Categories
Classic Album Review

Album Review: COWBOY BEBOP by SEATBELTS

ALBUM: COWBOY BEBOP (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

RELEASE YEAR: 1998

LABEL: SUNRISE Music

RATING: 8/10

BEST TRACKS: “Tank!,” “Rain” and “Space Lion”

FCC: Clean

*Spoilers Ahead*

“Cowboy Bebop” by Shinichirō Watanabe is one of the most well-known and respected anime of all time. The story follows Spike Spiegel, an intergalactic bounty hunter, through various adventures alongside his teammates. While at first, the series seems lighthearted and action-packed, it quickly takes a darker tone. Throughout the anime, topics such as death, drug addiction, and struggle with gender identity are explored making “Cowboy Bebop” far more than just an action series.

While the plot is unlike any other, it is only a small part of what draws people to this series. Fans of “Cowboy Bebop” are often captivated by the complexities of the characters, its visually stunning art style and most importantly, the soundtrack.

The soundtrack was composed by Yoko Kanno and performed by SEATBELTS, a group Kanno created for the purpose of the series. Overall, it is jazzy, free and chaotic, creating the perfect atmosphere for the story of Spike Spiegel to unfold.

“Tank!” is hands down the most iconic song on the soundtrack as it is the opening track for the series. It is upbeat, jazzy and sets the tone for the fast-paced, action-packed plot of “Cowboy Bebop.” Its sound is almost reminiscent of early James Bond films.

“Rain” is a much more somber tune as it is played during Spike’s reunion with Vicious, a former comrade turned enemy. The vocals on this track are truly haunting which fit perfectly in with the eerie setting during this reunion.

“Space Lion” is my personal favorite track on the album. The way the song builds over its seven-minute runtime is truly captivating. When listening, it feels like the song is telling a story as it layers drums over saxophone over keyboard. It plays at the end of Episode 13: Jupiter Jazz, Part II which is one of the most complex and loved arcs in the series.

In a word, “COWBOY BEBOP (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” lives up to the hype. Even if you are not a fan of the anime, this album is absolutely worth the listen. All that’s left for me to say is “3, 2, 1… Let’s Jam!”

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Eurovision 2021

Eurovision is an annual “American Idol” style song competition where each European country submits a song to fight for the yearly crown. It brought us Abba, an Israeli woman bucking like a chicken, a C-rate male Adele, and an endless supply of memes. There are 40 songs per year, which is far too many to cover in a single article, so I’ll hit the highlights for you here. These are my opinions, so check the songs out and come to your own conclusions.

The Good

Italy: This was the official winner. The rare rock victor, this band sounds like if Limp Biskit were a ’70s glam rock band, and also good. They have officially been cleared of drug use during the competition, which is kind of disappointing.

Ireland: This year’s Irish competitor suffered from a camera malfunction during the performance, which sucks considering that a queer woman representing Ireland of all countries is a milestone. I promise you she doesn’t sound like Sinead O’Conner

Malta: This is probably the most fun entry from this year. The artist, Destiny, has more energy in her than France, Switzerland, Spain, and Britain combined. The song feels like it could have used a second pass, but the singer more than makes up for it.

Latvia: This song is objectively awful, and I love it. It’s the kind of loud, incredibly weird, shameless pop music you expect from Eurovision.

The Bad

United Kingdom: Britain qualifies for the finals automatically because they’re one of the big five music markets in Europe. That is the only reason this song qualified. Props to the continent for giving this zero points, which is exactly what it deserved.

Switzerland: Falsetto singing is really hit or miss. A good singer can sound like an absolute train wreck if they don’t have enough breaths or hit the note a little off. On a related note, I really didn’t like Switzerland this year.

France: How did this get second place? It’s so boring I accidentally changed the song at the halfway point just to make it stop.

The Ugly

Germany: Ostensibly a song about trans acceptance, any positive messaging is overwritten by the painfully insincere lyrics and horrifying performance by Jake and Logan Paul’s long-lost younger brother. It’s really bad y’all.

San Marino: Sorry Europe, Flo Rida is your problem now.

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Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 6/1

ArtistRecordLabel
1SIEGE COLUMNDarkside LegionsNuclear War Now!
2CADAVERIC INCUBATORNightmare NecropolisHell’s Headbangers
3CANNIBAL CORPSEViolence UnimaginedMetal Blade
4PATHFINDERSAres VallisSelf-Released
5WINTER ETERNALLand Of DarknessHell’s Headbangers
6VOIDWOMBAltars of Cosmic Devotion [EP]Iron Bonehead
7SENSORY AMUSIABereavementLacerated Enemy
8BURIED REALMEmbodiment Of The DivineSelf-Released
9CARTHAGODSThe Monster In MeFDR
10SHED THE SKINThe Forbidden ArtsKyle Severn
Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 6/1

ArtistRecordLabel
1TIERRA WHACK“Dora” [Single]Interscope
2NAVY BLUESong Of Sage: Post Panic!Freedom Sounds
3PINK SIIFU AND FLY ANAKINFlySiifu’sLex
4STEVE LACYN Side3qtr
5BILLY DEAN THOMASFor Better Or WorseSelf-Released
6BUTCHER BROWN#KingButchConcord Jazz
7FAT TONYExoticaCarpark
8PLANET GIZADon’t Throw Rocks At The Moon [EP]Self-Released
9SHYGIRLALIAS [EP]Because
10BLU AND EXILEMilesDirty Science
Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 6/1

ArtistRecordLabel
1MAGDALENA BAYMini Mix Vol. 2 [EP]Luminelle
2JESSY LANZAAll The TimeHyperdub
3SMERZBelieverXL/Beggars Group
4AVALANCHES, THEWe Will Always Love YouAstralwerks
5BUSCABULLARegresa Remixes [EP]Ribbon
6CARIBOUSuddenly RemixesMerge
7CFCFMemorylandSelf-Released
8DOSS4 New Hit Songs [EP]LuckyMe
9GEORGE CLANTON AND NICK HEXUMGeorge Clanton And Nick Hexum100% Electronica
10KLLOMaybe We CouldGhostly International
Categories
Band/Artist Profile Classic Album Review

Is Sheryl Crow Actually Cool?

Most people our age remember Sheryl Crow from when we were kids. She was pretty popular in the early 2000s, I was born in 2001, so that means her last hits were around five years old when I first started hearing the radio. This is the perfect interval for music to feel nostalgic, new enough that we remember it, but old enough that we had absolutely no critical eye to determine who a song was by or whether it was good. When I was old enough to think about music critically, I personally filed Sheryl Crow away in a category I now describe as “Mom Rock.” Yes, we have dad rock, and if no one else has come up with this joke yet, I know claim inventorship of mom rock. This category entails bluesy, spiritual rock music by middle aged white women that was all the rage from around 1996 to 2004, and artists like Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Nelly Furtado’s folky output, Liz Phair’s self-titled album, songs like “Bubly,” “Unwritten” and that one song about feeling the rain I can never remember because it came out when I was like two.

Now, I have personally been reevaluating a lot of mom rock. Partially because a lot of this music was dismissed specifically for appealing to middle-aged women, and I want to give it a fair chance, and partially because it’s a warm wave of nostalgia for me (and most other people our age). So, imagine my surprise when I find that Sheryl Crow was uh… actually really good? Okay, obviously Sheryl Crow was a good artist, she has plenty of classic hits, but Crow’s ’90s discography is good an entirely different dimension than I expected.

As it turns out, all of the songs I remember were from her 2002 album “C’mon C’mon,” which was something of a change in direction. That was a pop-rock album, I might call it a sell-out if it weren’t filled with front-to-back bangers. We aren’t here to discuss that today because you probably already know “Soak up the Sun,” “Picture” and maybe “Steve McQueen.” We’re here to talk about her first two albums, which were, to my eternal shock, alt-rock.

To be clear, Sheryl Crow was not making grunge. She fit in more with the rootsy acoustic side of alt-rock, with her auditory aesthetic being more akin to a pumped-up Hootie and the Blowfish or a less dense REM. Crow’s take on the genre is still recognizably her own though, mixing in her country fusion, eccentric songwriting, and an eye towards pop hits with the typical REM formula. Her first two albums had a combined 4 hits, none of which I have ever heard. Maybe I’m alone in never hearing Crow’s ’90s output, but I suspect that a number of you haven’t either, so check out her self-titled album. The music isn’t just good, as a lot of her music is, but was, as the title suggests, actually kind of edgy and out of the ordinary. She went way too hard for even the alt-iest of alt-country, but too grounded and feminine for alt-rock, so I do not know how much credibility she had at the time, but to me, it sounds pretty awesome.

Categories
Miscellaneous

Yearbook: Seth Rogen’s Hilarious Autobiography

Comedian, actor and writer Seth Rogen is one of those people that always manages to make a film funnier. Whether it be through his early work in “Freaks and Geeks” and “Superbad,” or in his more recent films like “The Interview” and “An American Pickle,” he is endlessly endearing. You get the feeling that he’s not an extravagant, ridiculous celebrity, but more like a “normal” person. His new book, “Yearbook,” proves this.

As final exams ended and summer began, I found myself craving a nice read. I’d heard that Seth Rogen was releasing a new book, and I was super excited to get into it. I decided to listen to the audiobook, which I highly recommend. It’s narrated by Rogen himself and features over 80 different voice actors including Snoop Dogg, Nick Kroll, Sacha Baron Cohen and Billy Idol.

I know I said “Yearbook” was an autobiography in the title, but I lied for the sake of conciseness. It’s more of a collection of essays about Rogen’s childhood and acting career. He touches on growing up Jewish, his early comedic flops, the insane drama behind “The Interview” and tons of other horrifying, hilarious stories. Read in his signature wit, he dives into the delights and challenges of adolescence, being famous and drug-fueled escapades.

Each essay is wonderfully engaging and ridiculously funny. My personal favorite is the time when he, as a 14-year-old, had to perform standup right after Jerry Seinfeld at a comedy festival. Another great part is when he tells about how Kanye West forced Rogen and his wife to sit in the backseat of his limo with him while he freestyled for two hours. The book ends on a spectacularly dramatic note as he recounts a near-death camping experience from his childhood.

It’s truly one of the best audiobooks I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in a while. If you’re looking for a laugh, give “Yearbook” a read (or a listen).

Categories
DJ Highlights

DJ Butter’s New Digs on WKNC: Goo Lagoon

Every semester, WKNC DJs have the option to keep their old show or start a completely new one. My ever-shifting music taste has, once again, led me to do the latter. The Tangerine Hour will be missed, but I’m absolutely stoked to delve into a wider mix of genres with Goo Lagoon, which you can catch on-air every Friday from 2-3pm.

Before you ask, yes, Goo Lagoon is the beach from Spongebob. No, I am not playing anything from the Spongebob soundtrack, though I’d like to think Sandy Cheeks would headbang along with me in the stu.

So then what on earth is Goo Lagoon about, you may ask? I’ll mainly be exploring sludgy surf, heavy rock and psychedelia, save for some sneaky funk, soul and blues tracks. However, unlike the Tangerine Hour, this show will encompass every era from the ’60s till now. Though classic rock is by far my favorite genre, I found that restricting myself to that decade was hindering me from playing some really great tunes on-air.

Wanna see exactly what kind of music to expect Friday afternoons on 88.1? Here are some songs I played last week that perfectly encapsulate Goo Lagoon:

1. HazeMaze – Fuzz

Fuzz lives up perfectly to their name. This song is a great example of how they take modern proto-metal into new directions through fuzz-pedals and electric riffs.

2. Reverberation – 13th Floor Elevators

13th Floor Elevators are one of those bands from the ’60s that I just can’t get enough of. This song is a classic psychedelic anthem.

3. Beer Good – The Electric Peanut Butter Company

I couldn’t even find this song on Apple Music, but the extra digging around on YouTube was worth it. I am obsessed with this heavy, surfy instrumental track.

4. Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts – Funkadelic

I saved this song for the very end of my set, tieing it all together on a mellower note. Though I didn’t play the full nine-minute-long track, the entire thing is a relaxing, spacey, guitar-filled dream.

5. Stalking Legs – The Shivas

We all know that The Shivas are masters of modern-day surfy punk, but this song really stands out as one of their best. Their garage-like guitar is to die for in this track.

6. Looking Ahead – Monophonics

Though it’s only about a minute long, “Looking Ahead” is one of those songs that should be ten times longer. It’s a slow, wah-wah-filled trip that’s sure to put you in a daze.

7. Fresh Air – Quicksilver Messanger Service

I apologize to all the people who regularly listened to The Tangerine Hour and heard me play this song every other week. I just can’t get enough of it. It is by no means a deep cut, but it was a hit for good reason.

Categories
Playlists

Songs of the Summer

Every year, a bunch of artists come out of the woodwork claiming they have “the song of the summer.” This is an overwhelming premise to me, as I just love so much music, so here are my songs (plural) of the summer. Many of these are not current, but it’s never too late to fall in love with a song, no matter how old it is. Without further ado, here are some summer tunes for you.

“Folding Chair” – Regina Spektor

A feel-good song about self-love, and the beach. With Spektor’s melodic and soft voice singing these sincere lyrics, you can’t help but smile.

Favorite Lyric: “I’ve got a perfect body, though sometimes I forget / I’ve got a perfect body ’cause my eyelashes catch my sweat”

“Stop Making This Hurt” – Bleachers

An almost overly-grandiose Bleachers song with melancholic lyrics released right as summers starting? Sign me up.

Favorite Lyric: “But if we take the sadness out of Saturday night / I wonder what we’ll be left with, anything worth the fight?”

“You Don’t Do Laundry” – Dev Lemons and Stevie Powers

A song with lyrics detailing complaints of someone unaware of their own wealth and privilege, it’s also just insanely catchy.

Favorite Lyric: “Just so you know, no matter how rich I get (How rich I get) / I’d never talk to a dog the way you talk to your private chef”

“Goodbye Earl” – The Chicks

A country classic that I believe is the older sister to newer vengeful country songs like “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood and “no body, no crime” by Taylor Swift.

Favorite Lyric: “Well the weeks went by and / Spring turned to summer / And summer faded into fall”

“So Alright, Cool, Whatever” – The Happy Fits

An unapologetic love song (only bashful in the title), this is a track you can’t help but sing along to.

Favorite Lyric: “I wanna be dancing, dreaming, bawling and weeping / Over you all of my life”

“I Am Sunshine” – The Magic Gang

A somewhat kitschy but inevitably happy listening experience, The Magic Gang delivers a bright and happy track that made its way directly onto my summer playlist.

Favorite Lyric: “I am sunshine / In the August / Looking forward to the future”

As always, I’ve compiled these tunes into a playlist just for you. I’ll also give you my more extensive summer playlist, which I’ll be updating through August.

Until next time,

Caitlin

Categories
Music News and Interviews

DJ Psyched Interviews Crumb

Bri from Crumb had a conversation with DJ Psyched about Crumb’s second full-length record “Ice Melt.” The independent psychedelic rock band Crumb says this record is their “Come back down to Earth” as Bri says. They share how the record came together conceptually and how the current state of the pandemic shaped the recording process. Bri also shares their favorite moments on the record and some behind the scenes on how the it came together.