Blogs

I discovered Passion Pit‰'s song “Take a Walk‰” about a week ago, and ever since I cannot go a day without giving it another listen. All of Passion Pit‰'s new album Gossamer has me enthralled in an odd way. I do not usually listen to bands like Passion Pit. Sure,...

As part of the WVAU Capital Punishment free concert series, we’re hosting an evening with Fang Island and Eternal Summers on Friday, Nov. 9 in the SIS Founders Room. Tickets are FREE with an AU student ID. Come, bring your friends and revel with us in one of the...

Not all siblings are created equal. Just ask La Toya Jackson. Sometimes the talent just isn‰'t evenly distributed in the family. Then again, sometimes it is; sometimes it‰'s only the fame that has been unevenly distributed. This week, I‰'m highlighting the top five...

Taylor Swift-“Red” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZW8QNIiu1A Dick: Over the years, I’ve become more and more accepting of Taylor Swifts style of pop-country that, while not being the most unique thing in the world, is always distinctly hers, which is exactly why this...

Once I decided to come to D.C. for college, I recognized one of the perks was the local music scene, specifically the ska scene. The D.C. ska scene jumped off in the early 1990‰'s with bands such as The Checkered Cabs, Boy O Boy, The Skunks and of course The...

Behind an eerie panda mask hides Cro, a young German rapper who writes and produces all of his music. He calls his genre “raop,” a portmanteau of the words “rap‰” and “pop.” He self-released two mixtapes in 2009 and 2011 before he was finally signed by...

Name of show: Killin’ It Radio. Listen up as you wake up on Mondays, 7-8 a.m.! Three words to describe your show: Quite the killer. What can we expect to hear on your show? I try to keep it pretty upbeat. After all, I‰'m trying to wake people up! The music will...

During a recent radio show, I played two covers, the first being BADBADNOTGOOD‰'s cover of three Legend of Zelda pieces. I assumed that most people would recognize the beat of the old video game classic, even shrouded in a layer of smooth jazz. When I played the song,...

You may have seen Toye Adenekan around campus, probably minding his own business. Little did you know, you were in the presence of an accomplished rapper. To date, Toye has put out 19 tracks on his Souldcloud and has many more planned for the future. He may seem...

Name of show: Morning Vibes, on Wednesdays from 7-8 a.m. Three words to describe your show: Contemporary, upbeat and fresh. What can we expect to hear on your show? Luke and Alex: We like to play contemporary rock, folk and a lot of classics. We have similar tastes in...

Have you been tuning in at 2 a.m. on Sunday mornings? If not, you’re missing out — you should be listening to Josh Lowell‘s show, “In the Flesh.” He uses a lot of classic rock influences; his show is named after Pink Floyd’s opening...

“The Queen Is Dead‰Û Hear those tribal drums and the ominous high note and know you‰'re committing to this album, and get excited. Morrissey makes his fluttery entrance and the blistering song drags you along through six minutes of angst-filled, head-scratching...

In the ever-changing genre of electro-house, it is hard for the legion of different producers to stand out and make a name from themselves. Sure, there are names that people recognize, such as Porter Robinson, Afrojack and Skrillex; but for every Afrojack there are a...

An artist with a single name heralds greatness like Adele, BeyoncÌ© and Cher. So it was a conscious decision when Algerian singer, Cheb Khaled, decided to drop the “Cheb‰” andåÊjuståÊbecome “Khaled.” He‰'s known as the “King of RaÌø.” RaÌø is a genre that...

You know a band is worth your time when Kurt Cobain once eloquently described them as “his most favorite songwriters in the whole world.‰” The Vaselines and Nirvana have a long-standing music-boner relationship with one another. Nirvana covered the Vaseline‰'s “Sun of...

What exactly does it mean to be a “good pop singer‰” in 2012? The qualities a “good pop album‰” are easier to pinpoint. A consistent vision. Stylistic inventiveness. Powerful lyrics. An experience. A “good singer,‰” though? That‰'s a tough one. Thirty years ago, maybe...

This week’s edition of staff favorites stars Cameron Meindl, WVAU’s one and only station manager. He’s sharing a garage-rock and punk playlist featuring artists such as The Hollow Steps, Bleeding Knees Club and Hunx and his Punx. Cameron’s...

On October 11, people around the world will celebrate accepting themselves and proudly living true to who they are in celebration of National Coming Out Day. For me, coming out took a lot longer than a day. Although that approach certainly worked for me, an...

Spearheaded by Ryan Mitchell, this local talent is something to talk about. Shark Week not only has one of the best band names, but also one of the best sounds in the D.C. area; their hard bluesy, surf sound instantaneously attracts. This D.C. quartet features Ryan...

Electro-house and dubstep producer Zedd played Baltimore’s Soundstage Sept. 22. As one of the prominent, emerging names on the EDM scene, with Madonna and Lady Gaga tours on his r̩sum̩, there is a lot of pressure on Zedd to put on an amazing set every time....

WVAU’s central purpose is to enjoy and promote music of the independent variety, but that does not mean we cannot recognize a good pop song when we hear one. Pop Rocks is Mike Creedon and Richard Murphy’s honest bi-weekly assessment of some of the biggest...

I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of folk music or slow tempo music in general. I like my fast-moving indie-rock and pop I can dance to and pretend I’m a rock star. The only reason why I know Angus Stone is because I lived in Australia for a...

Next Friday, WVAU kicks off our free Capital Punishment concert series with a local/student showcase featuring Shark Week and Teen Suicide with our friends Teen Lit. Join us at 8pm in Kay for our first show of the semester! RSVP on Facebook here. Shark Week...

Chan Marshall, the woman known as Cat Power, is no stranger to personal struggle. Her alcohol abuse, hospitalization, financial ruin and reputation for volatile live performances are infamous. I started listening to Cat Power during the height of my own struggles: I...

Welcome back to AU! WVAU is gearing up for our biggest and best semester this year at AU. We have a new studio, a new schedule, and new releases ready for your ears! Plus, we have big plans for fall events, from open mics to Capital Punishment shows. This homepage...

Hello visitors, Your friendly neighborhood WVAU is on hiatus over the summer. While we won’t be streaming until the fall, we’ll be regularly updating our concert calendar to keep you abreast of music-ish events in lieu of our programming. See you in...

I am very worried. Extremely worried. Nikki Minaj causes all my fears. I recently just watched 3 or so minutes of her calling me a “stupid hoe‰” who can “suck her diznik‰” while wearing an outfit that can only be compared to Pepto-Bismol pink club-rat Barbie. She...

TONIGHT is WVAU’s final Capital Punishment show of the year, featuring Baltimore electronica renegade Dan Deacon at Comet Ping Pong. The concert is free for all AU students with their student ID. Doors open at 9:45, but come early and take advantage of...

If you wanted to get your groove on in D.C. last week, UHall was the place to be. Presented by All Things Gold, French electro-pop trio Yuksek was joined by Brooklyn-based opener French Horn Rebellion at the U Street staple for a night of bootyshaking beats. French...

Alabama Shakes ‰ÛÒ Boys & Girls In the short span of a year, Alabama Shakes have ridden a meteoric rise from playing in dive bars to making the rounds at every major festival and late night show. It‰'d be easy for a backlash to develop around the much-hyped band,...