First web content weekly of the semester!
Finding the right words to describe shoegaze as a genre is nearly impossible. Ethereal doesn’t quite cut it; atmospheric is too vague; and dreamy implies a lightness that shoegaze avoids.
A few weeks ago, Philadelphia-based indie artist Greg Mendez sat down for a brief conversation with WIUX following a live session on 99.1. Before performing at The Bishop Bar for the second time on February 28th, Mendez chatted with us about the beginning of his music career, his newest release, the end of his tour, and his future plans.
On a crisp fall evening last October, Hannah Frances played solo to a crowd at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. She walked briskly across the stage as the lights illuminated her smile and her monochromatic outfit. Her voice and big electric guitar quickly filled the room. It didn’t take much for her to captivate this eager audience.
In light of the wintery weather outside, we bundled up in the studio and talked about our favorite winter albums!
If this seems like a niche, random comparison, that’s because it kind of is. But, I can’t really blame myself for it. The Captain America film franchise has been a special interest of mine since I was in my early tween years, and I have always been (to a fault) eager to jump up and explain to anyone that the films work as rich character studies, filled with complex themes and interpersonal relationships that can tell us a lot about the human condition. And of course, as part of the trans-man canon, I adore Car Seat Headrest’s Twin Fantasy.
I’ve been working on my interviewing skills for a while now. I’m a student of interviewing, if you will, studying technique through practice. So when musician Grace Leckey reached out to me about covering her return to Bloomington and her newest releases, I jumped on the opportunity.
I’ve existed in fandom spaces online since I was about ten years old– I’m coming on nearly a decade now, and growing up in fandoms changed a lot of how I perceived the world as a tween, teen, and now as I make my way into young adulthood. I know it may seem silly, but I have always thought these spaces to be hotbeds for innovation, analysis, and thoughtful discussion on media, as toxic and ridiculous as they can become.
Every rock fan and journalist alike might only ever agree on one thing; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction means more when it happens in Cleveland, Ohio. This year I had the privilege of seeing the ceremony, enjoying time at the museum, spotting celebrities, and seeing the induction of quite a few rock legends. However, what stole the night away for me was the induction of Jimmy Buffett.
A few weeks ago, I heard about a local Bloomington band named Early Grey. Early Grey as a band is innovative and experimental, rising in the local music scene and attempting to spread their influence across the midwest and beyond. Our conversation centered around their beginnings, what they’re doing with their style and personality, and the future plans for the band.
Just yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with the up-and-coming Bloomington band Mourning Star. The group, consisting of members Thom Kitchel, Anna Prager, Nova Hardie, and Cam Parker, has existed for about a year and recently released their first EP just a few weeks ago called flowers for your friends after months of hard work and dedication.
The most important day of the year finally came! Spotify Wrapped Day, aka the best holiday for radio team! Check out some of our stats below, and be sure to listen to WIUX 99.1 FM and B-Sides Internet radio to find some new artists for your next Wrapped! (PS... if you don't use Spotify, that's okay too. We don't judge.)
On October 19th, I had the privilege of attending a performance over 700 years in the making. I don’t think anyone can fully prepare to see a medieval depiction of hell in a century-old film accompanied by a driving synth score.
On October 19th, 2024, the Indiana University ballet program performed four consecutive, yet extremely unique, ballets that I never expected to witness.
So, Chromakopia came out this Monday. I have listened to it a couple of times now, and I still have no clue how to feel.
--When I heard that the first event in WIUX’s yearly Pledge-a-Thon was a CD burn, I rushed to check it out! I didn’t know exactly how it would work, but as I walked into the Collins Commons, it quickly became clear. $5 later (donated to help keep our beloved station up and running), I was standing in line.
A few weeks ago, one of my close friends introduced me to a musical genre he coined as “Evil Techno.” This genre was unlike anything I had heard before– dark, rapid, and charged, it sounded like something you’d hear while watching a movie scene of 20-somethings partying at a euphoric underground rave somewhere in Europe, clad in black clothes and moody makeup.
Few artists have had the almost sudden rise in popularity as Teezo Touchdown has. Coming out with his first piece of music on streaming only back in 2019, he has spent the last 5 years building up not the largest, but one of the most passionate fan bases in alternative music.
Following their miraculous Saturation trilogy run from the span of June to December in 2017, it seemed like nothing could stop the momentum that LA based boy-band/rap group BROCKHAMPTON had coming into 2018.
Over the past two months, I’ve had the privilege of learning more about the life of one of my favorite rock and rollers through the eyes of journalist Steve Rosen in his 2022 release Tonechaser. In this article, I seek to communicate what I considered the successes and shortcomings of that 26-year-long story.
Indianapolis-based alternative punk band Callejera made their 2024 Culture Shock debut, playing an intense, blistering set with songs off their latest EP, GUTTING. I got a chance to sit down with them after their set to talk about their origins as a band, their latest EP, and growing in the Indy scene.
