Music
Traversing the Music Twitterverse
Music fans know that Twitter is for more than just telling your friends where you’re sitting in Van Pelt.
Defibrillator: Stevie Wonder, "My Cherie Amour" (1969)
Simple, classic and beautiful, this soul song changed my whole relationship with Philadelphia. I visited the city with my parents while I was in middle school, and I knew little about it beyond the existence of the Liberty Bell.
The Best of the Midwest
Simply put, you wish you were friends with Mike Posner. He’s an intelligent Duke senior, majoring in sociology and business, and a fun-loving frat boy to boot.
One Track Mind: 11.19.09
Hot Chip, “Take it In” Synths? Check. British accents? Check. Neo-disco-ish, meditative grooves?
A Breath Of Fresh Air
D.C.-based rapper Wale has high expectations weighing on his 25-year-old shoulders. Since 2005, he has released five well-received mixtapes, and his debut album is supposed to be the litmus test as to whether he can really bring hip-hop cred to the nation’s capital.
Defibrillator: Blackstreet, "No Diggity" (1996)
With its slow, sensual guitar riff and that hypnotic humming, Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” worked its way into my seven-year-old heart.
Different Strokes
In the first half of the aughts, it wouldn’t have been ridiculous to say that the media compared 80% of New York bands to the Strokes.
One Track Mind: 11.5.09
In the 12 years since the debut of “I Believe I Can Fly,” there’s been a void in motivational, mainstream R&B.
When Metal and Genius Collide
In the vast world of metal, few bands have the versatility of North Carolina’s Between the Buried and Me.
Defibrillator: Soundgarden, "Superunknown" (1994)
Opening with a blast of searing guitar, Soundgarden’s Superunknown grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go for upwards of 70 minutes.
Bringing Indie to Irvine
And we're pretty excited about it. The concert goes down in Irvine Auditorium tomorrow night at 8:30, so make sure to get your tickets ASAP.
Royal Ghosts of Ancient Iraq
Ah, the Penn Museum. It’s so close, and yet so difficult to motivate yourself to visit. If you haven’t set foot inside the picturesque South Street locale since your freshman year toga party, consider checking out the museum’s fascinating new exhibit: Iraq’s Ancient Past: Rediscovering Ur’s Royal Cemetery.
Flying High
Evoking something between Itzhak Perlman and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Chicago-based singer/songwriter/violinist Andrew Bird took the stage on Sunday night clad in a scarf, a tattered suit coat and no shoes.
Second-Rate Island
Even though Flight of the Conchords predated Andy Samberg’s The Lonely Island, I Told You I Was Freaky feels slightly worn-out; Flight of the Conchords is a novelty act that’s no longer novel.
Defibrillator: Elvis Costello, "My Aim is True"
I spent much of my teenage years being pissy and rebellious. Not pissy in the emo way, or rebellious in the cool way, just a little dissatisfied and willing to espouse my contrarian beliefs to anyone who would listen.
For the iPod in Your Head
In 2009, what makes good hip hop? It can be a tricky question for young MCs who, like most college students, were barely old enough to speak when the genre had its golden age in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
Artist to Watch: Jared Evan
In what seemed like a blink of an eye, rapper Jared Siegel dropped his last name, started hanging out with Diddy and got signed to Interscope Records.
The Imperfect Storm
Rain Machine, Kyp Malone’s solo project, seems to operate under the umbrella of two different styles: the multi-instrumental sound strewn across the opening of the album and the soulful-crooner-over-guitar tone that ends Malone’s brainchild.
One Track Mind: 10.22.09
“Shoot First” by Apathy, featuring B-Real and Celph Titled Apathy’s message is simple: “Shoot first, ask questions last.” This lack of apology is just part of what makes this track so damn good.
