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A Welcome Change

Sara BareilleS bounces back with a new album thats anything but the same old song and dance.

put myself out there in a different way on this record, says Sara Bareilles of her new LP, The Blessed Unrest (Epic, $11). Bareilles first full-length album in three years documents a rough period for her both publicly she was onstage just before the 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse that claimed seven lives and privately. I was using writing as a catharsis, she says, just going to a place of healing by purging what was painful. Bareilles began with a switch in coasts, moving from Los Angeles to New York, where she spent an extended set of sessions working on the album with co-producer John OMahony. Ive always had a tendency to put restrictions on recording, but my approach to this record was really exploratory, Bareilles says. I didnt want more of the same. I needed to keep trying the new. One area Bareilles explored was co-writing, teaming for the first time with a handful of fellow songsmiths, including Funs Jack Antonoff. The albums first single, Brave, is a collaboration with Antonoff, and like much of the disc, its a reflection of Bareilles growing perspective as a woman and an artist. Theres probably a maturity to the writing that I didnt have access to at age 25, she says. Im 33 now and am thinking about different things, and thats reflected in the music. Bareilles whose last album, 2010s Kaleidoscope Heart, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts was aware of the heightened expectations for her latest work but tried not to let the pressure impinge on the recording. In my experience, it can tarnish the process if

youre too worried about the outcome, she says. But I really believe in these songs and the message of the music and would love people who havent heard me before to be exposed to it. More and more, the public is being exposed to Bareilles. In addition to her run as a judge on NBCs The Sing-Off, shes signed a book deal to write a collection of personal essays and is developing several musical projects for the stage. I feel like Im a student still, she says. I want to learn about all the different aspects of what this career can look like. Bob Mehr

Flying High
A string of artists from West London including Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and Michael Kiwanuka have in recent years been making waves across the pond. Add TreeTop FlyerS to that list. Though the group is just taking off stateside with its first release, The Mountain Moves (Partisan Records, $12), its folk-based music and harmonies reminiscent of the Eagles; America; and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young hint at big things to come. Heres what you need to know about the band, from frontman Reid Morrison (back row, left).
How THey CaMe ToGeTHer: The band formed quite organically. We all knew each other to some degree from being in different bands and playing the same circuit. THeir inFluenCeS: A lot of my musical influences and inspiration came directly from my parents. When I was growing up, they would play Otis Redding, Jackson Browne, CSNY, a lot of West Coast music, reggae, Scottish and Irish folk, and healthy portions of Van Morrison. I was actually rocked to sleep to [Van Morrisons] Astral Weeks as a baby. wHere THe naMe CaMe FroM: Its taken from a Stephen Stills song of the same name. After the war in Vietnam, a group of pilots needed work, so they went into cropdusting. These were called the Treetop Flyers. We liked the idea of the group getting together to continue using their skills. It sat nicely with us, as we had all been in bands before.
JameS mayfielD
from top: Danny ClinCh; Sam forD

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Bringing the Community Together

A unique place called CoRK is stirring the creative juices in Northeast Florida. Located at Rosselle and King streets (hence CoRK) in Jacksonvilles artistfriendly Riverside neighborhood, the CoRK Arts District houses the studios of more than 60 artists who work in a variety of media and styles. The 1920s, history-rich complex is set in three buildings once used to manufacture everything from matchbooks to furniture. Now, the 100,000-square-foot space has been Dolf James, CoRK opened in April 2011. Since then, this factory-turnedcultural center has galvanized the local art scene. We knew the arts community here was large and enthusiastic but very spread out, with no real central focal point, James says. The CoRK Arts District highlights a huge asset that was not as easily recognized before. It has gone a long way in showing the people of Jacksonville that art is thriving here and that its an

The view from The Endless Summer

The details
travel, from top: CourteSy the enDleSS Summer; lawrenCe lee (2); CourteSy the Shop (2); Cara robbinS; ChuCk plaCe/alamy (3); CourteSy the enDleSS Summer (2) art + travel: CourteSy Cork

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LiLLys TaqueRia 310 Chapala St.

www.lillystacos.com

Santa Barbara on the Cheap

The shop 730 N. Milpas St.

www.shopcafesb.com

MuniCipaL WineMaKeRs 22 Anacapa St.

www.municipalwinemakers.com

Kunin Wines 28 Anacapa St.

www.kuninwines.com

The endLess suMMeR 113 Harbor Way

www.chuckswaterfrontgrill.com

anta barbara, calif., is one of the most expensive cities in America. But there are plenty of low-cost ways to enjoy the best it has to offer. Start with tacos, the quintessential Santa Barbara meal. By far the most authentic, affordable and delicious option is LiLLys TaqueRia, where $1.60 will get you a small taco on a homemade tortilla with the filling of your choice. Options range from carne asada to tripas to grilled veggies. For more of a meal, check out The shop, a hip spot for breakfast and lunch. The socially minded owners run a nonprofit that digs wells in Uganda, and the best dish on the menu is a Ugandan import a variation of a street-food dish called The Rolex made of scrambled eggs, bacon and a smoked tomato spread wrapped in flatbread for just $6. When you get thirsty, Santa Barbaras uRBan Wine TRaiL has you covered. Weaving its way through a neighborhood known as the Funk Zone its chock-full of street art, surf shops and renovated warehouses the route can be walked or biked easily and includes 17 local producers that offer affordable tasting flights and wines by the glass. Try the MuniCipaL WineMaKeRs, which is located in a converted tire shop and sells a Pale Pink for $8 a glass. Just next door, at Kunin Wines, splurge for the $30 syrah to experience vintage varietals from the regions top grape. If wine isnt your thing, take a beer tour instead. Plan to end at the Santa Barbara Harbor marina, where The endLess suMMeR bar-cafes house-label Blonde Ale is on tap for $4 per 10-ounce glass. Drink as you watch the sun set slowly over dozens of fishing boats. Sally Kohn

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converted into studios and more than 15,000 feet of gallery space where resident artists regularly show their work. CoRK also hosts events everything from concerts and multimedia happenings to presentations from visiting artists. The brainchild of developer Mac Easton and artist

can check out the schedule at www .corkartsdistrict .tumblr.com

important part of the cultural fabric. While CoRK is open by appointment during the week, weekends usually feature at least one night of funky art and culture thats open to the public. Travelers

Daniel a . brown

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