Before summer disappears completely, San Jose’s All City Elite is releasing a new single “The Breaks,” a mellow reggae-influenced jam that conjures up feelings of warm sunny days and beach barbeque parties. “The Breaks” is the first single off of All City Elite’s new EP, scheduled for an early October release.

While All City Elite has always fused elements of hip-hop, rock and pop together, reggae, as heard on “The Breaks,” is new territory.

“We have never been locked into a specific genre or style, partly due to the fact that there has been a revolving door of musicians in the ACE’s roster over the years, and also the desire to just have fun with it and let it flow,” says ACE lead singer Casey Sky. “Several members of the band have been playing in the SJ scene for many years, and the idea behind ACE was to bring together these talented people and let them create without restrictions or expectations.”

After a summer schedule full of interesting bookings, Naglee Park Garage will host two more concerts before ending its live music season for the year. Doctor Nurse brings atmospheric indie rock on October 17 and the Golden State Ramblers close the season October 24 with folk, Irish and novelty tunes from the 20s-40s.

The shows are always free at Naglee Park Garage and are held every Wednesday during the extended summer season outside on the patio. The lineup this year included young indie-rock acts (Curious Quail, Orangutang), alt-folk artists (The Wild Reeds, Will Sprott), roots-rock groups (Careless Hearts) and reggae-world beat fusions (Los Hot Boxers, The Champions, inc).

According to owner Chris Esparza, the weekly Wednesday shows were consistently successful. People enjoyed the combination of good live music and outdoor dining. He plans to have live music return in 2013 every Wednesday, most likely beginning in May.

Doctor Nurse play Naglee Park Garage on Wednesday October 17th at 7pm. The Golden State Ramblers play Naglee Park Garage on Wednesday on October 24th. Both shows are free.

Incorporating a host of musical styles and influences, such as reggae, rock, punk and hip-hop, the Dirty Heads produce a sound that evokes a vision of what one could imagine it’s like hanging out in their hometown of Huntington Beach on a breezy summer evening.

The quintet’s new album, Cabin by the Sea—an ever so appropriate title—came out in June, and features a variety of feel-good tracks designed to transport listeners to a sunny beachside state of mind. The band plays alongside The Shins, Jimmy Cliff, Tegan and Sara, Alison Krauss and Matisyahu at Harmony by The Bay at Shoreline this Saturday.

GIVEAWAY: Enter to win two tickets for Harmony By the Bay

“I think a positive message in music is always going to work,” says singer Jared Watson over the phone from a noisy tour stop in Las Vegas.

“It was lacking a little bit for a while with the whole emo phase—there was a huge depressed, ‘blah’ kind of music scene—and I think people just got over it, especially with all of the stuff going on in the world.”

That infectious and uplifting spirit echoes throughout the 11-song collection, the group’s more laid-back, sophomore effort. “We wanted this album to be more organic,” Watson says, “and if things weren’t perfect, then we left them not perfect as long as they felt good, we just had a lot of fun with it.”

He adds, “I think with the first album we were a little nervous and a little scared. This time we were just a lot more comfortable in our skin, we knew what we were capable of, we learned a lot, and we matured a lot.”

The Dirty Heads have played a fair amount in the Bay Area and toured across the country several times now, but they are particularly excited to be performing at Harmony by the Bay. “Festivals are cool because you get to play in front of people that wouldn’t necessarily come and see you,” Watson says. “It’s a really cool opportunity to get some new fans, and show other people our music—and vice-versa. Some fans that come to see us might find another band that they had never heard of and they end up loving by the end of the day.”

Later this year, the Dirty Heads will be playing a series of shows opening for Sublime with Rome in Brazil—something that Watson can’t wait for. “That’s really my ultimate goal for the band, is to be able to travel the world and play shows—to be able to spread our message and music on a worldwide stage.”