Film Festival’s ‘Rise’ a Santa Cruz Story that Had to Be Told
“There’s a certain artifice to making a song. But there are certain things that go beyond artifice; there are certain things you can’t fake. And that genuine quality, that emotional honesty, that’s so...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Backyard Birds
Jean Catino and her neighbor Linda Baker like to sing together. They met in the local ukulele scene, along with June Coha, who they also liked to sing with. The three women enjoyed singing together so...
View ArticleMusic Picks: Oct. 3-9
Live music highlights for the week of Oct. 3, 2018. WEDNESDAY, 10/3 FOLK ELIZA GILKYSON “Dark comes down like a bird in flight.” So begins Secularia, the 23rd studio album by Austin-based folk...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Lindsie Feathers
In August, Lindsie Feathers relocated to Santa Cruz from Portland, where she lived for over a decade and played many gigs. She even recorded a self-titled album with her band Neon Renaissance. She...
View ArticleMusic Picks: Oct. 10-16
Live music highlights for the week of Oct. 10, 2018. WEDNESDAY 10/10 ALT-ROCK MONKS OF DOOM Monks of Doom, an offshoot of Santa Cruz darlings Camper Van Beethoven, debuted The Brontë Pin this year,...
View ArticleQ&A: Santa Cruz’s James Durbin on Moving to Nashville, New Album
James Durbin’s new release represents a clear departure from his image as the metal-loving singer who took American Idol by storm seven years ago. The album also strikes a different chord than the time...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Janet Croteau
Janet Croteau loves writing songs. She sees it as a form of therapy that is healing to both the people expressing themselves and those listening. She is currently in the process of becoming a licensed...
View ArticleMusic Picks: Oct. 24-30
Live music highlights for the week of Oct.24, 2018. WEDNESDAY 10/24 FOLK THE WEATHER STATION Somewhere between Steve Gunn and Johanna Warren is Tamara Lindemann, the Toronto songwriter known as the...
View ArticlePreview: Tauk Brings Blade Runner-Inspired Beats to The Catalyst
Last fall, while Alric “A.C.” Carter’s band Tauk was on tour, he snuck away to see a movie: Blade Runner 2049. He’d never seen the original, but he loved the sequel—particularly the music. “It just...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Marmalade Knives
The first time that local experimental psych rock band Marmalade Knives played a gig, it was at a record store in Oakland as a trio. Guitarist Clinton Wilkins and Justin Spivey—who’d been collaborating...
View ArticleMusic Picks: Oct. 31-Nov. 6
Live music highlights for the week of Oct. 31, 2018. WEDNESDAY 10/31 BRAZILIAN SAMBADÁ Two decades is a long time for a band, but local Santa Cruz institution SambaDá seems like it’s just getting...
View ArticleMusic Picks: Nov. 7-13
Live music highlights for the week of Nov. 7, 2018. WEDNESDAY 11/7 HIP-HOP/FUNK TNERTLE Enzo the turtle must burn down the sun in order to save his planet. That’s the storyline of Tnertle’s new album,...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Mr. Bounce Man
Jeff Peters grew up going to raves in the early ’90s. A few short years later, some friends told him about Burning Man, which was where a lot of the raver kids were congregating to. He really dug it. A...
View ArticleMusic Picks: Nov. 14-20
Live music highlights for the week of Nov. 14, 2018. WEDNESDAY 11/14 COUNTRY TISH HINOJOSA Country singer Tish Hinojosa sings about healing. At least that’s the case for her gentle new album West, her...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Swirly Girls
Cousins Sheila Cliff and Pam Nectar always liked swirls. It’s a cool symbol, and seemed like an obvious choice for a band name when they started playing music together four years ago in what was a very...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Ona Stewart
Ona Stewart loves music. He plays four to five hours daily, and is always writing new songs. Fortunately, he has a popular local band, the Naked Bootleggers, which gives him a platform to play his...
View ArticleMusic Picks: Nov. 21-27
Live music highlights for the week of Nov. 21, 2018 WEDNESDAY 11/21 JAM BAND SHADY GROOVE As they near the 20-year mark, Shady Groove is a local institution. If you’re a fan, you’ve probably witnessed...
View ArticleMusic Picks: November 28-December 4
Live music highlights for the week of Nov. 28, 2018 WEDNESDAY 11/28 AMERICANA MISNER AND SMITH Misner and Smith are an eclectic folk duo whose vocal harmonies are chillingly beautiful, but also...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Vintage Point
Sometimes you want to hear the music that instantly puts a smile on your face. That’s the idea of local band Vintage Point, who aren’t searching for the obscure gems. They’re looking for the songs that...
View ArticleMusic Picks: December 5-11
Live music highlights for the week of Dec. 5, 2018 WEDNESDAY 12/5 AMERICANA MARY GAUTHIER Hearing country singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier sing “Mercy Now” could pull the heartstrings of even the...
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