Music

Loving, and the Times We’re In

Middle Class Rut Ready Their Full-Length Debut Guy Debord, the pivotal member of the French art collective known as the Situationist International, once graffitied Paris with the slogan “Never Work.” In his book Lipstick Traces, Griel Marcus ties the SI as the real precursors of the punk-anarchist tradition. In a…

Revenge of the Nerds

Ludo returns with a new album and an emboldened sense of confidence There’s a saying in some parts of the country that goes, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes,” of course referring to a bratty and unpredictable climate. In Northern California, given its multitude of microclimates, you…

Risque Nites Two-Year Anniversary

Risqué Nites Two-Year Anniversary on Sept. 18, 2010 When DJ Mike Diamond started a monthly dance night called Risqué Nites two years ago, he had no idea what he was in for. The blood, sweat and tears he and his crew of tight-knit supporters have spilled have been well worth…

Gold Medal for the Copper Spot

Kupros Bistro 1217 21st Street – Sacramento, Calif. Words & Photos by Adam Saake Kupro is Esperantan for copper. If you’re like me, you’re asking yourself, “What the hell is Esperanto?” Esperanto, a language all its own, was developed in the late 1800s as a way to create a middle…

Still Searching for the Sacramento Sound

Nicatyne MidDay Marauder The femme-bot voice from A Tribe Called Quest’s classic album Midnight Marauders taught me that seven times out of 10, we listen to our music at night and that “marauder” means someone who loots. Tribe was marauding for listeners. Sacramento’s Nicatyne is out for the remaining 30…

It’s His Thing

RJD2 Doing What He Wants to Do After releasing his debut, Deadringer, in 2002, it was clear that RJD2 was embarking upon a fruitful career of longevity and innovation. The DJ/producer, and later vocalist, had an undeniable vibe and an eclectic palette of sounds at his disposal. With an understanding…

Icing on the Cupcake’s new Sacramento Location

Downtown Sacramento is about to get a whole lot sweeter when Icing on the Cupcake’s new store opens up at 1121 Alhambra Boulevard (in between Jamba Juice and La Fiesta Taqueria to give you a general idea). Icing already has two stores in the region, one in Rocklin and one…

We All Got The Beat

Thomas Pridgen Makes Honest Sounds for Anyone and Everyone With The Memorials The most stereotypical complaint of any musicians attempting to form a band is that there just aren’t enough drummers in the world. Percussion is the heartbeat, that aggressive slap of stick to skin or steel, an intensity that…

Academic Airwaves: KSSU

KSSU: Back Alley Radio White, floor-to-nearly-ceiling CD-formatted shelves wrap around the half of the 15-foot long by 6-foot wide studio not filled with soundboards and wires. Little more decoration is needed than the hundreds of multi-colored cases. Among the “Electronica” and “Alt/Indie” with “Local” and various genres in between, pictures…