Don't Flunk Me!

Each year, the Santa Rosa Junior College, record label (Dont Flunk Me Records), chooses a band to promote. This years' chosen band is Vista Francisco.

This was the second band to play that night "Lean-to".

On April 17, there was a performance at the Arlene Francis Center showcasing this band and two other new high energy bands. The headliner, Vista Francisco was releasing their 5 song EP for this event. The bands that opened the show were, Strawberry Farm and Lean-to. The DFM band, Vista Francisco consists of Nathen Gong (vocals & guitar), Rodrigo Alarcon (guitar), Jon Bland (bass), and Josh Buchignani (drums).  They were formed in 2025 and their sound has been compared to Tame Impala and Hozier.

Vista Francisco

There were nine artist submissions to the Dont Flunk Me label and Vista Francisco were the winners. From there they collaborate with the student powered label in the Commercial Music program at the college. Once the band is chosen, the students in the music program, and graphic design departments are all involved with the band. Then it's all hands on deck when it comes to developing the new DFM band of the year. Last year I was in a Photoshop class and they asked for our help designing the album cover and logo for the band chosen. This program gives several different departments at the college, a real world project to work on...it's a wonderful creative student collaboration.

Strawberry Farm

The title for Vista Francisco’s new EP "Few Years, Few More" references the search for emotional connection. The tracks reflect Nathen Gong's subtle, sometimes wistful approach to life and relationships, seamlessly contrasting with the uptempo beat of his songs.  The Vista Francisco EP is available on all major streaming platforms. 

For more information on Vista Francisco and Few Years, Few More, visit links below:

Private EP Streaming Link: SoundCloud

Link To Download MP3: MP3

Artist Contact: Vistafranciscoband@gmail.com

PR / Marketing Team, Don’t Flunk Me Records: marketing@dfmrecords.com 

Press Photos:  Vista Francisco Press Photos

Band Bio: Vista Francisco Band Bio The other bands that played that night at Arlene Francis were also good. 'Strawberry Farm' opened and then 'Lean-to' played. I liked them both. They were young and raw, both with a kickass sound. All the bands had good drummers, which is always important!

If you like loud, solid, edgy music in your ears, any of these three bands would fit the bill. The first two were louder, and heavier than Vista Franciscos' sometimes dreamy sound. But all of the three bands that night have promise, in my opinion. I especially liked Lean-to. I couldn't stay for the entire set of Vista Francisco, as I had two more gigs to attend that night. But I did stay for the first three tunes. All good, and perhaps with a future in music.

All in all, I think the idea of a college record label is a great one. And to get several departments involved in a real world music project is a fantastic idea. For anyone interested in all aspects of music production from recording, to the bands look and style. The graphic design of the cover, the typography and logo, all play a part in the bands' overall look. It gets many students involved, even if they aren't in the music production side of things. Bravo to Jake Stillman and the other faculty members at SRJC for this program! And congrats to all those bands who are participating. The Music Soup appreciates what you do! Always remember....Be kind. Take a chance, because living with regret really sucks. Have gratitude each day. Love truly. Apologise. Forgive. Laugh as much as possible. Never regret anything that made you smile. Time is short and gets shorter each day. As always...support live music! (And turn up the volume!) With love and peace, The Music Soup xo ❤️🎵📸 If you'd like to purchase any photos please contact: AltermanImages@gmail.com Hundreds of artists available. Many sizes available. Artist gallery quality, high resolution prints. Framed or unframed.

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