Blogs
Mitch Rowland: Quiet Star Power
For every musical project that comes out, there is an artist who is at the forefront. With their name boldly printed across album covers and promotional materials, everyone knows who they are. Then there are those working just as hard behind the scenes to make the...
Dad Reviews: Songs that Sample/Interpolate 80s Songs!
Having a dad that grew up in the ‘80s naturally means I was exposed to some pretty great music growing up. I can remember listening to anything from Bon Jovi to Fleetwood Mac to AC/DC while in the car with him. My father and I share a love for music of all kinds, but...
At The Pie Shop
What started as an impromptu decision to attend any venue in the city having a show that Friday turned into a surprisingly captivating night of live music. While contemplating which one would properly satisfy the desire to view high energy performances filled with...
The Snuts: Breaking Away from Major Labels
Glasgow-based band, The Snuts, decided last year to break away from their major label Parlophone Records (a subsidiary of Warner Music Group) in favor of going independent. Despite the incredible success of their earlier releases, "W.L." and "Burn the Empire," The...
Grace Jones = Punk Icon
Happy Women’s History Month! Women have been at the forefront of many prominent musical and cultural movements, and the punk movement is no exception. Although many people today seemingly have a specific image in their minds of what punk is and looks like, punk is, by...
Kay Basement Preview: Local Orange, Mannequin Fight, TORO and Home Remedies
It’s back. WVAU’s biggest, loudest event of the semester is back this Saturday, Mar. 2, in the Kay Spiritual Life Center Basement. The Kay Basement concert is a long-standing WVAU tradition that goes back to at least 2012–or at least, that’s the earliest Instagram...
The Musicality Genius of A24’s “Waves”
Spoiler warning for the movie "Waves" “Waves” is a 2019 film directed by Trey Edward Shults. The movie has two distinct parts with the first half of the film following older brother Tyler Williams and his descent towards destruction, the second half of the...
The Talking Heads’ American Utopia
Lights up. David Byrne of the Talking Heads stands in the middle of an empty stage, clad in a gray suit, barefoot, holding a human brain. “Here”, he says, is the beginning of his American Utopia.
Orquídeas Album Review
On Jan. 12, 2024, Latin pop star Kali Uchis released her fourth studio album and second Spanish-language album, “Orquídeas.” As a fan of Uchis since the release of her 2015 album, “Por Vida,” I was ecstatic about the release of this album. I’ve seen Uchis twice —...
Madi Diaz: 17 years in the making
Folk pop is finally mainstream! With artists like Noah Kahan becoming international stars, the era of folk / indie pop is upon us. Madi Diaz has been putting out music since 2007. After releasing five full-length albums, she finally got her big break when Harry Styles...
Happy Valentine’s Gay!
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! My name is Evin and welcome to my first ever article for WVAU! A fun fact about me is I adore love songs. There’s truly nothing better than music that yanks at the depths of your soul and no better genre does that than the love song....
Emily’s Earbuds: Darren Kiely leaves DC9 in a worshipful trance
Darren Kiely proved himself an excellent live performer, stunned with beautiful acoustic set and his emotional showstopper “Mom & Dad.”
Emily’s Earbuds: My Latest Hyper-Fixation, Darren Kiely, Will Bless Us With His Presence On Feb. 3 at DC9
Darren Kiely, an up and coming Irish folk-pop artist, comes to DC the first weekend of February. His first ever single, “How Could You Love Me,” came out in 2022, followed by a few more singles from the EP Lost, which dropped just this past November. To be entirely...
Meet Me @ The Altar? Uh, yes please, I do.
Pop-punk is something that hasn’t been raging. Something that we’ve been missing out on. The days of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” and “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” may be behind us, but Meet Me @ The Altar (MM@TA) is only getting started! They’re revitalizing pop-punk one...
Michael Cera’s Long Goodbye
Nepo Baby? Nope. Although he is best known for his acting in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Superbad,” “Barbie” and more, Michael Cera also has had a musical past, with a solo career and his band, The Long Goodbye. Formed in Los Angeles, Michael Cera, Clark Duke...
Tunes-A-Million Volume 4: The Monster’s Playlist
Welcome back to our final Tunes-A-Million of the semester! It has been so thrilling to write about two of my favorite things, books and music, each week, and I hope you all have enjoyed reading along! I'm not sure about any of you, but I have personally entered into...
III: Childish Gambino Appreciation Issue
Hello and welcome back to Rebbeca’s Rewind! Long time no see! This week's episode is a little different, as it is entirely dedicated to one artist, Childish Gambino. I came across this idea when searching for songs for this issue and realized that three of his most...
Getting Fraternally Lit These Holidays
Ahhh, holidays are truly the frattiest time of the year. Ugly sweater-themed kickbacks and eggnog shots truly scream fraternity to me. I don’t know about you all. But seriously, the holidays are a great time to be thankful, looking back at the experiences that you had...
Photo essay: District Groove
On Dec. 2, 2023, WVAU held their first-ever...
Wild Nothing Concert Review
D.C. was lucky enough to have Wild Nothing and JW Francis perform on Nov. 9 at The 9:30 Club. The concert lasted from 8 to 10:30 p.m., doors opening on the early side at 7 p.m., with good vibes flowing the whole time. Just as anticipated were Wild Nothing’s...
Who Is Chappell Roan Anyway?
Dear Lovely WVAU Reader, Welcome to my last article of the semester! For anyone who has been reading my articles thus far, thank you! I hope to see you again for the spring semester. I have the honor and privilege of submitting this article on Spotify Wrapped Day...
Ben’s Classic Reviews: Massive Attack and gloomy winters
this bug won’t get off my cover image help
On Repeat with Alana: GRAMMY nomination recap and predictions
On Friday, Nov. 10, the nominees for the 2024 GRAMMY Awards were released. With 12 fields and 94 categories, the GRAMMYs are regarded as the most prestigious music awards. Today, I will recap the nominations in the four general categories and give my predictions...
District Groove preview: The American University Jazz Combo and Argo and the Violet Queens
Prepare to get your groove on at WVAU’s first ever funk and jazz event, District Groove! On Dec. 2 at 6 p.m., WVAU will host this night of funk and jazz in Battelle Atrium with featured performances from the American University Jazz Combo and Argo and the Violet...
The Cat’s Miaow: The perfect band to help tap into that autumnal nostalgia
As soon as I begin to feel that crisp, cool breeze of fall, I instantly find myself becoming more nostalgic. From memories of crunching leaves under my shoes on the playground to excitedly anticipating showing all of my friends my Halloween costume that I had spent...
Emily’s Earbuds: Surely Satire: This year, listen to holiday music responsibly, or else
Lay off the Mariah Carey, for heaven’s sake. Jail time for anyone who logs more than two total hours of “All I Want for Christmas is You” in a calendar year. And stop complaining about the sketchy vibes of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” It’s a great song. If you’re...
Three women as Men of the Year? Boy, that’s genius.
British GQ released their photoshoot and article debuting the 2023 picks for Men of the Year. Three macho men made a loud appearance on the list: Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker. The three women make up the members of a popular indie/alt band, Boygenius....
DIY in D.C.—An interview with Makeup Girl
Makeup Girl sat down for an interview with WVAU before they headlined the fall 2023 Capitol Boogie.
“Dreamy and Weird and Pink:” Interview with Ari Voxx & the Sad Lads
In an interview before Capitol Boogie, Ari Voxx & the Sad Lads talk their creative process, the D.C. music scene and their next record.
Where music begins: The Atlantis serves as a home for small artists in D.C.
Concert venue owners I.M.P. carry their own 9:30 Club’s original influence into the present with a new concert venue.