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Classic Album Review

Classic Album Review: “It’s Not Me, It’s You” by Lily Allen

Album cover for "It's Not Me, It's You" by Lily Allen.

ALBUM: “It’s Not Me, It’s You” by Lily Allen

RELEASE YEAR: 2009

LABEL: Regal / Parlophone

RATING: 9.5/10

BEST TRACKS: “F-ck You” “Chinese” “Everyone’s At It” “Not Fair”

FCC: Explicit

Like quite a few of the pop artists of the day, then 22-year-old Lily Allen rose to fame on MySpace. This album was an absolutely massive hit, but I find it, along with Allen herself, is often forgotten in conversations about pop albums of the 2000s. 

This album touches on quite a few subversive themes for a woman pop artist to speak about in the 2000s. For example, “Not Fair” is about not being pleased by a partner in bed, “Him” makes quite a few overt political and religious statements, and “Everyone’s At It” is explicitly about the copious amounts of drug use in the music industry. Allen touches on all of these subjects in the same upbeat manner from song to song. 

Greg Kurstin assisted Allen in the songwriting and did all of the production on the album. Track nine, “Who’d Have Known” also gives songwriting credits to members of Take That because of the melodic similarities in the chorus. Notably, “Who’d Have Known” was later sampled by T-Pain in his song “5 O’Clock” in 2011 and was a massive hit.

There’s nothing spectacular about her vocal performance (although, she is one of those British singers who sings in a British accent which I find extremely charming), but her delivery is blunt and almost comedic at times.

This album, in my opinion, is a perfect pop album. Clocking in at 43 minutes with 12 songs, it’s short, sweet and to the point. There’s no dead air, every song is thoroughly enjoyable, and it’s nostalgic. This was one of the first albums I ever truly fell in love with and jump started my interest in discovering new music. I think we, as a culture, need to give Lily Allen credit where credit is due and recognize her as one of the defining pop artists of the 2000s.

Categories
Concert Review

Concert Review: By George and Late Notice at the Trailer Park (2/25)

Late notice members Yates and Chandler sing together

Coming into college this year, one of the things I looked forward to the most was going to local shows. Now that I’m in college, I don’t have to worry about my parents’ schedule, so I can go to concerts whenever it works for me. And on Feb. 25, it worked for me. 

My friends and I hadn’t been to a show at The Trailer Park yet, so we had no idea what to expect. We arrived at 8 p.m. when the concert was supposed to start, and we were a little bit worried to see that the crowd was sparse. However, when By George finally took the stage around 8:30, the yard was packed with people. 

By George’s performance was incredibly energetic and entertaining. They played a mix of covers and originals, sprinkling some brand new, unreleased music throughout. My favorite song of the night was “Klep” off of By George’s recent album, “The Life of Guy.” The energy was through the roof, and my neck still hurts from headbanging.

By George lead singer Tyler Ford singing and playing the guitar
By George Performing (photo by me)

If I thought that the crowd was delighted by By George, then they were beyond thrilled for Late Notice. As the band walked out of the house, the crowd began pushing forward. Luckily, my friends and I were in the front so we were able to use the front porch/stage as support, but I made the mistake of lifting up my hands, so that’s where they stayed for the rest of the night.

Late Notice mostly played covers, but they also played a couple of unreleased originals. Sadly, the concert ran late, so the cops came and cut off Late Notice’s set halfway through. Even with an unfinished setlist, Late Notice did an amazing job.

Late Notice setlist
Late Notice Setlist that my friend got

All around, the concert was an incredible experience. The bands did an amazing job performing, and the atmosphere at The Trailer Park was amazing. All of the people were incredibly nice, so despite almost falling over several times, I felt the safest I could possibly feel at a concert. If you ever get the chance, I would definitely recommend attending a concert at The Trailer Park; it’s an experience that you won’t forget. 

~PK

Categories
Playlists

3.141592… A P(i)laylist

Purple background with grey text that features the first couple dozen digits of pi. Then, the symbol for pi in the center of the image in white.

March contains many of my close friends’ and family members’ birthdays, St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, and spring break. One underrated March holiday is Pi Day, your local math-nerd’s favorite day. I love Pi Day because it’s existence poses the question: “What is the most insignificant thing we can make a holiday out of?” Pi (𝜋), if you’re unfamiliar, is an irrational number that is equivalent to the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It’s a cool math concept for a lot of reasons, one of which is that pi’s decimal form (3.142592…) never ends and it never falls into a repeating pattern. Thus, Pi Day falls on March 14 (3/14) to celebrate this phenomenon.

 As someone who is more English/ History/ Humanities and Social Sciences inclined, this concept is something I still have trouble wrapping my head around. But, I love that we celebrate this number, and in order to contribute to the festivities, I compiled a playlist of 15 songs that (Spotify says) are 3 minutes and 14 seconds in length.

Without further ado, here’s my p(i)laylist.

  • “Guttural Sounds” – Okay Kaya
  • “Radical” – It Looks Sad.
  • “The Perfect Girl” – Mareux
  • “Hot Dad Calendar” – Cayetana
  • “Elementary School Dropout” – Yucky Duster
  • “Sophisticated Space” – Sidney Gish
  • “Take My Head” – Turnover
  • “Someone Tell the Boys” – Samia
  • “Common Denominator” – Nisa
  • “Going Going Gone” – Lucy Dacus
  • “Call off the Dogs” – Marika Hackman
  • “L.A.” – Elliott Smith
  • “Subject To the Ladder” – Broadcast
  • “How to Socialise & Make Friends” – Camp Cope
  • “Dead Boy” – Acne

Like always, you can stream this playlist on Spotify.

𝜋,

Caitlin

Categories
Weekly Charts

Top Charts 3/1

"Multiverse" album cover
"Multiverse" by Reptaliens album cover
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1REPTALIENSMultiverseCaptured Tracks
2WAVEFORMLast RoomRun For Cover
3SOFTCULTYear Of The Snake [EP]Easy Life
4DARKSOFTCryoLook Up
5HIATUS KAIYOTEMood ValiantBrainfeeder/Ninja Tune
6BLUE HAWAIIMy Bestfriend’s House [EP]Arbutus
7LITTLE SIMZSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAGE 101
8MAGDALENA BAYMercurial WorldLuminelle
9CATE LE BONPompeiiMexican Summer
10CLOAKROOMDissolution WaveRelapse
11DAWN RICHARDSecond LineMerge
12EVIDENCEUnlearning Vol. 1Rhymesayers
13FLY ANAKINPixoteMutant Academy
14FLYING LOTUSYasukeWarp
15GENESIS OWUSUSmiling With No TeethHouse Anxiety/Ourness
16GOOD MORNINGBarnyardPolyvinyl
17JESSY LANZADJ​-​Kicks: Jessy Lanza!K7
18LAVA LA RUE“For You” [Single]Marathon Artists
19MARKEE STEELEVet & A Rook [EP]Thee Marquee
20MITSKILaurel HellDead Oceans
21SAMM HENSHAWUntidy SoulDorm Seven/AWAL
22SHYGIRL“Cleo” [Single]Because
23SPELLLINGThe Turning WheelSacred Bones
24SPRINTSManifesto [EP]Nice Swan
25VINCE STAPLESVince StaplesBlacksmith/Motown
26WESTCOAST GODDESSU Up? [EP]Infinite Pleasure
27YARD ACTThe OverloadZen F.C.
28YEULEGlitch PrincessBayonet
29YVES TUMORThe Asymptotical World [EP]Warp
30ZEBRA KATZLess Is MoorZFK

Daytime Adds

#ArtistAlbumLabel
1DARKSOFTCryoLook Up
2CATE LE BONPompeiiMexican Summer
3BIG THIEFDragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You4AD/Beggars Group
4MAITAI Just Want To Be Wild For YouKill Rock Stars
5NEWDADBanshee [EP]Fair Youth/AWAL
6PAUPIERESade SatiLisbon Lux
7VIVIENNE WILDER“Trash” [Single]Fallen Tree
Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 3/1

mood valiant
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1HIATUS KAIYOTEMood ValiantBrainfeeder/Ninja Tune
2LITTLE SIMZSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAGE 101
3SEEYOUSOONVIDÉSelf-Released
4FLY ANAKIN“Ghost” b/w “Sean Price” feat. Nickelus F [Single]Lex
5FLYING LOTUSYasukeWarp
6FREDDIE GIBBS AND MADLIBBandanaKeep Cool/RCA
7ILLISMFamily Over EverythingThe CRWN
8KOOLEY HIGHNever Come DownM.E.C.C.A.
9LAVA LA RUE“For You” [Single]Marathon Artists
10MARKEE STEELEVet & A Rook [EP]Thee Marquee
Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 3/1

Many Me
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1P.VANILLABOYMany Me [EP]Goddess
2COFFINTEXTS8700 [EP]Club Qu
3DAWN RICHARDSecond LineMerge
4ERIKA DE CASIERSensational4AD/Beggars Group
5LSDXOXODedicated 2 Disrespect [EP]XL
6KEDR LIVANSKIYLiminal Soul2MR
7SMERZBelieverXL Recordings
8CRIJuvenile (Remixed: Part Two) [EP]Anjunadeep
9PERFUME GENIUSImmediately RemixesMatador
10ANE BRUN“Crumbs” (The Small Crowd Remix) [Single]Balloon Ranger
Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 3/1

Trip to the Netherlands
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1CURTA’N WALLCrocodile Moat​!​!​!​!​!​!​!Grime Stone
2TRIP TO AUSTRIAVARIOUS ARTISTSSelf-Released
3THE (JOHN) CANDY28 Samples LaterRad Dudes, Inc.
4PENSEES NOCTURNESDOUCE FANGELes Acteurs de l’ombre Productions
5DRUNEDruneSelf-Released
6GREEN LUNGBlack HarvestSvart
7CARCASSTorn ArteriesNuclear Blast
8MASTIFFLeave Me The Ashes Of The EarthEntertainment One
9RIVERS OF NIHILThe WorkMetal Blade
10SPIRIT BOXEternal BluePale Chord
Categories
Music Education

Why We Should Care About Classical Music

Howdy y’all! Today I wanted to pose the question that is on everyone’s mind: why should we care about classical music? I may be revealing my former band kid self once again, but I firmly believe in the benefits and importance of classical music. 

If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you’ve probably heard the Nutcracker X Griddy song that has been floating around. If I were to give you one example of how Classical has been able to transcend time and stay relevant, I’d offer you this. The Nutcracker, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s third ballet, was first performed in 1892. That is over a century of relevance (every Christmas calls for the music from The Nutcracker). Popular music today is often simpler than classical, and requires less of the listener to identify the melodies. It is easy for us now to find a catchy part of a song (it also helps that pop music has words), where we don’t usually go around singing parts of a classical piece.

Classical music also offers a plethora of benefits. It can decrease blood pressure, reduce stress, aid sleep, improve memory retention, and boost mental well-being. Music is a vital aspect of our society and has been since the start of mankind. 40,000 years ago, early human hunting parties had very little and lived in harsh conditions, but they still had music. In 2009, scientists found this group’s musical instruments buried. There were four flutes, each made to create a tonal difference. How incredible is that? The benefits of classical music have been scientifically studied and proven.

Now you may be asking, dj mozzie, why don’t we hear about classical works today like we would have if we were living during Mozart’s time? For starters, music is not ingrained in nobility and the church as it is today. Classical composers were huge for their time, and society back then was more connected. Mozart and Beethoven would be like a modern day equivalent to The Beatles or Prince. Another factor is that genres have increased tenfold since the 1800s. Stomp and Holler and Neo Mallow situate music into tighter and more refined niches. All current artists aren’t working in one genre of music, they’re building up their own respectively.

The future of classical music is bright but uncertain. Classical music is rooted in deep tradition, therefore discouraging experimentation amongst young composers and conductors. We want music to change with us, to bring in new cultural elements, and to remind us about what it means to be human. I ask that you give classical music a chance if you haven’t before.

Find my favorite playlists full of classical here and here.

Categories
Playlists

Ringing in Spring: March Edition

A black and white blurry background that resembles the thin lines of a fingerprint. Orange and yellow text that reads "ringing in spring" Yellow and orange moths strewn across the image.

It’s March now, and with that comes the second installment of “Ringing in Spring”: a three part playlist composed of 45 songs, 15 released each month of Spring (except I started in February and am ending in April). This was largely inspired by my “It’s Fall Y’all” series I did in the fall of 2021.

I decided March’s vibes were loud, folky and bright, juxtaposing the indie-rock vibes that February’s installment had to offer.  Think of this as prancing through a meadow with no cares, surrounded by wildlife and sipping on your drink of choice.

Without further ado, here are March’s songs for “Ringing in Spring”:

  • “Come On! Feel the Illinoise! Part I: The World’s Columbian Exposition, Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream” – Sufjan Stevens
  • “Time Escaping” – Big Thief
  • “I Love You, Honeybear” – Father John Misty
  • “SPORTS MEN” – Haruomi Hosono
  • “Tusk” – Fleetwood Mac
  • “LONELY WEEKEND” – NNAMDÏ
  • “Be Sweet” – Japanese Breakfast
  • “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” – Kate Bush
  • “hypnotized” – Tune-Yards
  • “Watching Strangers Smile” – Parquet Courts
  • “Those to Come” – The Shins
  • “Beautiful Mother” – Dirty Projectors, Björk
  • “Answer Me, My Love” – Swamp Dogg
  • “Topaz” – The B-52’s
  • “Spring” – Angel Olsen

As always you can stream this playlist on Spotify.

Happy March,

Caitlin

Categories
Miscellaneous

“Take Off Your Shirt!”: Rethinking Boundaries of Concert Attendees

Glitchy photo. White text that reads "rethinking concert boundaries.

When I go to concerts, I always end up next to really annoying people. At first, I thought it was just me having bad luck or that I like artists that tend to have younger fanbases. While both of these things might have a role in it, I think a lot of it is a lot of people having absolutely no respect for musicians/ artists/ celebrities as people. When I attended the Mitski show at the Ritz Raleigh, the people standing next to me were hellbent on being comedians, although it just came off as extremely disrespectful. 

Mitski, a carefully private and composed person, who has expressed many times that her fans don’t know her, has tried to draw clear boundaries between her as a person and as a performer (in both her art and in interviews). And yet, as she gracefully performed every choreographed movement in animated and exaggerated forms, the people next to me laughed, yelled and willfully misinterpreted the artistic moves she was making.  During certain songs, Mitski would collapse to her knees, lie on the ground, or otherwise make herself completely vulnerable; in response my concert neighbors would yell things like “Get up Mitski!” or “What is she doing right now?!” These two people were blatantly ignoring all of the vulnerability she was offering and cringing at it, mentally closing themselves off from what she had to offer them. 

When going to shows, I feel it’s important to recognize the artist’s comfortability with the audience, and truly contemplate whether your actions draw some sort of false familiarity between you and the performer(s). Last September when I attended the Phoebe Bridgers show, again there were people completely unaware of how disrespectful they were being, and Bridgers is a lot more comfortable with that kind of stuff. From signs that read “Hey mommy!” to hooting and hollering during “Punisher,” a song notably about deceased Elliott Smith, most people there seemed to think that somehow they were entitled to friendship with her. Think about how utterly dehumanizing it must be to want to share art about some of the most intimate parts of yourself, and to be made a laughing stock. 

I understand why and how it happens; people relate to the music that an artist makes and feel like the artist knows and understands them. In turn, this leads to people thinking that because they feel understood, they must also understand the artist. While in some cases this could true, for Mitski it ultimately isn’t. It’s embarrassing to witness. 

Phoebe Bridgers is not your “bestie,” she doesn’t know you. Just enjoy the music, dance with your friends, take pictures and let loose.

– Caitlin