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A Spring Break Playlist to Get You Excited for Coachella/Bonnaroo
March 1, 2014 Leave a Comment

A Spring Break Playlist to Get You Excited for Coachella/Bonnaroo

Photo courtesy of bodyworker.org

Photo courtesy of bodyworker.org

Alright, so maybe Bonnaroo and Coachella are a bit far off in the future, but it’s never too late to get excited about their imminent arrivals! With Elton John, Kanye West, and Jack White headlining Bonnaroo; Outkast, Muse, and Arcade Fire headlining Coachella, and many more amazing musicians/bands showcasing their talents at the two festivals, there is much about which to be excited. Bonnaroo is a little more than 100 days away; Coachella is just 40 days away; and spring break 2014 is happening right now. As many people are parading off to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and the beach for a week of relaxation and wild festivities, I’m sure they would appreciate a playlist to get them to where they’re going and make their trips more enjoyable. So, wherever you’re going for spring break, whether flying out or road tripping, or simply going home for some much-needed R&R after a stressful week of midterms, here is a playlist of catchy tunes by some of the artists who will be performing at this year’s Bonnaroo and Coachella to spice up your spring break!

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Filed Under: Festival Previews, Lists Tagged: , ,
Top 10 Aphex Twin Songs
February 28, 2014 Leave a Comment

Top 10 Aphex Twin Songs

It’s no secret that Aphex Twin (AKA Richard D. James) is one of my favorite artists, but I can see how someone who’s yet to give him a listen might be intimidated by his scattered discography. Following are my picks for the top 10 Aphex Twin productions.

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Filed Under: Lists, Music, Track Reviews
February 27, 2014 Leave a Comment

St. Vincent Confidently Cuts To The Core of Her Sound

Album Cover courtesy of Pitchfork

Seemingly on the verge of a real popular breakout  for years after collaborations with David Byrne, Bon Iver, and Kid Cudi, it’s telling that Annie Clark decided to follow up her most successful (and best)  album yet with a self-titled affair. That it’s a fourth album is important as well: if third albums are about solidifying an artistic voice, a thing Strange Mercy did astoundingly well, fourth albums are about proving that you’re more. Some bands choose to build upon their sound like The National did with Boxer or Phoenix did with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, some choose to buck it entirely like Radiohead’s Kid A, or some bands depressingly regress like Metallica’s Black Album. No matter the quality, these albums frequently become a focal point in the discography: a tone setter for the rest of a career. Thankfully, St. Vincent offers a confident distillation of just what makes Clark’s project so fascinating without shedding her experimental roots.
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Filed Under: Album Reviews
Is Aberdeen the next Graceland?
February 25, 2014 Leave a Comment

Is Aberdeen the next Graceland?

pacific northwest 799

Kurt Cobain, the famed frontman of Nirvana, grew up in Aberdeen Washington. In interviews, Cobain rarely mentioned the city, sometimes saying things like, “In Aberdeen, I hated my best friends with a passion, because they were idiots.” Later recounting his childhood, Cobain reflected on Aberdeen as “a depressed and dying logging town.”

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Filed Under: Music, Music News
February 24, 2014 Leave a Comment

Would you like some Irish with that?: Kodaline w/ LP

Kodaline2

It has been on my bucket list since the beginning of my first semester – watch an awesome show at the Exit/In. That may be redundant, considering the bands that come to the venue are more likely than not, extremely talented. Some of them have been lucky enough to have their names written on a large wall behind the bar or on the grand mural outside the front door. Well, I would argue that the show I went to, Kodaline with the fantastic opener LP, should be put up next on that wall of fame.

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Indie Rock, Singer Songwriter, Uncategorized
Live Every Week Like it’s Snark Week
February 23, 2014 Leave a Comment

Live Every Week Like it’s Snark Week

http://www.chicagonow.com/lists-that-actually-matter/2013/08/work-hard-play-hard-snarky-puppys-michael-league-on-freedom-dedication/

http://www.chicagonow.com/

Earlier this week, Nashville was lucky enough to host one of the most innovative and creative bands in the business right now. Combining elements of jazz, electronica, rock, and everything in between, Snarky Puppy attracted probably one of the most demographically diverse crowds I have ever seen at a concert. It was amazing to see this band have such a crowd equally invested into their music, and taking a closer look at their work will show you how this was possible.

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged: , , ,
Should Alternative Radio Take Kacey Musgraves Under Their Wings?
February 21, 2014 Leave a Comment

Should Alternative Radio Take Kacey Musgraves Under Their Wings?

kaceygrammy

 

This boot stompin’, Texas native has carved her way into the music industry in the last whirlwind of a year. With two Grammy awards and a CMA award under her belt, she embarks on summer tours with country singer, author, poet and activist, Willy Nelson and mega pop star, Katy Perry. With countless articles written by Perez Hilton and Billboard and many top 100 albums of 2013 lists, Kacey seems to have become the darling of the music industry. The real question is where is all this momentum heading? Lacking a single to make top 10 on country radio and with most country stations refusing to play her latest single, “Follow Your Arrow,” many are questioning what lies ahead in this bright, 25 year olds future. 

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Filed Under: Alt-Country Tagged: , , ,
February 20, 2014 Leave a Comment

Life On The Farm: Bonnaroo Lineup Analysis

Image courtesy of Stereogum

The Coachella lineup gave us a taste of festival season.  For Vandy students, a quality Rites lineup with heavy-hitting headliners kept the hype train rolling.  And last night’s Bonnaroo lineup announcement after a mid-February day that felt like mid-spring has me feeling like festivals should be starting tomorrow.  Bonnaroo, a four-day music festival that is among the nation’s best, is only a one hour drive from Vandy’s campus in Manchester, TN.  It is a must-go for anyone staying in the Nashville metro, and really the greater southeast United States, in the summertime (and a must-go for anyone with the necessary funds to travel from further away).  True to its reputation, this year’s lineup didn’t disappoint, although it does come with one head-scratching omission.

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Filed Under: Concert Previews, Festival Previews Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,
February 19, 2014 Leave a Comment

Spring Break and Hideaway

courtesy of nesthq.com

Spring Break is nearly here for the students! With less than two weeks until the unofficial halfway point of the semester and the weather warming up from the 30′s to the 60′s, the latter half of February is looking pretty good! I don’t know about the rest of y’all but I’ve been having a hard time finding some new dance tunes to pump me up for the break (if you have any send them my way!). But luckily for you all, I’m about to introduce a new artist by the name of Kiesza and her breakout tune Hideaway.

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Filed Under: Music, Track Reviews Tagged: , ,
The Case Against the Star-Spangled Banner
February 19, 2014 Leave a Comment

The Case Against the Star-Spangled Banner

Why do singers mess up these words so frequently?

Why do singers mess up these words so frequently?

It’s Olympics time, and that means patriotism is at a relative high here in America.  So is the potential to wile away the hours in front of non-stop sports coverage.  It’s taking all my willpower to keep my eyes on my laptop as the American hockey team plays the Czechs on the television in front of me.

But there’s one thing about seeing the United States in international competition that bothers the hell out of me: our national anthem, when compared to those of other countries, just doesn’t cut it.

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Filed Under: Special Features
A Look at Two New Songs from Beck’s Upcoming LP “Morning Phase”
February 17, 2014 Leave a Comment

A Look at Two New Songs from Beck’s Upcoming LP “Morning Phase”

http://www.spin.com/sites/all/files/140117-beck-morning-phase-cover-art.jpg

Beck has been in extended hiatus since 2008′s Modern Guilt. Of course, he hasn’t been entirely dormant; he’s been producing, working on his own label, collaborating with people as diverse as Jack White and Phillip Glass, and releasing new songs in the form of sheet music. Beck is to release his first LP in six years, Morning Phase — a spiritual successor to 2002′s Sea Change recorded with many of the same musicians — this Friday, and has already released two songs from the album: “Blue Moon” and “Waking Light”. Let’s take a look. [Read more...]

Filed Under: preview, Track Reviews Tagged: , , ,
February 16, 2014 Leave a Comment

De La Soul’s Top Love Songs

Photo Courtesy last.fm

Legendary hip-hop group De La Soul made their entire discography available for download this Valentine’s day. Here are eight love tracks to help you sift through the epic collection of beats and rhymes. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lists, Music Tagged: , , ,
Resurfacing A Forgotten Love
February 11, 2014 Leave a Comment

Resurfacing A Forgotten Love

Apple_iPod_Mini

The other day, as I stumbled upon some old photos of myself deep in the crevices of my computer files, I started reflecting on my middle school self. I was, of course, rocking the typical emo/pop punk kid uniform of as much pink and black  as possible and sporting thick, black etnies in most of the photos. In a few pictures, I’m seen with a metallic blue iPod mini on hand.  So, the other day, I started thinking about the bands I was listening to back in 2006 and thought I’d give you all a recap of my ultimate favorites at the time. Hopefully some of you can relate.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized
Super Duped: The Decline of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
February 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

Super Duped: The Decline of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Flea, your bass is unplugged...and since when did Chad Smith look like Bruno Mars instead of Will Ferrell?

Flea, your bass is unplugged…and since when did Chad Smith look like Bruno Mars instead of Will Ferrell?

If you grew up a rock music fan in the first decade of the 2000s, as I did, the Red Hot Chili Peppers likely provide much of the soundtrack of your formative years.  Songs like “Can’t Stop” and “Dani California” populated your early-generation iPods, and you familiarized yourself with the oldies that stood the test of time: “Give it Away,” “Under the Bridge,” etc.  Listening to these songs probably invokes a good deal of nostalgia.  They stand the test of time, too; listen through Californication again today, and relish in the tight, emotionally thick beauty of its fifteen tracks.

Given these assumptions, you were probably just as pumped as I was to hear that the Chili Peppers would be joining Bruno Mars for the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime performance.  By the time the teams headed to the locker rooms and Seattle had ensured that the game would be akin to watching a monster truck run over the same poor car for three hours, you were probably relieved that some good music would interrupt the tedium.  Bruno Mars, sure, cool, but the CHILI PEPPERS!!!  I was so excited, I had even set up a betting pool with my family, trying to pick the three songs they would play.

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Filed Under: Special Features
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