Necktie Optional episode 17 (8/6/2026)

For today's episode we welcomed in Matthew Swinnerton and Natalie Sweeting of Events Santa Cruz! They came on air today to hype us up about their 100th Santa Cruz Midtown Friday Block Party tomorrow night (8/7), where local favorite Trestles will play a free show! We heard something from Trestles' latest album AND a star-studded lineup including them and Lol Tolhurst (of The Cure fame) covering Boys Don't Cry. Matthew and Natalie also did a little bit of guest DJing and told us about their musical loves and influences!The rest of the set returned to the show's usual footing: Michigander, Carver Commodore, and The Menzingers brought driving, guitar-forward rock. Mallory Hawk followed with thrashy, propulsive garage-punk energy off her newly released debut album, Chinook. Chloe Slater's "Mother Nature's Killing Spree" is a preview of her forthcoming debut album Riot Youth, built around a love story set against climate collapse, and Hannah Jadagu's dreamy 2022 Sub Pop debut single "Say It Now" brought things back to melodic footing. Liana Flores, Kings of Convenience, and the bird and the bee brought a folk-pop turn, while Ale Vanzella, Trails and Ways, and ISTA added bossa nova-ish and dance-leaning texture. Common People, Minus the Bear, and The Velvet Teen closed the show out with heavier, atmospheric rock.Handpicked, as always. Neckties remain optional.