Selling you the Science of Street Rap
In between spitting grit and rawness about the harsh realities of drugs, death and a hard life, humility poured through the mic as Freddie Gibbs performed to about 150 lucky, loyal — and mostly male — fans. The intimate show transpired at The Atrium on…
Swimming the Swamp
The usual crowd of animated Santa Cruzans, students and locals, dripped with sweat as they counted down the 30 minutes until Dr. Dog claimed the stage at The Catalyst on Jan. 31. Blue hues from LED lights decorated drummer Eric Slick’s drum kit, Zach Miller’s…
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
New York-based band The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, headed by Kip Berman, has been delivering wistful, fuzz-fueled indie pop gems since 2007. Following the departure of vocalist and keyboardist Peggy Wang along with bassist Alex Naidus, Berman was forced to reconfigure the band for the making of 2014’s “Days of Abandon.” What resulted was a thoughtful record that scaled back the guitars and streamlined the arena-sized sound of their prior releases.
Pop Melodies and Frenetic Energy
What does a sold-out crowd at The Catalyst on a rainy Friday look like? Sweaty. Dripping off the backs of young hipsters, sliding down the walls, permeating the whole dance floor in a hazy shroud of fumes. I sat down at a table above the…