We’re not gonna beat around the bush here-everything that Putumayo World Music puts out is worth running to the store and snatching immediately. Whoever is in charge of selecting these collections from the world’s most familiar and far-flung regions deserves a lifetime Grammy Award. So while this is a short list, we back their whole catalog, which can be checked out at putumayo.com.
CRUSHIN’: Sometimes it seems we’ve reached a plateau in music. No new sound in how long? And these days, we’re even apparently reverting back to ’80s Brit-punk with an alternative flare. But Chicago’s Crush Kill Destroy deviates from the norm and fuses its own style into a twisted synergy of melody and dark distortion.
The Garden Wise Guys Take to the Airwaves Have you caught the hot new local gardening show yet? It’s the Garden Wise Guys, with Billy Goodnick and Owen Dell.
Cindy Sheehan-arguably the nation’s best-known peace activist-visited Santa Barbara last weekend on the two-year anniversary of her son Casey’s death in Iraq. Sheehan became famous late last year when she camped outside of President Bush’s Texas ranch, demanding a face-to-face with the commander-in-chief.
Unleavened Bread and Easter Eggs Quiz
At Campbell Hall, Thursday, April 6.
Over the years, certain milestones of western awareness of life in South Africa have focused attention on one of the country’s prime and most globally beloved exports, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
One of Santa Barbara’s musical talents, Laurie Zeluck-pianist, composer, arranger-passed away recently after a two-year struggle with lung cancer. With a prodigious talent and plucky spirit, she single-handedly crafted her career and took her place in the music world. Laurie Z, as she was known professionally, was slim, sexy, and smooth, but also smart, savvy, and self-possessed. She was uncommonly poised, even as a teenager, with a Mona Lisa smile and a quiet twinkle in her eye.
At Campbell Hall, Sunday, April 9.
Only New York Times op-ed columnist Frank Rich would think to liken the O.J. Simpson murder trial to the 1970s television miniseries Roots. Comparing current journalism scandals to faded Simpson-era media creatures such as Kato Kaelin, Rich argued that both the Simpson circus and Roots acted as indecisive ongoing commentaries on race in American life. During his 90 minutes, Rich, a former Time magazine critic and author of the book Ghost Light, shared his growing concern with the irresponsibility of our nation’s media and entertainment industries.
More than 300 people packed into the David Gebhard room at the City’s Community Development building last week as the longstanding public debate regarding hiking trail access in Santa Barbara’s front country was renewed with a vengeance.
Four of the most influential writers from contemporary Taiwan will be giving a talk at UCSB on Thursday, April 20
