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Eight Albums for Your Winter

As winter arrives and the days get darker, melancholy music creeps its way back into that special place in our hearts. That place we’ve kept locked away during the summer season of pop anthems and EDM drops. November is well under way, and now is the time that indie-folk and alternative anthems reclaim their space, ruling our winters.

Snakehips Bring High Energy to Exit/In

Last week, I went out on a Tuesday for the first time since freshman year to catch electronic duo Snakehips at Exit/In. The late-night set on November 7th was my second Snakehips show, the first an impulse buy to justify missing their set at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival 2016. Oliver Lee and James Carter started making music together in 2012, their stage name a reference to Carter’s shimmying dance when he puts on a tight pair of jeans.

A Theory of Album Epistemology

I have a theory for why people don’t listen to albums all the way through. Anthony Fantano recently addressed the ongoing “death of the album” discussion—he argues that albums have in fact saturated the market, but people rarely listen to them cover to cover because they rely too much on the strength of their singles or repeat monotonous formulas song by song. Nevertheless, artists still need more than singles to support tours, and labels ultimately can’t decide which song ends up a hit—so the album persists.

The Complexities of Love as Displayed by Daniel Caesar’s Freudian

(courtesy of NOW Magazine)

Freudian, Daniel Caesar’s debut album, released August 25, 2017 on Golden Child Recordings sparked discussion among music fans across all genres. It’s variety of production, a seamless fluctuation of emotion between subtle elegance and bold passion, is reflective of the intricate message the love-ridden Caesar is trying to convey. Throughout the 10 song album, Daniel Caesar spills his heart out about the complexities of love, ranging from despair to pure ecstasy.

The National transitions with Sleep Well Beast

(courtesy of AmericanMary)

The National’s most recent album, Sleep Well Beast, released September 8, 2017, is characterized by a tracklist that can be compared to a morning commute. “Guilty Party” resembles the melancholy of waking before the sun has risen, a sheet of morning dew still covering the hood of your car.  But the sun does rise and the gloom quickly turns into anger and frustration. “Turtleneck” embodies the morning drive itself — the agonizing slow burn of exit after exit, when you begin to tailgate cars just to feel like you’re making progress. Unlike previous albums, where each track transitions from one to the next like the tranquil flow and ebb of a stream, Sleep Well Beast is a complete mishmash.

PANORAMA FESTIVAL: Saturday Highlights

Tame Impala at the Panorama Stage (photo: Nikki Jahanforouz)

Panorama’s Saturday lineup promised some big names and a refreshing variety of artists to choose from. Tame Impala was headlining—they’ve seemingly kept up their major popularity streak since their release of Currents in 2015—and from Mitski to Vince Staples to Breakbot to Belle & Sebastian, Panorama brought a diverse and action-packed Saturday.

Pitchfork Music Festival Saturday Highlights: A Tribe Called Quest, Angel Olsen, & More

A Tribe Called Quest at Pitchfork Music Festival 2017. Click to enlarge. (photo: Meredith Mattlin)

After an eventful day one, Pitchfork Fest day two promised an even more saturated schedule. And it certainly delivered on that promise: first of all, with A Tribe Called Quest headlining, all the other bands could have tanked and this day still would have been certifiably historical. Fortunately, however, we were lucky enough that not a single one of the other acts disappointed.

Pitchfork Music Festival Friday Highlights: Dirty Projectors, LCD Soundsystem

Dirty Projectors at Pitchfork Fest 2017 (photo: Meredith Mattlin)

Friday’s lineup promised an electric start to an action-packed festival weekend. Nashville’s own William Tyler played at 4 PM on Friday, followed immediately by Frankie Cosmos and Thurston Moore. The three of these provided a perfectly well-rounded, balanced trio of acts to precede the contrastingly high-energy Danny Brown, who flawlessly delivered intensity and famously rapid rap. Dirty Projectors’ intimidating, otherworldly sounds set a new kind of mood, one that held the audience rapt for a night that culminated in an impossibly fantastic performance by LCD Soundsystem.

Formal Szn Ft. WRVU

Formal weekend is upon on us! Frats are descending on beaches, drinks are being poured (and spilled), and everyone wants #bangers. So I’m gonna get the party going with a few of those. Each song is linked to the next through the features or producer to ensure a truly cohesive playlist experience.

Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House: Emo at Heart

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Two momentous things occurred on Friday, March 24: the first was that Paul Ryan’s dream of repealing Obamacare likely died forever; the second, almost equally exciting event, was the birth of #RoachGate, an Internet rumor alleging that Paul Ryan is secretly an angsty emo kid who still listens to Papa Roach.

Why You Should Be Excited About Shoegaze in 2017

via Twitter

So perhaps you’ve seen the pink guitar album, or at the very least seen praise heaped upon Bullet For My Valentine and thought it odd that not only have they been a band since the late ’80s but that they’ve also done anything worth mentioning in the same sentence as the words “critical acclaim.”

WRVU Unplugged: Liquid Architecture

On Valentine’s Day, a few weeks back, I had the privilege of meeting up with one of WRVU’s most articulate (I think you’ll agree) new DJs. Christopher Augustinos, a sophomore student from the Northeast, is rocking the Nashville airwaves with the likes of Kanye West, Hot Chip, and Röyksopp. When we sat down for the interview, I had never met Chris before. The first thing he said to me was “I hope I’ve prepared to answer your questions eloquently.” I knew we’d get along. Who doesn’t love it when DJs take their shows seriously?

COACHELLA =/= BEYONCÉ

(via Beyoncé’s Instagram)

Due to her doctor’s recommendation, Goldenvoice announced on February 23rd that Beyoncé would not perform at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Instead, she would headline in 2018 when she is not in the third trimester of twin pregnancy. Despite being replaced by her “Telephone” partner, Lady Gaga, ticket buyers are angry and want refunds. Do these ticket buyers deserve a refund?

Birth, Death, and Rebirth of Rock ‘N Roll

(source: Billboard)

Little Richard quit rock ‘n roll for Gospel in October 1957. Elvis was drafted in March 1958. Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13 year old cousin and was blacklisted from radio in March of 1958. Buddy Holly died in a plane crash in February 1959. Chuck Berry was arrested in December 1959 for soliciting a prostitute. Thus, rock ‘n roll died, and a vacuum was created in American music in the early 1960’s. The youth simply lost their sound. However, rock ‘n roll and the blues were abroad, being marketed to a foreign audience and growing outside the American musical garden.

Wet Talks Writing, Performing, & Pre-Show Prep in WRVU Interview

Wet backstage at Exit/In (photographed by Meredith Mattlin)

A while back, WRVU had the opportunity to interview Wet, the effervescent indie pop sensation that had eager Nashvillians lining up out the door to Exit/In in hopes of a ticket to the sold-out show. We talked before their Exit/In show about touring, new music, their writing process, being on the road and in the South, pre-concert rituals…to read it all, and watch for the first time/relive their show, check out the interview and concert footage below. (We also photographed the band backstage before the show, which you can check out below as well.)