This year has been hell for many people. Musicians, along with the venues that host them, have been battered in 2020. But many are using their down time to record new music or wrap up projects they were working on before the pandemic hit. This week, we take a look at the fortunes of a few of them: soul singer Connie Brannock of Little House of Funk has a more introspective EP; Bradford Trojan, alongside Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog, has a carefree pop/rock album; French chanteuse Marianne Dissard is sharing cover songs through the pandemic; longtime standup comedian and musician Fish Karma holds a distorted mirror up to modern times; and DJ Jahmar Anthony has found a new audience after scoring a gig with international reggae group Inner Circle. We'll be featuring more local music in the months to come, so if you've got something new you'd like to share with us, drop us a line.
Meanwhile, staff reporter Kathleen B. Kunz has been busy on the education beat. Kunz brings us the latest on how local school districts are working toward bringing back in-person classroom instruction; she also takes a look at how University of Arizona officials are warning they may have to shut down in-person instruction if the damn kids don't stop partying and spreading the virus around town.
Elsewhere in the book: Longtime columnist Tom Danehy takes the measure of our times and Cannabis 520 columnist David Abbott looks at how Democrats are pushing to decriminalize marijuana on a federal level. Plus, we have Dan Savage's sex column, Rob Brezsny's magical horoscope and all the usual comics and crossword.
Keep on rocking, Tucson. We'll get through this damn pandemic together.
— Jim Nintzel Executive Editor
Hear Nintz talk about the latest on the outbreak and other news at 8:30 Wednesday mornings on The Frank Show on KLPX, 91.1 FM.
