This weekend, the convergence of six DIY organizers will mark the ninth iteration of San Diego’s AwesomeFest. And for an event that started in 2007 as a joke in Riverside, it’s certainly picked up steam.

Hosted over three days, AwesomeFest will be spread through four eminent local venues: The Hideout, The Soda Bar, The Office, and U31, all of them equally vital to the growing SD music scene. With over 60 homegrown punk acts from across the country playing, including Hilary Chillton, The Stupid Daikini, Stymie, and Upset, you can bet that this event will be absent of any corporate sponsorship. No Heineken Dome, no Toyota Charging Station, and no free bodypainting booths. On the other hand, if you’re into loud garage bands, cold brews, and one of the most flagrant displays of DIY community strength over Labor Day weekend, this might just be the festival for you.

Awesome Fest 9 happens September 4-6, at venues between Washington Street and Robinson Ave., in San Diego. Set times available here. – Ryan Mo

Earlier this month, New York-based singer/songwriter Lucia Roberts released her latest album, ‘I’m Just Dreaming.’ Featuring such guitar-shadowed tracks as “So Kiss Me” and “Thorns And Roses” (streaming below), the release unveils not only the musician’s celestial voice but also a kind of “night-folk” full of mythic imagery and forlorn feeling that is akin to John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. There is, in fact, something novelistic about these songs but Roberts’ voice is so ravishing that one could just listen to them and nestle into their quiet beauty. Lucia Roberts plays at The Living Room on Wednesday (9.2). – Zach Weg

New York-via-Colombia musicians Juliana Ronderos and Nicolas Losada make alternative pop under the moniker Salt Cathedral. Their Facebook description reads, “I am a holy soul in a foreign land,” and it seems that, in this way, their otherworldly sound is intertwined with their lives. The band’s latest album, ‘OOM VELT,‘ was released in September 2014. Accompanied by ethereal beats, it is a dreamy, cohesive, piece full of layering and harmonies beautifully sung by Ronderos. Still, we are hungry for more music. A magical experience could include going to see a show of theirs; good thing the opportunity is coming up! The band will be playing at Baby’s All Right on Friday, September 4. Check out one of our favorite songs, “Good Winds,” below. – Lauren Schechter

When B.B. King passed in May of this year, guitars across the world wailed in tribute for weeks; many still do. Brooklyn rapper NOTAR, known to channel some blues into his swagger, has caught The King of The Blues’ spirit in his new album, ‘L.A.R.R.Y.’  Equal parts Kanye West and Citizen Cope, this album feels like NOTAR has finally reconciled an inner conundrum he’s been battling with for years. A concept album exploring a veteran’s return home from war, it is a deep and compelling work worthy of numerous close listenings. One of our favorite tracks, "Sacrifice ft. Adam Duritz," is streaming below. The King would approve. – BrokeMC

The dreamgaze-y quartet Last Canyon (fka Nightmail) released their newest EP "gold, sight, and silver" yesterday in an El Cid performance with post-punk revivalists The Electric West and the bright-eyed melancholic surfpop of Little Magic.

It’s been three years since their debut self-titled EP, an abrasive yet melodic spectrum of synth and oscillating guitars, and the group certainly have not lost their sharpness even as they announced a name change last October following singer-keyboardist Tammy Herrera’s departure. However, small changes to sound were in order: the halcyon voices of bassist Dvin Kirakosian (ex- Courtney Love and the Chelsea) and drummer Brian Ramirez now intertwine as they fade in and out of focus. Nick Nevlin (light fm) and Gabriel Fernandez (Facts on File) trade line for line on the guitars, re-imagining the nostalgic tones of 90’s dreampop with new romanticism, new sincerity, and new conviction.

"gold, sight, and silver" is available to stream on the Last Canyon’s Soundcloud. Listen to it below, starting with the sublime first track "Daymoon". – Ryan Mo