Blame Betty is honored to announce that we have been nominated for
Best Rock Album 2026 for our album, "Who's to Blame?" on Sugar Bowl Records.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!
In order to win in our category of Best Rock Album, we need you to vote.
To vote, click on this link:
and pick Blame Betty in the category of "Best Rock Album".
Pro Tip: You can vote every day per email address. You can vote from anywhere in the world.
Voting ends on March 31, 2026 at 5:00 pm
BLAME BETTY'S "WHO'S TO BLAME?" NOMINATED FOR
BEST ROCK ALBUM 2026!
Now streaming on all major platforms!
Photo by Dave Preston
Photo by Dave Preston
"Who's Betty??? We need answers!" Blame Betty stormed onto the rock scene in 2019 with an electrifying blend of rockabilly, roots rock, and surf music that pulls straight from the golden age of Sun Records. Inspired by legends like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, the San Diego-based trio – George Comes (guitar/vocals), Jim Buehl (drums/vocals), and Bobby Villa (bass/vocals) – channels vintage vibes with a modern edge.
With 20 years of experience playing together in various musical groups, Blame Betty has honed their craft delivering a dynamic sound that's both nostalgic and fresh. Blame Betty delivers tight musicianship, lush three-part harmonies, and an infectious energy that's hard to resist. Their growing local fanbase and social media buzz have solidified their place as ones to watch, culminating in a Best Rock Album nomination from the San Diego Music Awards Academy. Nostalgic yet fresh, Blame Betty is here to rock your world!
GEORGE COMES
Photo by ShutterOtto
JIM BUEHL
Photo by ShutterOtto
BOBBY VILLA
Photo by ShutterOtto
sandiegotroubadour.com/blame-betty-whos-to-blame/?amp=1 CD REVIEW SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR
by Lauren Leigh Stucky
March 2026
Blame Betty’s Who’s to Blame? feels like pulling a worn-out leather jacket from the back of a black ’69 Mustang. It’s scuffed and smells familiar but fits like a glove. The album blends a rootsy mix of rockabilly, country, surf rock, and jam-band swagger with tremolo-soaked guitars, saxophone flourishes, and a laid-back sense of fun. While the record doesn’t chase lyrical depth, it makes up for it with personality, groove, and a strong sense of who they are.
The opener, “Broken Toys,” sets the tone with rockabilly bounce and a faint Bowie-esque theatricality. The mix is inviting and warm, immediately pulling the listener into Blame Betty’s sonic universe. The track succeeds as a mission statement: this band knows exactly what it wants to sound like.
“Three Day Slap” deepens that statement. Channeling unmistakable Grateful Dead energy, the song showcases a vocalist clearly influenced by Jerry Garcia, not just in tone but in spirit. It’s easy to imagine playing over a montage of bank robbers gearing up for a heist, all grit and confidence.
Instrumental prowess becomes a recurring highlight throughout the record. “Heart Attack” features a guitar solo that steals the spotlight, while “Close to Montreal” offers a delicate, melodic instrumental that trades vocals for atmosphere. Though the title suggests its specific destination, the song feels more like a panoramic drive through the most beautiful stretches of America.
“Sweet Marcella” opens with a sultry sax intro before sliding into Elvis-inspired rockabilly blues. It’s playful and built for the stage. That love for the King continues on “Tarred and Feathered,” which kicks off with the line “Feelin’ like Elvis, livin’ in Memphis” and rides a wave of tremolo-heavy, surf-montage energy.
Mid-album standout “Singles Club” shifts gears into straight country territory, delivering one of the record’s most charming lyrical moments: “I’m on the B-side of my life, and I’m lookin’ for my second wife.” It’s self-aware and oddly poignant without trying too hard.
The band’s cinematic instincts resurface on “Life of Crime,” a detective-noir anthem that could double as the theme song for a procedural cop show. Once again, the guitar work nods to the Grateful Dead in its jam-band tradition while also keeping it accessible. “Bonnie and Clyde” follows with a relaxed confidence, boosted by strong backing vocals and a smooth sax solo that reinforces the album’s outlaw-romance throughline.
Late-album tracks bring some of Who’s to Blame’s strongest moments. “There’s a Place” opens with acoustic guitar (a welcome tonal shift) and blossoms with rich backing vocals that tie the song together beautifully. Then comes “After the Party Ends,” a plunky, bouncy acoustic gem complete with answering-machine vocal effects and a happy kazoo solo. What could have been a novelty instead becomes a genuine highlight. This track is playlist-worthy and endlessly replayable.
The instrumental cut “Driving to Work” delivers surf rock with purpose, its crisp guitar lines and standout bass work making it feel tailor-made for a 101 beach drive. “The Last Song,” despite being the penultimate track, is a sax-laced slow dance in three that eases the listener toward the finish line.
The title track, “Who’s to Blame?”, closes the album on a relaxed, Dead-influenced groove. The chorus lands with a genuine hook that’s easy to sing and hard to forget. It may not be the explosive rocker some listeners expect, but it feels true to the band’s laid-back brand.
Who’s to Blame doesn’t reinvent American roots music, it doesn’t need to. Blame Betty thrives in the in-between spaces. The spaces where surf rock shakes hands with country and where jam-band looseness meets pop instinct. It’s an album that knows its influences, embraces them openly, and delivers a cohesive, enjoyable ride from start to finish.
BLAME BETTY: OUR MUSIC IS ABOUT REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS, WITH A TWIST OF HUMOR AND SATIRE
“Who is to Blame, anyways? I’d like to know. I’m just posing a question. We actually would really like some answers.” - George Comes
“We put our nose to the grindstone to give you a little taste of all the music that we love” - Bobby Villa
San Diego rockabilly band, Blame Betty, has released their LP, “ Who’s To Blame?” with 14 songs of American music written by George Comes and Bobby Villa. “Who’s to Blame?” includes elements of Rock, Blues, Country, R&B and Jazz music. The album was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by George Comes and Bobby Villa under the Sugar Bowl Records label.
Instrumentation includes guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and a horn section comprised of April West (Sue Palmer Band, DXP and Euphoria Brass Band) and local sideman, Jonny Viau (Sue Palmer Band) along with a few quirky sounds from stylophone and kazoo used to good effect.
George and Bobby with drummer, Jim Buehl have played together for 20 plus years and developed a unique sound influenced by the raw, energetic and sparse instrumentation of the Sun Records era, the distinctive reverb-heavy guitar instrumentals of Southern California Surf, and roots music, encompassing a wide range of American musical genres.
Blame Betty was nominated for Best Rock Album by the San Diego Music Awards Academy in 2024 for our EP, "Big Betty's Alright!", available on all major streaming platforms.
music.apple.com/us/album/big-bettys-alright-ep/1686651671
