Our Assistant Music Director Kai is here to shine a spotlight on the rhythm and soul of breakdancing music. From the gritty funk of the ’70s to modern-day mixtapes made for cyphers, discover how the beats that fuel breakers have evolved alongside hip-hop. These tracks are guaranteed to get your […]
Album Review – Big Red Gibson By Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus words by Corinna Kelley Taking inspiration from bands such as The Byrds and Bob Dylan, Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus take us on a folk-rock journey to self acceptance and what it means to choose passion over […]
Assistant MD Savina is here to introduce you to the new wave of cumbia and the standout talents that have shaped its evolution. Read on to discover the ways that artists from the 1970s to present-day have worked to transform traditional cumbia while also staying true to their roots. words […]
If you’re longing and looking to tap into your indie-centered nostalgia, Just Like Heaven is the place to be. Every May, Goldenvoice puts on their annual Just Like Heaven festival, and this year marks 5 years since the first edition. It’s the time of year where you can bring back […]
KCSB’s Fall ’23 Assistant Music Director, Amber Cooper, reviews Vyva Melinkolya’s second album Unbecoming. Read on to learn more! Words by Amber Cooper Vyva Melinkolya’s Unbecoming feels like it slowly sucks the air out of your lungs; it carries a lot of weight, and its crawling pace feels like a sinkhole, drawing […]
Words by: Bella Genolio (External MD), Marion Suchowiecky (Internal MD), and Ryan Tabib (Music Librarian) The music department at KCSB is constantly looking for the best music from diverse, underrepresented, and independent musicians. As the year comes to a close, we wanted to share our favorite musical gems from 2023. […]
words by Will Bacaj photos courtesy Life Is Beautiful KCSB’s Promotions Director Will Bacaj attended the Life is Beautiful festival in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada Sept 22-24, 2023. Here’s his report from the scene. Having never been anywhere in Las Vegas beyond the Strip, going to Las Vegas for a […]
words by Yasmeen Tsipena Photo courtesy of Portola Music Festival Six months ago I let my roommate convince me to buy a 300 dollar ticket to a music festival I had never heard of. The 21+ electronic music festival took place the weekend of September 30th on the vast lot […]
“The Lost Tapes” by Mad Anthony Words by Bella Genolio (External Music Director 23′-24′) As the end of summer approaches and students return to Santa Barbara, it’s nice to slow down and enjoy the sun before the chaos of fall quarter begins. What better way to do so than to […]
Our Internal Music Director, Marion, made her way to the heart of Los Angeles to see American blues legend, Buddy Guy, take the Hollywood Bowl. Keep reading for her recap and review. Words by: Marion Suchowiecky It is difficult to overstate the influence of the blues on American music. If […]
Every Acre” by H.C. McEntire words by Marion Suchowiecky (Ext. Music Director 22-24′) H.C. McEntire’s latest project, “Every Acre,” takes listeners on a captivating and personal journey across the expansive fields of North Carolina, and their connection to the artist’s memory. With her powerful vocals, evocative songwriting, and […]
Our Assistant Music Directors, Bella Genolio and Tyler Clark, chose albums that were sent to our music department, and tried to guess what they sounded like solely based on their covers. Check out their reviews! Everything is Magick by Impuritan (Tyler) I really like the cover art on this […]
Words by: Marion Suchowiecky and Justin Africawala On Friday May 5th, KCSBfm’s External Music Director, Marion Suchowiecky, and Music Librarian, Justin Africawala, made their way down into the heart of Los Angeles to attend the Wednesday and Toner concert at the Teragram Ballroom. Read on to hear the pair of […]
Album Review – Eros in the Bunker by Double Virgo words by Dorien Medina (KCSB Digital Media Coordinator 22-23′) I think the stars aligned when I found this album. On my first listen, I instantly loved it. I was obsessed with every melody, and loved how I could just swim in […]
Words by: Marion Suchowiecky (KCSB External Music Director 22-23′) Listening to Liv.e’s newest project Girl In The Half Pearl is a mind-whirling experience. After one listen, I could only remember bits and pieces- the sound of a toy phone ringing, dynamic rhythm changes, deeply groovy bass, the feeling of being […]
Music Review Committee is a weekly meeting hosted by our very own Music Department, in which volunteers sort through and listen to (sometimes unreleased) music that has been sent to the station and curate which CDs get added to our library. It’s a space for friends, group listening sessions, music […]
words by: Dorien Medina (Digital Media Coordinator 22-23′) It’s that time of the season when everyone puts together their end-of-year lists to highlight the best music they heard, BUT this time I’m doing something a little different, because If I had to rank my favorite albums across ALL genres my […]
Words By: Marion Suchowiecky (External Music Director 22-23′) Edited By: Ava Kuredjian When I was 15 and in high school, I spent many lunch hours in the library, nervously poring over the lyrics of Father John Misty’s third album Pure Comedy. The omniscient narrator in this story places the […]
Words by: Yousef Srour, Internal Music Director It’s been 30 years since Spiritualized’s first album (with most of this catalogue now available domestically on Fat Possum Records). It’s a long time in which you can redefine your sound, taking influence from pop culture, be inclined to straggle behind new art […]
No one does “sample drill” better than New Yorkers. From Shawny Binladen to Pop Smoke, these new-age drill artists have been reworking popular culture’s biggest radio hits into grimey, bass-heavy tracks about running drills (i.e., hitting a lick, using your tool, etc). Of all the newcomers, the Surf Gang collective […]
The Odd Future camp is having a hell of a run. With Tyler, The Creator’s last album, Call Me When You Get Lost, he became the first lead rapper to solely produce and arrange a Billboard 200 #1 album. You can spot Frank Ocean at the MET Gala or his […]
Drill music has proven to be one of the most controversial subgenres of hip-hop to emerge in the 2010s. Largely developed by artists such as Fredo Santana, Waka Flocka Flame, and Lil Reese, there’s an astute level of nihilism that goes into each aspect of every song, from the scratchy […]
Make Drunk Cool Again – RXK Nephew This review is not for the faint of heart. I foreword my review with this statement because RXK Nephew makes music that is egregiously alternative – it’s music that sounds so anti-music that it wavers into its own subgenre. At the young age […]
Yousef and Marion, KCSB’s music directors, have compiled their picks for the 25 best albums of 2021. Yousef: For me, this year has been as hard as can be. Dealing with my mental health and constant turmoil within my relationships, I’ve had to take steps back from the world […]
KCSB’s music department is sitting down each month to write to you about one album added to our music library that left a strong enough impression on them to be crowned Add of the Month. For October 2021, KCSB’s Internal Music Director Yousef Srour goes in depth on Injury Reserve’s […]
KCSB INVITES YOU TO ATTEND THE FIRST IN-PERSON SHOW WE’VE HOSTED IN OVER TWO YEARS ☆♬○♩●♪✧♩✧♪●♩○♬☆ KCSB is inviting all on-campus music lovers to our first live concert since Winter 2020, featuring Atlanta pop-rap duo Coco & Clair Clair. Channeling retro-futuristic Y2K aesthetics mixed with dreamy bedroom production, […]
Yousef and Marion, KCSB’s internal and external music directors, have compiled a playlist of their September favorites just for you <3 Enjoy! ******* ☆SEPTEMBER 2021 MUSIC DEPARTMENT PLAYLIST ☆ MARION’S RECS Jonathan Richman – “That Summer Feeling” – Jonathan Richman’s lyrics always cut deep. But as this summer […]
KCSB’s music department is sitting down each month to write to you about one album added to our music library that left a strong enough impression on them to be crowned Add of the Month. For August 2021, KCSB’s Internal Music Director Yousef Srour goes in depth on DARKSIDE’s Spiral. […]
Marion and Yousef, KCSB’s External and Internal Music Directors, share their August music recommendations here. For more updates from the Music Department, sign up for their monthly newsletters right here on KCSB.org! Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime (Yousef’s pick). An escapade through the lesser-known branch of psychedelic music known as Tishoumaren […]
KCSB’s Promotions Director Ryan Miller sat down with electronic artist Galen Tipton (aka recovery girl) to discuss her artistic vision, newest projects, and viral success on TikTok. Watch, listen, or read to learn more! Ryan: Welcome everyone to 91.9 KCSB-FM in Santa Barbara! My name is Ryan Miller, I’m the […]
KCSB’s music department is sitting down each month to write to you about one album added to our music library that left a strong enough impression on them to be crowned Add of the Month. For July 2021, KCSB’s Internal Music Director Yousef Srour goes in depth on Mach-Hommy’s Pray […]
KCSB’s music department is sitting down each month to write to you about one album added to our music library that left a strong enough impression on them to be crowned Add of the Month. This month, KCSB’s Internal Music Director Yousef Srour goes in depth on Mustafa’s latest album, […]
KCSB’s music department is sitting down each month to write to you about one album added to our music library that left a strong enough impression on them to be crowned Add of the Month. This month, External Music Director Finnegan Smith goes in depth on Kero Kero Bonito’s latest […]
KCSB’s music department is sitting down each month to write to you about one album added to our music library that left a strong enough impression on them to be crowned Add of the Month. This month, Internal Music Director Yousef Srour goes in depth on Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders […]
KCSB’s music department is sitting down each month to write to you about one album added to our music library that left a strong enough impression on them to be crowned Add of the Month. This month, External Music Director Finnegan Smith goes in depth on Black Country, New Road’s […]
KCSB’s music department is sitting down each month to write to you about one album added to our music library that left a strong enough impression on them to be crowned Add of the Month. This month, Internal Music Director Yousef Srour goes in depth on Boldy James’ latest album, “Manger […]
