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(04/04/16 1:16am)
Scott Kelly, who recently returned to Earth after spending almost an entire year on the International Space Station, announced this past Friday that he plans to retire from NASA after 20 years of service.
One of the experiments done by Kelly in his time in space began once he touched back down testing - against the constant of his Identical twin brother Mark Kelly who remained on Earth - on the effects of space travel on the human body. These results aim to shed light on what could occur on what could occur on deep space missions. Over the course of his career, and 4 separate voyages into space with the first one beginning back in 1999, Scott Kelly has spent 520 days in outer space. 340 of those days were on the most recent mission.
Kelly, who's recent Twitter and Instagram interactions contain the tag #yearinspace, created a bridge between the scientific community and the general public by making the daily experience in space accessible and interactive through those social media outlets including doing an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit.
A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Feb 23, 2016 at 5:41pm PST
Nursed the #SpaceFlowers all the way to today and now all that remains are memories. Happy #Valentines Day! #valentinesday #flowers #spaceflower #space #spacestation #iss #memories
A photo posted by Scott Kelly (@stationcdrkelly) on Feb 14, 2016 at 11:18am PST
For your time and commitment to exploring the final frontier, WIUX commends Scott Kelly for his service.
(03/24/16 8:55pm)
If you know me, you know that I am over-achingly drenched in enthusiastic optimism and my music taste typically corresponds accordingly. While other kids went through their angst filled music phase in middle school (some never stopped), that was when I was listening to Newfoundland sea shanties and cutesy indie rock (I definitively have never stopped).
But for some reason, (cough cough probably my editor Jessica Yarvin) within the last month I have been compulsively listening to what the internet generally refers to as emo-pop. I can feel myself being angsty, or at least more so. Although I am about a decade late to this parade of emotional absurdity, I'm glad (or sad or mad or which ever is the feeling that Taking Back Sunday is supposed to have me feel) that this phase has dropped as an ear worm into my life. So yes, I'm going through my emo phase at 22, and so can you!
If you aren't exactly sure what emo pop is, enjoy this handy definition from Wikipedia . "Emo pop (short for emo pop punk) is a fusion genre that combines elements of emo with pop punk influences." To put that in algorithmic form:
Emo Pop = (Emotional - tional) + [(Pop Punk) - Punk]
But dictionaries, definitions, and math don't seem very punk. Instead, just use this playlist to integrate an emo-pop phase into your life whether it be for the first time or for your second time around.
**Of note, I keep calling this a phase. But according to Jessica, this is not a phase, it is a lifestyle. **
@jyarvin convexly this is on par with how emo I normally am
— Sarah Lois (@alemonstarburst) March 17, 2016
Follow Jessica or I on Twitter for more interactions via: @jyarvin or @alemonstarburst
(03/01/16 7:43pm)
Ever want to rep your favorite college radio station but it's just too dang sunny outside? Well not to fear, WIUX has the head wear solution for you!
Pre-order your very own WIUX baseball cap before 3/23 for just $12 a pop. It is a great way to support the station you love, while keeping all the programming and events you enjoy alive! After you place your order and pay, be sure to save the email receipt - you will need it with you in order to pick up your hat.
Click here to place order and make payment
Hats that aren't picked up before finals week are assumed to be donated to the station, and you will no longer have any claim to them.
(02/08/16 7:57pm)
We're taking requests for our first ever, Love-a-Thon! Submit the songs you want to hear during our two-hour request show during our special 12-hour Valentine's Day broadcast. Be sure to include a message for the hosts to read aloud on air.
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(02/03/16 5:36pm)
4/7
Twerps is a four piece self described "janky pop" band hailing from Melbourne, Australia made up of Marty Frawley (Guitar/Vocals), Jules McFarlane (Guitar/Vocals), Alex Macfarlane (Drums/Vocals) and Gus Lord ( Bass). Range Anxiety, the band's second album, is the first album that Twerps has released under the American Merge Records. They are brisk and charming, weaving melodies that are warm, even if they contain the hint of sadness, with lead vocalist switching off almost every song. No matter the singer, the vocals in Range Anxiety often take a step back, and become more of another instrument than the concentration.
The opening song "House Keys" is a humming melodic instrumental track that comes in under one minute. Their song "I Don't Mind", who's beautiful bass guitar coaxes and relaxes, repeatedly builds in a sweet cacophony before simmering back down to the basics of the song. It towers over the rest of the album - as one of two songs over 5 minutes long - and is argued to be one of their best racks to date. The biggest qualm I have with the song is the seemly apathetic nod towards trying to rhyme. The song "Stranger" comes in with full sunshine filled energy right off the bat and is a highlight for the album. The end of the track features a break down that encompasses the timbre of an accordion. The delightful mood carries right on into the next song "New Moves", preventing a mid album slump. Throughout the album there is interesting slide guitar picking adding an extra nuance to Twerp's sound. This is especially true in "White as Snow".
The 12 song album is a bit of a sampling platter of the Twerps sound, testing out different feelings, genres and ways to present Twerps. "Simple Feelings" edges in on math rock with the complexity rhythmic layering and "Love At First Sight" has an ending chorus with nasally chanting that could be inspired by a musical set in the 1950's. Overall the album isn't too flashy or ostentatious, it is the type of music to play in your bedroom when you're just hanging out. It stays right where you would think a Twerps album ought to be, which means it'll be just as good now as it will be in 3 years.
The track list is as below:
House Keys
I Don't Mind
BAck to You
Stranger
New Moves
White as Snow
Shoulders
Simple Feelings
Adrenaline
Fern Murderers
Cheap Education
Love at First Sight
Empty Road
Here is their video for the song "Stranger"
(02/01/16 9:20pm)
On Jan. 30, Louis CK released the first episode of his new online show Horace and Pete in which he and Steve Buscemi play brothers who operate a dive bar called Horace And Pete’s. The best part is that this all came as a surprise and was released without warning, the New York Times refereed to it as "The comedian Louis C.K. [pulling] a Beyoncé". This show is just the latest in the extensive writing and producing credits that Louis CK has accumulated including those for Lucky Louis, Shameless, Chewed Up, and Louie. The cast of Horace and Pete includes Alan Alda, Edie Falco, and Jessica Lange.
The theme song for Horace and Pete was penned and recorded by Paul Simon. The song is played three times - at least in this first episode - at the beginning, during the intermission half way through the show, and at the very end. It is acoustic, guitar based, and arguably perfect for a web series about a bar. Lyrics include “Hell no/ I can’t complain about my problems/ I’m OK the way things are/ I pull my stool up to the bar/ At Horace And Pete’s".
If you are interested in listening to the full theme song or watching the episode, you can download your own copy here.
(01/28/16 6:12pm)
5/7
For this TBT review we are going back to 2005 and over westward to the city I'm moving to after graduation, Texas. Austin, Texas can be a breeding ground for new bands - from South by South West (SXSW) to Austin City Limits - and the 2005 version of Voxtrot is the perfect example. Raised By Wolves EP was the first non-single release from the sweet indie rock Voxtrot. Formed by front man Ramesh Srivastava, Jason Chronis, Matt Simon, Mitch Calvert, and Jared Van Fleet, rounded up the group.
Voxtrot broke up in 2010, and although they have only have one full length album released, Voxtrot's EPs are packed full of songs that deserve to be on them, no album filler tracks.
The band is best known for their 2006 EP Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives, for which they did national touring including a stint at NYC's CMJ Music Marathon. The songs on Raised By Wolves EP are simple and sweet, like a sunny Sunday afternoon. They are happy, but not ecstatic - like the memory of a joke that made you chuckle but not the actual joke itself.
The EP is reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, especially in "The Start of Something" which was the lead single for this release ."Long Haul" is a indie ballad - complete with chiming glockenspiels- that truly showcases the melodic softness of lead singer Ramesh Srivastava's vocals. While Srivastava's vocals are silky, it is the bass that truly makes this EP. It is mobile and injects the songs with energy in it's groove. The favorite for the EP is the center pace "Missing Pieces" who sings "I would do much better if I thought there was any other reason/ to keep away the beauty from the dirt" all to confess the longing in missing someone. The final track on Raised By Wolves EP is "Wrecking Force" who's subdued The Smiths meet The Strokes guitar has a slightly different vibe than the rest of the EP - one that you wish were a little louder. Over all, even a decade later, the EP is a good one.
See the track list below:
Raised By Wolves
The Start of Somthing
Missing Pieces
Long Haul
Wrecking Force
Listen to the title track below:
(01/27/16 8:31pm)
Chicago based six-piece rock band Whitney has just released their first single "No Woman" off their debut album, due out later this year. WIUX interviewed the band last fall when they were in Bloomington, and the band recently signed to local Bloomington label Secretly Canadian.
According to the Chicago-based band's Facebook, their song "No Matter Where We Go" is also going to be on the album along with many of the demo's they released earlier this year.
Whitney has been on tour this last year including dates in Europe and a show with Tops, who played at Culture shock 2015, at Chicago's Lincoln Hall. Member's of Whitney include Smith Western's Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich of Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Check out their "No Women" below:
Listen to the interview we did with the band last fall here:
(01/14/16 5:32pm)
Last fall Indiana University's University Players and WIUX partnered together to produce four brand new, student-written works for An Evening of Radio Drama! The production was completely written, directed, acted and produced exclusively by students. This performance was recorded live on Nov. 18, 2015 in front of an audience, and was later aired on 99.1 FM.
Featuring:
"Death by Writeout" written by Nick Fattore, directed by Brian Berger
"5322" written by Devin May, directed by Bryant Mehay
"The Venusian Candidate" written by Kathryn de la Rosa, directed by Alec Steinmetz
"How I Learned to Love my Gay Voice" written by Aaron Bloom, directed by Bryant Mehay
Voice Actors:
Ryder Cunningham
Mariah Donley
Reid Henry
Sara Highers
Janie Johnson
Erin Logan
Nick Munson
Joshua Partridge
Emily Rozman
Alec Steinmetz
Benny Sully
Mandy Wenz
Recorded and Produced by Collin Thomas and the WIUX Engineering Committee
(01/06/16 6:52pm)
Master Chef Junior
Hosted by Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, and alternating between Christina Tosi and Joe Bastianich this American cooking show features 24 home cooks from ages 8 - 13. It is a season long competition. The winner of the competition win $100,000 and the master chef junior trophy. These children cook astounding and intricate dishes, some before they even know their multiplication tables. It will inspire you in two ways. One, all of the contestants are incredibly kind to each other, the older kids helping the younger kids if they can't carry or reach something. the second way, is that if these little dudes are capable of making a 5 star level dish then you can easily make dish you saw in video form on your Facebook news feed.
Warning: You will be rooting against some little kids, and man that doesn't feel great.
Cupcake Wars
The hosts for this sweet tooth tv show are Candace Nelson and Florain Ballanger, with special celebrity guests based off of the theme for the episode. The special guest judges range from astronauts to writers, all of whom are obvisouly ecstatic to be on the show for the episode. Each episode has four teams that are narrowed down in three rounds. The winning team receives $10,000 and the opportunity to have their cupcakes featured in an upcoming event. This show will open your eyes to the wonderful world of cupcakes, from anise to liverwurst to the classic red velvet.
Warning: You will want to eat a dozen cupcakes during and after the show.
Cutthroat Kitchen
Hosted by Alton Brown, this is a viscous game in the kitchen 4 contestants are narrowed down each episode in three rounds. At the beginning of the episode each contestant are given $25,000 to purchase sabotages (like forcing your opponent to only cook on a cooking stove, or the only cheese they can is from cheese puffs) or buy bonuses (like being the only person who can use salt). The catch, the contestants can only win what they didn't spend. This is a great, the show brings out the worst in these cooks so it is easy to vilify them.
Warning: You will feel like you can do better, but you probably can't
(12/23/15 5:09am)
Taylor Swift has had quite the year. She has been on a whirlwind world wide tour for her album 1989 where she shared the stage with amazing star studded musicians from across genres and ages demographics. She collected a group of musically talented friends who she would welcome onto the stage at different stops on her tour.
According to an interview she did with Beats 1 Taylor Swift explained why she invited all these guests on stage
"In this generation, I know as I'm walking on stage that a huge percentage of the crowd have already YouTubed the entire show and watched the whole thing online. They know the set list, they know the costumes, they've looked it up. That presented me with an interesting issue. I love the element of surprise… so going into this tour, having people pop on stage that you didn't expect to see — not only musicians, but actors and athletes and models and people in every type of field."
At first it felt absurd. Like she wouldn't be able to keep up with it. But she did. Part of that, I believe, was possible because how she is legitimately talented but more so it would have to do with her as a person. Now I don't know her personally (if only), and realize I'm basing this conclusion from an outside perspective while her PR scrubbed social media accounts, but she seems like a genuinely kind person.
Regardless of how it happened, it did. So here is my ranking of the top 10 guest musicians that shared the stage with her during her tour.
10) Fetty Wap
Whether Swift is one of his Remy boys now is had to say, but him being known for loving the date 1738 it makes sense for him to enjoy being on one of her 1989 tour stops. You can watch them perform his "Trap Queen" below, with footage cut together from a dozen's fans' cell phone cameras.
9) The Weeknd
The Weeknd shared the stage and performed their hit "Can't Feel My Face" with Swift in her East Rutherford stop on the tour. It was a huge crowd, but The Weeknd have played for crowds of the like before when they performed at Lolla this year.
8) Justin Timberlake
Although he isn't the original JT (that would be James Taylor) Timberlake is a hard one not to love. They performed "Mirrors" from his 2013 album The 20/20 Experience in LA at the Staples Center.
7) Haim
The Swift/Haim sisters friendship is well known. They have been pals for quiet a while, even vacationing together. So it makes complete sense that these buds would get up on the stage together. Here they are performing "Hot in Herre" with Nelly at their stop in St. Louis.
6) Avril Lavigne
Taylor and Lavigne did a duet of Lavigne's 2002 hit "Complicated" on the San Diego stop of the 1989 World Tour. That song is so ingrained in those who were in elementary and middle school in 2002 that it has become a classic song for karaoke.
5) Lorde
We loved Lordes' album Pure Heroine so it figures that we would enjoy this collaboration too. When Lorde joined Swift on her D.C stop they sung "Royals" together.
4 & 3 ) Beck & St. Vincent
A duel performance of Beck and St. Vincent with Taylor Swift at an LA stop. Beck won album of the year for his 2014 Morning Phase and St. Vincent's self-titled was in the top 10 albums of 2014 for WIUX. Here they are performing "Dreams" at the Staple Center.
2) Mick Jagger
Jagger and Swift have been in each other's circles for a while, she performed at a Rolling Stone's concert with him in 2013. At the 1989 Nashville show they performed the Rolling Stone's "Satisfaction" which was released in 1965.
1) World Cup-winning US Women's Soccer Team
Not a musician but a special shout out the World Cup-winning US Women's Soccer Team who were invited onstage in East Rutherford. Number one on the field number one in our hearts.
(12/10/15 8:57am)
6/7
I recently told Jessica Yarvin (aka my editor, aka the WIUX blog director, aka internet woman) (ed. note: hi that's me) that I would listen to 17 hours of Pavement. Why 17 hours? It's been almost 17 years since their last album. Although at this point I’m not sure if I will listen to all 17 hours in any timely manner, here is a #tbt review to account for the first few hours of listening. I am starting in backwards chronological order with Terror Twilight, which was their 5th and final studio album. It was released in the summer of 1999 and was produced by Nigel Godrich who also produced Beck’s The Information, Warpaint’s self-titled, and was involved on several Radiohead albums. Hailing from California, Pavement is made up of Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kannberg, Mark Ibold, Steve West and Bob Nastonovich.
I thought an energetic rock song was starting, but then it got sucked up into a hole in the ocean, and a chill soft acoustic song replaced it. That was the first 5 seconds of “Spit on a Stranger” the opening track on Terror Twilight. Sure there is more to the song, but I restarted the track at least 4 times to ensure that I was accurate in thinking that the rock got sucked down the drain, but in a really cool and innovative way. “You Are a Light” breakdowns mid song into a collective of guitar fuzz and picking that feels like falling in pleasant confusion. A favorite from the album is “Major Leagues” which is a slow ballad that sings “You kiss like a rock but you know I need it anyway”. The end of “Major Leagues” is just as bizarre feelings as the beginning of “Spit on a Stranger” with a sporadic drum solo-esc ending accounting for the last 20 seconds.
The album feels like the songs your best friends would sing around a campfire only in your faded memory. It is confidently their own, and encouragingly alt-rock. Like something vaguely on the edge of something with which you might be familiar but that you’re still slowly grasping for, like a familiar face who you’ve forgotten their name. In their review of the album Pitchfork said “I'm not so rash as to call Pavement "The American Radiohead"-– such a comparison would be sonically and chronologically flawed, as well as maddeningly clichéd”. But for over a decade – across an ocean and an entire continent – Pavement and Radiohead where exemplary lights of fantastic alternative music.
Rolling Stone’s review of the album summed up the thesis of Terror Twilight as “Things hurt, and growing up is hard, but kissing helps”. I can completely get on board with that message, though it took a second listen to get that from the tracks on this 1999 album. There is so much going on sonically. The first time around all you can do is soak in the music, only after that you can listen to the lyrics. In Terror Twilight Pavement had created one last indie opus that is the most polished of all their albums.
Pavement reunited briefly in 2010 after the release of their compilation album Quarantine The Past: The Best of Pavement for a short tour that included a set on the Colbert Report and a set on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Although they are on good terms there seems to be no inclination to reunite again to create new music. Yet they continue to create music, many members have started or joined the touring acts of bands like Sonic Youth, Silver Jews, and Preston School of Industry.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to Pavement, really listen to them, you should. Turn on Terror Twilight, shut off the lights, and stare at the ceiling. You won’t regret it.
Here is Pavement's "Major League", which features them frolicking on a mini golf course and home video style videos.
Track listing is as follows:
Spit on a Stranger
Folk Jam
You Are A Light
Cream of Gold
Major Leagues
Platform Blues
Ann Don’t Cry
Billie
Speak, See, Remember
The Hexx
..And Carrot Rope
TL;DR --- Listen to Pavement
(12/08/15 2:22am)
This past week Lollapalooza announced that for their 25th anniversary they would extend their festival, which has typically been only three days, to become a four day long festival stretching from Thursday to Sunday.
In a press release on the Lollapalooza website founder Perry Farrell said:
“It’s our 25th Anniversary and we wanted to do something really special and different for our fans. There’s a lot of really great music coming out in 2016; with the abundance of talent that wanted to help us celebrate 25 years we got to thinking…‘How are we going to fit all those great artists in one weekend?’ Then we thought about what a special day Thursday has become. When the party can’t wait for the weekend, the movers and shakers make it happen on Thursday! So, we’ve put together an entire additional day of music to celebrate our milestone year”.
The festival runs from July 28th to July 31st this year, and with the increase in days there is a slight increase in ticket prices but there is no word on when early bird sales will start. C3 Presents co-owner Charlie Jones said “ the 25th anniversary of Lollapalooza’s 1991 origin and a glut of bands that want to play the festival next year” is why they made the expansion to a four day long festival. C3 Presents, which Live Nations acquired a controlling interest in in 2014, also puts on Austin City Limits. As of yet it the expansion seems like it will only be for 2016 and will fall back to being a three-day festival the following years.
The move makes sense with other festivals often being longer than Chicago's Lolla. Coachella is over two separate weekends, South by South West (SXSW) last a week, and Bonnaroo is 4 days. It will be interesting to see what headliners they bring out this year, if they will continue the trend of highlighting local Chicago/Mid-Western musicians, and if they will continue with their trend of bringing at least one big pop star, one huge rocker, and a group that has been around for at least 30 years.
If you don't know about Lollapalooza you can read our recap from this past year here.
Of note: It might be Lollapalooza's 25th anniversary but it is WIUX's Culture Shock music festival's 30th anniversary this year. So take that Perry Farrell.
(12/06/15 11:31pm)
Live in the Living room is back! IU's all-female a Capella group, Ladies First sang a few songs in our living room. Check out their rendition of "Mercy.
You can watch the rest of our Live in the Living Room sessions here.
Recorded, Mixed, Mastered by WIUX Engineering committee.
(12/01/15 4:29pm)
I am a firm believer that you should not listen to Christmas music before December, let alone before Thanksgiving. Before that point is a little excessive (Almost like the ABC Family countdown to the 25 days of Christmas. Why there is a count down to a count down? Capitalism, but it is still excessive.). But not to fear we have made it into December so we can listen to it!
Here are 26 songs for indie holiday party.
1) She & Him - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
2)Sufjan Stevens ft. Aaron & Bryce Dessner, Richard Reed Parry - "Silent Night"
3) Bright Eyes - "Blue Christmas"
4) The Raveonettes - "The Christmas Song"
5)Belle & Sebastian - "Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto (James Brown cover)"
6)Fruit Bats - "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas"
7) Andrew Bird - "Auld Lang Syne"
8) The xx - "Last Christmas"
9)Taylor Swift - "Last Christmas"
10) Noel Gallagher - "Merry Christmas Everybody"
11) The Shins - "Wonderful Christmastime"
12) Death Cab for Cutie - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
13) Bright Eyes - "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem"
14) The Maine - "Santa Stole My Girlfriend"
15) Panic! At The Disco. - "White Christmas"
16) The Fray - "Oh Come Oh Emmanuel"
17) Sufjan Stevens - "Christmas Unicorn"
18) Fitz & The Tantrums - "Santa Stole My Lady"
19) Deer Tick - "Christmas All Summer Long"
20) The Walkmen - "Holiday Road"
21) Yeah Yeah Yeahs- "All I Want For Christmas"
22) My Morning Jacket - "Xmas Time Is Here Again"
23) Radiohead - "Winter Wonderland"
24) Dr. Dog - "Christmas Party"
25) Low - "Silent Night"
26) Best Coast and Wavves - "Something for You"
What ever you celebrate, WIUX wishes you a wonderful wintertime and happy New Year!
(11/28/15 8:16pm)
Bloomington's Mike Adams at His Honest Weight released an limited edition 7" vinyl on Nov. 15. The vinyl is limited to 300 hand-numbered copies and features "I'm Worried" with "Ken Burns' Baseball " as the B-Side. The single "I'm Worried" will trap you. It is so listenable, you'll get suck in loop of hitting repeat a dozen and some times.
This 7" inch is just the warm up for Mike Adams at His Honest Weight, with a 5 song LP entitled Preparation Age due out early this December and their forthcoming full length album rumored to be out in early 2016. Preparation Age will also be a limited pressing with 500 copies and a bside featuring a pinball machine design created by Bloomington artist Chad Serhal.
Mike Adams sings "What'll take now to get me home", but the single makes you feel like you are already on your way.
Listen to the addicting "I'm Worried" below
I'm Worried by Mike Adams At His Honest Weight
(11/23/15 5:27am)
5/7
Earlier today I texted my friend "I hate how much I actually love the new Justin Bieber album", and in retrospect I didn't mean that. I don't really hate that I like it, because music is meant to make you feel less alone and so there is no point to being ashamed of what you enjoy listening to.
There seems to be some sort of hipster mentality that the best music under ground, and as soon as a musician gains more general traction they are suddenly not as good. It is the mentality that anything top 40, anything on the billboard top 100 lists, is automatically bad. That it is worse that some lo-fi prog rock EP that was only released on cassette. Hipsters commend themselves on some immaterial pretentiousness where the more obscure the artist the more immaculate their musical taste is.
But I think that is dumb.
There is room to love things on both ends of the spectrum.
So here is me saying that I actually like Justin Bieber's new album. And I am not ashamed of that.
Purpose is an electro dance party album full of rhythmic playfulness where Justin's vocals are remixed into an additional synth like element that that trickles throughout like a harmonic dolphin who is inexplicably into EDM. Purpose has some introspective tracks, talking about Justin's mistakes, the media pressure, and the emotional impact of the fame. His second track, a chill and calming EDM track called "I'll Show You" that sings "Its like they want me to be perfect//but they don't even know that I'm hurting" and "Don't forget that I'm human".
The track "Sorry" is all about apologizing to a girl for all of the mistakes he might have had in a a loop that feels like a sincere beg. Oddly the following "Lose Yourself" is the spiteful mirror, talking about a girl who did him wrong in a relationship "I'm better sleeping on my own" and "my mamma don't like you//and she likes everyone". This track is the most minimal on the album and it is easy to hear that is was co-written by Ed Sheeran. The album boasts many other collaborations, like from Big Sean and Diplo. The track "We Are", which features Nas, has a light piano base - which is a pleasant surprise - with a house beat over it. Justin goes back into the falsetto high notes that you remember him for. The final track on the album "All In It" has an extended talking section that sounds like an auditory journal entry trying to be inspirational and almost getting there.
Justin is no longer a teen pop sensation, he is an actual artist, and after years of being portrayed by the media - pretty rightfully so - as an trouble making egomaniac - from being caught vandalizing to egging a neighbors' house to being seen leaving a brothel in Brazil- he is making steps to be a better version of himself. Apologizing at his roast on Comedy Central Justin said "There’s been moments I’m really proud of and a lot of moments I look back and I’m pretty disappointed in myself for… for that, I’m sorry. But what I can say is I’m looking forward to being someone that you guys can all look at and be proud of". The purpose of Purpose might be to create an auditory apology for the general public on his behavior, but we are yet to see if the sorry will stick. But once it does or doesn't Justin will finally know the answer to "I know that I let you down, is it too late to say I'm sorry now?" which he asks in "Sorry".
Justin is working on being a more likable person. While it is too soon to tell about Justin himself, I will say that I do like his album Purpose and that is a pretty good start.
Track list is as follows:
Mark My Words
I'll Show You
What Do You Mean?
Sorry
Love Yourself
Company
No Pressure
No Sense
The Feeling
Live is Worth Living
Where Are U Now
Children
Purpose
Been You
Get Used to It
We Are
Trust
All In It
(11/19/15 4:33pm)
5/7
It might only be November, but with all those massive accumulated articles of "the year in review" being prepared just around the corner I've been thinking about some of my favorite musical memories from this year so far and seeing The Wombats live at Lollapalooza in Chicago this past summer is pretty high up there on the list. A sunny, hot early afternoon in the city I love not only with one of my very best friends but also with my big brother - the entire crowd tuned in and shouting along to the lyrics from A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation, This Modern Glitch, and Glitterbug. So since Glitterbug is on my short list for top ten albums of 2015, I figured it deserved a #tbt review for this week.
The album is an entity as a whole. It is not a collection of singles that with the last few tracks just there to flesh out the album length, every song has merit and is worth the listen. The album, like much of their music, works through the throes of love, affection, and rejection - expressing in lyrical witticisms the words you didn't realize you needed to say. But with a large 80's synth pop influence than they ever had before. Glitterbug opens up with a strong bass drum and sizzling guitars in "Emoticons" that grip the listener into swaying while they stand up to a girl that is breaking their heart singing "you need to find a different boy's heart to crew".
The album layers on synth and poppy hooks in an organized cacophony of enthusiasm. It is so much more excitable than This Modern Glitch who's songs were easily transformed into acoustic versions for This Acoustic Glitch. The almost manic induced tempo speed that the album pushes forward on Glitterbug makes audible the sound of those in their 20's putting on a sincere facade, with Murphy singing "we crave the fiction when we need the truth" in "Emoticons".
"Isabel" is a sweet ballad that builds and ebbs with drifting echos of the Matthew Murphy's front vocals. The dense harmonies at the end chorus are reminiscent of Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. This track has a great use of breath and silence, giving room for melodies to disperse leaving Murphy's voice exposed and sincere. Although it fits and has it's place, the track is starkly different than much of their prior stuff and shows the growth and direction that these Liverpudlian lads are capable of going in. Immediately the calm breaks away and the album switches modes with the energetic lead single "Your Body is a Weapon"
Now there are a lot of people who disagree with me on this album. Pitchfork only gave it a 5.7/10, NME Reviews gave it a 6/10 and The Guardian gave it a 3/5. What do they know though? It's not like it's their job or anything to review music and critically listen to it! But on a whole Glitterbug is full of wit and charming lyrics that entice you to sing along. It is the epitome of everything I want from an British indie rock band.
The track list is as follows:
Emoticons
Give Me A Try
Greek Tragedy
Be Your Shadow
Headspace
This is Not a Party
Isabel
Your Body is a Weapon
The English Summer
Pink Lemonade
Curveball
Listen to "Greek Tragedy" below:
(11/16/15 11:36pm)
In elementary school we learned that the rainbow is made up of ROY G. BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet), but something you might not have realized is that you can build your very own musical rainbow with band names.
Black
Black Lips - "Crusing"
Dan Black - "U+Me="
Brown
Sister Hazel - "Everybody"
Red
Pink Floyd - "Hey You"
Blonde Redhead - "23"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - "Face Down"
Little Red - "Rock It"
Orange
Blood Orange - "Chamakay"
The Orange Peels - "Circling the Sun"
Yellow
Yellow Ostrich - "Libraries"
Yellowcard - "Inside Out"
Gold Motel - "Safe in L.A."
Green
Green Day - "When I Come Around"
Indigo
Blue Swede - "Hooked on a Feeling"
Blues Traveler - "Run Around"
Violet
Deep Purple - "Snake on the Water"
White
Jack White - "Lazaretto"
Plain White Tees - "Rhythem of Love"
White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun"
White Reaper - "Cool"
Sun Silver Pickups - "Lazy Eye"
Bonus: Neon
Neon Indian - "Annie"
(11/11/15 3:41pm)
In a study at China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in the Sichuan Province scientists said that they have decoded the language of Pandas, or at least have made large steps. This study was conducted over the last 5 years. According to TechTimes, the scientists were able to detect 13 different vocalizations including baby pandas making "wow-wow" sounds when they are unhappy and male giant pandas making sheep like "baa" sounds when they are trying to mate.
Zhang Hemin, head of the center, said to the Xinhua news agency, "Our researchers were so confused when we began the project that they wondered if they were studying a panda, a bird, a dog, or a sheep. [But] If we can understand their language, it will help us protect the animal, especially in the wild."
The center is looking to develop high tech voice recognition technology, using these vocalizations, to help understand what the pandas are saying to each other. The implications of this technology could be incredibly beneficial for wildlife sanctuaries for the Giant Pandas and zoos that host these large mammals alike. It could help these organizations provide better care for the animals and help encourage breeding, which the mammals are notoriously finicky about.