Holy Shit! a Santa Cruz Music Compilation!
January 7th, 2009by Ethan
“Sounds of the Mighty San Lorenzo”
There’s a new art co-op in town. The Tannery has been going full speed ahead – putting on shows, art openings, and establishing a low income housing option for Santa Cruz artists. It’s pretty impressive if you ask me. I recently had my first visit to the Tannery and got to poke around for a bit. They have a nice little art gallery and a tiny recording studio packed full of old musical equipment that had me drooling just a bit. There is still a lot of construction going on for the apartments, but it doesn’t seem to bother the current tenants that are making all of this possible. I’m still not sure how they got the city to fund most of this though. In the past couple of years city officials have spent a lot of time and money on new ordinances to make exactly what the Tannery is doing impossible, like the noise ordinance that was passed that shut down house shows and turned Santa Cruz into a black void where a pretty awesome music scene used to be. But now it looks like things are finally on the up and up. The “Sounds of the Mighty San Lorenzo” comp is proof that not all hope is lost.
The compilation is divided into two discs, a folk side and a rock side which is very fitting considering the two genres are more or less the two predominant scenes in town. The whole thing is done up very professionally but still manages to hold on to some of that diy charm that all great things have. With a hand printed cover and forty something tracks the comp is a very straightforward representation of what our little town has to offer. It also works well as a sort of re-introduction to Santa Cruz as well as announcing our presence to the world.
So naturally if you’re going to release a compilation with two sides it’s only right to have two shows to showcase both genres being represented. The first night was the folk night featuring Mylo Jenkins, Hod, Birds Fled From Me, Johanna Lefever and various other acts. The second night brought us Brown Irish, The Spurts, A Dark and Stormy Night, BATTLE/MTN\, etc, etc. Both nights were fantastic and sold out. If you were there you were a part of something that hasn’t happened here for a long time. You were there for the beginning of something new and beautiful. The start of a music scene that has long since died in our sleepy coastal town. And if you weren’t there, well you missed out. Don’t worry though, like i said it’s just the beginning.
The Sounds of the Mighty San Lorenzo is available at Metamusic, Streetlight Records, Logos and other local stores. Check it out.
Hiram Coffee
Tags: Hiram Coffee, Logos Books and Records, METAMUSIC, Sounds of the Mighty San Lorenzo, Streetlight Records, Tannery Arts Center