Moments
-
Renee’s Song
On December 25, 2024, a Christmas day, local Spotify artist Graham Blotter dropped a song that instantly became a personal favorite: “Renee’s Song.” Judging from the caption of his Instagram…
-
The Songs of the Great VOB Comet
This weekend, Vanderbilt Off Broadway presents (VOB) their mainstage show: Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 by Dave Malloy, presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. This week, The…
-
The Grand Return of Sturgill Simpson
2021: After the release of his bluegrass epic-in-miniature, The Ballad of Dood and Juanita, I had the misfortune of falling in love with the music of Sturgill Simpson. His discography…
-
Staff Picks: Albums of the Year
Imaginal Disk Magdalena Bay Mag Bay’s newest album encapsulates autumn with its perfect blend of synthpop, psychedelia, and weird glitches. I was not crazy about my introduction to the album,…
-
Let’s Get the Band Back Together
I consider myself a lucky man: I was brought up in a time of peak access to any music, book, or movie I could want. Sure, there is plenty of…
-
‘I Had Some Help’ In Liking Country
Post Malone Changed My Mind. I have hated country music for as long as I can remember. Most of the songs I heard had little to no creative expression. Time…
-
The 21st Century Rockstar’s Blueprint: Cage the Elephant’s Neon Pill Tour
Cage the Elephant was the soundtrack of my childhood. Since Cage’s 2009 self-titled debut, my older brother had lead singer Matt Shultz’s swaggery, addictive delivery on repeat. Later, he even…
-
AN MF DEEP DIVE: DOOM, DUSTER, & DELVING IN
I’m a Playlist-making hobbyist. Translation: I often avoid my myriad responsibilities by surfing through music streaming accounts. A month ago now, during a customary playlisting-procrastination sesh with a friend, I…
-
On 21 Pilots and transcending coolness
There’s nothing memorable about “Madden 16,” with its over-designed cutscenes and main menus distracting you from a lazy reskin of the same game they’ve been feeding us for decades at…
-
The Timeless Nostalgia of City Pop
It’s 3 a.m. and I’m hearing colors. The sheen of billboards and buildings flashes before my mind’s eye as the deliciously funky basslines and peppy trumpets of Mariya Takeuchi’s “Plastic…
-
“Pandemonium” From a Classical Nerd’s First Live Concert
My Navy-enlisted friend texted me one morning back in September. This usually means quickly debriefing each other about daily random inconveniences, but today was a special occasion. The text read…
-
The Many Names of R.A.P. Ferreira
The world of R.A.P. Ferreira is the most fascinating rabbit hole I’ve ever fallen into. It was like finding the final piece of a puzzle: one read-through of a Reddit…
-
A Rite of Passage Into “The Rite of Spring”
As a bona-fide classical music nerd, I spend a majority of my time around music in some sort of way. But outside of the opening chords of the piano arrangement…
-
Ascending Into Who I (A)rctic (M)onkeys
Set. A friend introduced me to their debut as their much older brother’s taste in music: “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.” What could be a more…
-
Settling into the South with the sounds of Southern California
Back in my small mountain town, I loved going to small, intimate concerts in the San Diego area where surf rock is always on the setlist. My favorite artists include…