Monthly Archives: February 2011

I hope many of you, dear readers, are familiar with the late DJ and hip hop producer James Yancey, often known affectionately simply as Dilla. If you have heard his solo work, you probably love it. If you haven’t, you almost definitely have heard of De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Common, the Pharcyde or Erykah Badu — some of the other artists he has not only produced for but whose careers he has shaped and guided, polished and propelled. This writing may be ill timed, but I simply could not wait a year to wish you all a Happy Belated Dilla Day, because recently on February 10^th many remembered this icon on the anniversary of his tragically early death. Read More »

On February 5th, WGTB threw an iPod Battle for the books. Sure, Georgetown’s most talented DJs got the crowd dancing with their carefully crafted playlist of jams as usual, but this time, we took it a step further: glow sticks, moms breaking it down on stage, dancing cat speakers — it had it all. After several rounds of tough calls for the crowd, the night ended with a showdown between DJ Sean Chillday and the notorious Ben Wormald, who came dressed for success and left victorious. Click through for photos from the evening and the prize-winning playlist courtesy of this year’s champ. Read More »

While you may be excited at the prospect of one long weekend in the midst of midterms, you can blame Richard Nixon for combining Lincoln and Washington’s birthday into one President’s Day instead of TWO federal holidays observed separately until 1971. Nixon sucks. But at least we still have this small vacation, and in the nation’s capitol, no less, where President’s Day events abound: niche exhibits, parades at Mt. Vernon,  historical reenactments, dramatic readings of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and two million dollars worth of wax presidents! Read More »

When I typed typed “Esben and the Witch” into the Google search engine, I found results informing me that it was not only the name of a British gothic art rock band, but also a intriguingly dark Danish folktale. My first instinct was to read the tale because I have a soft spot for disturbing fairy tales, but I decided to listen to the band’s first full-length album Violet Cries before dedicating my time to read the (rather long) story. I didn’t want to say I was inspired by a mediocre band to read a folktale it named itself after.

Needless to say, I read the story. And I have no qualms about telling people that Esben and the Witch’s new album Violet Cries inspired me to do so. Read More »

It’s a long weekend. Filled with lots of great concert options! Take a break from midterms and have some well-deserved fun! Read More »

PJ Harvey’s latest musical endeavor, Let England Shake, reflects upon the Great War. I am not referring to the current wars in the Middle East but to the Great War: World War I. However, there is something about Harvey’s emphatic lyricism and straightforward instrumentalism that rings true about all of humanity’s armed conflicts. She utilizes Britain’s strong history of folk rock musicianship to craft a unique psychological portrait of the men and women who were living in those times. To embark on such a task is no small matter since The Great War was the one that truly altered the course of history in the 20th century as well as in this day and age. However, Harvey effectively and elegantly sums up the complexities of the human psyche during this period of time.

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