Author: Miranda

I am a senior in Political Science at NC State and lover of R&B, rap, international, and electronic.

Categories
Non-Music News

Top Choice: Podcasts

As a frequent traveler, I spend a lot of my time traveling by car or plane, often alone. Traveling is exciting but the journey is not always entertaining – but one of the greatest modern inventions is the podcast, which can keep you company wherever you are. Hopefully this list will help you find your new favorite podcast.

My Favorite Murder

This podcast really introduced me into the world of podcasts and helped me discover other great ones. The show is a national phenomenon covering true crime murder cases. It’s a very casual show and you can definitely jump right in to any episode and find some interesting stories. The hosts are excellent storytellers and are very likable. 

Ear Biscuits

This podcast is hosted by Rhett and Link, both former NC State students and creators of the “Good Mythical Morning” YouTube show. Their Ear Biscuits podcasts mainly consists of the pair discussing their interesting lives and past experiences. Lots of great stories and one of the funniest podcasts out there. 

Last Podcast On The Left

This series covers “all the horrors our world has to offer.” The episodes are always interesting and cover topics ranging from UFO sightings to true crime to cults. The hosts give informative accounts on a lot of cool topics and it makes for easy listening. 

Science Vs 

This great podcast compares common ideas about topics against actual data, science, and interviews. Often the actual data conflicts with common thought and the podcast helps bring out direct facts backed by scientists and legitimate experiments. My favorite episodes are the two on immigration and guns, which really challenge American perceptions about the topics.  

Hoodrat to Headwrap

This podcast is relaxed and playful but discusses extremely important topics like misogyny, queerness and white supremacy, but also dive deep into pop culture. The podcast is great for deepening your knowledge about social issues while enjoying casual conversation about a wide range of interesting topics. 

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

– Miranda 

Categories
Playlists

Friday Favorites (7/24)

This week, my Friday Favorites are made up of some of the best new releases I’ve recently found within a variety of genres. 

SUNRISE – MICHELLE 

This single was just released by MICHELLE: a band composed of six 21-year-olds from New York. The track is catchy, bouncy and has the perfect vibe for a summer afternoon. The vocals remind me of UMI or another great indie artist, and I definitely recommend giving it a listen. 

Don’t Be Mad At Me (ft. Freddie Gibbs, Snoop Dogg) – Problem

This song is definitely a summer hit to me – I love seeing artists I’ve known for a while start collaborating with bigger artists and getting more recognition. I recommend this song if you like rap, especially artists like Tyga or DaBaby. It’s super catchy and the verses are well done. 

Cookie Chips (ft. MF DOOM, Cam O’bi) – Rejjie Snow 

This song perfectly mixes rap and R&B verses with a dreamy, complex melody and a hook that doesn’t leave your mind. It’s a really beautiful song and features some artists I really love. I highly recommend this song in particular. 

Spit You Out – Cults 

The music Cults produce has undergone significant changes since their breakout album, Cults. Many of the new songs, including this new single, reflect deeper instrumentation and richer lyricism. This is a great song, listen if you enjoy artists like Sleigh Bells or Tennis. 

Radio Shack – Vulfpeck

Adding into Vulfpeck’s groovy discography comes their new EP, featuring Radio Shack, a funky instrumental track that will have you bobbing your head and putting it on repeat. This band is really cool because they actually sold out Madison Square Garden without a top record label or manager. 

You can check out this week’s Favorites as well as all songs from previous weeks on Spotify. Enjoy!

– Miranda

Categories
Playlists

Songs of Summer

Summer: it’s the time for hot weather and vacation. Unless of course, you’re living in a rainy town during a global pandemic, and have been under quarantine for months. But summer music is one of my favorite genres. These are the best summer songs and albums that take me right back to sitting on the beach and enjoying being under the sun. Hope you enjoy and have a fun, safe summer! 

channel ORANGE – Frank Ocean

This album is a really great one. It contains lots of upbeat songs that are great for a summer day, like Lost and Super Rich Kids. A summer playlist isn’t complete without Frank Ocean. 

PCH – Jaden 

Willow and Jaden’s vocals on this song make it so unique. The cool melody paired with their simple lyricism makes it a relaxing summer song that I can’t get enough of. 

Empty – Kevin Abstract
Listen to this song to get taken right back to your teenage summers. This song always gets me reminiscing about summers past. I absolutely recommend the song, once you hear it you’ll never forget it.  

STN MTN/Kauai – Childish Gambino 

This EP is extremely summer-y. It follows a narrative showcasing the “island life” of a vacation in Hawaii along with a narrative of Glover’s experiences in Stone Mountain, GA. I really recommend this whole EP, perfect for a summer on the beach. 

In The Flowers – Animal Collective 

This song borders more on the electronic, ethereal side but is beautiful. A great song for your visit to a field of flowers in the summer heat. 

King of the Beach – Wavves 

As the title suggests… this song will make you feel like the king of any beach you go to. I love any California pop-punk and this song is no exception. 

Birds Dont Sing – TV Girl 

This song and the album it appears on showcase the best of indie pop, and are perfectly upbeat but with contrastingly sorrowful lyrics. I love the samples used on the album and in this song particularly. 

You can find these songs and more at the playlist linked here. 

– Miranda

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Black Contributions to Music: Pop

As a continuation of my series of Black Contributions to Music, this week I am discussing the influence of Black artists on the pop genre. It’s important to recognize musicians of color and their contributions to music, as they are often overlooked or ignored.  

Black artists began transforming the pop mainstream in America with great popularity by the 1950s and 1960s. Pop origination from rock and roll, folk, and other styles into a genre of its own. Artists like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown helped bring R&B, funk, and soul to the forefront of pop culture and mainstream music. Their contributions have continued to shape music today and helped give pop music a wider breadth of sound. 

Artists like the Jackson 5 continued to impact pop music in the 1970s with singles that become extremely popular like “I Want You Back” and “ABC.” Michael Jackson’s influence continued with his hits like “Thriller.” Whitney Houston was one of the greatest pop artists to ever live, her version of “I Will Always Love You” becoming iconic and recognizable throughout the country, and her album being a top bestseller of all time. Iconic artists like Jackson, Houston, and Prince helped define and influence the genre. 

The 2000s gave rise to hip-hop and R&B-influenced pop music, exemplified by the popularity of Rihanna’s unique sound. The Pulitzer prize in music was given to a pop artist, rather than the typical classical, for the first time in 2018 to Kendrick Lamar for his album DAMN. Black artists continuously make an impact to the pop genre and create boundary-breaking mainstream music. 

Check out these amazing Black artists: Ciara, Jill Scott, Santigold

Sources: I, II 

 – Miranda

Categories
Non-Music News

BLM and Police Reform Podcasts

During the social movement of the Black Lives Matter protests and arguments for law enforcement reform, it is important for everyone to examine and understand the history behind issues of racism and discrimination, and view these problems through different lenses. These podcasts will help you expand your knowledge about current issues and can impact how you think about them. 

Left POCket Project Podcast 

This podcast contains a wealth of information relating the history of leftists of color, with specific focus on Black historical figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois. I especially recommend episodes 29 and 31 which cover Angela Davis’s Abolition Democracy. The podcast delves into racial issues in society including mass incarceration, discrimination, and abolition democracy. 

Hoodrat to Headwrap: A Decolonized Past 

This podcast reflects on modern issues of police brutality, health care disparities, and discrimination against Black Americans. Its creators give insight to modern racial problems with historical background. It’s good for easy listening and is well-organized, providing relevant discussion about recent issues such as COVID-19 and the BLM protesting. 

Stuff You Missed in History Class

This is a great podcast that dives into historical information typically not taught through American public education. Their series about Audre Lorde is especially relevant, as Lorde was an important historical figure often overlooked who helped spearhead the feminist movement as a Black lesbian and poet. 

Revolutionary Left Radio

The Revolutionary Left Radio podcast gives a leftist perspective on current events, philosophy, and activism. Some of their best episodes include The Black Panther Party and Prison Abolitionism. A lot of their episodes reflect on issues relevant to the Black Lives Matter movement and police reform. 

Beyond Prisons 

This podcast discusses issues related to prisons, including mass incarceration, the school to prison pipeline, and prison abolition. It contains interviews with experts, discussions of related literature, and how current events impact prisons and prisoners. I especially recommend the episode: Are Prisons Obsolete? (YES!). 

All of these podcasts are available on Spotify and other platforms. I have been enjoying going through these and am always looking for more. Check them out and let me know what you think! 

– Miranda

Categories
Playlists

Friday Favorites (7/10)

This week’s Friday Favorites include some of my favorite recent tracks by Black female musicians. Malcolm X said that “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.” Modern discrimination against Black women is rampant, and so I want to highlight some powerful artists filled with talent despite the societal obstacles they’ve faced. 

Build (ft. Arin Ray) – Justine Skye

This song by Justine Skye reflects a tumultuous relationship. The disappointment and push and pull of an unhealthy couple. The music video for this song is very powerful as well; it helps raise awareness of domestic violence and encourages victims to seek help. 

Another Lifetime – Nao 

This alternative-R&B track by Nao reflects the emotions following the end of a relationship. The melody is pop-based but her lyrics and harmony used give the  track endless depth. 

Hello – Erykah Badu

Badu constantly pushes the envelope with her experimental tracks, veering in between R&B, pop, and rap. This lesser-known track has always been a favorite of mine. It has a beautiful melody and meaning. Give it a listen for sure. 

Sober – Mahalia 

Mahalia is an influential British R&B singer who has recently gained recognition in the modern R&B scene. This track is a love song with smooth vocals and a bit of jazz influence within it. It is a really pretty track. 

Black Truck – Mereba

This song is ethereal and light. Mereba is a multi-talented musician: she produces, writes, sings, raps, and plays guitar. This song portrays the story of her pursuit toward success in the music industry despite the barriers she faced.

As a reminder, you can find all of my Friday Favorites from this week and past weeks on WKNC’s Spotify page, found at this link. 

– Miranda

Categories
Playlists

Love and Breakups

There is so much musical content relating to emotion, specifically on the topics of falling in love and breaking up. Some of the best music is tied to emotions of love and heartbreak, and I created a playlist found at this link on Spotify with songs that cover these themes, to show the contrasting nature within the wide range of romantic feelings. I’m showcasing some of my favorites below with an explanation and a little more about the songs and artists. 

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 

This album holds some seriously powerful love and breakup songs. Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You is a beautiful cover of the classic song, which Hill gives an upbeat, hip-hop style spin to. This entire album really reflects the emotions of love. 

Burst Apart 

This album has two great tracks included on the playlist, but all perfectly balance the melancholic with the lyrically deep. Its songs are a little haunting but perfectly encompass the feeling of emptiness and loneliness after a breakup. 

Darwin Deez

I absolutely love the simplistic indie melodies of these songs and they definitely reflect the anger and sadness one can feel against a former partner or love interest. I really recommend Deep Sea Divers in particular. It paints a beautiful, somber picture in your head as you listen. 

We Are Born 

Sia’s greatest masterpieces come from this 2010 album. It drives through every emotion thinkable, applicable to breakups but also for releasing past trauma and pain. It is also my favorite pop album of all time, great for easy listening but also something more reflective. 

Devotion

Beach House created something beautiful with this album, combining a multitude of emotions. The two tracks I selected, Turtle Island and Some Things Last a Long Time are perfect for a breakup or getting over a loss in general. 

Be sure to check out the playlist, and let me know what you think! 

– Miranda

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Black Contributions to Music: Jazz

We cannot continue to discuss the Black contributions to music without acknowledging jazz music. 

Jazz originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was created within the Black communities of New Orleans, influenced by blues and ragtime. Like many modern genres, jazz has roots in West African musical tradition and slave folk songs, it also is influenced by European classical music. 

Jazz and its creators also influenced music in general; the drum set was created by jazz musicians and jazz has influenced genres like R&B, rap, and classical music. Jazz has also influenced and been adopted by other cultures, resulting in new musical genres like CuBop, a form of Latin jazz invented by Cuban musician Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillepsie. It has been absorbed into many different genres, exemplified by singers like Beyoncé compiling elements of jazz within their pop style. 

The jazz genre is influential to our society not only for its contributions to other genres, but the incredible influence it has had on Americans. Jazz is instantly recognizable, but unique. The creativity of the genre and its nuanced features is known to help with focus, especially while studying. The genre also helped bring forward African-American influence to music, especially important in the polarized mid-1900s. Jazz music helped Americans across the board recognize Black history and culture as important and desirable, and furthered the position of female musicians as female jazz artists gained prominence in popular culture. 

Check out some of the best Black jazz musicians like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis. 

Hope you enjoyed! 

– Miranda

Sources: I, II

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Black Contributions to Music: Bluegrass

Continuing with my series about Black contributions to music, I am highlighting a genre especially important to those of us who are Southerners: bluegrass. This genre of music is another that is often dominated by White men, but it has been influenced by Black musicians who are typically not recognized for their achievements. 

Many features of Appalachian bluegrass were influenced by or originated from African musical traditions, brought to America by African slaves. A key feature of bluegrass music is its instrumentation, including the fiddle, banjo, guitar, and more. The four-stringed banjo actually originated in Africa, most likely West Africa. In the 18th century the banjo and music inspired with themes of freedom and religion contributed to the spread of African-American music like gospels and spirituals, which was especially influential to the sound of music in the South. Black people in America were the first to learn and perform with the banjo. Another facet of bluegrass, “thumbpicking” or “thumb style” of guitar, popular in the bluegrass genre, is credited to Black instrumentalist Arnold Schultz. Schultz influenced both the bluegrass genre and many white guitarists. Another influence to bluegrass is the vocal tradition and tunes. Much of the powerful, emotive lyricism and vocal traits originate from African musical influence, and the dance tunes famous in bluegrass are very similar to those of the African musical tradition. There are also many European contributions to the genre, but the African, particularly West African, influences on bluegrass are just as essential. 

Bluegrass is such a unique genre of music and is especially important for Southerners and the Appalachian region. It’s important to recognize its roots and the incredible influence of Black musicians and African musical traditions which have shaped the genre. 

To further your understanding, check out these quintessential Black bluegrass artists: Joe Thompson, Victor Wooten, Kaia Kater, and Rhiannon Giddens. 

Miranda

Sources: I, II

Categories
Playlists

Friday Favorites (6/26)

This week’s Friday Favorites segment will highlight some of my favorite songs by talented Black artists from the mid-1900s. Often these artists had to fight to break into mainstream music and were working against discrimination and racism. Despite their struggle, these artists all created amazing music. 

Grandma’s Hands – Bill Withers

Most of us know of the talent and impact of Bill Withers as a musician. He is an incredible songwriter, and this song in particular echoes familial love and gratitude. Its emotional lyrics pair with a cool R&B beat to create a memorable track. 

Mama Said – The Shirelles 

This is a really excellent song by this successful group which defined female vocal groups and helped influence the popular blend of pop and rock with R&B. This song is fun and upbeat with beautiful vocals and harmonies. 

You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 

One of my favorite Black musicians is Smokey Robinson. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles created some of the most gorgeous music of the era, ranging from love songs to Christmas albums. The group is incredibly influential to R&B and this song is so beautiful. 

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – The Temptations 

The Temptations were one of the most influential Motown acts of all time. Their vocals are extremely memorable and influential still today, and this song is a perfect example of why the group is remembered as one of the best of the 1960s. 

Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes 

This song is one of the best from The Marvelettes, a pop-influenced Motown girl group with gorgeous lead vocals and upbeat lyrics and song themes. This one is one of the most well-known by the group and has been covered by many artists since. 

As always, you can check out this week’s Favorites and all the songs from the past weeks on this playlist on WKNC’s Spotify. Hope you enjoyed! 

– Miranda