Though the Slackers are usually labeled in the ska genre, it's hard to say they perform one style of music - because they really don't.

They're reggae. They're soul. They're jazz.

In fact, it's probably why their fans find them so appealing - they can relate to the music because is covers genres across the board.

The Slackers are celebrating their 20th anniversary tour and they stop in Tucson on Wednesday for a show at 8 p.m.

Here's what Tucson Weekly's Stephen Seigel said about the band in 2009:

You've gotta hand it to The Slackers. As one of the first and best bands of the third wave of ska in the 1990s, they've outlasted and outclassed just about every other American ska act. Perhaps it's due to their versatility; rather than simply merging ska rhythms and horns with punk rock, as so many bands of the era did, The Slackers showed a bit more respect for ska's roots, drawing from reggae, soul, dub and jazz along the way. Hell, any ska band that covers a Nat Adderley tune on its first album is all right by me.

For concert and ticket information, visit the Hotel Congress website.

There is something magic about pork belly. Those who imbibe in it are prone to eye-glazed moments of reverence when discussing it. Chefs swear by the texture and flavor even a small amount adds to a dish.

I find this impressive, so I drove up to Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket this weekend to lay in a small supply of pork belly ($3.19 a pound, if you're wondering) to see what all the hype was about.

When I arrived home I realized I had no idea what to do with what I'd bought, but bacon is always a good idea. So I slapped down six slabs on a cutting board and fought off the dog while rubbing each chunk vigorously with salt and sugar, just like the internet told me to. Then I added crushed Pakistani peppers to one and garlic to another, leaving the third plain.

The word is that this should be left to cure for one week, so this will be hitting the frying pan next Sunday. Can making one's own bacon really be this easy? I'll be back in a week with a full report.

• Rubbed-down and ready to go.

We noticed a new Oregano's Pizza Bistro location is under construction in Plaza Del Oro, on the corner of Orange Grove and Oracle Road. The other Tucson location is at 4900 E. Speedway Blvd.

Not much more to report on this one, but you can check out more about the restaurant over here.

If you spend much time digging through any online music service, you're bound to stumble upon some strange stuff. After all, the barrier to get on iTunes or Spotify isn't all that high...basically, you need to be able to record something and pay a nominal fee to submit your tracks. However, now that I've seen the 900 tracks (all clocking at around 1:13) by The Family Party Song Singers on Spotify, my world might not ever been the same.

Every song is exactly the same, with one difference: the name changes. And since there are 900 songs, they cover quite a few names, although good luck finding the one you're looking for. I don't entirely understand the financial benefits of having music on Spotify, although my understanding is that the artist makes less than a penny per play, but I suppose all the birthdays of Ezra, Dick and Guadalupe (the three most popular tracks, mysteriously) add up in a Superman III sort of way. However, if you're looking for a birthday song to share with a friend on Facebook, I suppose you're not stuck with the field of choices mostly limited to The Beatles, Altered Images or Luther Campbell. Plus, as long as your friend has one of 900 names chosen seemingly at random, it'll feel personalized. Yay for strange uses of online media!

[HT: Bobby Finger]

• These fish tacos were downright delicious.

There are seats for about 25 people at the boat-shaped bar at the new restaurant Fini's Landing at 5689 N. Swan Road, and it's a nice place to find oneself adrift for awhile. The big windows near the beer taps open to the outside, too, which makes the space feel big and open.

The rest of the place is done up in the same sea-going theme - porthole windows; flip-flop door handles - and the menu is all fish tacos and tropical salsas and the like. It's a temporary menu - the waitress assured us a complete menu with many more offerings is forthcoming - but appears to be well thought out and rather affordable.

There's a dozen of so beer handles and it looks like Barrio Brewing Co. has even crafted a signature beer for the place. There's plenty of big-screen televisions as well, and a great mix of island-themed music that fit the feel of the place perfectly.

If you're a diehard Tucson-area Democrat, would like to learn voter file systems, and could use a job, the Pima County Democratic Party is looking for a new executive director as the current keeper of the position is stepping down. Adam's letter announcing his resignation is below the cut.

Full disclosure: I'm not friends with all that many political types (cue jokes about how I don't have friends in general), but I do generally like Adam, mostly because of our shared affection for craft beer and 90's R&B.

A new Public Policy Polling survey shows that Rick Santorum trails Mitt Romney by only 3 percentage points among Arizona Republicans, who will decide the state's primary election on Feb. 28.

Romney has the support of the 36 percent of Arizona Republicans, while 33 percent support Santorum.

This is the third poll in the last week to show a tightening race between Romney and Santorum in Arizona. Previous surveys by Rasmussen and American Research Group have Santorum surging in the Grand Canyon State.

The PPP survey drills down into where the support for Santorum and Romney—as well as other candidates—is coming from. It notes that Romney is losing the Tea Party vote; Santorum is better liked by Arizona Republicans than Romney; and an endorsement from Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio or Gov. Jan Brewer could be a game-changer.

It also notes that Congressman Jeff Flake is clobbering GOP challenger Will Cardon.

The analysis:

The Republican race for President in Arizona looks like a close one, with Mitt Romney leading Rick Santorum only 36-33. Newt Gingrich is third at 16% and Ron Paul fourth at 9%.

Santorum is better liked by Arizona Republicans than Romney, but the gap isn't as wide as we're finding in a lot of other states. Santorum's at +34 (61/27), while Romney's at +24 (58/34).

One thing to keep an eye on over the next week is whether Newt Gingrich can hold his support. 16% is pretty good for him compared to what we're finding other places right now, but only 46% of his voters say they're solidly committed to him. 40% of his supporters say that Santorum is their second choice, compared to only 25% for Romney. If Gingrich's supporters see he's not viable and decide to jump ship the race could get even closer.

In case you missed it over the weekend, on Saturday, the New York Times ran possibly one of the best obituaries ever in honor of John Fairfax, who remains the only person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. You'll want to read the entire article, which covers his life from gun-wielding Boy Scout to professional baccarat player, but this section covering some of his younger years gives you some indication of what kind of guy Fairfax was:

At 13, in thrall to Tarzan, he ran away from home to live in the jungle. He survived there as a trapper with the aid of local peasants, returning to town periodically to sell the jaguar and ocelot skins he had collected.

He later studied literature and philosophy at a university in Buenos Aires and at 20, despondent over a failed love affair, resolved to kill himself by letting a jaguar attack him. When the planned confrontation ensued, however, reason prevailed — as did the gun he had with him.

In Panama, he met a pirate, applied for a job as a pirate’s apprentice and was taken on. He spent three years smuggling guns, liquor and cigarettes around the world, becoming captain of one of his boss’s boats, work that gave him superb navigational skills.

When piracy lost its luster, he gave his boss the slip and fetched up in 1960s London, at loose ends. He revived his boyhood dream of crossing the ocean and, since his pirate duties had entailed no rowing, he began to train.

There's a new company called Tucson Food Tours that takes people on walking tours of local restaurants. The company's slick website has more information.

The first tour will take place downtown, with stops at Bumsted's, Monkey Burger, Chocolate Iguana and three other restaurants. There are only 14 spots, though, and we have no idea if it's sold out yet

These tours are such a good idea. The options for different routes are immense; they offer an organized way for diners to sample various eateries in one night; and, frankly, they sound like a lot of fun.

We're stretching whatever muscles you use to create semi-witty puns in anticipation of Rick Santorum's Wednesday afternoon visit to Tucson, but it turns out some of our colleagues have a little more self-control that we would have:

So many options! Also, by this point, shouldn't the King of Sweater Vests have someone on staff thinking ahead on this sort of thing? "Hey, Rick, maybe we should schedule this campaign stop in nearby Lathemtown or Buford. Why? Well..."

Also, just for fun, here's a clip from a speech Santorum gave in 2008 where he says that mainline American Protestants aren't really part of the authentic world of Christianity anymore. Keep that in mind, evangelical voters!