There’s something to be said about female vocalists and indie pop, a match so perfect and compatible, that it can usually intrigue the ear no matter how respectable the music really is. Luckily in the case of Amber Papini, lead vocalist of Hospitality, her stylings are both intriguing and respectable.[Read More…]
Music
Gramatik—The Age of Reason
Among today’s monotonous, often regurgitated world of electronic music, it is difficult to find something genuinely fresh. Despite this, Gramatik has harnessed the ability to supply interesting, novel sounds in the realm of electronic music. His most recent effort, The Age of Reason, is no exception. Trading slower, swung electro[Read More…]
Barely two years since formation, Kodaline goes global
The name Kodaline is enough to stop most people for a second or two as they ponder the possible meaning of this neologism that is pronounced “code – ah – line,” but the word actually represents two distinct things. In the World of Warcraft, it’s the name of the computer[Read More…]
Against Me!—Transgender Dysphoria Blues
The Florida-based punk rock band Against Me! formed in 1997 and firmly established itself in the punk world with the release of five albums between 2002 and 2012. In 2012, lead singer of the band, Laura Jane Grace—formerly Tom Gabel—announced that she was a transgender woman. Following this admission, the[Read More…]
Young the Giant—Mind Over Matter
Following the very successful release of their self-titled debut album in 2010, southern California quintet Young the Giant has a lot to live up to with their second full-length release, Mind Over Matter. Purveyors of a radio-friendly brand of indie rock, the band has become known for catchy pop hooks,[Read More…]
Warpaint—Warpaint
There is more space on Warpaint’s latest, self-titled album than on their previous release, The Fool and Exquisite Corpse. Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante—who mixed and mastered Warpaint’s debut EP—is replaced by Flood and Nigel Godrich, who handle most of the technical duties this time. There is[Read More…]
Braving the cold for J. Cole
Just months after the release of his sophomore album Born Sinner, Roc Nation artist J. Cole hit the stage at Montreal’s Metropolis on Jan. 23. With his work held in high regard by many rap legends, Cole backed up the hype with his performance, and made every minute of waiting[Read More…]
Mogwai—Rave Tapes
One of the lesser-known bands under the post-rock genre, Mogwai has recently released their eighth LP, Rave Tapes. Perhaps unlikely to garner many new fans unfamiliar with their experimental tastes, the album is a testament to the band’s evolution into a progressively more electronic sound—and the synths serve them well.[Read More…]
Bruce Springsteen—High Hopes
Bruce Springsteen has spent his career using extraordinary elements to spice up the seemingly mundane. Be it through the illumination of small-town New Jersey life through deceptively sparse poetry, or the energizing of simplistic song structures with larger-than-life guitar riffs, Springsteen has often found a way to milk material to[Read More…]
The Pixies—EP-2
Last Monday The Pixies released their new album, EP-2, apparently as a second park to their album of September 2013, titled EP-1. This new release seems to complete a transition from the band’s old alternative rock style to true blue hard rock—their new sound is now well-developed, with many moods[Read More…]