Skinny on What’s Phat

SOLEDADEEZ LET LOOSE: The long-awaited debut
album from the Soledadeez, Fattyboombaladee, drops
tonight, Thursday, June 8, at SOhO, a benefit for the Surfrider
Foundation. The groove-rock duo of guitarist-vocalists
Corey Linberg (formerly of the Messengers) and
Mike McHugh became a fixture on the bar scene when
they first started performing late last summer. Since then, their
laid-back, melodic funk-folk — born at Linberg’s pad on Soledad
Street — has graced stages at the Arlington, SOhO, Legends, Zelo,
Tsunami, and the Neighborhood. The album, which is being released
under their own Santa Barbara Records label, is a full DIY project,
though they got backup help from ALO’s drummer
Dave Brogan, bassist Steve Adams,
and guitarist Dan Lebowitz, not to mention the
lovely harmonies of Jess Goldman (who is the
evening’s opening act). The album’s 10 tracks are solid, and
feature the type of saltwater-tinged sounds that launched
Jack Johnson. Catch them on the rise. — Matt
Kettmann

BATTLE TIME: KIST 107.7 FM delivered the first
installment of its Battle of the Bands series last Wednesday
evening at SOhO. Such “battles” are historically reminiscent of
high school talent competitions, and Wednesday’s showdown certainly
provided its share of campy moments. The night’s first act was
Ona, which played its laid-back, California
psychedelic rock with infectious enthusiasm. Paint the
Town then took the stage with its high-energy surf/garage
punk and endured a few broken guitar strings as the band’s friends
and family flanked the stage with blatant adoration. The second
battle — between Boombox Orchestra and
Creo — went down Tuesday, June 6, and the next is
slated for Wednesday, June 21. Summer night air on the patio and
the thrill of what could happen should provide solid entertainment.
The finals are July 11. — Allison Meeder

UFOS AND BLUEGRASS: In one of the odder musical
press releases of recent vintage, Peter Feldmann and the
Very Lonesome Boys were reportedly “kidnapped last month
by space aliens disguised as ranchero riders” who plied them with
“what tasted like hard liquor” while feeding them lobster and prime
ribs and threatening them with 24 hours of Barry
Manilow records just so the bluegrass band would give them
some tunes. Lucky for us, Feldmann and company escaped in time to
perform a concert in Los Olivos, this Saturday, June 10, at the
Santa Ynez Valley Grange Hall. Barring another abduction, it starts
at 8 p.m. See bluegrasswest.com for details. — MK

MMMM . . . CARIBBEAN: Just saying the word
“Caribbean” can sometimes be enough to spark a momentary mental
excursion to the islands. Celebrate the culture of the sun this
Saturday, June 10, at the 6th Annual Caribbean
Festival at Oak Park. While there will be no shortage of
food, drink and dance, the focus is on the music. Cuban
percussionist extraordinaire Melena Francis will
incite bodies to shake with her distinct sound, which has caught
the attention of Stevie Wonder and Julio Iglesias. Trinidad will be
admirably represented by Einstein Brown, whose
musical gumbo is driven by hypnotic steel drumming. And don’t miss
Shinehead, one of Jamaica’s dancehall pioneers,
who is making a rare appearance to show just how dynamic Caribbean
music can be. — Tyler Blue

HEART MUSIC: The non-denominational Center of
the Heart is hosting a Unity and Diversity Music Series on Friday,
June 9, in hopes of entertaining, enlightening, and uniting the
greater Santa Barbara community. The 7:30 p.m. acoustic performance
features world-famous virtuoso violinist Gilles
Apap, who’s known worldwide for infusing diverse genres of
composition. Raised on jazz, blues, swing, flamenco, and gypsy
music, Apap also grew to love folk, which has inspired him to
incorporate sounds of the fiddle and like-instruments into what he
had already known and mastered as a child. Téka,
on the other hand, is a world-class vocalist/guitarist whose roots
are firmly planted in the sensual Brazilian rhythms of the choro,
samba, and bossa nova. Backed by guitarist Chris
Judge, double-bassist Brendan Statom,
percussionist Kevin Winard, and a unique
appearance by Los Vientos del Sur, this occasion
is a Santa Barbara must-see. Tix are on sale at Santa Barbara Sheet
Music or you can call the Center of the Heart office, located at
487 N. Turnpike Rd., at 964‑4861 for more info. — Lynne
Simpson

Y MAS: Numbskull Productions brings reggae
superstar Gregory Isaacs to the Majestic Ventura
Theatre this Friday, June 9, with his Live Wyaa
Band and help from Nasio Fontaine and
Mishaka. … Surf music legend Gary
Hoey hangs a musical 10 at SOhO next Thursday, June 15,
with help from S.B.’s Kelp. … Velvet Jones keeps
its musical calendar full with Sacramento’s post-hardcore band
Eightfourseven and MiGG on
Friday, June 9; and Santa Ynez Valley songwriter Wil
Ridge and Stephen Smalls on Saturday,
June 10. — MK