Blogs
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...
Meet the Parents: Tech Director Eric Lo
Meet the Parents: Promotions Director Ellie Balk
Meet the Parents: Programming Director Arielle Small
Meet the Parents: Music Director Lia Patentas
Meet the Parents: Events Director Daniela Spino
Meet the Parents: Art Director Kathryn Staebler
Meet the Parents: Art Director Talia Marshall
Meet the Parents: Station Manager Summer Cirino
Glaive is done with Hyperpop, but so is everyone else
Ash Gutierrez is no stranger to new situations. Starting from his bedroom, while attending high school virtually during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gutierrez, also known by the stage name Glaive, turned to music to distract him. While this isn’t anything...
Concert Review: Black Midi
Black Midi is on a roll. After releasing one of the most critically acclaimed albums of last year, touring the world relentlessly for the past few months, and being on track to release another full-length album sometime later this year, Black Midi really is the...
Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 420
Happy April 20th. Regardless of whether or not you’re participating in today’s informal holiday, you should still be listening to good music. I wanted to take the opportunity to share my go-to lazy tracks that are sure to make your Wednesday more enjoyable, whether...
Why it Matters: Songs that shaped the music industry and our modern world
Breakup songs: From “You’re So Vain” to “All Too Well” For almost seven decades, the break-up song has remained one of the most ubiquitous and consistent staples of 20th and 21st century pop music. Sometimes they’re angry, meant to be screamed in the car and shouted...
Concert Preview: Mild High Club at Black Cat DC 4/19
Mild High Club is the solo project and psychedelic dream pop group led by LA-based and Chicago-naïve Alexander Brettin. Using keyboards, computers, guitars, and a four-track recorder, Brettin used his affinity for jazz and AOR to develop Mild High Club content in 2012...
Tunnel Songs: Breaking Down Cinematic Use of Berlin and Bowie
Music matters deeply to the emotive value of a film. The sonic emotion determines the views interpretation and own emotive association to a scene. Recently I happened to watch the films Perks of Being a Wall Flower and Jojo Rabbit within the same week. I realized that...
Second District Records Ready to Rock Union Stage
At the beginning of 2021, Second District Records was down to three members. Decimated by the pandemic and unable to put on events and shows, American University’s student run record label was stripped to its barest of bones. However, with a return back to campus and...
Texture in Music 7: Lo-fi Texture
Lo-fi music is somewhat bewildering at face value. Why, after all, would anyone want to make their music sound worse? With that question, though, comes the assumption that music must be perfect, without any technical flaws to speak of, if it is to be considered...
Musical Personalities: Peppermint Tea, Creativity, and Individuality
Welcome back to Musical Personalities, a column where I analyze how my friends’ music tastes match their personalities. This week, I am looking at my friend Q.D’s top three songs. Q.D is one of my closest friends from home and probably the coolest person I know. She...
Middle School Gothic: Blue Influencers
By the time Troye Sivan released his debut album, Blue Neighborhood, the Australian soon-to-be pop star had already been famous for years. Perhaps best known previously as Influencer/YouTuber sensation, by the time he had announced his transition to music he had...
The Beauty of Stop Motion Music Videos
Music videos. We’ve all seen them before. They provide some form of visual representation of our favorite songs. When they’re done right they can elevate whatever music the video is representing to new heights. I have always really enjoyed watching the music videos to...
Spring Deep Cuts
Spring is a time of in-between and exploration. The seasons are changing and so should our playlists. In preparation for the last push into warmer weather and summertime, here are a few newly released tracks to add to your rotation. "Meet Me There" by Lucki...
I Was Sick and Tired of Writing Horoscopes Based Off The National’s Discography So I’m Cutting My Losses and Recommending You Music According to Your Myers-Briggs Type
You know, it takes a lot of energy to have great taste in music like I do. Like, a lot. I have to eat 5000 calories daily— a diet comprised entirely of birds and other small critters I catch with my teeth in the woodlands of the Yukon— and that’s just what I have to...
Texture in Music 6: Environmental Texture Pt. 1
For my first discussion of environmental texture in music, I’ll be focusing on the ambiance of natural sounds. For this installment, I’ve loosely categorized some common environmental ambient noises into subheadings, but the reality is that many tracks contain...