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I don’t remember the first time I heard the name Gretsch, whether it came before or after I held one of their guitars for the first time. If I were to guess, I’d say it was sometime between when I saw Nick 13 of Tiger Army ream on his signature black Duo Jet and when Tim Armstrong from Rancid brought out his signature left-hand model. In moments like those, I fell in love with the great Gretsch sound.
“I told you everything about everything,” sings Sharon Van Etten on “I Told You Everything” — the lead track of her latest album, Remind Me Tomorrow. This simple statement foreshadows the purpose of her sixth album, which departs from Van Etten’s classic acoustic sound. It’s a confessional, capturing the cluttered emptiness of her new life. Even the album cover, which appears like a cluttered Norman Rockwell painting, hints at this chaos. There’s children and costume pieces strewn all over a floor, alluding to the children (and acting career) she had while on a musical hiatus. Remind Me Tomorrow showcases Van Etten–a near-legend in the world of folk-rock–at her most introspective.
Maggie Rogers has had a rise to fame that feels ripped straight out of A Star Is Born. After a chance encounter with established artist/producer Pharrell Williams in 2016 that resulted in a viral video, she was thrown into indie pop stardom with her single, “Alaska.” The year after graduating from New York University, she released her debut EP, Now That The Light Is Fading. Now, two years later, she’s back with her debut full–length album, Heard It in a Past Life. The album leans more toward mass appeal, giving the world 12 songs that range from whip–your–hair to hold–your–lighter–up. Despite a grand entrance into the world stage, Rogers has managed to release a comprehensive full–length, that, while disjointed at times, shows sincerity, passion, and ingenuity in her still–fresh style.
Singing and producing covers is a form of musical creativity that deserves more attention. Not only is it a way to show appreciation for existing songs, but also to draw inspiration from different artists. Often covers don't do the original song justice. However, in some cases, they bring a totally different perspective, twisting it into something completely new. Here are seven covers that are better than the original song:
With Philadelphia being such a large, culturally rich city, there are many spaces dedicated to the arts, from museums and theaters to venues that offer live music. Live music performances provide a special energy that can’t really be experienced in many other settings, and are a great way to have a fun night out with friends. Fortunately, there are quite a few different venues situated not too far from campus.
When indie rock singer-songwriter King Princess announced her North American tour on November 2, her existing song repertoire clocked in at just under twenty minutes, consisting only of her five-song debut EP Make My Bed and the single “Pussy is God,” the latter released in conjunction with the tour announcement. Although a cover of The Velvet Underground and Nico’s “Femme Fatale” would be released two weeks later, this will still leave about two–thirds of a traditional ninety–minute headlining set for King Princess to fill when she comes to the TLA for a sold–out show on January 28. Though one of the most prominent examples, King Princess is not the only artist selling out shows with a limited discography. More and more often, up–and–coming artists will forgo the traditional LP–tour–rest album cycle in favor of alternating EP and single releases with multiple tours per year.
To the average Philadelphian walking their dog or jogging through the neighborhood, it would come as a shock to know that a small Wynnefield townhouse was, for one night, a concert venue. On Jan. 14, indie prog rock band Kindo (formerly known as The Reign of Kindo) performed a 90–minute headlining set on the concrete basement floor of a four–bedroom house not too far from St. Joseph’s University. Walking up the brick stairs makes concert attendees feel more like trick–or–treaters or door–to–door salesmen than prog aficionados, and there comes a moment before opening the door where one hopes they have the correct address and won't be barging in on a house party or family dinner.
As someone always looking for different ways to stumble upon new artists, I’ve experimented with a bunch of different platforms to do so, from Spotify’s somewhat disappointing “Made for You” playlists to NPR’s classic Tiny Desk Concerts. Finding the YouTube channel COLORS was like discovering a hidden gem that not only expanded my musical palette by introducing me to up–and–coming artists, but also engaged my visual senses in a way that I had never experienced before. Driven by their motto, “all COLORS, no genres,” COLORS is a YouTube channel based in Berlin, Germany that showcases performances of artists from different genres in an aesthetically pleasing space that matches their vibe with associated colors. I’ve narrowed down seven of my favorite performances from hundreds of videos to get you started:
When I was three years old, I refused to watch anything other than MTV and Animal Planet for months. Instead of playing tag and watching The Backyardigans, I worshiped at the altar of TRL and its weekly rotation of up–and–coming pop divas. First, it was Christina Milian. Then it was Avril Lavigne. However, my most enduring obsession was with JoJo, the 13–year–old wunderkind with a voice reminiscent of a young Mariah Carey—all vocal runs and vibrato. I remember choreographing dance routines to her ever–catchy single “Baby It’s You” and inventing an imaginary boyfriend so I could relate to “Leave (Get Out).” In many ways, JoJo’s commanding vocals and playful demeanor cemented my love for mainstream pop. So when she re–recorded her self–titled debut album after a dispute with her former record label that deprived Spotify of some quintessential throwbacks, I knew I had to take a listen.
2019 is gearing up to be a powerhouse year in music. Plenty of top artists are slated to release new records, from Ariana Grande to The 1975 to Migos. In an age when surprise albums have become more common, it’s fair to assume that a number of singers could follow that trend this year. With that in mind, there’s a few musicians that have made their fans wait far too long for new content.
If the frigid weather has you a little down lately, have no fear! Before you know it, festival season will be upon us. In the meantime, you can power through that winter slump by planning for all of the music events coming your this summer. Street has the lowdown on some great summer festivals you can buy tickets for now.
2018 is nearly over. And with the new year comes reflection, retrospection, and some top ten lists. This year gave us an onslaught of pop culture, and now Street has endeavored to choose the best of all of it—best albums, best television shows, best books, and best movies from this year, based on staff's picks.
The concept of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series is simple: musicians from all different genres are invited to perform an intimate concert at the desk Bob Boilen, the host of NPR’s All Songs Considered. Only at a Tiny Desk Concert can we experience T–Pain’s “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” without any special effects, or see Tyler the Creator use the desk itself as a stage for his performance, setting up lights with varying shades of bright colors to reflect the themes of his “Flower Boy” album. However, these two sets are amongst the most popular of Tiny Desk Concerts; T–Pain’s video has over 13 million views and Tyler’s has almost seven million. Here are five underrated, equally as great, Tiny Desk Concerts that you need to check out from this year:
While tiptoeing in the back of the standing–room–only, free–for–all crowd at the Fillmore on November 29th, The Internet looked larger–than–life. With “INTERNET” dramatically projected onto the screen behind the band in all–white capital letters, their initial presence, combined with the raucous cheers of the audience, was impressive.
Mark Paraskevas (C ’17) packs the same thing for lunch every day: “a chicken gyro basically, with like pita bread and spinach and cheese. I just cook a lot of chicken in advance.” In between hours spent at the studio, Mark, a former The Daily Pennsylvanian and Street staffer, is a high school teacher in New York City with the two–year placement program Teach For America.
It’s hard to categorize Spanish singer–songwriter Rosalía. Rosalía’s songs aren’t just songs—they're vibrant soundscapes, bursting at the seams in every syllable, beat, and chord with seemingly infinite amounts of color. And while she may not yet be known by the masses in the US, the world has taken notice of this genre–defying artist marrying flamenco with pop, hip hop, and electronic music.
With the wind chill, it was down to a sturdy 21 degrees outside, and I was up on stage in a T–shirt, jeans, and the world’s thinnest blazer. While I owned a pair of gray cloth fingerless gloves that would have given my hands some protection from the wind, I made no effort to wear them: they would have ruined my snazzy black–and–white aesthetic, and it’s not like I was doing anything that needed dexterity—I was just playing guitar.
Calling all ABBA fans and Mamma Mia enthusiasts—this one’s for you. Gone are the days of singing “Dancing Queen” into your hairbrush as you get ready for yet another Friday night of parties. For one night only, you can channel your inner dancing queen or king and bask in 1970s glamour—Parisian nightsuits optional.
It’s a generally accepted part of the concert experience: you’re walking out of the venue after the encore, and as you step out onto the street, every sound is muffled save for a buzzing in your ears, the aftereffects of standing next to a speaker for the better part of the evening. You’ll go home, sleep it off, and everything will be normal in the morning.
The moment I met Yoni Gottlieb (C ‘19) on a Thursday afternoon in Starbucks, I could immediately tell he loves his music. Influenced by artists such as Earl Sweatshirt, Mac DeMarco, and Tame Impala, and often spotted wearing a Frank Ocean sweater, the art of song is in his blood—his mom is a professional pianist. We were able to discuss our thoughts on some new album releases this year, from Astroworld by Travis Scott to Daytona by Pusha T, before we jumped into his experiences with music and producing rapper Slim Reaper’s debut album, RIP to the Peaceful (Me).
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