It factor? Possessing a certain je ne sais quoi, on “Bad Things,” Seanloui’s latest joint, this French-American’s voice is suggestive of Usher, yet with a grit and cadence all his own. If his funky/scratchy guitar riffs could travel in time, they would bounce straight off C'est Chic (Atlantic Records, 1978). The R&B/Euro pop beats, airtight. And the production shines bright enough to make chart toppers adjust their Ray-Bans to stave off the glare. This dance track is simply wicked.

Music contributors Xavier Omar Otero and Ambur Wilkerson both chatted with Seanloui ahead of his upcoming show.

On Saturday, June 22, Seanloui will be gracing Thunder Canyon Brewery with "Bad Things Live."

Ambur asked:

Why did you name the show Bad Things Live?

It’s based off the new single that is dropping on June 21 called “Bad Things.”

Tell us about the new single? What's it about? What was the inspiration behind it?

The new single "Bad Things" is based on the French revolution of 1789. That all good revolutions start in the summer. It's a story on how that same type of revolution could begin in modern times.

Xavier asked:

What are you revolting against?

Not so much revolting. But I want to show that there is beauty in chaos.

Can music change the world or just enhance our journey through it?

I think music can enhance the journey...As the people who create it change the world.

How would you like to see the world change? Sorry. I ask hard questions sometimes…

[Laughing] No, not at all. I would like to see the world change through unity. That’s the only way we can make it change.

Back to Ambur:
✖
Will you be playing any new music?

YES! We’ll be doing some new songs as well as some alternate versions of some favorites.

What is your favorite song to perform live and why?

I love the song "Human" cause it’s such a great song to jam with the band. Great amazing energy.

What do you want the audience to take with them after this show? How do you want them to feel?

I want them to feel the joy I had when creating the sounds. I want them to take away the thought that we are so much more better together than apart. In essence: Building Community.

Seanloui is fêting the release of his latest single “Bad Things” on Saturday, June 22, 9:30 p.m., at Thunder Canyon Brewstillery, 220 E Broadway Blvd. Phoenix’s alt-fusionists Method to the Madness add to the chaos. The show is free and 21+.

After much deliberation, Ace the golfing dog is the winner of our 2019 Best Dressed Pets competition! Thank you to everyone who submitted photos, turns out we have some pretty well dressed pets in Tucson! 

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D.R.I. discharge a whiplash fury and head-banging good time in an all-ages show at The Rock. Waukegan, Illinois skate punks Fastplants Spread The Stoke.

Traveling through the orangy-pink tropical sky faster than a "Supersónico" boom. From East L.A., psychedelic cumbia punk rockers Tropa Magica return to burn one with Los Èsplifs. At Club Congress.

It's an art + noise mashup. The experimental/electronic/noise/drone of Clown Doll, Black Baptist, Schadenhaus and Ruin Dweller will push you towards the edge of psychosis. At Ward6.

Smooth jazz? Friday Night Live Jazz Summer Concert Series presents saxophonist Butch Diggs & Friends. At Main Gate Square.

Freddy Parish hosts a monthly series which traces back the roots of country music, bluegrass, Appalachian folk and honky tonk. Dry and Dusty features an alternating cast of Tucson's most esteemed guest pickers. At Exo Roast Co.

Fronted by Luci Furr, Pigmy Death-Ray celebrate the darker side of rock 'n' roll. Phoenix's Noonday Devils and Gutter Town are the things that go bump in the night. At the Surly Wench Pub.

Street punks Blue Collar Criminals play Broken Hearted Songs, For Bitter Minded Drunks at Irene's Holy Donuts. Patiently, with One Day at a Time.

And, the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot epic battle continues. Two bands. One stage. This week's Tucson Duels: FIST vs. Stripes520. At The Screening Room.


Once upon a time, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, there emerged a mythic band from the UK: Led Zeppelin. For 23 years, ZoSo have provided a ticket to board a time machine—back to an era in rock history that defined glamour and excess—for all who dare climb the "Stairway to Heaven." The attention to detail is impressive. Yet, it's more than verisimilitude: Vocalist Matt Jernigan's lion's mane, kimono shirt and bell-bottomed jeans that epitomize Robert Plant. Or employing vintage instruments: A Ludwig Vistalite drum kit or Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck guitar. It's the musicianship—from guitarist John McDaniel's spot-on rendition of Jimmy Page's complex solo on "The Song Remains the Same" to drummer Bevan Davies' savage barehanded drum pounding, as the mighty John Bonham once did, during "Moby Dick"—that truly captures the magick of a band who decades after their heyday still inspire zealotry. ZoSo: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience play the Rialto Theatre. The warm come soulful wail of Miss Olivia & The Interlopers tell A Few Little Stories.

In 1975, the release of Desolation Boulevard (Capitol Records)—fueled by the strength of chart topping hits "The Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox on the Run"—catapulted these English glam rockers into the American mainstream. The Sweet play the hits and a few surprises at Encore. Midnight Transit Co., and Funky Bonz open the show.

Spearheaded by a team of artists, musicians and educators, this non-profit is passionate about fostering an all-ages, DIY music and art space in the city where young people feel safe and supported. And they seek contributions to help secure a facility for classes, workshops, events, an all-ages music venue y mas. Groundworks Fundraiser features emo/shoegazers Cool Funeral, brash young Turks Rough Draft, "dirty skater emo kids" Annie Jump Cannon and in-your-face pop punkers Big Bad. At 191 Toole.

Taking on the time-tested tropes and poses of classic rock, Phoenix sybarites Wyves, in search of "Distractions," are on a road trip with "Princess Excess" to "Mar-a-Lago." And rumor has it "Bitch Has Got Problems." Local stalwarts Greyhound Soul and Crooked Saints are onboard for this hell ride. At Club Congress.

Experimental noise maker Quaker Folk (aka Steven Cosand) says adios to the Old Pueblo before heading down to Dixie. He shares his Harshest Piety for all to experience mouth agape at Bar Passé. With the music of Nobody (aka Willis Earl Beal), Sean Bonnette, Nullus and Jaime Soto.

Featuring some of Tucson's finest jazzers, vocalist/violinist Heather "Lil' Mama" Hardy hosts Taste of Jazz at Monterey Court.

Recently signed to Mint 400 Records, indie/alt rockers Home is West of San Clemente, California, are "Waiting" for "The Moment" to shine. At Irene's Holy Donuts. Flanked by locals Flying Half Full and Beyond the Firewall.

Solar Culture Gallery is the site of Summer Shootout. A celebration of Tucson's hip hop scene with performances by: 9D5, Aske, Rick Tensai, Soul Point, Marne Dom, Ago, as well as DJ sets by Shamiro Blitz and Based Hoezer...

You know her as the frontwoman of Taco Sauce and Juju Fontaine. Gabi Montoya performs solo at Tucson Hop Shop.

Singer-songwriter Adam Townsend performs poolside. At Hotel McCoy.

"Wipe Out!" It's time for the summer surf party of the season. Surf-a-palooza unites The Surfbroads, Shrimp Chaperone and The Furys for this common cause. Watch the colorful beach balls bounce on the plaza at Hotel Congress...


Championing the needs of tribal and rural communities. Featuring Tonight's Sunshine, A.M. Waves and Tongs. The Tribal Nations Tour kicks off at Club Congress.

Be soothed by the bohemian folk rock of Little Cloud on the patio at Che's Lounge.

On the latest edition of Zona Politics: I talk with Joey Burns of Calexico about the band's new collaboration with Iron & Wine, Years To Burn, as well as Loft Cinema Foundation Executive Director Peggy Johnson about the upcoming Woodstock fundraiser to restore the Loft's gorgeous marquee.


Zona Politics airs at 4 p.m. Sundays on KXCI community radio, 91.3 FM.

Tucson Unified School District has been losing students steadily since 2000. Lots of students. At its turn-of-the-millenium high point, the district had 62,500 students. This school year, the number was 46,000. That's a loss of 16,500 students, over 900 a year.

Why is TUSD losing students year after year? The answer you're most likely to hear is, the district is the problem. It's the administration. It's the teachers. It's the curriculum. It's "D," all of the above. Fix the administration, fix the teachers, fix the curriculum, and the numbers will climb.

But the standard answer is far too simple. The district may deserve part of the blame for declining enrollment, but most of the drop was inevitable, created by changes in Arizona's educational landscape and a slowing of Tucson's population growth.

For the sake of argument, let's start with the assumption that TUSD is no better or worse now than it was at its 2000 high water mark of 62,500 students and see what else is causing the district to lose students.

I see three factors beyond the control of the district as the major reasons for the enrollment decline.

Two of the factors were created by the Arizona legislature's push for "school choice." The first is the emergence of charter schools. The competition for a limited pool of students means that every student inside the TUSD boundaries who attends a charter is one less student in the district. The second is the state's open enrollment policy, which lets parents send their children to schools in nearby districts. Open enrollment gets far less attention than charter schools, but it is a significant force pulling students living inside the TUSD boundaries to suburban school districts with more affluent, whiter populations.

The third important factor is the slowdown of Tucson's population growth. Students lost to charter schools and open enrollment haven't been replaced by an influx of new students.

Let's look at the factors one by one.

Charter Schools

Arizona's first charter schools opened their doors in 1995. They grew steadily, but since they started from zero, it took awhile for them to have an impact on school districts' enrollment numbers.

In 2000, 50,000 Arizona students were enrolled in charters. I don't have any direct data on how many of those charter students lived inside the TUSD boundaries, but a reasonable estimate is about 3,500. TUSD students made up about 7 percent of the state's public school population in 2000, and 3,500 is 7 percent of the state's charter school population.

Dozens of animals are under the supervision of the Pima Animal Care Center after sheriff’s deputies discovered animal hoarders. Currently being evaluated by the shelter’s clinical team are 34 cats, four dogs and five turtles.

On Wednesday, June 19 around 10 a.m., Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to the area of San Joaquin Road and West Ajo Way regarding a report of “individuals camping in a desert area.”

While investigating, deputies discovered animals living in what were observed to be unsanitary living conditions and removed them from the residence.

According to a release: “Officers noted a strong smell of urine and saw animal feces covering the floor. There was no water available to the cats. There was a litter box, but it was filled with urine and feces. There was no electricity in the trailer.”

Both 43-year-old Andres Contreras and 32-year-old Joylynn Severns were arrested for animal cruelty.

According to PACC, most of the cats are suffering from upper respiratory infections and matted fur.

One cat, diagnosed with Calici virus, was “humanely euthanized due to the advanced stage of the virus.” The settler added that the dogs and turtles appear healthy.

The case is still under investigation by the Animal Cruelty Division of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, and traps are set to capture any other animals.

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In 2009, after proclaiming My Shit Is Perfect (Voodoo Rhythm Records), NME noted that this racy rocketman summoned women from the audience to stir his whiskey with their tits.

Brace yourselves for a mind-blowing set of finger-picked, steel-string blues and heavy rock played by a wild man in a human-cannonball jumpsuit and full-face racing helmet rigged with a telephone receiver as a mic.

Yes, it’s Tucson’s own Bob Log III at 191 Toole. Details here.

Cadillac Mountain play rollicking traditional bluegrass. At Tap + Bottle - Downtown. Details here.

Mark Insley with Damon Barnaby perform outlaw Americana, and a little taste of the devil’s music, at Iron John’s Brewing Company. Details here.

Summer Story Time is in full swing at Sabino Canyon! Children, ages 3 to 7 are welcomed to the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center for free story telling each week for June and July. Every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., kids can hear stories, play games, do arts and crafts and other activities based on the theme of the week, from tortoises to quail. This week's theme is Night Animals!

Themes:
June 20 -  Night Animals
June 27 - Honeybees
July 4 - Critter Count
July 11 - Quails
July 18 - Canyon Cats
July 25 - Saguaros

Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, 5700 N Sabino Canyon Road.