Blogs
How Do You Burn? The Afghan Whigs
The Afghan Whigs’ new album How Do You Burn? is introduced with the passionate and fast paced I’ll Make You See God, an aggressive start to a set of songs that defy definition within a singular genre. How Do You Burn? is a refreshing fall album that tells a story of...
The 1975 at Their Very Best (And Most Aware)
The 1975 is notorious for catchy indie pop tunes with witty, yet sometimes incomprehensible, lyrics. However, on their newest album Being Funny In a Foreign Language, released on October 14th, lead singer Matty Healy once again proves that he can deliver clever lyrics...
Notes with Nicole: Songs for Bad Dream
Hi! Welcome to Notes with Nicole. Today I wanted to highlight some songs that capture the essence of a bad dream. Some are comforting, some parallel the feeling that sticks with you after dreaming of something you wish to forget. Also, at the end I assign each song to...
The Temperature is Finally Below 70 (Almost) Consistently!
Get your flannels, boots, and pumpkin spiced everything out: it’s officially fall. The leaves are finally starting to change colors, and you can put on a sweater at 8 am without having to change into a tee shirt by noon. With autumn comes the overwhelming need to put...
ITS OFFICIALLY STICK SEASON
On October 17th, Noah Kahan and Adam Melchor officially kicked off fall with their performance in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Fillmore Silver Spring was the perfect venue for this concert. The hardwood floors gave it a rustic feel that accompanied the folk music...
Dehd: Concert Preview
Dehd is stopping in DC on their ambitious world tour with their fourth album, Blue Skies. Co-lead singers Emily Kempf and Jason Balla are supported on drums by Eric McGrady in this three-piece indie rock group from Chicago. Covid was not enough to stop the group from...
WVAU & UnCL – Del Water Gap – Renan Rocha
From flipping burgers in New York City to playing sold-out shows throughout North America and Europe, Del Water Gap, also known as S. Holden Jaffe, had his first London show this past week at the Camden Assembly Pub. The crowd, which sold out the show within 15...
Now Playing: You’re Going Through a Phase and You Need Help
We’ve all been there—you’re going through a phase, and you just can’t seem to escape the same music you’ve been listening to for days, weeks, months (years?) on end. I’m right there with you. The people who follow me on Spotify are probably tired of seeing me listen...
Color Theory: Beige
Hello! Welcome to Color Theory! This is my little column about how people like to group music. One of my favorite people on Spotify is Carly Bogie (@hahahkcoolgtgbye). Carly makes the most fantastic playlist known to man; you should definitely check them out. One...
Becoming Your Parents: iDKHOW—A band from the past, present and future
I’ve seen the band I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME live three times so far. Each time has been life-changing. The first was on their Night Heat tour in 2019. Every concert I’d seen up until that point had been at a stadium, so it was a vastly different experience....
Nomenclature: Unpacking Heartbreak and Peril in Lizzy McAlpine’s five seconds flat
Lizzy McAlpine’s newest album, five seconds flat, tells the story of the heartbreak, joy, and the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with navigating young love. McAlpine has been releasing music since 2019 and between her EPs and albums, as well as her social media...
Gorillaz: Concert Preview
Throughout their 24 years as a band, Gorillaz have remained an influential, indescribable and era-defining force in popular music. Despite ostensibly consisting of four animated members, the “virtual band” is a result of the collaboration between two artists, British...
For-profit Nostalgia, Pop-Punk, and UK Electronica: An Unrelated Analysis
Nostalgia is a booming business in the music industry. The success of 70s and an 80s nostalgia was cemented in the mid 2010s with groups like Greta Van Fleet and Vulfpeck engaging in mimicry of Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder, and pop acts like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd...
Jonathan Richman: Concert Preview
71-year old Jonathan Richman, former frontman and founder of The Modern Lovers, has had an immense effect on modern-day punk and indie rock music throughout his 50-year career. Largely inspired by the Velvet Underground, proto-punk band The Modern Lovers ( featuring...
What is it Really Like Inside Harry’s House?
“Welcome to Madison Square Garden! I’d like to thank Harry Styles for taking the night off,” Billy Joel joked to the roaring crowd. Joel took the stage on one of the few nights Madison Square Garden - temporarily “Harry’s House” - was not occupied by its artist in...
Bands Behind Bars: A Quick Look at Incarcerated Concerts
On a clear Chicago day in September 1970, 2,117 inmates assembled in the yard of Cook County Jail, America’s largest jail at the time, referred to as “The jungle”. They came to see BB King, “the chairman of the board of all the blues singers”, make history as he...
Puddle Music: Heartbreak and the Desire for Stability in Del Water Gap’s Self-Titled Album
Del Water Gap is an artist you’ll never get tired of listening to. The solo project of producer and songwriter S. Holden Jaffe, he has been releasing music under the name Del Water Gap since 2015. Alongside his solo music, he has worked with artists such as Maggie...
Suki Waterhouse and Father John Misty: Concert Review
D.C. was graced with two excellent performers on September 20th, Suki Waterhouse and Father John Misty. The concert spanned from 8pm to 11pm, and the energy in The Anthem was electric from start to finish. Suki dazzled the audience not only with her sparkly outfit...
That’s So Lana Del Rey Vinyl: The Commodification of Artists’ Aesthetics
Elegant perfume bottles, red lipstick, pastel pink floral sheets, dainty lingerie, and novels following the trials and tribulations of unlikable female characters: these are all objects that have come to be associated with the musician Lana Del Rey. When scrolling on...
Spotify Playlist #154: Music of New Jersey
There’s something in the water in New Jersey that produces such a great amount of musical talent. Or maybe it’s just the Newark smell. Either way, there’s no denying that New Jersey is where lots of our favorite musicians call home. Surprisingly, it’s also where a...
Best Stomp and Holler Artists to Listen to this Fall
Stomp and Holler is the type of music that is hard to describe in terms of category. This is why I believe it is best to describe it in terms of the vibes that go along with it, rather than the music itself. Stomp and Holler music is exactly what the name suggests:...
Lizzy McAlpine’s five seconds flat: Concert Review
With her debut album released during the height of quarantine, Lizzy McAlpine has never done a headlining tour– until now. With the release of her sophomore album, five seconds flat, Lizzy takes to the road to give ecstatic fans a chance to hear their favorite songs...
Concert Preview: The Garden at Howard Theater 10/6
Hailing from Orange County, California, The Garden is a band made up of twins Wyatt and Fletcher Shears. Established in 2011 when the twins were only 18, they have been touring since 2012. Describing their sound as “constantly evolving”, The Garden’s music is...
Becoming Your Parents: Radio Free Washington DC
The first time I heard “Radio Free Europe” by R.E.M., I was a high school freshman, still branching out from the middle school faux-emo bands that paved my preteen years. My dad played it for me one night after asking me what music I was listening to. I sat beside him...
TOP 5 POP PRINCESSES THAT YOU AREN’T PAYING ATTENTION TO
The pop world has been overtaken by many new female stars like Dua Lipa, Lizzo, and Doja Cat, while still favoring more seasoned stars like Taylor Swift, Adele, and Beyoncé. As society places its major influences on pop culture, it is constantly changing at a fast...
Cecily Renns Interview
Last summer, I tuned into the release stream of cool and new volume three, the final album by the bizarre and Homestuck-inspired collective Cool and New Music Team. I expected the normal CANMT fare: ironically low-quality chiptunes and instrumentals. Instead, I was...
Concert Preview: Death Cab for Cutie at The Anthem DC 9/27
Death Cab for Cutie is an indie pop and rock group based out of Washington state, currently featuring members Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer, Dave Depper, Zac Rae, and Jason McGerr. Using vocals, guitar, piano, bass, keyboards, and drums, Death Cab for Cutie has continued...
Second District Records Concert Review
On April 19th, independent student-run record label Second District Records officially set out to relaunch their brand with the revival concert, a showcase of signed AU Student talent to re-establish SDR as a presence in the student media landscape. Those who attended...
TC Superstar on creating a conceptual album, collaborating remotely, and finding alone time while on tour
I met up with Austin based synth pop band TC Superstar at their sold out show at Comet Ping Pong to talk about their process of creating an album start to finish, thematic inspirations, and embodying music through choreography. Fronted by Connor McCampbell, TC’s sound...
Returning to Strummerville
Towards the start of the pandemic, a video came out celebrating Joe Strummer on what would have been his 68th birthday. In tribute, dozens of artists ranging from those deriving of a similar genre to that of the Punk Rock Warlord himself to total out-of-left-fielders...





























