New World Charts!
As we are approaching Week 9 in the quarter, we could all use some new, upbeat, and expressive music to get us through our studies. Boogarins, a psychadellic rock band that formed in Brazil, just released their new album "Manual…
Local Artist of the Week: Solar Glory
We are officially kicking off the "Local Artist of the Week" blog series here on the world-famous KZSC Website! To start off strong, we will be showcasing Solar Glory, a Santa Cruz-based space rock/experimental/drone/post-prog/psychedelic group! Check out their Facebook Page…
Feb 24: KZSC, College 8 & Oakes Present: West Fest 2016 Music Festival!
KZSC Santa Cruz 88.1FM , College Eight, and Oakes College bring you a free music festival, on Friday February 26th from 4 to 7 pm. West Fest 2016 on the UCSC's College Eight Upper Lawn, incorporates music from psychedelic space rock and gameboy tunes to a Grammy-nominated cellist Rushad Eggleston. The line-up features acts who have years of experience and some that have only gotten their start in recent months. Check out the long-awaited release of the line-up below! Also, see the Facebook Event link for more information.
March 9: KZSC alum Julie Snyder speaking in Carmel
Julie Snyder, KZSC's former news director (1990s) and the co-creator of the world's most popular podcast, Serial, was the cover star of February 17th's Good Times weekly! Don't miss the Q&A with Good Times Editor-in-Chief Steve Palopoli, where she talks about being a Senior Producer at This American Life and how that led to the birth and explosive growth of Serial--a Peabody-award winning true crime podcast series. And see if you can make it out to see Julie Snyder and Serial co-creator Sarah Koenig talk at The Sunset Center's ‘Binge-Worthy Journalism: Backstage With the Creators of Serial’ on Wednesday, March 9th.
Anderson .Paak – YES LORD
Anderson .Paak is one of the up and coming artists of the past few years. His work ethic is reflected in the projects he puts out as well as those who notice him. Releasing two albums, Venice and Malibu, as…
Ticket Giveaway of the Week: Wobbleland 2016 Music Festival!
KZSC is known for having the freshest ticket giveaways for our dear listeners every week (several times a day)! This week's spotlight giveaway is for Wobbleland 2016, a two-day EDM Festival (Friday February 26th- Saturday February 27th) at the San Jose Civic! Listen to Cr8 Diggers Anonymous (Tues 3 pm) and Eclectic Avenue (Wed 10 pm) KZSC this week for your chance to win a pair of weekend passes to this event (ages 16+)!
KZSC’s Closet Free Radio Wins Lifetime Achievement Award!
KZSC is bursting with pride, for Closet Free Radio! They've been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Diversity Center Santa Cruz County. Closet Free Radio is the longest running radio show about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning issues in the country. You can count on CFR for a comprehensive stream of LGBTQ news, interviews, and entertaining commentary every Monday at 7 pm.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor at the Fox Theater: KZSC Show Reviews
There’s not really any sort of cohesive way to discuss a band like Godspeed You! Black Emperor that doesn’t begin to sound either extremely pretentious or like an academic paper. As I sat on the base of a pillar in…
Quasimoto (Ka•wah•zee•moh•toe)
written by David Reid Quasimoto, simply put, is one of the baddest MCs out there. Paying no attention to time Lord Quas has been around for years and years but only recently made his appearance in hip hop within the…
KZSC Presents Surfer Blood & Cayucas
The Catalyst Atrium | January 13, 2016 About a month ago, KZSC teamed up with the Catalyst to present indie hotshots Surfer Blood in The Atrium. Attendance was high for a weeknight and the audience's energy was palpable. The sound of…
Feb 4: Hawaiian Musical Greats at The Rio Theatre
Two stars of Hawaiian music are at the Rio Theatre Thursday February 4th--Keola Beamer, composer, singer-songwriter, accomplished slack key guitar master and Henry Kapono, singer-songwriter, actor, and rocker. Moanalani Beamer will grace the stage with hula. These gentlemen of music brought us many of the original songs that have formed the identity of Hawaiian music since the 1970s.
Nottz: Raw
written by David Reid Whether or not you know the man you know Nottz. Busta Rhymes, Talib Kweli, Kanye are only a small portion of the people Nottz has produced for. Having such a substantial production history (and this is…
The Donkeys and Jackie Zealous at The Crepe Place 1/28
This Thursday January 28th @ 9pm The Donkeys and Jackie Zealous will be playing at The Crepe Place on Soquel Avenue (just a block from the Rio Theater). Jackie Zealous is a local Santa Cruz surf/garage trio, who have made impressionable performances all…
House Shoes: One of Hip Hops Top Authorities
written by David Reid Michael ‘House Shoes’ Buchanan has been apart of the hip hop community since the mid-90s. He transitioned from hip hop head, to resident DJ at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit, to owner of his own record label…
World Charts and Preview of Wouter Kellerman
In Wouter Kellerman's album Love Language, he focuses on classical flute styles intertwined with Roots music. Kellerman's mixture of contemporary music, and traditional musical styles from South Africa, brings a refreshing new spin on classical flute instrumentation. He's worked with…
New World Charts!
"Junun" is still our number one for the top ten new world tracks. Even so, stay tuned for new artists climbing up the ranks. Such as Carla Morrison, Grupo Fantasma, and Wouter Kellerman. Stay Worldly Slugs. Top Ten: Jonny Greenwood/Shye…
Loud Rock Charts – First Week of January
Top Ten: BARONESS -- Purple HATCHET -- Fear Beyond Lunacy LEFTOVER CRACK -- Constructs Of The State ZULUS -- II GRAVE BABIES -- Holographic Violence MADAME MAYHEM -- Now You Know SHINING -- International Blackjazz Society DRACONIAN -- Sovran USELESS…
Bowie is Gone… but Rock Charts are Back!
KZSC has shed many a tear in the last couple days over the loss of a legend. As Vonnegut would say, so it goes. In preparing the CMJ Charts & Adds for the week, I discovered this new B-side, "David Bowie Songs," released by The Spook School just hours before Bowie's passing. In addition to Blackstar itself, The Spook School's Try To Be Hopeful was one of our Top 5 Adds this week at KZSC.
Warren G – KZSC Interviews
Station staff member Tony Evans gives us a wonderful interview with legendary west coast hip hop artist and producer Warren G.
New World Charts- 2016!!!
El niño is approaching and KZSC has a storm of its own! Here are the new musical releases to look for as we enter the new year. Stay worldly. Jonny Greenwood/Shye Ben Tzur/Rajastahan Express-Junun Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet-Intercambio Karavan Sarai…
A Floral review (playing Jan 7 in SF)
Nothing really says DIY like a good ol' house show, and nothing says underground like bands that have forged their own distinct sound. I'd known Floral's guitarist since his punk rock days back when our bands were equally pissed off and equally terrible in that beautiful way that only punk is. What a few semesters at Berklee had done to him was simply mindblowing. With only a compressor to cut out feedback and static, his high treble tapping brought the room to a mathy frenzy. Fingers flashed and blurred. Feet flew over massive and elaborate pedalboards. Surely, math has never before been this rock. Or rock been this math. You know, whichever.