Hi friends,

When Vin Scully signed off at the end of his final Dodger broadcast in 2016, he said something so simple yet profound that I’ve always remembered it, and listened to it again upon news of his passing Tuesday night. Novena and Anthony opened Morning Becomes Eclectic on Wednesday with those same words:

"May God give you, for every storm, a rainbow; for every tear, a smile; for every care, a promise; and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life seems, a faithful friend to share; for every sigh, a sweet song, and an answer for each prayer." 

"You and I have been friends for a long time, but I know, in my heart, I've always needed you more than you've ever needed me, and I'll miss our time together more than I can say. But, you know what, there will be a new day, and, eventually, a new year, and when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, ooh, rest assured, once again, it will be time for Dodger baseball."

To those of us who worship at the church of baseball, some of Vin Scully’s greatest gifts were his poetry, joy, and love of storytelling. The added piece of magic was his uniting of generations.

Thank you, Vin, for the gift of being able to have my then-10-year-old discuss your call of Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitters with his 90-year-old grandmother (favorite Dodger: Sandy Koufax), who, by the way, knew more about baseball than anyone I’ve ever met in my life (though Señora Campos is probably up there!).

In the last 24 hours, Vin has once again bestowed the gift of connecting us all — my colleagues and friends Mario Saavedra, Raul Campos, Jason Groman, Eric J. Lawrence, Oscar Rangel, Novena Carmel, and Anthony Valadez, among many others. Mario shared with me this moment from KTLA with equally-legendary Dodger broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, which left me heartbroken. As did the words of Dodger great Orel Hershiser in the hours after learning about Vin’s passing.

Tonight, my Music Insiders, I’ll let Vin take us out.

"So, this is Vin Scully wishing you a pleasant good afternoon, wherever you may be."

Be well and much love,

P.S. Weekend pro-tip: If you’re headed to KCRW Festival with Polo & Pan and Parcels at the Bowl on Sunday, make a point of stopping by the Street Team table for some fresh swag and an *exclusive* members only pin.

The ethereal energy of Mexico City’s Girl Ultra

Tbh, we’re not fully buying the fact that Mexico City native Mariana de Miguel didn’t draw at least some inspiration from early aughts icon Ultragrrrl when she began developing her alter-ego, Girl Ultra, but we’ll take her at her word. 

The 27-year-old singer, producer, and DJ stopped by Press Play this week to break down, among other things, her process for choosing Girl Ultra as her stage name. After a fair amount of sifting through other monikers that sounded fit for a superhero, Girl Ultra was the one that prevailed. But the name became more than that. 

“It's not that much of an alter ego,” de Miguel says. “It's just another part of my personality that comes out whenever I'm on stage.” 

Listen closely as de Miguel revels in her writing process with host Madeleine Brand. She details a need to branch out on her latest EP El Sur, incorporating garage rock, house, and techno — sounds that she’s finding to be more energetic than the straightforward R&B she came up on. De Miguel also describes tapping into youthful sensations with her music, the gleeful process of writing in Spanglish, and how she believes the English word “love” offers more variety than its Spanish counterpart.

You can catch Girl Ultra on Sunday, August 28 as part of Pasadena’s This Ain’t No Picnic festival alongside The Strokes, Phoebe Bridgers, Beach House, and more. Make sure to read all the way to the end of this email, cause we’re offering you a chance to win tickets to this amazing shindig for exactly 0 dollars.

Eve 6 guy Max Collins on redemption, mental health, and Twitter fame

If you were alive in the late ’90s, chances are there was an entire chapter of your life that was soundtracked by Eve 6’s “Inside Out” — you know, that insanely catchy, angst-filled “heart in a blender” song that, starting in 1998, was ubiquitous on the radio and during Saturday trips to the mall. Nearly 25 years later, the Southern California alt-rock giants are back in the zeitgeist, though for decidedly un-nostalgic reasons: The band’s Twitter went viral in late 2020 when, seemingly out of nowhere, singer and guitarist Max Collins began using it to serve up unfiltered, hilarious cultural and political commentary. It’s been an unlikely hit, and in addition to releasing new music with Eve 6, Max now pens an advice column with Input Mag and has become something of a rock n roll, post-Bernie public intellectual.

Collins joins The Culture Journalist podcast for a fascinating conversation that goes deep on interviewing John Hinckley, redemption, and forgiveness, as well as some of Collins’ own experiences with mental health — including navigating a form of OCD — and why perhaps the appeal of so-called “outsider music” is that we all feel like outsiders in a way sometimes.

The life and legacy of LA’s Sumohair

This week we lost musician, artist, activist, and wonderful human Nectali Díaz, also known as DJ/producer Sumohair and half of psychedelic cumbia duo Reyna Tropical (alongside artist and She Shreds magazine founder Fabi Reyna). From his haircut parties to border-defying production to work documenting Afro-Mexican culture, Díaz illuminated a vital path of art and music in LA and beyond, and his loss is one of huge proportions to the LA music community. 

Sumohair’s work was beloved by artists ranging from Bomba Estéreo to Manu Chao, and musicians like Captain Planet and Quitapenas (in addition to countless members of the art and activism communities) have been among the outpouring of remembrances shared in the days since his passing. 

Put ears on Anthony and Novena’s MBE tribute to Sumohair, and support his family and legacy via GoFundMe.

This Ain’t No Picnic… it’s so much better! Enter to win, now.

Festival season is in full swing, and the embarrassment of riches on its way to SoCal is truly unparalleled. With all of the goods just around the corner, you’ll be totally forgiven for feeling slightly overwhelmed. We’re here to help.

We want to send you and a pal to check out the first ever installment of early-aughts-scene-kid dream date, This Ain’t No Picnic. Picture yourself in Pasadena, on the sprawling Rose Bowl golf course, bopping along to your college faves from LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes, Le Tigre, Descendents, and so many more. Of course, if you’re more on board with the tunes of today, this is still your spot. KCRW mainstays Genesis Owusu, Wet Leg, Phoebe Bridgers, Arooj Aftab, Pachyman, and too many more to list are bringing that striped t-shirt, heavy-eyeliner energy full circle. 

We’re giving away five pairs of weekend passes, so click quick to get yourself in the running.