Radio from a parallel universe.
Sometimes a hole in your memory banks can really mess with you. It can be an unsettling feeling. Such was the case for yours truly on a long-overdue trip back East to see family. Turns out that, my hometown high…
Wakin on a Pretty Day with Kurt Vile
Kurt Vile is almost a little too "hip" to be extremely outgoing during a performance, but that's why we love him, right? To quote one of my new friends from Alabama whom I met at Bonnaroo Music Festival, "Kurt seemed…
Ready for the Heat at Bonnaroo Music Festival?
I'm getting ready to take on the beating sun in Tennessee. The Bonnaroo Music Festival is held annually at the Great Stage Park in Manchester, at the historic location of "The Farm", about an hour South East of Nashville. I am excited to represent KZSC at a large-scale event such as this one, and I hope you can follow my check-ins during the weekend! Tame Impala, LCD Soundsystem, J.Cole, The Internet, and many others.
May 29 KZSC Presents: Sugar Candy Mountain w/ Luke Sweeney and Jackie Zealous
Sunday May 29: KZSC Presents tropical psychedelic pop band, Sugar Candy Mountain from Joshua Tree, California. Playing with Santa Cruz's surf garage rock band, Jackie Zealous and San Francisco's psychedelic soul pop band, Luke Sweeney.
"If Brian Wilson had dropped acid on the beach in Brazil and decided to record an album with Os Mutantes and The Flaming Lips, it would sound like this— featuring space-age sounds and far-out frequencies from the tripped out tropics," then you would have Sugar Candy Mountain.
Hope to see you there!
Support KZSC and get some great tickets!
KZSC has all kinds of great tickets still available during this Spring's Pledge Drive. You can get these tickets for less then you would pay at the door. We don't charge service fees!
Check out these hot tickets, and click on the ones you want!
May 27: Steven “Ragga” Marley at the Catalyst
May 28: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in SF
June 3: Bad Religion at the Catalyst
June 4: The Budos Band at The Catalyst
June 21: Cherry Glazerr at The Catalyst
July 9: Island Reggae Festival in San Jose
Sept 3: Tame Impala in Berkeley
All you have to do is click on the show you like. You know you want to! Even more tickets are available during the Spring Pledge Drive are in Pledge Drive Shop.
May 3-12: KZSC Spring 2016 Pledge Drive
Spring is in the air and with all those new flowers in bloom, it's time for the KZSC Spring Pledge Drive!
Between May 3rd through the 12th, we'll be reminding everyone that KZSC can't exist without the support of our listeners--that's you! Help us continue our nearly 50-year run and make a secure pledge by clicking here. It only takes a minute.
Between May 3rd and 12th, you can call us at 831-459-4036 or 831-459-2811. Help us spread the word with #KZSCPledgeDrive!
KZSC brings together California college radio
KZSC is still all-abuzz from the exciting conference we just pulled off! We met more than 100 college radio programmers from all over California--sharing ideas and excitement to help us all sound better and better.
The must-read radio blog Radio Survivor filed this nice write-up.
SXSW 2016 is a Wrap.
Visiting Austin for South by Southwest was a fantastic experience. Huge thanks to our friends Toni and Jeff Albrecht for allowing us to crash in their home for the week. Also a big thanks to Keith Rozendal and Lucy Rojas for helping us arrange the trip.
SXSW Day Four! Don’t Mess With Texas.
Friday’s keynote was incomparable, as the conversation between Houston legend Bun B and James Prince, founder of Rap-A-Lot Records and one of the most respected figures in the industry. Nikhil reports, that over the course of the conversation they reflected…
Day Three Updates! From Texas!
The morning began with a keynote address by Tony Visconti, a high profile record producer who has worked with countless artists. Visconti was extremely close to David Bowie, producing many of Bowie’s records, including the late artist’s final work, Blackstar.…
Wednesday Highlights from South by Southwest!
We need to talk about Michelle Obama's biceps, and all of the other things that happened on Wednesday.
South by Southwest: Tuesday Highlights
Tuesday was a blur… The day began with a midnight flight from San Francisco to Austin, TX. Followed by an Uber ride that got us to our beds by 6:00am, only to wake up for morning conferences. But we did it! Hello 90 degree Texas. Jesus take the wheel.
KZSC is Going To South By Southwest!!
South By Southwest is the fastest growing music and media gathering in the United States. The festival is held yearly in Austin City, Texas, and KZSC is sending five intrepid reporters to bring you the highlights back from the mayhem!! The event will be so fantastic that Obama will be skipping Nancy Reagan's funeral to fly out! So stay posted to our blog from March 14th to 19th for coverage of the conference's exhibitions and music showcases.
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.
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.
Best Releases of 2015: Fonzie’s Don’t Sleep Recommendations Volume 3
It's pretty difficult for me to rank my favorites, but here are my personal top 25 favorite releases (albums, mixtapes, EPs) of 2015. It's mostly hip-hop since that's what I listen to most as hip-hop director here at KZSC! Please comment how I left off your favorite album (I know I probably did). It's hard to keep up with everything!
KZSC Presents Surfer Blood & Cayucas on Jan 13
KZSC Presents Surfer Blood’s fuzzed-out indie-surf rock and Cayucas’ nostalgic sunny pop at a rockin’ show January 13th at The Catalyst. Surfer Blood released their third album, 1000 Palms, this past May and Cayucas just released their second album, Dancing at the Blue Lagoon.
Programmer of the Month: Aimdog Hamslice
Aimee Hamel, AKA Aimdog Hamslice, is October's Programmer of the Month. Aimee created Country Fried and Irish Boyfriend.
She is currently interning at WAM (Women’s Audio Mission). WAM is the only non-profit recording studio in the world that was built and run by women. Less than 5% of people working in the audio industry are women, and WAM’s goal is to “change the face of sound.”
Day of the Dead a Time to Remember
We lost Greg Williams this year. He was a programmer and a warm and welcoming presence at KZSC for years and years.
On this Day of the Dead, we wanted to share this Cole Lemke artwork--in tribute to Greg AKA DJ Sequoia Slim and The Gemini Factor. It seems perfectly fitting.
Greetings from Festivals Acadiens et Creoles
We were so happy to get this great postcard, direct from The Festivals Acadiens et Creoles in Lafayette, Louisiana!
It says: "Get on board and git a good education.... The Lagniappe crew needs a field trip!"
Thanks, Randy D! We're packing our pirogue for the next fest!
Bon Voyage, Dylan Music
KZSC is losing one of its very best DJs, just as we head into our fall schedule. Dylan Music (AKA DJ Oy-Dog) of Muzikal Jewz has to end his seven-year run with The Great 88.
The good news is that he has a job in radio. The bad news is the commute back to our side of the Monterey Bay is just too long.