In a Daze: LSD and the Search for God at the Catalyst
By DJ Ratz There are moments of bliss, brief flashes when I am consumed by the sound of music. My sense of my body dissolves and the pain in my heels dissipates and nothing is on my mind; it is…
“The Only Band That Matters”: The Hellp & Riviera Album Review
By Peyton K. When people describe their musical project as "the worst thing [they've] ever done in [their] life", it doesn't allow much hope that their music will be worthwhile to listen to. The Hellp, however, is a special case,…
Reverberations From the 90s: Built to Spill at The Rio Theatre
By Maddox Conrady The nineties gave birth to a whole lot of things, from aggressive and angsty nu metal to big beat electronic music sweeping through the UK. As time has passed, we have seen certain influences, sounds, and aesthetics…
Danny Brown in a Big Cube at The Regency Ballroom
By Parker Rice Danny Brown's newest album Stardust came from a period of pivotal change for the Detroit rapper. As he went into rehab in 2023, Danny Brown was considering quitting music altogether. But what brought him a newfound love for music…
Inside the Ultrasound: Lorde at the Moda Center
By DJ Ratz An icy blue laser hits center stage as smoke machines cloud the air. Lorde, in all her holiness, appears as “Hammer”, the first track off her latest album, Virgin, blasts through the speakers. The reverbed vocal…
The Song is Over: A Farewell to The Who
By: Ashley Watrin On Wednesday, October 1, at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, California, iconic English band, The Who, bid a final farewell to their North American audience on the last stop of “The…
Interview with Yvette Young of Covet
Interview Transcription Yvette Young of Covet interviewed by Zane Bird Smith Zane: You are listening to KZSC Santa Cruz. This interview with Yvette Young of Covet was recorded on October 14th, 2025. And I’m here with Yvette Young of Covet…
First Day Back Sells Out Hometown Show @ The Catalyst Atrium 9/24
Since their debut album in June 2025, First Day Back has shot into emo stardom. Pulling from 1990s second-wave emo influences (think of Braid, Algernon Caldawalder, Jejune, and Cap’n Jazz) reveals First Day Back’s revival of—and listeners’ interest in—this specific…
Rain-Soaked Flyers and Backyard Goodbyes: An Interview with First Day Back
Written by Claudia Aguilera Santa Cruz band First Day Back released their debut album Forward on June 1, 2025, earning support from listeners drawn to their distinct sound, which nods to the 90s emo bands that shape their influences. With raw,…
A Deep Dive Into the 2025 2nd Wave Emo Revival, Ft. Talks with Stitching and Milkcrate Merch
By Peyton K. Every so often, a subgenre will seem to be revived out of nowhere, with new bands creating music that brings you right back to tunes from the genre’s conception. Over the past few years, I’ve seen…
Straying From The Expected: An Interview With Abbeys Garden
By Amahli Vivian Back in June this year, I interviewed Abbeys Garden, an alternative emo band based in Las Vegas. As they prepare for an upcoming record release, we talked about preparing for live shows, skateboarding, music influences and more! Abbeys…
Chico Tunecrafters: An interview with Caught in a Flood
By Amahli Vivian and Peyton K. On June 5th, Caught in a Flood played at Subrosa in Santa Cruz during their mini-West Coast tour with Dahlia Cross. During their brief time in town Peyton K. and Amahli Vivian were lucky…
“We’re repurposing it for our own sake”: An Interview with Sex Ed
By Amahli Vivian About a week before their show at SubRosa Community Space on June 5, I interviewed Sex Ed, an electroskramz band based in the North Bay Area. Sex Ed creates a sound entirely their own, pulling influences from…
KZSC on the Phone With Tropa Magica
KZSC's Lady Deed interviews psychedelic-cumbia-punk band Tropa Magica about their new album and ongoing tour for Para Bailar y Tripiar, what they like about Santa Cruz, and more ♫
The Sound of San Francisco Emocore: An Interview with Junipero
By Amahli Vivian Last week, I interviewed the San Francisco based emocore band Junipero. We chatted about music influences, band name origins, upcoming music plans, the live music scene in the Bay Area + San Francisco, and what defines emo…
2025 Alternative Music Releases: What’s Stood Out So Far
By Peyton K. 2025 Alternative Music Releases 5 months into 2025, I want to reflect on all the exceptional music released this year. From the first day of this year, new and old bands have dropped singles, EPs, splits, albums,…
Odd Time Signatures Between the Vinyl Bins: Vetch @ Streetlight Records 5/18
Written by Claudia Aguilera Claudia Aguilera, with the assistance of Nina Carrillo, interview Vetch at Streetlight Records - Santa Cruz. From stalking a drummer at the climbing gym to crafting intricate riffs, the trio reflects on their evolution and…
The Garden’s “Nine Desperate Dates” @ sold out Catalyst
By Amahli Vivian March 7, 2025, was not the first time The Garden had come to Santa Cruz. They had played at the Catalyst back in 2022, although I was unable to attend. Their most recent “Nine Desperate Dates” tour…
Sasscore & The Emergence of Counter Counterculture: Description, History, and Recommendations
Sasscore and the Emergence of Counter Counterculture By Peyton K. It may seem impossible to envision a genre of music that somehow rebels against both mainstream culture and counterculture. However, the genre of sasscore manages to exist in a unique…
Positive Hardcore in Socal: A Night at the Moroccan Lounge with Fall Through, Silenced, Stand Tall, Start Today, and Kiowa
By Peyton K. A Youth Crew revival is on the horizon, and it's coming to a town near you. After hearing raving reviews of Start Today after they opened for Knumears' 2 Year Anniversary show on the 22nd, I knew…
A Rainy Evening at the Rio with Haley Heynderickx and The Westerlies
By: DJ Alla The sound of folk music is alive and well today in Haley Heynderickx. This past Friday the 31st I was lucky enough to see Haley at the Rio Theatre here in Santa Cruz. Haley is a Portland-based…