Playlist: Angel Ortega’s ten picks
April 13, 2019
For my playlist, I decided to choose songs that have been in my constant rotation for years and have some significance in my life, one way or another.KANYE WEST – "REAL FRIENDS" Kanye West is one of my favorite artists of all time. The man has proven time and time again that he is not only one of th...
Local musicians aid in Camp Fire relief effort
January 23, 2019
Celebration has been bittersweet since flames took to the town of Paradise in November. But excitement still filled the air as dutiful fans waited eagerly for musicians Jonathan Richman and MaMuse during a Camp Fire benefit concert hosted by KZFR Radio at the Chico Women’s Center, Friday.Jonathan Richman, a...
Playlist: 15 classic rock songs that are truly timeless
November 5, 2018
I’m not a huge fan of the term “classic rock”—it’s too broad. There’s often much debate about what music actually belongs in this category, but here’s a list of truly timeless rock songs. This list barely scratches the surface of all the great rock songs that ha...
Podcast: Why is modern pop music so stale?
Natalie Hanson, Alex Coba, Ulises Duenas, and Grant Schmieding
November 4, 2018
Pop music itself is not inherently bad, so why does it have such a bad reputation these days? In our latest podcast, we sat down to discuss the evolution of modern pop music (or lack of evolution) and how it got to where it currently is today. Tackling the state of contemporary popular music is no sm...
On This Day: “Led Zeppelin II” proves lightning can strike twice
October 23, 2018
"Led Zeppelin II" was released 49 years ago, on Oct. 22 in 1969, and it still can rock the pants off of most rock bands to this day. In the '70s, nobody could touch Led Zeppelin once they took off. After the release of "Led Zeppelin" earlier that year, this album proved that the band was ascending t...
Smokey the Groove presents the party challenge
April 18, 2018
“If we were a TV show we would be Sesame Street but if Sesame Street met the band from the Muppets," explains the talented group of goofballs who make up Smokey the Groove.The group reminisced over burgers about how their band met, the group dynamic and revealed a proposition that they have for ...
Oldies but goodies
October 10, 2017
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison - Blowin' Your Mind!Head Games - Foreigner - Head GamesGood Vibrations - The Beach Boys - Good VibrationsGirls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield - Working Class DogWild Horses - Rolling Stones - Sticky FingersThe Joker - Steve M...
Coldplay’s new album parachutes into the unfamiliar
December 16, 2015
"A Head Full of Dreams" is a great album capable of captivating many audiences. Coldplay shows their ability to step into elements of genres such as world music, soul, electronic and jazz while still maintaining the underlying alternative rock sound that they have always been known for.Even though their debut a...
John Hiatt, Taj Mahal Trio rock Laxson Auditorium
September 15, 2015
The lights dimmed and out walked the 73-year-old Taj Mahal with his two bandmates right behind him. The audience cheered for the blues legend as he gave a warm and friendly wave to all. Mahal sat and grabbed his bronze resonator acoustic guitar, tested it for a split second and then seamlessly went into...
Friday Night Concert provides enjoyable community atmosphere
May 17, 2014
A man in a yellow T-shirt plays the air piano along with the band Urban Legend at the 37th anniversary of Downtown Chico’s Friday Night Concert series. “I’ve been going to the concerts since I was 11,” local John G. said. “I can’t recall the amount of bands I’ve seen here.”The free concerts will run every Friday until Sep...
