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'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 ♫
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…
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,…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
By Roktima Godhuli PSUE DONIM, aka Ben Phipps, and I met in August. We immediately bonded through music, hanging out in the car on those hot summer nights and listening to the good stuff. We talked about our favorite songs…
By Amahli Vivian On December 4th, I was lucky enough to interview Tom Katsaras, the frontman and vocalist of Twine. Initially a solo project formed in 2021 by Katsaras, Twine later solidified into a full band. The South Australian band’s…
By Amahli Vivian Hometown shows tend to be more lively compared to other shows. Scowl, a local hardcore punk band took over the Santa Cruz Catalyst stage on November 30 for their "Annual Dance Party 2024." I was lucky enough…
Thanks to KZSC’s lovely rock director, I scored two tickets to see Mk.Gee during his Two Star and The Dream Police World Tour at the Fox Theater in Oakland — though not without some trials and tribulations. Initially, I thought…
On Saturday October 26th at the Catalyst, Suki Waterhouse played a show that I now consider one of my favorite live performances. After the opener, Bully, who set the stage with her high energy grunge rock sound, Waterhouse emerged from…
This past Saturday, Ian George performed at Blue House Stage, a local venue in Scotts Valley. My friend Emma and I drove just 15 minutes on the 17 and arrived at a winding road that led into mountains. We passed beautiful…
by DJ Shove It Seeing Jessica Pratt live is unreal. Her voice has the same mystic charm that comes through in her recorded work, but with the added splendor of a full stage live set and full band accompanying her…
An interview with Robin Jones, grad student in UCSC's History of Consciousness department and member of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW). We discuss the UAW's recent strike authorization vote, as well as what that could mean for students and…
KZSC's DJ Badger meets with with a labor organizer for Nor Cal Carpenter's Union, regarding concerns over the bidders of a $140 million dollar student housing contract at UCSC.
By Amahli Vivian Only nine months ago in June 2023, Orange County-based Slater (Nichlaus Beaty) visited Santa Cruz to promote his mixtape Beneath the Motel. Earlier this year on March 14, he returned to the Catalyst Atrium for the ongoing Still…
This coming Thursday marks the opening of the 12th Annual Watsonville Film Festival, a three-day long event filled with screenings by and about Latine filmmakers - as well as a celebration of the 15th anniversary of the film La Mission. …
