, including England’s, In the Crowd.
As a San Diego, California
-based journalist he has written for numerous publications, beginning in 1993 with Axcess Magazine and including the local editions of The Reader
and San Diego CityBeat
, as well as The San Diego Union and its weekly arts insert Night & Day. National publications include the second series of Crawdaddy!
, while international publications include British Time Out Guides for Southern California and Spanish rock magazine Ansia De Color. He has also penned liner notes for artists including Phil Angeloff, Ray Brandes, Ryan Ferguson
and The Lolas and music compilations such as This is Mod Volume 6, from Cherry Red
Records.
Meanwhile, Mendoza has had numerous songs he's written or co-written, covered by artists including: Canada
's The Kingpins
, "Plan of Action,", Germany
's Daniel Hall
, "Survive", Spain
's Happy Losers, "Blurs Somewhere" and Los Angeles
based band, The Andersons "Rain or Shine.",
Mendoza co-founded the indie label Blindspot Records in 1991, with more than two dozen albums to date including releases from Skelpin
, Mark Decerbo & Four Eyes
, Skid Roper
and others. Mendoza is producer of the compilation series, Staring at the Sun, with eight volumes to date. A member of the San Diego Music Foundation Board, Mendoza also co-produced a series of compilations for the organization.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
From 1981 to 1990, he was frontman and chief songwriter for mod-influenced group Manual Scan
Manual Scan
Manual Scan was an American mod and power pop group from San Diego, active between 1981–1991.Manual Scan released numerous CDs, LPs and 7-inch singles, in England, Spain and the U.S....
. Since 1991 he has performed with power-pop group The Shambles
The Shambles (band)
The Shambles is an American power pop and rock group from San Diego, California.Formed in 1990 from members of other regional bands, The Shambles have released numerous CDs, LPs and 7-inch singles, have toured extensively in the USA, and performed in the UK , Mexico and Spain.-Members:The founding...
. In 2009 he also joined Wendy Bailey & True Stories fulltime as guitarist.
From 1985 to 1991 Mendoza co-produced a series of music festivals in San Diego, New Sounds, featuring Mod
Mod
- General :* Honour Moderations, a first set of examinations at Oxford University* Maximum operating depth, in scuba diving, the depth at which a gas mix exceeds safe limits* Ministry of Defence, the part of a government responsible for matters of military defence...
and sixties oriented groups from the U.S. and Europe. In 1986, Mendoza performed with a one-off band, Boys About Town, at the festival. The band's lineup included Mendoza and British musicians Edward Ball
Ed Ball (musician)
Edward "Ed" Ball is a songwriter, singer, guitarist and keyboard player from London, who has recorded both solo and as a member of the Television Personalities, 'O' Level, Teenage Filmstars, The Times, and Conspiracy of Noise. He also served as an executive at Creation Records...
of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and Television Personalities, Paul Bevoir
Paul Bevoir
Paul Bevoir , is a pop/rock songwriter and musician. He is probably best known as a member of the 1980s English pop band The Jetset, who were associated with the British Mod revival.-Early life:...
of The Jetset
The Jetset
The Jetset were a 1980s English pop band, who were associated with the British Mod revival.-Career:Formed in 1979 by teenage friends Paul Bevoir and Melvyn J Taub, the band developed their style under the guidance of former Advertising and Secret Affair drummer, Paul Bultitude...
and Small Town Parade, as well as Simon Smith
Simon Smith
Simon Smith has been the drummer with several British Indie rock bands, most notably The Wedding Present from Leeds, which he joined in 1988, and also worked with its offshoot The Ukrainians.-Career:...
of the Merton Parkas and Mood Six
Mood Six
Mood Six was a neo-psychedelic band formed in London's West End in 1981. Emerging from the remnants of mod revival groups like the The Merton Parkas and the VIPs, their original lineup included Phil Ward, Tony Conway, Andy Godfrey, Guy Morley, Paul Shurey, and Simon Smith.Debuting with two tracks -...
.
The festival ran until 1991, with a final edition in 1999. He also published a fanzine, Sound Affects, which ran to nine issues and wrote for several modzines, including England’s, In the Crowd.
As a San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based journalist he has written for numerous publications, beginning in 1993 with Axcess Magazine and including the local editions of The Reader
The Reader
The Reader is a novel by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink, published in Germany in 1995 and in the United States in 1997...
and San Diego CityBeat
San Diego CityBeat
San Diego CityBeat is an alternative weekly newspaper in San Diego, California that focuses on local progressive politics, arts, and music. It is published every Wednesday and distributed around San Diego county, although with a focus on the city of San Diego itself, with a weekly circulation of...
, as well as The San Diego Union and its weekly arts insert Night & Day. National publications include the second series of Crawdaddy!
Crawdaddy!
Crawdaddy! was the first U.S. magazine of rock and roll music criticism. Created in 1966 by college student Paul Williams in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music, Crawdaddy! was self-described as "the first magazine to take rock and roll...
, while international publications include British Time Out Guides for Southern California and Spanish rock magazine Ansia De Color. He has also penned liner notes for artists including Phil Angeloff, Ray Brandes, Ryan Ferguson
Ryan Ferguson
Ryan Ferguson is an Indie Rock guitarist and singer/songwriter, formerly of Southern California band No Knife. Ferguson's solo debut Three, Four was released in July 2005, winning a San Diego Music Award for “Best Pop Record” that year. The Sims 2 featured an interpretation of the album's lead...
and The Lolas and music compilations such as This is Mod Volume 6, from Cherry Red
Cherry Red
Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
Records.
Meanwhile, Mendoza has had numerous songs he's written or co-written, covered by artists including: Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's The Kingpins
The Kingpins
The Kingpins featuring Lorraine Muller - The Queen of Ska was a ska band from Montréal, Canada, signed to the Stomp Records label. The last Kingpins tour took place in 2004, after which the members of the band reformed under the name Lo and the Magnetics founded by Muller in order to reflect the...
, "Plan of Action,", Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Daniel Hall
Daniel Hall
Daniel Hall is a fictional character in the Sandman comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. An infant for the majority of the Sandman series, he is the son of Hippolyta 'Lyta' Hall and Hector Hall, borne for two years in the Dreaming Daniel Hall is a fictional character...
, "Survive", Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's Happy Losers, "Blurs Somewhere" and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
based band, The Andersons "Rain or Shine.",
Mendoza co-founded the indie label Blindspot Records in 1991, with more than two dozen albums to date including releases from Skelpin
Skelpin
Skelpin is an Irish folk music group based in San Diego, California. They perform a fusion of Irish Music and Spanish Flamenco, with Middle-Eastern percussion and have toured with this Irish Fusion globally....
, Mark Decerbo & Four Eyes
Four Eyes
Four Eyes is an American comic book series published by Image Comics beginning in 2008. The comic was created by writer Joe Kelly and artist Max Fiumara and chronicles a revenge story Brooklyn, NYC....
, Skid Roper
Skid Roper
Skid Roper is an American musician active in the 1980s and early 1990s. He has recorded with several groups including surf band, The Evasions, but is best known for his work with Mojo Nixon between 1985 and 1989.With Nixon, Roper served mainly as an instrumentalist...
and others. Mendoza is producer of the compilation series, Staring at the Sun, with eight volumes to date. A member of the San Diego Music Foundation Board, Mendoza also co-produced a series of compilations for the organization.
External links
- [ Bart Mendoza: All Music Guide Entry]
- Bart Mendoza Interview Los Angeles Times May 10, 1992
- Bart Mendoza Interview San Diego Reader Big In Spain March 9, 2006
- San Diego Community Newspaper Group Author Archive Entry
- Bart Mendoza List of Fanzine Interviews
- Bart Mendoza IMDB Soundtrack Listing
- San Diego Reader Bart Mendoza band: Boys About Town