Blogs

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. A quick succession of excerpts from...

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. Daft Punk sought to break the...

Six months in and 2013 is proving to be an exciting, surprising and fantastic year for music. My Bloody Valentine surprised us with m b v, suddenly releasing the record at midnight on a February Saturday after 20 years of silence. Followed months of teasing, Daft...

Caveman visited the WVAU studio before their Black Cat gig in April, supporting their second, self-titled record, and filled the tiny space with their expansive, shimmering melodies. Guitars surfed on waves of reverb as the punchy melodic bass provided a sonic floor...

Alicia Keys and Maxwell. Together. When I first saw that they had a track together on Key‰'s latest album, Girl on Fire, I was elated. I knew that I was not going to be able to handle the sensual experience that was, without fail, going to occur. In my head I was...

I know it‰'s finals week and no one could possibly have time to go out to a movie, nonetheless a concert, but there are such cool things happening in D.C. this week that I had to let everyone know about them. I‰'m sure if you actually did your work instead of looking...

It’s that time of year where the dorm rooms are cleared out, finals are completed, and paths diverge as the summer holidays roll in and the semester comes to a close. Feelings of relief, nostalgia and regret mix in the air as friends hug, enemies shake hands and...

Where should I begin with these guys? Maybe I should start by explaining that they were a gateway to an infinitely wide ocean of great new music that I would have never discovered without their influence. Or maybe that they put on the most fun live shows I’ve ever...

Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris. Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull. Katy Perry featuring Kanye West. The mere suggestion of a guest rap sounds … enticing. They promise more bang for the buck, two for the price of one. They‰'re economically savvy. But are they...

This is an edited version of a story originally published on USA TODAY College. Deerhunter’s art-rock noise reverberated off the domed ceiling of D.C.‘s Sixth & I Synagogue, under which the capital’s college radio community united for a first-ever collaborative...

Well, the apocalypse is here. Some of you may remember that, a few months ago, I did a post discussing the upcoming release of the first EP from Their/They‰'re/There, the three-piece collaboration from Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It), Mike Kinsella (Cap‰'n Jazz,...

Whether you want to impress that cutie at the Dav or maybe serenade that one classmate you‰'ve had a crush on just before you leave for summer break, here are a few tracks that are a bit heavy on the sentiment, handpicked for romantic endeavors. Don‰'t be afraid to...

  WVAU, in collaboration with American University’s Student Union Board, Sixth & I Historic Synagouge, WGRW and WMUC, is proud to announce the first-ever D.C. College Radio concert featuring Deerhunter, Jackson Scott and MSA YSA. — April 22 at 8 p.m. — Listen...

WVAU presents the next show in its ever-ongoing FREE concert series, Capitol Punishment, with local up-and-comers TWO INCH ASTRONAUT and the debut performance by AU’s very own SLAY RIDE. Join us in Kay Basement for our first and last basement show of the spring...

The Virginmarys rocked U Street’s club DC 9 April 2. The rising band from Macclesfield, England is currently touring the U.S. following the debut of their first studio album, King of Conflict. I had the opportunity to talk to the band before the show: Lead singer and...

Sometimes, fast-paced, nonsensical music is all you need to start the day. Although it‰'s great to have music filled with meaningful lyrics and intricate, unique instrumentals, it‰'s also good to have music that’s just pure entertainment, something to listen to as a...

We‰'ve got everything this week. From great shows to great band names, the only way this week can go wrong is if you choose to ignore all of it and stay inside. Take a chance and see a band you‰'ve never heard of on the cheap or spend a little more for a performance...

For months, many members of the punk community have been anticipating the first full-length release from Pennsylvania grunge band Daylight. After releasing a series of EPs over the past couple years and finishing up their tour with Balance and Composure (on which they...

Have you ever heard the perfect combination between sun, guitar riffs, pool parties and skating/surfing vibes? If not, you should probably start listening to Los Blenders. All the way from Mexico, these four guys became the hottest band from 2k12-2k13 for the Latin...

James Blake made a name for himself as a pioneer of electronic music. Glitched explosive beats, sweeping synth and Joni Mitchell-esque crooning are just a few of the technical weapons in Blake‰'s ever-expanding musical arsenal. His new album Overgrown doesn‰'t break...

“Is that a cat on your shirt?‰” I can‰'t tell you how many times I get that question whenever I wear my navy baseball shirt from this British screamo label. The answer is no, it‰'s not a cat. It‰'s a Shiba making a record with a buzz saw. Duh. Behold the first of many...

Somehow, spring was sidestepped in favor of a potentially sweltering summer. But a scorching summer means lazing around under the shade of a wide tree, ice tea in hand, with a cheerful yet calming soundtrack in the background. It means pretty sundresses and bright...

Justin Timberlake‰'s The 20/20 Experience features many long songs. So what? Reviews of Timberlake‰'s third solo album, his first in seven years, have focused on Timberlake‰'s stubborn disregard for songs that neatly fit into single-length slots on the radio or boast...

19 years ago we lost a father, hero and certified punk rocker. Kurt Cobain transformed the very face of rock and roll and although the man may be dead, the spirit continues to thrive. Nirvana‰'s grunge and “don‰'t give a fuck‰” attitude helped change music as an art...

For the sake of journalistic integrity, I need to make a quick overture to this week‰'s column: I am not what most would describe as “cool.‰” If any of you are casting bets on the odds of me becoming a forecaster of the up-and-coming, I‰'d say you could put your...

First of all, I would like to thank Club Fonograma for allowing me to find unexpected yet amazing musical discoveries on their website. This Ibero-American music blog used to make the best mixtapes ever, and in one of them I came across a Nerves cover of “Hanging on...

On the cusp of releasing their 13th studio album (with scores of other releases under their belt), there‰'s no question that the Flaming Lips are music royalty. They have achieved this by decades of being prolific, eccentric, exciting, challenging, controversial and,...

With spring just barely fighting its way past the lingering winter, students are breaking out their sunglasses and shorts, sunning themselves out on the quad and the steps of MGC. Mixed with that impatient longing for summer and the almost-there end of the semester,...

The Decemberists, The Mars Volta and Mastodon constitute just the new bands falling in love with the concept album; the old progressive rock movement of the ’70s that produced more concept albums than standard ones. Yet musicians don‰'t seem to have such a time with...

I use April Fools‰' to tell people how I really feel. Monday: The Idle Gossip, El Quatro, DJs Mikhail Z. and Teddy “Dos Dedos” Garcia DC9, 8:30 p.m., $10 While this may seem like a random assortment of bands, it‰'s actually a fundraiser for scooter enthusiasts! If you...