Local musicians Natalie Cortez and Christopher Cassels visit Live Tracks, Jan. 25, 2024

KDRT DJ Jim Buchanan typically includes his live recordings of local bands on his Live Tracks show, but tonight (Jan. 25) he also has the pleasure of hosting longtime Sacramento/Davis-based musicians Natalie Cortez and Christopher Cassels live in the studio. Lately, many may have seen them playing as part of the 5-piece Natalie Cortez Band, which plays regularly in Sacramento and Davis (Davis Music Fest, Music for Natalie Corona Benefit concerts, and a 2019 benefit for KDRT to name a few).

Tonight they also talk about playing as a duo in the upcoming "Cozy Concert Series" at Morgan's Mill in Woodland, Friday, Jan. 26, from 7-9 p.m. This new series is organized by Left of the Dial Promotions, and features unique duos from several local 4-to-5 piece bands on the second and fourth Fridays in January and February.

Davisville, Jan. 22, 2024: Louie Toro demystifies smartphones

You’ve probably got a smartphone. Does it ever confuse you, or do anything you don't expect? When you have a question, where do you get answers? From friends? YouTube videos? Many of us just click different things and hope for the best.

Smartphones do wonderful things, but they’re also tricky, sometimes inscrutable, change frequently, and are almost essential in the modern economy. Today’s guest on Davisville, Louie Toro, is teaching classes this winter and spring at Davis Adult and Community Education for people who want their smartphones to be less of a black box. We talk about common questions (“a big one is almost always downloading files”), how he teaches, and how to live more of your life outside your phone. The phone is “just a tool,” he says. “You should be the one who chooses how to use that tool.”

First Electric Compost of 2024

Tonight (Jan. 12) at 6 p.m. PST on the Electric Compost Heap, we'll ease into the first show of the 2024. It's a cold and soon to be wet evening, so join us under the tarp in front of the radio while we check out recent tunes from Kurt Vile, Mick Harvey, and J Mascis. We'll have the fire going and a couple of blankets. Oh, and the official color of this evening's show is magenta! Hope you can join us.