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(06/18/14 7:16pm)
Released: 6/10/2014
4/7 stars
O.A.R and I grew up in the same town. We went to the same high school, albeit a decade separated us from crossing paths in the hellish cesspool that is Wootton High School. When lead singer Marc Roberge refers to River Road in the first line of the nine-minute "I Will Find You," it's not any random River Road that can be found in any town with a road adjacent to a river, it's my River Road and when he sings about driving on it at midnight, it doesn't sound like the horrible cliche that it is because I understand the surreal magic of driving down the winding road at night with the windows down and music playing. There's a fine line between cliche and authenticity and O.A.R straddles in the line throughout the entire record.
The Rockville LP was born when Roberge, drummer Chris Culous, guitarist Richard On and bassist Benj Gershman came back home to Rockville, MD for Thanksgiving, taking the most time off from recording and touring in a decade. After retracing their former footsteps (they performed in the band room of our former high school), they were inspired and refreshed and began to work on their eighth studio album.
Personally, my favorite O.A.R songs tend to be from their earlier days, "Black Rock" is one of my favorite songs of all time and "That Was A Crazy Game of Poker" is a perfect example of the band's ability to tell a story through an incredibly catchy and fun song. After hearing that O.A.R went back home to record a new album, I was convinced that the record would be reminiscent of their earlier music; a more mature companion to their first album The Wanderer, which was released in 1997.
I was wrong.
Instead of the reggae-infused rock that the band has been known for since they formed in 1996, Roberge and company have turned to some sort of mellow rock/pop/made for commericals kind of sound. Maybe they've outgrown their rendition of frat boy reggae or maybe working with Taylor Swift's producer, Nathan Chapman, took them in a different direction. The album is not cohesive and some songs sound like they were written for an album written as an ode to their hometown, whereas others sound as if they were written by a 13-year-old boy. Instead of reviewing the album as a whole (it really cannot be done) I'll go through each song.
"Two Hands Up" is a fun song. It's upbeat and a good way to start an album. There isn't much to it and the lyrics, well they suck. I can't help but cringe when Roberge sings "the beat of my heart is making me nervous," and the cliche lyrics don't stop here.
Track number two slows things down a little bit and the acoustic guitar sounds nice. However, "We'll Pick Up Where We Left Off" is just another horrible cliche on the album. It's catchy, and I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy listening to the song however the lyrics are empty and leave listeners yearn for "Road Outside Columbus" days.
Roberge wrote "Peace" for his wife who had recently beat a three-year battle with cancer. The band released the song as the first single off of the album and to paraphrase my mom, "this is a nice song!" Yes it is a nice song. There isn't much else to say.
It's not until the fourth song on the record that listeners finally get a little taste of the reggae rock that O.A.R is so good at. Still though "The Element" is definitely not a great song, however, Roberge's mention of being a "wanderer" suggests that the band really is trying to return to their roots and going back to the very themes that they explored nearly a decade ago.
"Favorite Song" is my least favorite song. Trying to be cute and clever, Roberge shoves as many song titles and references in the 3:25 track and it's vomit-inducing. If I was 13, I would think that this was the coolest thing ever but I'm not 13 and referencing Adele, Mariah Carey, U2, The Clash, the Beatles and Elvis and Paul Simon and Bob Dylan in one song is too cliche for me to truly enjoy.
Halfway through the album is "So Good So Far," which is ironic because at this point, the album definitely is not so good so far. Roberge's voice sounds nice but there is no instrumental experimentation and everything sounds safe and the same.
"The Architect" marks the shift in the album, and finally Jerry DiPizzo's sax is prominent. Although the theme of the song is tired, the instruments actually play a role in the song and the guitar solo that begins around the 2:45 mark comes in about 6 songs too late. Roberge's voice has the hard edge to it that seems to be autotuned away in the previous songs and it is much welcomed.
The acoustic and mellow start to "Place to Hide" scared me at first because I wanted to hear the rock side of the band after suffering through the first part of the album. However, it fits perfectly in the song and overall, compared to the rest of the album "Place to Hide" is a highlight. Again, Roberge's voice sounds like it should-full of emotion and unpolished.
One of O.A.R's specialties is the ability to tell an entire narrative in a song. In "Caroline the Wrecking Ball," Roberge tells the story of a relationship with a girl named Caroline who he meets by beating up a pervy old townie who's hitting on her. Of all the songs on the album, this one sounds the most like past O.A.R songs and the band works together to support Roberge's vocals with a consistent, but not overbearing rhythm. It's a long song, nearly seven minutes in total, but it's an easy listen and does't sound as if it's long just to be long.
"I Will Find You" closes out the album and after a week of listening to this album, trying to figure out how to best review it, I'm still so unsure as to where this song came from. This track is nine minutes full of emotion, good lyrics, great vocals and awesome instrumental variation. An ode to The band's hometown, the song starts out with driving along River Road, a long winding road that's alongside the Potomac river and was made for long drives at night in the summer. Even though I'm in the middle of London listening to this song, this song transports me into the driver's seat of my car driving on River Road. However, you don't have to be from the area to understand this song, it can be any road, anywhere. What Roberge is looking for is ambiguous, but by the end of the song he finds it. The song is split up into four parts; each one is nearly a song in itself and the beat and vocals change in each part, together making up a patchwork song that just sounds so good together. It's as if O.A.R had a finite amount of good music to work with when making the album and they decided to use 95% of it on this song.
The Rockville LP is very strange album. The first half is pretty awful and cliche, the middle is eh and the last three tracks are reminiscent of the O.A.R that fans know and love.
(05/30/14 10:57am)
The Neighbourhood found themselves at the center of that weird music scene where indie and alternative and pop and rock and sort of rap and Top 40 all collide. Their debut album I Love You. was released April 2013 and since then, their most well known song, "Sweater Weather," has been confirmed as going double platinum.
They have played at Coachella, they're playing at Jay Z's Made in America festival in Philly, this band has pretty much made it in a aspects of the American music scene: they can appeal to the ultimate music snob at Coachella, they're cool enough for Jay Z (or his minions) to book them for the bi-coastal homage to the success of the American dream music fest and they have that sound that appeals to both your 14-year-old sister and your 50-year-old mother.
So why did they just release a hip-hop mixtape that features a bunch of low-key, up-and-coming rappers?
I don't know and I don't care because it's really good. Maybe the band slated towards releasing a more rap-centric follow up album or maybe they just wanted to have some fun and this is their version of fun. The mixtape's name is #00000 & #FFFFFF, which in HTML language means black and white, which also seems to be The Neighbourhood's favorite color scheme.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/151221283" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]
Jealousy is my favorite track from the release, featuring Casey Veggies and 100s, the song is ridiculously well-produced with multilayered beats that add texture, but the constant bass line keeps everything in place. The juxtaposition of the first rap verse with The Neighbourhood's weightless sound makes for one of the best songs I've heard in 2014. However, what stands out the most to me is the saxophone that sporadically plays throughout the song. It adds an element of soul that you can't really find with a band composed of four white boys.
You can stream and download the mixtape for free here.
(05/26/14 9:03pm)
I had to chance to talk with The Saturday Giant and before the one-man band's performance at the Player's Pub on May 29
JY: How would you describe your music?
TSG: I put fresh trimmings of rock, folk and hip hop into a blender, add a dash of introspective, off-beat lyricism, and pour out a delicious pop smoothie
JY: When did the band form?
TSG: I released my first EP under the name The Saturday Giant in 2010, played a short run of shows with a band composed of friends from the Columbus music scene, and then performed my first solo show in June of 2010.
JY: How did you come up with the name “The Saturday Giant?”
TSG: It’s a bastardized translation of “Sabado Gigante” which is the name of a popular Spanish-language variety show. The show incorporates lots of different genres of television (it’s really a pretty amazing program) and so when I was starting this project, I thought naming it after the program made sense since I wanted to incorporate many different genres of music. I screwed up the translation on purpose because I think “The Saturday Giant” sounds cooler than “Gigantic Saturday.
JY: What bands/musicians inspire you the most?
TSG: I really love a lot of post-rock bands (Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, Do Make Say Think, etc.) and actually some of the music that gets me most excited is metal (lately stuff like Cloudkicker and Deafheaven). I listen to all sorts of stuff though, and I think the diversity of my musical taste is reflected in the songs I write.
JY: Where has been your favorite place to play? Why?
TSG: That’s a really tough question to answer. I did about 150 shows last year and I’ve already played almost 60 this year, so things tend to kind of blur together. I just do my best to be present at every show and give the best performance I can.
JY: What makes the Saturday Giant different than other indie bands?
Well, it’s a one-man band! So my entire approach to shows is very different, since I’m performing all the parts myself (with the aid of a device called a loop pedal). It’s a performance technique a lot of people haven’t seen before, and it requires a lot of precision and concentration, so I think it’s a unique experience for audiences
JY: If you could share a stage with any musician, dead or alive, who would you choose?
TSG: It would be the bees knees to open for Radiohead.
JY: Are you recording any new music?
TSG: Yes! Or rather, trying to. My touring schedule keeps me very busy. My debut full length is in the works though and I’m looking forward to that quite a bit. With everything I’ve learned about songwriting and production since this project began I’m optimistic about the end result
(05/20/14 3:25pm)
After what seemed like a never-ending winter, Bloomington has finally, well, bloomed. The trees are forming canopies over sidewalks, creating a nice natural umbrella for the plethora of joggers that come out of hibernation (the SRSC) once the mercury rises to at least 60 degrees. The picturesque cream and crimson tulips are back in front of the Sample Gates and the patio at Roy's is packed. Despite all of these signs that it's finally summer in Bloomington, which is the season that comes after Little 5 and before Tailgate season, the most telling sign is that students and townies alike are flocking to their favorite ice cream shop in hopes of the perfect scoop. Too many times have I witnessed an argument about where to get the best frozen treat in Bloomington, so it seemed like it was time to create a list of places to get ice cream to end the age-old debate. After two years of intensive research and the highly valued opinions of my close friends who are also passionate about ice cream, I am finally ready to publish this highly scientific report. Enjoy and always remember that rainbow sprinkles are better than chocolate sprinkles.
Red Mango
Pros: It's on campus, it's frozen yogurt so it's good for if you need some sugar and you're on a diet or watching your weight but personally I would rather eat an 8 oz. bowl of celery
Cons: It's expensive and not that good. Also the topping bar is mediorce and the topping bar is the most important part of frozen yogurt
Orange Leaf
Pros: If you want fro yo, you have two choices. This is the better choice.
Cons: Not really in walking distance of campus and it has a really unappealing name. Seriously, who associates frozen yogurt with an orange leaf? What even is an orange leaf?? (please email me jyarvin@wiux.org with possible answers to this question)
Jiffy Treat
Pros: Delicious ice cream, especially soft serve. Also you can make like 349375943 different combinations of things. Also cheap.
Cons: It doesn't deliver anymore (epitome of lazy is probably delivery ice cream) the chocolate shake is made with chocolate ice cream, not vanilla with chocolate syrup. (Apparently that makes all the difference in making a delicious chocolate shake according to my best friend/chocolate shake connoisseur)
Ice Cream at Bubs Burgers
Pros: Really creamy, good range of flavors (black cherry AND cotton candy), waffle cones are delicious
Cons: You can't just get ice cream without getting a burger...and vice versa (but really is that a con?), sort of an annoying location unless you live downtown, expensive
The Chocolate Moose
Pros: Absolutely adorable ice cream stand, Bloomington staple, great ice cream, diverse flavors, superb waffle cones, IT DELIVERS WITH BTOWN MENUS
Cons: It's only open when it's warm out. It's never warm out. Unless you're a townie/taking summer classes
Bruster's
Pros: It's a cute summer-y small-town ice cream place, super convenient after spending the day at Lake Monroe and realizing you want ice cream when you're halfway home, really good ice cream-one time my friend finished her cone in two minutes and these scoops are not small
Cons: far from campus, only open when it's warm, PLOT TWIST IT'S ACTUALLY A CHAIN
Hartzell's
Pros: Everything. Probably the best ice cream I've ever had, 50 cent cones when you want just a little bit of ice cream, awesome location on Kirkwood, my friend (same one that at the ice cream in two minutes) LOVES their sweet corn flavor
Cons: sometimes there's a line and sitting inside is crowded
(05/08/14 3:56am)
Check out Culture Shock artist Little Timmy McFarland of Flight 19 perform on the porch of the WIUX mansion. Recoded, mixed and produced by our very own Dan Can(tlin)
(05/04/14 8:54pm)
Happy finals week-eve from your favorite procrastinators at WIUX. Here, we present to you everyone's favorite time-wasting game: 2048, but with a little twist. Click here to play the specially made WIUX version of 2048. Happy stuDYING.
(05/02/14 7:08pm)
On May 4, Fitz and the Tantrums will bring their blues-infused indie pop to The Bluebird Night Club to start finals week on the high note.
Currently on a cross-country tour to promote their most recent album, More Than Just a Dream, the 6-piece band will be sure to bring their usual high-energy performance to Bloomington.
In fact, during an interview with keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna, he said that The Bluebird is one of his favorite places to perform.
Recently, the band has performed on dozens of programs like Late Night with Seth Meyers and Good Morning America.
Up-and-coming indie pop band Night Terrors of 1927 is set to open the night on a high note. The band has recently released their EP, entitled Guilty Pleas, and the L.A. based band is set to perform at Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco later this summer. Their unique sound and strong vocals will certainly catapult the band onto the national stage, so make sure to catch them at The Bluebird to earn yourself some ~indie cred~
Start your finals week on a high note and catch Fitz and the Tantrums and Night Terrors of 1927 at the Bluebird on May 4. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25-$30 and the show is 21+
(05/01/14 1:46am)
Finals suck. Whether you're writing a 15-page research paper, working on a presentation with a group of nitwits or studying for what seems like your 234897th Spanish final, it's hard to see the gleaming light (summer) at the end of the tunnel (finals). Lucky for you, I don't feel like writing my research paper, working on my presentation or studying for my Spanish final, so I made The Ultimate Finals Playlist. I have a long, decorated history with creating awesome study playlists, just look at Pregame the Library, my playlist of rap that's made for studying. Or you can check our Crunch Time, which is perfect to cram to. There's finalzzzz and also finalz yo, which are both similar and very different. But none of those stellar playlists compare to The Ultimate Finals Playlist. So sit back, relax (or try not to stress out too much), plug in your headphones and enjoy some sweet tunes.
Good background music:
Walking the Dog II-Fun.
Lake Michigan-Rogue Wave
Slow It Down-The Lumineers
Stubborn Love-The Lumineers
Take Your Time (Acoustic)-Fun.
We Found Each Other In The Dark-City and Colour
Two Weeks-Grizzly Bear
A Lack Of Color-Death Cab For Cutie
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)-The Lumineers
People Say (Acoustic)- Portugal. The Man
Fork and Knife- Brand New
Blood Bank- Bon Iver
The Wolves- Bon Iver
Gravity (Live at Nokia Theater)-John Mayer
Amazing Eyes- Good Old War
Walking Far From Home- Iron and Wine
Kids- Lady Danville
My Only Swerving- El Ten Eleven
Dirty Rain- Ryan Adams
7/4 (Shoreline)- Broken Social Scene
Talking in Code- Margot and the Nuclear So-So's
Warning Sign- Coldplay
Broadripple Is Burning- Margot and the Nuclear So-So's
405- Death Cab For Cutie
Here We Are- Patrick Park
Wish You Were Here (Live)-Pink Floyd
Stability- Death Cab For Cutie
Daisychains- Youth Group
Carve Your Heart Out of Yourself- Dashboard Confessional
The Blower's Daughter- Damien Rice
You Got Me All Wrong- dios (malos)
I Need My Girl-The National
Blue Moon- Beck
Winter Waltz- The Last Royals
Gravity- Sara Bareilles
Listen to these songs when you need a burst of energy:
Sway- The Kooks
White Blank Page- Mumford and Sons
Bruised (Live from El Rey Theater)- Jack's Mannequin
Hold My Liquor- Kanye West
Murder to Excellence- Kanye West and Jay Z
Primetime- Kanye West and Jay Z
Control- Big Sean
Stars and Boulevards- Augustana
Homecoming- Kanye West and Chris Martin
The Summer- Coconut Records
Bonfire- Childish Gambino
Untitled (Love Song)- Counting Crows
Just Like A Woman- Something Corporate
NW. Apt.- Band of Horses
Satellite- Guster
The Suburbs- Arcade Fire
III. life: the biggest troll [andrew aurenheimmer]- Childish Gambino
IV: sweatpants- Childish Gambino
Ribs- Lorde
Don't Lie- Vampire Weekend
Natural Anthem- Postal Service
We Will Become Silhouettes- Postal Service
Unbelievers- Vampire Weekend
Blood on the Leaves- Kanye West
Runaway- Kanye West (feat. Pusha T)
(World in My) Bloodstream- French Style Furs
Pound Cake- Drake and Jay Z
Super Rich Kids- Frank Ocean
Drunk in Love (Kanye Remix)- Beyonce
Black Rock (Live from Red Rocks)- O.A.R
Hey Girl- O.A.R
Last Straw- Jack's Mannequin
MFEO- Jack's Mannequin
School Spirit- Kanye West
Stream this playlist on Spotify
Don't know where to study? We got you covered.
Have any songs that you love to study to? Add them to the comments section.
(04/28/14 8:30pm)
Lily and the Tigers will be playing at the Grant Street Musicians Co-op tonight, April 28. I had the opportunity to talk to the Adam Mincey, the band's upright bassist before the show.
Can you explain what type of music you play?
It's funny we get asked this quite often. It seems people want to call it folk something. We often get folk-rock or folk-jazz or indie-folk. But to us, we play music from the heart for the people.
How did you all meet?
Casey and I met through mutual friends, at a pool hall in East Atlanta. I vividly remember us talking about guitar finger exercises and measuring our hands up against one another's. Several weeks later I heard her sing and immediately starting working out a ploy to get her to start a band with me, and it worked. Two years (and two other guitarists) later, Casey and I were playing around a bonfire when Jared took a seat. He didn't really say anything, and didn't really need to either, he just started to play along. After that night he got in contact with us about getting together to see if we would want to jam. We were honored and excited that he wanted to play with us, so we took him up on his offer and have been jamming ever since!
When did you all get involved with music?
Casey has been singing since she came out of the womb. After hearing Casey sing I encouraged her to play an open mic. She had been playing music for sometime before, but had never played on a stage. From that moment forward she was hooked. For me, I had a high school project that was suppose to be career driven. I was a procrastinator, and I figured learning to play an instrument would be an easy way to get through the project. So, I took to the bass. I soon found out that the project I had chosen wasn't as easy and clear cut as I had pictured, but now I'm very grateful I chose the instrument I did, especially at that time in my life. Jared however had a much different experience with music. He grew up with a musical brother and sister. He's always (and still) plays in countless bands. He'll play anything that puts off a vibration. He has a very deep root in music theory, and is constantly inspired and constantly inspiring -- using music as his catalyst for expression.
What other bands or musicians influence your music and your performances?
We love good music it doesn't have to be a certain style or genre. To name a few off of the top of my head I would say- Hank Sr., Carter Family, Mingus, Billie Holiday, Neil Young, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Daptone anything, and Bessie Smith. Again these are just a few groups that inspire us.
What has been the best part of your tour so far?
We played a show at an artist land-trust called Snaggy Mountain (Burnsville, NC). The stage was on the top of the mountain overlooking a valley. The backdrop of the stage was the other side of the valley which lead up to what's known as Cee-Lo peak in the Appalachian Mountains. Just truly an amazing place to play folk music!
How did you come up with your band name?
Casey had always like the character Tiger Lily from Peter Pan. So I, knowing there was more than just one of us in the band, suggested Lily and the Tigers. We liked it, and the more we thought about it and the deeper we dug, we found the name is also about the balance in oneself. It's the Yin-Yang, the light and the dark, the balance between masculine and feminine. It fits well.
What would you consider the most rewarding aspect of making music?
Traveling and meeting new people. I thoroughly enjoy seeing how progressive people are all over of the United States. Our generation seems to have a sense of enlightenment that is going to be, and is already becoming very beneficial to all of humanity. It seems that our generation is all about asking those golden questions: why, how, who, what, and when, instead of relying on old prejudices. I just love meeting young folks who are "do-ers" and are all about community and outreach. Because they care.
If you could have any job in the world besides playing music, what would it be?
Well in this day and age music is hardly ever someone's only job. Art is now practically free, due to internet accessibility and torrents.... That being said I have always enjoyed cooking, and good wholesome food. I plan on opening a small market and deli that specializes in local organic produce. Also probably a couple farm to fork restaurants as well!
If there’s anything else you would like to add or would be important for our readers
Yes! To live life without fear, to love daily, to buy local, to gather in large groups and share progressive thoughts and support your community because at the end of the day there will be nothing but satisfaction and happiness!
(04/15/14 4:10pm)
1. Mac Demarco-Salad Days
2. Foster The People- Supermodel
3. St. Vincent- St. Vincent
4. Ghost Beach-Blonde
5. Royal Bangs-Brass
6. Caught A Ghost- Human Nature
7. Black Lips-Underneath The Rainbow
8. Fanfarlo-Let’s Go Extinct
9. Lo-Fang: Blue Film
10. Angel Olsen-Burn Your Fire For No Witnesses
11. Jezabels-The Brink
12. Night Terrors of 1927-Guilty Pleas
13. Broken Bells- After The Disco
14. Honey Trees- Bright Fire
15. Cloud Nothings-Here And Nowhere Else
16. Twin Berlin- Sleazebrain
17. Sleeping Bag- Women of Your Life
18. Ages And Ages-Divisionary
19. Tycho-Awake
20. S. Carey- Range of Light
21. Belle Brigade-Just Because
22. Wild Moccasins-88 92
23. Lyla Foy- Mirrors The Sky
24. Cloud Cult-Unplug
25. Death Vessel- Island Intervals
(04/14/14 5:02pm)
Every year, WIUX votes in a new class of Directors to lead the radio station in everything from sports, to news to business. This year, 23 students are on the board and it's already shaping up to be one of the best groups WIUX has ever had. Get to know your board, but try not to judge their childhood music tastes too much.
Name: Carolyn Suna
Year: Senior
Position: General Manager
First Album: Millennium- Backstreet Boys
Name: Sarah Thompson
Year: Junior
Position: Station Manager
First Album: The Shrek Soundtrack
Name: Adam Cohen
Year: Senior
Position: Programming Director
First Album: Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 5
Name: Lucas Wozniak
Year: Senior
Position: Business Director
First Album: Morning 3AM-Simon and Garfunkel
Name: Mackenzie Mills
Year: Sophomore
Position: Sales Director
First Album: B*Witched-B*Witched
Name: Brenden Biesen
Year: Senior
Positon: SPEV Director
First Album: Yellow Submarine-The Beatles
Name: Collin Thomas
Year: Sophomore
Position: Chief Engineer
First Album: The Who Ultimate Collection
Name: Sam Velazquez
Year: Junior
Position: PR Director
First Album: Aerosmith's Greatest Hits
Name: Chelsea Barras
Year: Senior
Position: News Director
First Album: ...Baby One More Time-Britney Spears
Name: Lacy Scarmana
Year: Senior
Position: News Director
First Album: Breathe-Faith Hill
Name: Sam Rumpza
Year: Junior
Position: Co-Sports Directors
First Album: Who Let the Dogs Out-Baja Men
Name: Jessica Yarvin
Year: Junior
Position: Web Content Director
First Album: Oops...I Did It Again!-Britney Spears
Name: Kevin Hyland
Year: Junior
Position: Assistant Web Content Director
First Album: Move It Like This- Baja Men
Name: John Caito
Year: Junior
Position: Co-Music Director
First Album: Aaron's Party- Aaron Carter
Name: Jared Peterson
Year: Sophomore
Position: Co-Music Director
First Album: Smash Mouth-Smash Mouth
Name: Chelsea Patton
Year: Senior
Position: Social Media Director
First Album: Millennium-Backstreet Boys
Name: Alec Steinmetz
Year: Junior
Position: Even DJ Director
First Album: Now That's What I Call Music! 4
Name: Rose Harding
Year: Junior
Position: Promotions Director
First Album: 1-The Beatles
Name: Xander Harty
Year: Senior
Position: Production Director
First Album: Best of Aretha Franklin
Name: Shelby Stephens
Year: Junior
Position: IT Director
First Album: Whitney Houston
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(04/13/14 1:43pm)
IU's Gay-Straight Alliance club will be hosting a Diversity Ball on Sun. April 13 at 8 p.m.-10 p.m. at the Frangipani Room in the Union.
This will be the first year that GSA will be hosting the event, and according to the club's Vice-President Anne Tinder, "The event started because GSA wanted a social event where we could collaborate with other student organizations. We are a new organization, started last year, so we are looking to build connections with like-minded groups across campus."
Leaders from other student organizations will be speaking about their own organization's interpretations of diversity. In addition, guests will make cards for patients from Positive Link, which is Bloomington Hospital's HIV/AIDS program.
Over 100 people are expected to come to support GSA's mission of providing "a safe environment where members of the LGBT community and their allies can come together in discussion, service, and activism," Tinder said.
Dress is casual and their will be food. Guests are required to bring nothing but an open mind.
For more information, check out their Facebook event.
(04/12/14 3:07am)
Hear more about Culture Shock from WIUX's SPEV Director, Jen Samson.
(04/09/14 3:45am)
Listen to an exclusive interview from Tunde Olaniran with WIUX reporter Jamie Kendrick. Tunde will perform at Culture Shock on Sat. April 12 at Dunn Meadow.
Intro song: Highway-Tunde Olaniran
(04/08/14 5:06pm)
1 Mac Demarco- Salad Days
2 Foster the People - Super Model
3 Royal Bangs - Brass
4 Bear Hands - Distraction
5 Ghost Beach - Blonde
6 Run River North - Run River North
7 Sleeping Bag - Women Of Your Life
8 Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long See You Tomorrow
9 Tyco - Awake
10 Tunde Olaniran - Yung Archetype
11 Fanfarlo – Let’s Go Extinct
12 Pigeon – Settle In
13 St. Vincent - St. Vincent
14 Night Terrors of the 1927
15 Elbow - The Take Off And Landing Of Everything
17 Guided By Voices - Motivational Jumpsuit
18 St. Paul and the Broken Bones- Half The City
19 Lo-Fang - Blue Film
19 Cloud Cult - Unplug
20 Ages and Ages - Divisionary
21 Mode Moderne – Occult Delight
22 Wild Moccasins - 88 92
23 Angel Olsen – Underneath the Rainbow
24 Vinyl Thief - Stop Motion
25 Grizfolk - From The Spark [EP]
(04/08/14 2:11am)
This Wed., April 9, Brice Fox returns to Indiana University to perform for Union Board's GEM event series, held at the Starbucks in the Memorial Union. Fox, alongside Liz Fohl, will be headlining the acoustic show that also features local Bloomington bands like Little Timmy McFarland of Flight 19. The show coincides with Union Board's album release of Live from Bloomington, which showcases the best music that Bloomington has to offer. It will be the first time that that LFB will be released since 2010.
Many may recognize Fox from the now classic song, "This is Indiana," and according to Union Board's Director for Live from Bloomington, Connor Foy, "Since graduating, Brice has been out in LA, honing his craft by releasing his own EP this summer as well as writing songs for such superstars as Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry."
Brice will be accompanied by Liz Fohl and they will be performing an acoustic set starting at 8 p.m. Expect some great new material and of course, a live, acoustic rendition of IU's favorite anthem.
The GEMS acts will begin at 7 p.m. with a set by Nick Erickson and Connor Dilk, followed by Hail Bison. Culture Shock band Little Timmy McFarland of Flight 19 is set to take the stage at 7:40 p.m.
Besides the music, 150 limited edition hard copies of LFB will be available for $6 and all the proceeds will go directly to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank.
Bloomington staples like Charlie Patton's War will be featured on the album, as well as tracks from Square Peg Round Hole, Plateau Below, Jayali and many more. The special edition release includes this year's music as well as a second disk featuring the best of LFB since it first began in 1986.
Union Board will also be offering more than great, local music. In six of the CDs, there will be a free ticket to the Little 500 concert, which is Schoolboy Q.
"To promote the album, we are doing something like a 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' golden ticket giveaway - but with Little 500 concert tickets," Foy explained.
For a chance to hear free, great live music and to snag a free Little 5 concert ticket, be sure to head over to the IMU Starbucks Wednesday at 7 p.m.
For more information about the GEMS event, check out their Facebook event. To learn more about Live From Bloomington, click here.
(04/01/14 5:46pm)
1 MAC DEMARCO - Salad Days
2 AGES AND AGES - Divisionary
3 BECK - Morning Phase
4 YOUNG THE GIANT - Mind Over Matter
5 GHOST BEACH - Blonde
6 RUN RIVER NORTH - Run River North
7 BEAR HANDS - Distraction
8 SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS - Give The People What They Want
9 ROYAL BANGS - Brass
10 TUNDE OLANIRAN - Yung Archetype
11 LIME CORDIALE - Falling Up The Stairs
12 SLEEPING BAG - Women Of Your Life
13 CHEATAHS - Cheatahs
14 COLLEENS - Wild Dreams
15 ELBOW - The Take Off And Landing Of Everything
16 GRIZFOLK - From The Spark [EP]
17 GUIDED BY VOICES - Motivational Jumpsuit
18 ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES - Half The City
19 LO-FANG - Blue Film
20 PIGEON - Settle In
21 NOISE FM - Attraction
22 LOST IN THE TREES - Past Life
23 WILD MOCCASINS - 88 92
24 VINYL THIEF - Stop Motion
25 PAINTED PALMS - Forever
(03/31/14 6:06am)
After months of planning, on April 12 WIUX and BCEC will host the annual spring music festival, Culture Shock, at Dunn Meadow. What makes Culture Shock so unique is that it features up-and-coming bands and the best local music that Bloomington has to offer. This year, Mac Demarco, Royal Bangs, Tunde Olaniran, Drekka, Sleeping Bag and Little Timmy McFarland of Flight 19 are set to take the stage. Make sure to keep up with Culture Shock by checking in with this page to read exclusive interviews, hear new music and get sneak peaks to Culture Shock 2014.
(03/26/14 6:40pm)
Contact: Milana Katic
Tel. 812.855.7862
Cell: 219.789.6320
Email: mkatic@wiux.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2014
WIUX AND BCEC PRESENT CULTURE SHOCK 2014
Full Lineup and Festival Activities Announced
BLOOMINGTON, In.--WIUX and the Business Careers in Entertainment Club (BCEC) have come together to present the 2014 Culture Shock Music Festival on Saturday, April 12 in Dunn Meadow.
Culture Shock has traditionally been the largest event held by WIUX since 1986, and with the help of BCEC, Culture Shock 2014 is anticipated to be one of the best festivals yet. This year’s headliner will be the up-and- coming indie artist Mac DeMarco, who was named “Best New Music” by Pitchfork in 2012 and who’s newest album, Salad Days, will be coming out April 1. The lineup will also feature Royal Bangs, Tunde Olaniran, and the local Bloomington artists Drekka, Sleeping Bag, and Little Timmy McFarland of Flight 19.
Along with its variety of musical entertainment for the day, this year’s Culture Shock will also feature a philan- thropic aspect. Guests will be encouraged to make donations at the festival with all proceeds going directly to Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard to help their efforts in providing health food options to the entire Bloomington community.
Culture Shock is a free music festival for all ages. Festivities will begin at 12 p.m. and last until 10 p.m. Food and drink will be available for purchase at the festival along with a variety of artwork.
Promotional events will be held weekly until the date of the festival that will offer opportunities to win free Culture Shock merchandise and a chance to meet with the musicians. Information for After Shock, the Cul- ture Shock’s nighttime musical supplement, will be available within the coming weeks.
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For more information about this topic or to set up an interview, please contact WIUX Special Events Director, Jen Samson at jsamson@wiux.org or BCEC Vice President Brendan Biesen at bbiesen@indiana.edu.
Music by the Culture Shock artists:
Mac DeMarco - http://macdemarco.bandcamp.com/
Royal Bangs - http://www.royalbangs.com/
Tunde Olanrian - http://tundeolaniran.com/
Drekka - http://drekka.bandcamp.com/
Sleeping Bag - http://sleepsleepingbag.com/
Little Timmy McFarland of Flight 19 - http://littletimmymcfarland.bandcamp.com/
(03/25/14 10:41pm)
Released: 3/18/2014
5/7 stars
In 2011, Foster the People exploded into popularity with their debut album, Torches. All summer long, “Pumped Up Kicks” played on radio stations across the country, reaching number three on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Torches groovy beats and sleek production earned Foster the People a huge fan base-from young hipsters at Coachella to soccer moms listening in their minivans- with “Houdini” also receiving considerable airtime and “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” was remixed by various artists.
Prior to Torches, lead singer Mark Foster wrote jingles for Honey Bunches of Oats; suddenly, he went from writing cheesy lyrics about complex carbohydrates to performing around the world, at the most exclusive music festivals.
Before releasing the bands sophomore effort, Supermodel, Foster explained that the new album would be different from Torches. While recording, the band traveled from Morocco to California, and their travels greatly influence the album’s direction. Going a different route, Supermodel trades some dance beats for an acoustic guitar as Foster delves deep into introspection, examining the consequences of consumerism as well as figuring out his existential crisis, wondering of this, rock star life, if that’s all there really is.
Supermodel rejects the model that thrust the band into the charts; as the first single released, “Coming of Age,” combines elements of rock and roll and explores the existential crisis that Foster feels comes with being a rock star. In the album’s opener “Are You What You Want to Be?” Foster seems to evoke his inner Vampire Weekend, using West African beats to complement the existential crisis that he struggles with throughout the album, singing “Well I’m afraid of saying too much and ending up a martyr/but even more so I’m afraid to face god and say I was a coward.”
The band’s sophomore effort seems to also smooth off the rough edges from Torches. “Coming of Age” and “Nevermind” are both well-produced tracks that share some of the catchiness of Torches but without the “instant stickability” that made Torches so addictive and raw.
“Best Friend” is one of the only songs on Supermodel that sounds like it could be featured on Torches. Like many of the songs on Foster the People’s debut album, “Best Friend” uses high-energy dance beats to cover up the dark lyrics; this time Foster is singing about a friend who is hooked on drugs, and how hard it is to watch them spiral downwards, yet in a synth-y falsetto, Foster remind his drug-addled friend that “you oughta know/That I’m here no matter where you go/ (with your head hanging upside down).”
Foster explained that Supermodel was produced as a concept album, and listeners get a taste of what he meant in “Pseudologia Fantastica,” as the band takes listeners on a rollercoaster of sound, from a deep baritone to a high-pitched falsetto. The heavily distorted guitar amplifies the cosmic sound, lending it to be one of the best songs on the album. The title of the track is synonymous with pathological lying, alluding to a person in Foster’s past who’s lying habits got in the way of their relationship.
The album ends with “Fire Escape,” a slow acoustic track that is out of place compared to the rest of the album. Foster concludes the record by using his age and experience to give advice to younger people living in L.A., he reminisces, singing “I’ve watched dreamers find their legs/and I’ve seen the ones that come get reduced to bones and rags.” He’s been in the town long enough to know that not everyone is as lucky as he is to wake up one day writing jingles for a corporate cereal company and the next day he sees his band headlining Coachella. After spending the album questioning his fame and success, he grows to learn to accept himself, but makes sure that everyone knows that he is the exception, not the rule.
Must listens:
Best Friend
Pseudologia Fantastica
Fire Escape