Mayra Rodriguez

The push for an inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls in Orange County continues! This Saturday in SanTana, young women ages 18 and up will be taking on an extensive weekend of songwriting workshops, drum circles, self-defense classes, and instrument instruction. Hosted by El Centro Cultural de Mexico, the first ever Ladies Rock Camp will conclude in a Sunday night showcase at Original Mike's.

"The women are going to learn how to write a song in two days," says Mayra Cortez, Board Member for OC Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls. "It's a safe place and safe environment for them to express themselves."

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Courtesy of Tom Donoghue

Insomniac CEO and Founder Pasquale Rotella Addresses the Crowd

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For all the crowds, freakish costumes and profits that Electric Daisy Carnival attracted during its second round in Las Vegas, we've also learned that the event's promoters at Insomniac Events did some solid good outside the EDM community when we weren't looking.

For every one of the dance music fans who attended throughout the three-day festival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from June 8-10,  Insomniac's charitable donations gave $1 per ticket transaction and $10 per guest list attendee to charitable organizations in the Las Vegas communities for a second time in a row.

The Clark County School - Community Partnership Program, Emergency Medicine Resident Research Fund, Speedway Children's Charity - Las Vegas Chapter and Injured Police Officers Fund all benefited from the $115,000 donation including an additional initiative with Rock the Vote called Spin the Vote. Representatives from all of these organizations as well as Insomniac's CEO and Founder Pasquale Rotella were in attendance at the official check presentation held yesterday at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

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John Gilhooley

With the one-year anniversary of the fatal beating of Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011 at the hands of Fullerton police approaching, the Adolescents will headline a free outdoor concert in his memory. The legendary local band that got its start more than three decades ago in the city will be joined by other local musical acts on July 7 at the Downtown Plaza in front of the Fullerton Museum Center.

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David Zentz

Friday's massacre of 108 people, including dozens of children, in the Syrian town of Houla, has been roundly condemned by world powers as fears of a protracted civil war take hold. This weekend's horrific violence is the latest episode since a 14-month long uprising openly challenged the regime of Bashar al-Assad. In that time, the death toll has topped over 9,000 according to United Nations estimates as many more have been displaced from their homes.

In response to the ongoing crisis, UC Irvine's Society of Arab Students, Middle East Studies Student Initiative, Muslim Student Union, and Students for Justice in Palestine have organized a 'Sounds for Syria' humanitarian fundraiser taking place this evening starting at 7 p.m. featuring LA-based Syrian hip-hop artist Omar Offendum.

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Gloria Isabel Rivera

"I believe music is universal, and it responds to the context in which it was created," says Mare Advertencia Lirika--or Mare, as she's known professionally. "In my case, coming from indigenous roots, my music is the voice that speaks to this context."

In Oaxaca, Mexico, where Mare makes her home, responding to her surroundings takes on an urgent meaning, as, in the past decade, the southern Mexican state has become an epicenter for indigenous and popular struggle against economic injustice--and hip-hop has evolved to become a soundtrack to that struggle.

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Asala Nasri

As violence continues to plague Syria, superstar singer Asala Nasri is joining forces with award-winning composer and pianist Malek Jandali. The two will take to the stage Sunday at the City National Grove of Anaheim, generously lending their time and support for a benefit concert. Proceeds from "For You Syria" will go to the humanitarian efforts of the Syrian Sunrise Foundation, which is dedicated to helping families, orphans and widows left behind in the conflict.

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therightscoop.com

Tebowing

So you missed church on Sunday because you were too hungover to get up and think straight. Dude, you missed the wrong day to attend.  No matter what your vice is, there is hope for you yet. Through hip-hop, glam rock, Southern rock and even hardcore, you can listen to positive songs to help you get on the right path. Here are six songs that you can Tebow to. Choose your poison wisely. More »

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The Ultimate Bearhug

​OC Weekly and Music for a Cure team up this Thursday for Cocktails for a Cause, a monthly fundraiser/mixer that brings various people throughout Orange County together to support a local charity. Hosted by the gracious folks of The Observatory, this month's Cocktails is presumed to be quite the production featuring performances by The Make and sultry local duo, The Ultimate Bearhug. I caught up with Barrett Johnson and Doll Knight to get an update on their anticipated debut album, and their thoughts on the importance of music and giving back to the community.
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​Under the monicker emma's revolution, activist singer/poets Sandy O and Pat Humphries spend over 200 days a year sharing their music for various causes around the world. Last November, the duo released their third studio album Revolutions Per Minute, itself a journey through a multitude of genres from folk to funk. Every song has a story, whether it be "Stand Together" written and performed in solidarity with Wisconsinites protesting against Republican Governor Scott Walker's anti-unionism or "Let's Go Swimming" which speaks of a cold dip in Chesapeake Bay as part of an organized effort highlighting the looming specter of global warming.

Sandy O and Humphries pen songs that are both humorous and heartfelt, ribbing the contradictions of the Tea Party with biting sarcasm on one offering and soulfully carving out sanctuary in love from a heartbreaking world in another. On RPM, their voices, each possessing its own unique richness in tone, beautifully come together in harmony, a process by which humanity itself would be wise to follow suit.More »

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It's got '60s peace and love all over it: sitting around a camp fire in the pines, writing songs and such as a hedge against the after shocks of war. Well, that's not exactly why LifeQuest Military Transitions organized their first music camp last July in Edwards, Colo., but that's pretty much the net result: some kind of healing thing materialized among the nine vets who signed up to turn their worst battlefield nightmares into pop music.

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