Monthly Archives: November 2010

One Hundred Flowers’ debut album, Mechanical Bride, is an assortment of indie-pop songs that are kept simple and enjoyable. Coming from the “Live Music Capital of the World,” the Austin, Texas band demonstrates that they are no strangers to creating a good, concise song. They show a mastery of creating music that sound deceivingly simple, but a closer listen reveals complex layers that give the songs a certain level of depth without overcomplicating the music. Read More »

Every college student owns at least one shirt. I’ll personally give twenty dollars to anyone who can prove otherwise. I’ll be even bolder and claim that aside from that core group of 5-10 students who spend every Saturday night on Lau 3, one of those shirts is also a band t-shirt. No, I’m not talking about the pep band’s shirts,—although if having one of those shirts means free pizza at every basketball game, then I’ll give another twenty dollars to anyone who can find me one—I’m talking about a shirt that endorses or celebrates some band, some musical group. We’re talking ACDC, Led Zeppelin, The Talking Heads, etc. Essentially, the time has come to discuss a few of the shirts I’ve seen around campus and subsequently judge the people wearing them. Read More »

On paper, collaborations between established musicians inherently pose an element of intrigue and anticipation.  The pervading expectation is that two artists, respectively, will be making something entirely new, perhaps even something greater than just “Musician A” + “Musician B.”  But does either party actually benefit from the other’s addition? How will the stylistic leanings of one artist mingle coherently with the defining features of the other?  Does Bad Books actually make for good music?

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If you’re like most people, you’ve probably never heard of Pigeon John, an underground California rapper who’s known (in the circles within which he’s known) for his unconventional style. His seventh and most recent studio album, Dragon Slayer, is no more normal than his previous work. While most rappers gloat about how many women they’ve slept with, how much marijuana they’ve smoked, and how “real” they are, Pigeon John raps about Xbox, taking out the trash, and playing Super Mario. His music is certainly innovative and interesting, and you have to admire his efforts to break away from the stereotypes of rap. That said, Dragon Slayer proves unimpressive.

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After a lot of speculation, mystery, and doubt, Lupe Fiasco is finally releasing his third studio album, Lasers, his first release since 2008.  Just two weeks ago, Atlantic records announced the release date in March 2011.  In front of an electrified Georgetown crowd, dressed in the appropriate attire for a Halloween bash, Lupe announced the upcoming release of Lasers, not only calling it the most anticipated album of 2009, 2010, and 2011 but prematurely deeming it the best album of 2011. That’s a pretty high bar to set, but, after his remarkably energetic performance, I expect nothing less than the best from his soon to be hit album.

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We Landed on the Moon! has everything one might expect to find in an up-and-coming superstar; strong, clean guitar riffs, a sexy front-woman with a fantastic voice, and a growing loyal fan base. The problem is, the only way I could sit through the whole of their new release, This Will be One for the Books, was with a grimace and my finger poised over the fast forward button.

It is hard for a band to distinguish itself in today’s crowded music business. We audiophiles have very high expectations for our musicians. It’s no longer enough to simply have a good voice, a great guitarist, or to write a catchy tune. We already expect all of that. To really succeed, artists need to put themselves into the music and prove that they have something more than the standard. That’s what is lacking in WLOTM!’s release: individuality.

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Oh, Sufjan. How we’ve missed you. The denizens of indie pop have been awaiting The Age of Adz since his opus, Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise. In 2005, Illinoise was everywhere. He was an indie god who managed to create a sweeping epic that felt intimate enough to play your girlfriend. It was a bold album that tapped into the folk that dominated the mid-decade indie scene while simultaneously raising to it orchestral heights and beyond. Illinoise was not his last release. In fact, Stevens has dropped four projects since (though they were all odds and ends or his last EP—which now appears to be a clearing house for old-style ideas). But, it was his last proper album. Adz is his return to indie folk glory.

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