Author: csralph

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Concert Preview Festival Coverage Miscellaneous Music News and Interviews

Bonnaroo 2021: Who I’m Excited to See

promo picture

After much anticipation, Bonnaroo is back in business. After rescheduling from last year (I think there was some sort of pandemic or something), Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tennessee will be flooded with tens of thousands of fans from all over the world. And for good reason too. The lineup for 2021 is definitely going to be one for the books. The headliners for each day include Foo Fighters, Lizzo, and Tyler the Creator, who I would shovel out any amount of money to be able to see. Beyond the bigger names include a modge podge of artists ranging from folk to indie to rap, providing a unique taste for everyone there. Among these names, here are a few that I am especially excited to see. 

Megan Thee Stallion 
I’ll be honest, at my first glance of the lineup for this year I was a bit surprised to see Megan on there. When I usually think of Bonnaroo, artists like Tash Sultana, Cage the Elephant, and Tyler Childers come to mind. But the more I think about it, the happier I am to have the chance to see her there. All of Megan’s music has such an upbeat flow to it and I’m sure it will be a tough challenge for any artist to get the crowd more hype than she does. 

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard 
This just seems like the kind of band that would be amazing live. With their eccentric guitar riffs and mellowed out lyrics, they make for a perfect midday vibe to bring the crowd together under the sun. 

Caamp
This band definitely holds a special place in my heart. I’m not a huge folk fan, but Caamp has a perfect balance of bluegrass with just a hint of modern rock sprinkled in. The main singer’s voice is raspy, but not too raspy, and their lyrics remind me of a life I used to dream of when a more adventurous writer occupied my mind when I was younger. 

Tame Impala 
Have you guys heard of them? It’s super underground, super indie, you probably wouldn’t like it. All jokes aside, Tame Impala is known to be amazing live and I would love a chance to see Kevin Parker shred the guitar. 

Resistance Revival Chorus 
This group has some of the most amazing harmonies to date. I’d say it’s a mixture of blues and folk. Their lyrics speak to a wide audience and they send a good message. 

Remi Wolf
The last one on this list goes out to Remi Wolf. Her music is a bit reminiscent of Still Woozy, with a funk bass to compliment her wide vocal range. Any song of hers could easily get the crowd dancing. 

These artists are only a few on this incredible lineup. Words cannot describe how excited I am to be in the middle of a tightly packed crowd all there to get the same, beautiful experience of a music festival. Rain or shine, Bonnaroo 2021 is happening and you’re not going to want to miss it. 
-DJ Chippypants

Image Creds: https://edmidentity.com/2020/09/16/bonnaroo-virtual-roo-ality-lineup/

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Miscellaneous Music Education

Zamrock

zamrock

In the 1970s a cultural wave was preparing to wash over an entire nation. It wasn’t disco, the Vietnam War, or even anything to do with America. This wave of change was happening in Zambia, a country in the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa. Following their independence from England, Zambia was about to create a new, beautiful style of music that was almost lost forever to the turbulent fallout of the post-colonial African instability. 

Zamrock is a blend of western psychedelic rock with a strong native Zambian influence. In the time that the country had been under English rule, bands like The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd had grown popular in the UK, whose music eventually made its way over to Africa. Musicians initially learned to play the guitar through listening to this music, from which they incorporated their own style to blend the two major characteristics of the music. 

After independence Zambia quickly took advantage of their ability to export copper, which allowed for a bit of economic stability in the country. As younger people found themselves with more money in their pockets, they flooded to bars and nightclubs where Zamrock musicians showcased their work. At this point the genre was so underground that the only way to hear it was to see the bands live. However, this would change as Zambia attempted to strengthen their national identity, part of which involved the mandate that 95% of music over the radio had to be of Zambian origin. As the genre grew, so did the craving for strictly Zambian music. People loved the idea of supporting something that they could call their own, and within a few years Zamrock had tied the country together through its unique and original sound. 

Around this time is when the genre peaked. As the 70s progressed, Zambia saw more and more instability due to external conflict with neighboring countries, the reduced price of copper, and the outbreak of the AIDS crisis. Almost every member of the original Zamrock bands have died because of AIDS, however their legacy lives on through the work that they did to unite a country through music. 

Some of my favorite Zamrock songs include “You Better Know” by Witch, “Khala My Friend” by Amanz, “Running” by Blackfoot, “Changa Namwele” by Machine Gunners, “Born Black” by Chrissy Zebby Tembo,” and “Musi-O-Tunya” by Musi-O-Tunya. 

Hope you guys enjoy the tunes, 
-DJ Chippypants

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czrPRJehmdA

Categories
Band/Artist Profile Miscellaneous Music Education

Carolina Beach Music

Album cover for Sugarbush

When you bring up the topic of beach music, most people immediately think of The Beach Boys and perhaps lesser known bands such as Dick Dale, The Ventures, The Lively Ones, and The Tornadoes. However, there is a distinct difference between these styles. The Beach Boys had a much more profound “doo-wop” sound to their music. In fact, lead singer Brian Wilson even said that he disliked when people described the Beach Boys as “surfin’ music” just because they were from California. Is his mind, they were their own subset of beach rock. 

The “surf music” that Brian Wilson was so ready to be detached from was pioneered by Dick Dale in the early 1960s. Around this time, Fender had just incorporated the reverb sound into their amps, allowing electric guitars to mimic the sound of a wave. This can be heard in almost every surf rock song. Dick Dale popularized this effect, while adding Mexican and Middle-Eastern influences to give us the surf rock sound we know today. 

While this was all happening on the west coast, a much lesser-known style of beach music was taking hold on the east coast, particularly in North and South Carolina. This style of beach music found its influences through blues and rock R&B. While surf rock exhibits the use of electric guitar, Carolina beach music incorporated more brass instruments, such as the trumpet and the French horn. All of this music was closely associated with “the shag,” which was a popular dance at the time. 

I was first introduced to this music by my parents, so some of my favorites that they used to play include “I Love Beach Music” by The Embers, “Give Me Just a Little More Time” by The Chairmen of the Board, “Ocean Boulevard” by Band of Oz, “Mrs. Grace” by Tymes, “Myrtle Beach Days” by The Fantastic Shakers, and “Summertime’s Calling Me” by the Catalinas. 

Hope you guys enjoy the tunes,
-The DJ Formerly Known As Chippypants

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_music#History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surf_music

Categories
Band/Artist Profile Classic Album Review Local Music Miscellaneous New Album Review

New Music Alert: Rehearsal

Rehearsal Album Art

One of my long-time favorite bands, Skegss, has finally released another album. Skegss is a group of three guys from Byron Bay, Australia. The group formed in 2013 when childhood friends Johny Lani and Ben Reed started playing together as a duo around local venues. They soon paired up with Noa Deane and Tony Cregan and released their the singles “LSD” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio.” However Noa left the following year in pursuit of a surfing career, leaving Johny, Ben, and Tony to run the show. 

Since then they have released three EP’s and three albums. My personal favorite is their self-titled debut EP, however their two most recent albums are close contenders. Rehearsal is their most recent one to date and includes 13 surf-punk-garage styled rock songs on the album. It starts off with “Down to Ride” and “Valhalla,” which are both upbeat, fast paced songs that set a good tone for the album. However, my two favorites of the 13 are “Bush TV” and “Savor The Flavour.” They perfectly incorporate the iconic Skegss style and listening to them makes me feel like an angsty teenager again. Another honorable mention off the album is “Wake Up,” which is a bit of a slower song. That being said, I feel like this band doesn’t make slow, sentimental songs like this all that much, which makes it all the more meaningful. 

Fun fact about this band, they actually had their cover art for the EP “50 Push Ups for a Dollar” stolen by Lil Yachty and Reese for their single “Do It.” Go ahead and look it up, the comparison is laughably similar. 

That’s all for this week, hope you guys enjoy the music. 
-The DJ Formerly Known As Chippypants

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Hippie Hippie Hourrah

album cover

In a dirty, crowded basement, there is a moment of silence. As the song playing pauses for a brief interlude, you can look around and faintly make out the drops of sweat rolling down the band members’ faces, dimly lit by red LED’s and subtle string lights that line the ceiling. The pause only lasts for a moment, and the song picks back up with a roaring guitar riff. The camera pans to the crowd, jumping and pushing each other in a frenzy as they roll with the music. This is how I was first introduced to The Wisconaut. 

I saw this in a video from last year before covid had hit and it reminded me just how much I missed basement shows. They allowed so many artists to shine in such a niche venue. When it comes down to it, those who will succeed off of house shows will be those who can be unique, get the crowd moving, and create a memory. And from what it seems, The Wisconaut were on a pretty straight path to this success. 

Their music is somewhat of a mix between modern punk and surf rock. Their beats flow with ease and fit perfectly with their songs’ sparse lyrics. Right now The Wisconaut only has one album out called “F**k The Wisconaut.” It is easily something that I could listen to all the way through, however my two favorites are “Fox Point Cove” and “M.I.A.” Besides those two, my number one song from this band is a single called “Hippie Hippie Hourrah.” It was originally recorded by Jacques Dutronc, then translated into English by The Black Lips, then covered by The Wisconaut, who definitely made a version that lives up to the name of the song. 

I hope you guys enjoy the tunes, 
-DJ Chippypants 

Categories
DJ Highlights Miscellaneous New Album Review

What I’m Listening to This Week

doohickey

Does your weekly song rotation need an update? Well I’m here to help. Trust me, I know how easy it is to get stuck in a cycle of listening to the same few songs from the same genre on repeat, however breaking out of this routine feels so good once you start to find some new music. So here is my list of new finds for the week. 

“Trophy” by Crumb 
Crumb has such a unique, lovable style. You could pick out a song of theirs from a playlist with ease. With their wavy guitar riffs and distorted lyrics, Crumb’s music always transports me to a dreamscape. 

“Whisper (Want My Love) [feat. Steve Lacy]” by Patrick Paige II 
This new song is made by Patrick Paige II, one of my favorite members of The Internet. He and Steve Lacy blend together perfectly on this track as they complement each other’s styles. 

“Silver Lining” by Mount Joy
Ok this is definitely an older one, but I was recently reminded of its existence and honestly I’m at the perfect time in my life to where this song finally makes sense. Even if this semester isn’t turning out as planned, there’s still a silver lining in everything. 

“Sign Here” by Doohickey Cubicle 
I love the constant flow of this song. It’s relaxed yet upbeat; subtle but still has a lot to say. Something that I’d dance to while sitting down. It’s perfect. 

Other honorable mentions include “Never Gonna Give You Up” by the Black Keys, “Small Worlds” by Mac Miller, “Black Magic Woman” by Santana, and “Long Distance” by the Districts. 

Well that’s all for this week, hope you guys enjoy the tunes 
-The DJ Formerly Known as Chippypants 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile Classic Album Review Miscellaneous Music Education New Album Review

New Music Alert: 666

album cover

Warning: listening to this music may cause a significant increase in heat. Your body may feel hot and you will feel an overwhelming sensation of “fire.” The Sugar Candy Album “666” is a unique style of music that was perfected by the cross-section of the passing of early 2010’s Psychedelic Rock and the popularization of more mellow Indie Pop. All pretentiousness aside, 666 is a really good album. It is probably Sugar Candy Mountain’s best music that they’ve put out since they emerged back in 2014 with their first full album “Mystic Hits.” 

While “Mystic Hits” was undoubtedly a hit, “666” showcased the band coming into their own unique sound. Most of their songs tend to follow a similar pattern. The beginning starts out with a lackadaisical, relaxed beat that goes on throughout the entirety of the song while multiple layers slowly get added on as the song goes on. Moreover, the songs steadily flow into each other, making it easy to listen to all the way through. 

However, if you’re in a rush and don’t have time to listen to the whole album, I would suggest starting with the first three songs and ending with the eighth and ninth. “Windows” and “Change” make a good impression of the album and “666” is definitely going to be one of my most played songs of the year. With it’s echoed guitar and dreamy lyrics, the song can change around my mood on even the most stressful of days. 

Well that’s about all I have to say for this album, would definitely recommend with a score of 9/10. 
Hope you guys enjoy the music, 
-The DJ Formerly Known as Chippypants 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile Classic Album Review DJ Highlights Miscellaneous New Album Review

New Music Alert: Loving

I can already tell that I am going to be loving this band. Loving is a slow-wave indie bedroom rock band from Canada. Their music gives off the impression of a lazy sunday, which pockets of sun poking in through the windows as the rain taps against the glass. The band consists of a group of three from Canada, who play sparse, intimate songs. 

The band started back in 2015 when David Parry and Jesse and Lucas Henderson, who are brothers, started recording music together. It was initially a long-distance project, since some members of the trio were in Victoria while others were in Toronto. However, their initial success inspired the trio to become a full-time band and set up shop in Victoria. 

The music of Loving is like psychedelic folk. It’s calming, relaxing, and uplifting all at once. Loving’s first album is their self-titled debut, which came out back in 2016. My favorite song is “The Not Real Lake,” closely followed by “Bowlly Goes Dancing Drunk Into the Future” and “A Long Slow Little Wave / Citizen, An Activity.” Their second album, “If I Am Only My Thoughts,” came out in 2020. It is a bit more fast-paced and features more acoustic sounds than their debut album. From this I would choose “A Mirror for Two Voices” and “Only She Knows” as my favorites. 

You can love, you can leave it, and say you’re nothing without it, but don’t sleep on Loving. 
Hope you guys enjoy the tunes, 
-The DJ Formerly Known As Chippypants

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

A Tribute to Christopher Plummer’s Role in “The Sound of Music”

Christopher Plummer in The Sound of Music

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, and goodnight to Christopher Plummer, who played Baron von Trapp in the classic movie “The Sound of Music.” Growing up, the sound of music was my favorite movie. It was a beautiful tale about a woman named Maria, a nun who challenges herself to take care of seven unruly children. Their father, Baron von Trapp, is initlaly unimpressed with Maria and nearly fires her. However, through music, the characters grow closer and learn to express themselves. Maria and von Trapp eventually get married and the family lives happily ever after once they escape Austria from the invading Nazis. 

This movie is very dear to my heart. As a child, I was never truly taught to appreciate music until I watched this movie. While the genres of music I listen to now may be far from Julie Andrews bolting “The hills are alive” on the top of a mountain, it was the passion and joy I saw in the characters that made me realize how special music really was. Music was able to fix a broken family, allow the children to express their feelings in songs, and was able to wash away the cold heart of Baron von Trapp. His character is especially sentimental because he showed me how a “big strong man” like himself could open up to his softer, more tender side of his personality. He showed that men didn’t have to conform to one part of their personality, and that singing with the ones he loved didn’t make him any less of a man. Christopher Plummer may no longer be with us, but his music will live on forever. 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile Classic Album Review Miscellaneous New Album Review

Who Are The Burkharts?

Who are the burkharts?

Who are the Burkharts? The Burkharts are a new band that sounds like an old style of 50s doo-wop beach music. With angelic background harmonies, a fast drum beat, and a light bit of guitar, this band seems to mimic almost everything the Beach Boys stood for. However, that’s not to say that the Burkharts are a carbon copy of them. 

The Burkharts started in Buffalo, NY around two years ago. They have described themselves as not too sleepy, not too spicy. I honestly couldn’t put it any better than that. Their music keeps you engaged, but it’s not too overwhelming. It’s the kind of music I could do homework to or listen to while I walk around a park on a Sunday afternoon. Right now they only have two EP’s and a few singles out, but my favorite songs are “Our Rockaway,” “Pretty Words,” “Oh, Dreamer,” and “Flower City Nights.” Their second EP contains the latter two of my favorites and has more of an indie feel to it than their most recent EP, however you can still hear their trademark old-beachy-sound. 

Hope you guys enjoy the tunes, 
-The DJ Formerly Known as Chippypants