Musicians, Unite!

WE WANT YOU: Calling all music-makers-The Indy officially has opened up the submission process for 2009’s Santa Barbara Band Guide issue.

Now in its third year, the annual music scene manual is our big attempt to compile and give thanks to all the fine folks making music in Santa Barbara County. Of course, assembling such an exhaustive list is no small feat (and we’re only paid to be here 40 hours a week), which is why we need your help.

All bands, instrumentalists, singers, and songwriters are invited to get in on the action by simply navigating their Web browser over to independent.com/band_submission, filling out our short-but-sweet form, and sending over a band photo and a representative MP3 or two. With that, I and a select crew of Indy staffers will register your name in our ever-growing band database (viewable online at independent.com/bands) and set you up with a sweet profile. The submission also guarantees your spot in our upcoming music issue.

And for those of you who’ve already registered in years past, fret not. All past profiles will be left active unless our team is instructed otherwise. To update your profile, songs, or band pic, simply send a detailed email to bands@independent.com and someone on our team will be happy to assist you. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more info regarding our yearly online battle of the bands, complete with prizes and gig opportunities.

GREENING THE SCENE: For those still mourning the temporary loss of our beloved Lightning in a Bottle, head on up to Ojai this Saturday, June 20, for a little green festival action of a new variety. From 5-10 p.m., the Libbey Bowl (205 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai) will host Locally Grown 3, a benefit concert for Ojai’s healthy schools initiative, Food for Thought (foodforthoughtojai.org). The green festival-cum-fundraiser promises solar-powered vendor booths, no-waste stations, organic grub and merch, and a hearty helping of great live music. On board for the cause are singer, songwriter, and recent Brushfire Records addition Mason Jennings, L.A. fusion masters Quetzal, Santa Barbara staples Perla Batalla, and the always entertaining reggae jam band Culver City Dub Collective. For tickets and info, call (714) 488-1436 or visit brownpapertickets.com.

OPERATION ALBUM RELEASE: If you’re looking to rock out this weekend, you’re in luck, as S.B.’s favorite alt-leaning heavy hitters, Tripdavon, will spend Saturday night unveiling their new full-length to a sure-to-be-packed house at Velvet Jones (423 State St.). Since unleashing their sophomore effort, The Enlightened Operative, back in ’06, the five-piece have drawn their fair share of critical praise, not to mention some not-too-shabby comparisons to the likes of Incubus and Pearl Jam-and a sonic spot of HBO’s hit series, Entourage. They’ve also been hard at work both on tour and in the studio. Saturday’s show also marks the start of a nearly two-month-long string of dates that will take the Tripdavon boys overseas to promote the release in Germany, Croatia, and Italy. The show begins at 10:30 p.m. Call 965-8676 or visit velvet-jones.com for info.

CROWNING GLORY: When Matisyahu dropped his career-making live version of “King without a Crown” back in 2006, there were few who didn’t take notice. This week, the unlikely Hasidic reggae rapper will make two stops along the central coastline in support of his soon-to-be-released third album, Light. On Thursday, June 18, Matisyahu will play the Majestic Ventura Theater (26 S. Chestnut St., Ventura) with his new backing band, Dub Trio, starting at 8 p.m. Call 653-0721 or visit venturatheater.net for info. And on Sunday, June 21, the show will move up north to Pozo Saloon (90 W. Pozo Rd., Santa Margarita), as part of the beautiful outdoor venue’s ongoing summer concert season. For tickets and info, call 438-4225 or visit pozosaloon.com.