If we had to pick a theme for this year’s Santa Barbara Band Guide, it would be “new beginnings.” For the past five years, we’ve devoted this issue to celebrating all that the Santa Barbara music scene has to offer. In this edition, we’ve hand selected some of the 805’s best and brightest young music makers to grace our pages, including this year’s Downtown Sound Battle of the Bands winner, Jake Jeanson and the The Riverside. Alongside Jeanson, we sat down with three S.B. acts that not only piqued our interest in 2012, but who we think are going on to do big things in 2013. We’ve also given you the stats on 10 additional acts we’re currently rockin’ out to, many of whom you can check out for yourself at this weekend’s New Noise Music Conference & Festival.
Now in its fourth year, New Noise seems more in tune with the S.B. scene then ever. In addition to a killer three-night lineup of out-of-town acts, New Noise 2012 has stacked the deck with a healthy hand of the area’s bands and players, as well as a day’s worth of live music in Santa Barbara’s beloved Funk Zone. It’s the start of something new from a festival that’s all about what’s next. Needless to say, the future’s looking mighty bright.
• Chuck D for Real: Fifteen minutes with one of rap’s greatest minds.