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Hawaiian Music For Days

The month of March brings us the sounds of the Islands, beginning with Willie K. at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga this Thursday, March 3rd at 7:30 pm.  Willie Kahaiali'i sings just about every style of music; he can - and…

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A woman with dark hair sits topless, turned slightly away and looking over her shoulder, against a dark background. The text reads "KALTHOUM" at the top and "IBRAHIM MAALOUF" at the bottom.

Jazz & Blues Charts

After a hiatus, Jazz & Blues blogs are back. Here are the top 10 spins from the past week: TIFFANY AUSTIN - Nothing But Soul DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER - Dee Dee's Feathers KENNY COX - Detroit Jazz City SARAH QUINTANA - Miss River KIM…

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Five men in suits stand on railroad tracks at dusk; the man in front plays a violin while the others stand behind him, one holding a hat. Trees and buildings are visible in the background.

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper Mon Feb 29th

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper will be playing top quality traditional style bluegrass at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA on Monday, February 29th, 2016. From Charlestown, Indiana, Mike has won the International Bluegrass Music Association's award as Best Fiddle Performer of the…

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Five young men pose outside on a cobblestone path, smiling and holding traditional musical instruments including a violin, flute, accordion, guitar, and concertina. A harbor is visible in the background.

Irish Band Téada Fri Feb 26th

Award-winning Irish traditional band Téada (Gaelic for "strings") kicks off its "reAwakening" tour in the U.S. with an appearance at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA on Friday, February 26, 2016. Their performance will provide a glimpse into the 100-year period of Irish musical renaissance from 1916…

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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…

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Abstract artwork with a vibrant, circular, rainbow-colored pattern radiating outward, resembling an oil slick or cosmic phenomenon. The top right corner displays the text "SOLAR GLORY PILOT" in white and yellow letters.

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…

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Event flyer for "West Fest Music Festival" on February 26, 2016, from 4-7pm at College 8 Upper Lawn; free event presented by KZSC, College 8, and Oakes. Background shows a misty coastal landscape.

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.

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Cover of Good Times magazine featuring the headline "Serialized," a photo of a smiling woman, a close-up of audio mixing equipment, and images related to the podcast Serial.

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.

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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…

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Wobbleland 2016 festival lineup poster with neon blue lettering and a city skyline background, listing headliners like GTA, Hucci, NGHTMRE, Doctor P, and supporting acts, held in San Jose, CA on Feb 26-27, 2016.

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+)!

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2012 SCPride Marshals

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.

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A cartoonish yellow creature with a long snout stands upright, holding a red brick in one hand and a cigarette in its mouth. The background is black.

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…

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Two musicians perform on stage under purple lighting; the front musician sings and plays electric guitar, while the other plays electric guitar in the background. The stage has exposed beams and dark curtains.

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…

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Three people are shown: one playing a guitar under a palm tree, another singing and playing guitar with a microphone, and a third person dancing in a purple dress, gesturing gracefully with her hands.

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.

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A close-up of tattooed hands pressing buttons on a music production pad, with the text "NOTTZ IN MY MIND the ep" at the top in bold letters. The overall tone is dark and focused on the hands and the equipment.

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…

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A man stands against a red wall, partially in shadow. Large white and light blue text in the center reads, "HOUSE SHOES LET IT GO.

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…

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Album cover for "Love Language" by Wouter Kellerman, featuring a silhouette of a person playing a flute against a vibrant, colorful background with a mandala design and glowing light effects.

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…

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A woman with long dark hair and hoop earrings sits at a table, facing forward with her hands on the surface. She wears a black blazer and is in front of a rustic brick wall.

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…

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