Davisville, April 18, 2022: Still playing on the big screen, but not like they did

Mon, 04/18/2022 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan

Watching movies on the big screen was once a mainstream, shared cultural experience. Think of the crowds that turned out for the Harry Potter movies or Titanic. Those days are gone. So wrote New York Times columnist Ross Douthat last month, and today we ask longtime film reviewers Derrick Bang and Matias Bombal what they think about this idea. Is the change due only to competition from other media, or is something else at work? What does it matter, regardless? Derrick, an author and frequent guest on Davisville, writes for the Davis Enterprise and his blog, Derrick Bang on Film. Matias posts reviews at Matias Bombal’s Hollywood and on KAHI radio, and formerly managed the Crest Movie Theatre in downtown Sacramento.

Racquetbangers, live in the studio on Listening Lyrics, April 15, 2022

Fri, 04/15/2022 - 5:10pm | Pieter Pastoor

Racquetbangers is a Davis-based indie rock duo comprised of Timur Katsnelson (piano/vocals) and Robert Polon (guitar). Seeking refuge from the cutthroat music scene in their hometown of Los Angeles, the boys moved north in fall 2017 and never looked back. They soon found themselves fully immersed in the rich Davis culture and began writing songs about their surroundings. Barely scraping by on a diet of Ali Baba, Vampire Weekend, and pucks, Racquetbangers finally caught their big break with the release of their first demo, "Annie Lin." Hopes of an international stadium headline tour were crushed with the untimely outbreak of COVID-19, but the boys are back and buzzing in early 2022.

During the interview, we will play their most popular releases to date, along with a special tribute song to the events in the Ukraine.

The Folk Brothers for April 13, 2022: Live music is back

Wed, 04/13/2022 - 11:10am | Peter Schiffman

In the past few months, live music is a thing again as musicians are out touring like it is 2019! This morning, we played tracks from Lowell Levinger (aka Banana, formerly of the Youngbloods) and Tony Furtado, both of whom appeared in local venues this past weekend. And Tim O'Brien (pictured here with musical and life partner Jan Fabricius) -- who brings us the opening music for The Folk Brothers each week -- will appear at the Auburn State Theater on April 30. Also on today's show: new tracks from Lyle Lovett, Joan Shelley, Pauline Scanline, Sam Shackleton, and more!

The Folk Brothers playlist for 04/13/2022

Maxwell Riley, live in the studio on Listening Lyrics, April 8, 2022

Fri, 04/08/2022 - 5:10pm | Pieter Pastoor

Maxwell Riley, a Davis-based multi-instrumentalist and producer, writes music that ranges from psychedelic jazz fusion to cosmic space funk. Max is inspired by acts like Jeff Beck, Steely Dan, Nile Rogers, Dire Straits, and Pink Floyd, to name a few, and has been producing music since the 6th grade.

The Folk Brothers for April 6, 2022: Story songs

Wed, 04/06/2022 - 11:10am | Peter Schiffman

We program a lot of traditional music on the Folk Brothers, but we also find great contemporary ballads -- story songs -- to play. A case in point is the three pieces we presented this morning: West Virginian Chris Haddox's new song about Mikhail Kalashnikov, the reluctant inventor of the automatic rifle; Brighton (UK) band Bird In The Belly's (pictured here) song "After London," based on Victorian naturalist and author Richard Jeffries' post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel "After The City"; and No-No Boy's song about the Sand Creek Massacre of the Cheyenne in 1864.

Also on today's show: new tracks from Tony Furtado, Brittany Hass, Midnight North, and Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert.

The Folk Brothers playlist for 04/06/2022

Davisville, April 4, 2022: Newsom wants to compel treatment for severely mentally ill among the state’s homeless

Mon, 04/04/2022 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed “care courts” for every California county. They would “allow treatment for more homeless people with severe mental health and addiction disorders,” says the Associated Press, “but also compel some of them into care.”

That’s a change — compelling severely disturbed people to accept care, instead of just offering it to them. Bill Pride, executive director of Davis Community Meals and Housing and one of today’s guests on Davisville, estimates that half of people who are homeless have a severe mental health disorder. This change could make a major difference in their lives, and in the extent of homelessness. Pride cautions that achieving this change in care would require years of sustained efforts and expense. We also talk with Yolo Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven about the county’s existing Mental Health Court, and how Newsom’s proposal might work alongside what Yolo already does.

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