Blogs
Eye Candy: Found Footage
From the days of Video Toaster, editors have found themselves with piles of unrelated footage and nothing to do with it. From this stems the idea of found footage compositions, something that has thrived with access to endless amounts of data. A found footage music...
FaceTime: Le1f Makes His Debut on the Tree House Tour at U Street Music Hall
Le1f began his Tree House tour at U Street Music Hall this past Wednesday. He put on a high energy, sex-oozy show and left me in awe of his dance skills. The opening acts DonChristian and Lakutis went on stage before 7:45pm. Unfortunately, my clique missed their acts...
Poetic Justice: Drake Contemplates Forsaken Relationships in “Nothing Was the SameÛ
Nothing Was the Same is pendular: the vocals swing steadily between R&B melodies and verses of straight-up rap. Drake's third studio album features guest appearances by Sampha and Jay-Z, and brings an hour of solid pop music to the world September 24. “This is...
Stuck In My Head: Dad Rock – The Softer Side of Reggae’s Steppin’ Razor
When you're a family of nine, Sunday Mass requires some serious logistical planning. Matching outfits have to be laid out the night before, multiple military-style wakeup calls have to be made, seating arrangements planned in advance to minimize fighting and goofing...
Leading Ladies: Finding Soul with Quadron’s Coco O
Last year, Tyler, the Creator tweeted, “Coco O has the voice of an actual angel” and there are few who would disagree, especially since some of her fans include Adele, Mark Ronson, JAY-Z and Pharrell. Part of the Danish soul duo Quadron, Coco Maja Hastrup KarshÌüj,...
Around the Outside: Origins of Underground Rap – Alternative Rap
Alternative Rap is considered to be both an influence and related to underground hip hop. This is due to both the musical style and lyrical discussions that focused on the outskirts of hip hop in the early 1990s. Alternative rap originated in the early 1990s with the...
Geology: Don Caballero Perfects Math Rock with "American Don"
With 2000's American Don, Pittsburgh natives Don Caballero have crafted the most technically and artfully advanced math rock album, perfecting the little-traveled genre that they helped pioneer seven years earlier as the bastard child of post-hardcore. Members at the...
Eye Candy: Kitty’s "Hittin Lixx"
In her new video, Kitty shows that all the bad intentions in the world cannot create an engaging music video. The video for her song “Hittin Lixx” tries to capture the “bad girl” vibe in a dark warehouse, concentrating on debauchery throughout. She ends up with a...
District Limits feat. Ham & Bangers
This Thursday, our very own DJs from Ham & Bangers will be performing at Casa Fiesta. Make sure to stop by! RSVP here:åÊhttps://www.facebook.com/events/164448163755333/ Latest Ham & Bangers’s Cloudcasts on Mixcloud
FaceTime: Le1f’s "Tree House"
Le1f released his latest mixtape, Tree House, this past Tuesday, and it is the realness. Le1f, nÌ©e Khalif Diouf, is a queer New York native who broke into the scene by producing “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell” by Das Racist. His music video “Wut”...
Leading Ladies: Why UK Singer, Etta Bond, Should Be On Your Radar
With bold personal style and a voice that's equal parts velvet and golden spikes, all eyes are on 23-year-old Etta Bond, the London-based chanteuse who released her second EP, Meds, just last August. Originally from Cambridge, Bond grew up around siblings who were...
Poetic Justice: Natural Origin in Crystal Stilts’ "Nature Noir"
As indicated in the title, the sublime dons a shroud of darkness in the Crystal Stilts' long-anticipated third studio album. In Nature Noir, released September 17, the Brooklyn-based underground-rock veterans focus on the complex relationship between humanity and...
Rack Spins of the Day: San Fermin, Claude VonStroke, Terry Malts and Toro Y Moi
San Fermin – San Fermin (Downtown) Dirty Projectors chamber pop with Matt Berminger's voice. Take whatever you like about Dirty Projectors, then everything that you like about chamber pop (if anything), then everything you like about Matt Berminger of The National’s...
Geology: 1992 – Pavement Reinvents Indie Rock With Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement's 1992 debut, Slanted & Enchanted, was an underdog record from the start. Recorded at the home of local hippie legend Gary Young (who was also recruited to drum on the album), the album was a melting pot of abrasive lo-fi guitar, sloppy drumming and...
Jazz Up Your Day: Miles Davis and the Art of Improv
Jazz, among other things, is music for the individualist. It bends musical rules forward and backward and refuses to conform to rigid structure and organization. Jazz values inconsistencies and imperfections and radiates a carefree energy through the disembodiment of...
Eye Candy: The Buggles’ "Video Killed The Radio Star"
This week, I’ve decided to take a look at the first video on MTV which launched a million Teen Moms, “Video Killed the Radio Star”. The Buggles’ barely remembered hit has a particularly uninspiring video to go with it. The poppy new wave track focused on the dual...
Blood Orange is Back
The new single “Chamakay” by Blood Orange is nothing less than a masterpiece. The day-old track is characteristically heartfelt, complex and catchy. DevontÌ© Hynes aka Blood Orange travels to Guyana, which is his mother's hometown, to pay homage to his roots...
Julia Holter Ticket Giveaway
Julie Holter is coming to the Rock & Roll Hotel Thursday, Sept. 26 and we’re giving away two (count ‘em, TWO) free tickets to the show! Enter here:åÊhttp://t.co/phRoZbVobY Contest ends September 18th.
Rack Spins of the Day: Dent May, Arctic Monkeys and King Krule
Dent May – Warm Blanket (Paw Tracks) Summer slipping slowly away… Warm Blanket, the third studio album by Paw Tracks understudy Dent May, feels like his grab for the spotlight. He is clearly cut from the Paw Tracks/Carpark cloth, recalling Toro Y Moi's soft grooves,...
Porcelain Raft Stops by the Rock & Roll Hotel
This past Saturday, Mauro Remiddi and his dream pop project, Porcelain Raft, took to the stage at Rock and Roll Hotel to support their new album, Permanent Signal. Like its 2012 predecessor, Strange Weekend, the album is a wonderful showcase of Remiddi's gifts with...
DJ Picks for the New School Year
It’s everyone’s favorite time of year again, with the start of sweater weather season and the sweet smells of burnt dorm food filling the air. That’s right, a brand new semester has begun! Whether you’re having a pre-graduation crisis or looking forward to...
Porcelain Raft & Dirty Beaches Ticket Giveaways
WVAU is back and we’re looking to start the semester off right by offering you not one, but TWO chances to win FREE tickets to some upcoming shows at the Rock & Roll Hotel. For more information, continue reading below: We’re giving away two FREE Porcelain Raft...
WVAU Wants YOU!
Interested in getting involved with college radio? Come hang out, meet the exec board and learn about the many opportunities available within the WVAU community. Stop by and join us at one of our THREE general interest meetings: Go the Facebook event page, RSVP and...
WVAU Q&A: Oshwa
Chicago band Oshwa stopped by the WVAU studio today for a quick on-air chat with WVAU General Manager Maxwell Tani to promote their debut record Chamomile Crush, available to stream and buy on Bandcamp. The Chicago four-piece discussed their place in the local music...
WVAU Top Music of 2013 (So Far): Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s II
It may be bit early for “Best of 2013? lists, but it's the middle of 2013 and we're excited to share our most-repeated new albums from the last six months. Read about some of WVAU's favorite records released in 2013. I'm a big fan of letting things speak for...
WVAU Top Music of 2013 (So Far): Mount Kimbie’s Cold Spring Fault Less Youth
It may be bit early for “Best of 2013? lists, but it's the middle of 2013 and we're excited to share our most-repeated new albums from the last six months. Read about some of WVAU's favorite records released in 2013. Kai Campos and Dominic Maker are intimidating...
Uncharted: The Rubens
Summer means festival season and this year The Governors Ball Music Festival on Randall’s Island in New York City has an interesting lineup with a variety of artists from different genres. Many of the bands playing this year are quite new, having formed and released a...
WVAU Top Music of 2013 (So Far): Foxygen’s We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
It may be bit early for “Best of 2013? lists, but it's the middle of 2013 and we're excited to share our most-repeated new albums from the last six months. Read about some of WVAU's favorite records released in 2013. Listening to We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors...
WVAU Top Music of 2013 (So Far): Devendra Banhart’s Mala
It may be bit early for “Best of 2013” lists, but it's the middle of 2013 and we're excited to share our most-repeated new albums from the last six months. This week, read about some of WVAU's favorite records released in 2013. Our favorite hippie/freak folk/sex...
WVAU Top Music of 2013 (So Far): Kurt Vile’s Wakin on a Pretty Daze
It may be bit early for “Best of 2013? lists, but it's the middle of 2013 and we're excited to share our most-repeated new albums from the last six months. This week, read about some of WVAU's favorite records released in 2013. In between four months of traveling...