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

Let’s Talk Music: Summer Jams

 

I honestly don’t know how the seasons work outside of the context of school, but given the second summer session at NC State is about to come to an end I thought I’d share some of my favorite tunes from this summer. Thanks to WKNC, and my Daytime Music Director position, my listening has diversified a lot lately, so here are some songs I found very enjoyable over the last two months. I hope you enjoy the variety of this playlist:

Zeros by Declan McKenna – Declan has been releasing tracks over the last few months for the record ‘Zeros’ that will be released August 21st. The original release had to be pushed back, given current events in the world, but I couldn’t be more excited that it’ll be out just next month.’ The Key to Life on Earth’ is my favorite track of the three singles so far, do you have a favorite?

Dance Alone by Blanks – This track feels like summer with it’s up beat rhythm and catchy chorus, it just makes me want to dance alone. Blanks has also had a few releases this summer, but if you need a quick pick-me-up I recommend starting with this track.

I Wish I Missed My Ex by Mahalia – This song is a vibe with it’s R&B and Soul sound, and it’s also incredibly catchy. The lyrics are funny and it’s easy to get into.

Social Drinker by Ballyhoo! – This is an incredibly relatable track I’ve mentioned on the blog before. It’s also really catchy with it’s surfer rock vibes and the hook is hard not to sing along to.

Eat Your Heart by Steam Powered Giraffe – I have not heard from this group in years and I was extremely excited when I heard this one, it’s an extremely catchy and beautifully dark track. It’s a love song for people who don’t like typical love songs. This band always stands out for their steam punk influence and it makes this song perfect for anyone who likes the style.

Easy by Justin Starling – This track is lyrically empowering and the beat paired with Justin’s raping is easy to get into. The chorus is also nearly impossible not to sing along to, a characteristic of any good summer tune.

Sick of Feeling Useless by Neon Dreams – I’ve talked about this track a lot on the blog but that’s just because I love it a lot. It also happens to have the perfect summer vibe, so it fits this list perfectly.

Was It Something I Said MyKey ft. Cavetown – This song is a bit less like the rest on the list. It has an interesting ‘old school’ sound, but it’s still extremely catchy. The lyrics are a bit ‘darker’ then the music lets on. It’s a really easy track to sing along to without realizing what you’re saying, and McKey and Cavetown vocals sound amazing together. 

House by Baba Ali – This is another one I’ve mentioned on the blog before, so all I’ll say this time is it hasn’t gotten old and the genre bending sound makes it a stand out on any playlist.

If you are looking for some softer sounding tracks this summer I recommend Nothing by Bruno Major and Black Dog by Alo Parks.

What were your favorite jams of the summer?

Until next time

Let’s Stay Psyched About Music

DJ Psyched

Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 7/28

Artist Record Label
1 EARTHGANG Mirrorland Dreamville/Interscope
2 YOUNG RJ AND MEGA RAN 2HANDSUP Ne’Astra
3 CASHINOVA Big Dragon Stophouse
4 SHIVUM SHARMA"Diamond" [Single] Self-Released
5 KING GINO Infinity Tapes, Vol. 1 Callisto
6 YOUNG FLETCHER" Energy" [Single] Stack Dollars Empire
7 OHAJIJ East Manhattan Project More Valid Decisions/Hustleward
8 FELIXX “My Baby” [Single] Loud N Klear
9B IG SEAN"Berzerk" [Single ]aftermath
10 MARMAR OSO Love Don’t Cost A Thing Free The Lost/EMPIRE

Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 7/28

Artist Record Label
1 BUSCABULLA Regresa Ribbon
2 COWGIRL CLUE Icebreaker Vada Vada
3 JESSY LANZA All The Time Hyperdub
4 CARIBOU Suddenly Merge
5 DEATON CHRIS ANTHONY BO Y Self-Released
6 CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS La Vita Nuova [EP] Because/Capitol
7 HOT CHIPA Bath Full of Ecstasy (Remixes) Domino
8 JAMES MASSIAH Natural Born Killers (Ride for Me) [EP] Levels
9 GRIMES Miss Anthropocene 4AD/Beggars Group
10 SASSY 009 KILL SASSY 009 Luft

Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 7/28

Artist Record Label
1 ABOMINABLE PUTRIDITY “Non Infinite Sequence” [Single] Self-Released
2 ENTERPRISE EARTH Foundation of Bones [EP] Entertainment One
3 FIT FOR A KING “God of Fire” [Single] Solid State
4 SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL"Demolisher" [Single] Sumerian
5 CURRENTS The Way It Ends SharpTone
6 BEHEMOTH A Forest [EP] Metal Blade
7 BENIGHTED Obscene Repressed Season of Mist
8 AVERSIONS CROWN Hell Will Come For Us All Nuclear Blast
9 GULCH Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress Closed Casket Activities
10 THE ACACIA STRAIN Slow Decay Rise

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Love Fame Tragedy – Wherever I go, I Want To Leave

ALBUM REVIEW: Love Fame Tragedy – Wherever I go, I Want To Leave

BEST TRACKS: Please Don’t Murder Me (Part 2), Honeypie, Sharks, My Cheating Heart

FCC violations: 5150, Pills, Body Parts, Multiply, B-Team

Love Fame Tragedy is the solo project of The Wombat’s lead vocalist and guitarist Mathew Murphy. It all began in 2016 as a place for him to put his songs that didn’t quite fit in with the Wombat’s album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, which is leagues more innocent and love-struck than this independent project of Murphy’s.  Wherever I go, I Want To Leave is Murph’s debut solo album. This music is about as alternative indie rock as you can get for your buck, taking influences from bands such as Bastille and The Killers.

This album features an incredibly lush medley of percussion, guitar, and keyboard. Synth-pop elements are notably seen on the 5th track, ‘Multiply’, while track 2, ‘My Cheating Heart’, is heavier on the guitar and bass. Most songs on this album, however, are a spectacular blend of synth-pop elements and classic indie rock, mixing tight percussion and wavy synthetic effects with grounding baselines and catchy electric riffs. The instrumental on this album melds together, with no one instrument really taking the spotlight, which makes the vocals stand out a lot more. This is especially true on track 9, ‘Please Don’t Murder Me (Part 2)’ where the instrumental is really toned down to emphasize the message in the lyrics.

Though the cover art and title of this album seem pessimistic and bleak, the feeling I got from most of the songs on the album was quite the opposite. This album is very vibrant and lively, especially the 14th track, ‘Honeypie’. This album sort of seems like a confessional, as a common theme on this album is Murphy outlining numerous of his own flaws, such as his propensity to give in to the temptations of toxic women, spending huge amounts of money, drug abuse, and his tendency to bet everything on a whim – just to name a few. The list goes on and on.

Recommended if you like: The 1975, The Killers, Bastille, Foals, Two Door Cinema Club, The Wombats

-Safia

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Arch Enemy

image

I first heard of Arch Enemy when my dad showed me the music videos for My Apocalypse and Nemesis. We were both in awe of the talent that this band had (and still has). They have melodic death metal down and create beautiful songs that have amazing harmonies by the guitars and vocals. The first time I saw Arch Enemy was at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia. My dad and I traveled down there just to see Arch Enemy! We got VIP tickets and were able to meet the band! They are so nice and down to earth and are very thankful for their fans supporting them through the years.

Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band that formed in 1995. The band was originally a supergroup with members from Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, The Agonist, Nevermore, and Eucharist. The mastermind behind Arch Enemy is Michael Ammot, (Carcass, Carnage, and Spiritual Beggers) who created Arch Enemy once he left Carcass. This band is known for having some of the best female vocalists and has really influenced women in the metal scene to get more involved. I know as a young girl watching Arch Enemy, seeing a badass female perform high screams and deep low gutterals was great to see and influenced me to do more within my metal community. The band was originally fronted by Johan Liiva, but was replaced by Angela Gossow (a German vocalist) in 2000. Gossow left the band in 2014 to become the band’s manager and was replaced by Alissa White-Gluz (a Canadian vocalist).

Arch Enemy’s musical style has been classified as melodic death metal, but their sound has a unique blend of progressive and death metal influences. Their influences are cited as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Manowar, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Testament, Pantera, Death, Obituary, Carcass, Mercyful Fate, and King Diamond. You can hear these influences in their songs when listening to the melodies and harmonies of the guitars. They have mastered their own sound and I love the progression that Arch Enemy has taken.

Current Members:

Michael Amott (guitarist)

Daniel Erlandsson (drums)

Sharlee D’angelo (bassist)

Jeff Loomis (guitarist)

Alissa White-Gluz (vocalist)


Discography:

Black Earth (1996)

Stigmata (1998)

Burning Bridges (1999)

Wages of Sin (2001)

Anthems of Rebellion (2003)

Doomsday Machine (2005)

Rise of the Tyrant (2007)

Khoas Legion (2011)

War Eternal (2014)

Will to Power (2017)


Favorite Songs:

My Apocalypse, Nemesis, Bloodstained Cross, The World Is Yours, First Day in Hell, The Eagle Flies Alone, As the Pages Burn, War Eternal, and You Will Know My Name.

Have you seen Arch Enemy live? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Artist of the Week: $uicideBoy$

The first time I heard of $uicideBoy$ was my freshman year of college when I was hanging out in one of the dorm lounges with a few friends. My friend showed me this duo because I like “horror-core” type rap; it reminds me of gangster rap (and we all know that’s my jam). The first song I heard was $outh $ide #uicide and I loved their vibe and lyrical flow. Their lyrics are very dark which is why I think I like them so much.

$uicideBoy$ is an American hip-hop duo from New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 2014 by cousins Ruby da Cherry (left) and $crim (right). They first started reciving attention on SoundCloud (ahhhh, SoundCloud rappers, gotta love ‘em) with their abrasive, self-produced beats, as well as their harsh lyrical content and themes that are primarily about substance use disorder and suicide ideation. They own and operate their own label, G*59 Records, under Caroline Distribution. The duo is considered one of the most popular acts in the underground rap scene and are considered to have a cult following (Robertson, Who are $UICIDEBOY$ and how do they sell out shows around the world?).

$crim was inspired by T-Pain and Kanye West to produce music and his passion increased while attending Delgado Community College where he was hired to DJ parties. Rudy da cherry’s interest in music began when he was seven, playing the violin and then drums at the age of ten. He joined some bands in middle school but left in order to pursue a career in hip-hop. Since Rudy and $crim are cousins and close in age, they had a close relationship and decided to form $uicideBoy$. They made a pact while creating this duo stating that if their music career didn’t work out, they would both commit suicide (No Jumper Interview).

Their underground breakthrough came with the release of 2015 EP $outh $ide $uicide. They gained over 75 million track plays on SoundCloud alone. The duo’s first mainstream charts came with the release of Radical $uicide (2016) that peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Rap charts.

$uicideBoy$ have come under negative criticism by mainstream music critics for their use of abrasive and offense imagery, which includes their name, lyrical content, and behavior. Many of their songs contain devil worship but the duo stated that they use this type of Satanic imagery to signify the negative effects of money, drugs, and other items that could potentially manipulate people (No Jumper Interview).

Their musical style has been described with subject matter such as depression, suicide ideation, sexual content, and growing up in New Orleans. You can hear in their songs that one of their biggest influences is Three 6 Mafia because many of the duo’s earlier songs sampled Three 6 Mafia’s songs.

Even with all the controversies, and criticism of the behavior and lyrical content of the duo, they have stated that creating music is like therapy for them and that even though some may take their songs as emo music, depressed music, or negative music, the duo is just connecting their personal experiences with beats in order to share their experiences and use them as therapy (Open Space: $uicideBoy$). This is nothing new, music has been used as an outlet for not only the listeners, but also the creators. Everyone deals with whatever they have going on in different ways.


Discography:

Gray/Grey (2015)

7th Or St. Tammany (2015)

YUNGDEATHLILLIFE (2015)

High Tide In The Snake’s Nest (2015)

My Liver Will Handle What My Heart Can’t (2015)

Now The Moon’s Rising (2015)

Dark Side Of The Clouds (2016)

Grey Sheep II (2016)

Eternal Grey (2016)

I Want To Die In New Orleans (2018)

STOP STARING AT THE SHADOWS (2020)


Favorite Songs:

$outh $ide $uicide, Kill Yourself (Part III), 2nd Hand, Paris, Runnin’ Thru The 7th With My Woadies, and O Pana!

Have you seen $uicideBoy$ live (I haven’t 🙁 )? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Sources:

Kate Robertson, Who are $UICIDEBOY$ and how do they sell out shows around the world? 

No Jumper Interview 

Open Space: $uicideBoy$ 

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
Music Education

The Booms and Baps of Music Production: Getting Started

 

The Booms and Baps of Music Production: Getting Started

Now that you have chosen a DAW to create music in (If not, refer to The Booms and Baps of Music Production: DAWs), it’s time to get started creating your own track. However, staring at your computer screen with a new project can be daunting, especially if you are still learning it. Fear not! These guides are meant to help you gather your footing in music production by sharing my own experiences and tips I’ve learned from the pros (aka YouTube). Whenever I look at a new project, I typically already have a genre that has inspired me. It is a good idea to start learning different genres of music and determine which one you would be most interested in. That way, you can learn the key characteristics of the genre and jumpstart your next project. 

First, I start with the chord progression or the drums. You can start with either one and many people prefer one way or another, however it is all up to you on where you would like to start. Now, some may believe that suddenly a lightbulb enters your head and then you begin creating your track as if someone inserted the instructions into your brain, but that is not really true. Most inspiration comes from experimentation. In order to create a chord progression, I have to search for the right sound and come up with an exciting pattern that I enjoy. Honestly, sometimes I am just tapping on my MIDI keyboard and playing something randomly while I’m scrolling through synth presets and end up using that. It’s even more exciting that way because it feels like it is your subconscious creation. You can do the same thing with the drums too, create a drum kit to your liking and play around with beats and rhythms that you like and remember there are no limits. Add two snares here and add four kicks here, as long as it has rhythm you have drums. 

If you’re like me though, inspiration can still be tough to find and even then, creating professional sounding music can be tough. So, services such as Splice or Loopcloud could help give you that extra edge. I personally use Splice and have found much inspiration in their catalog. Splice or Loopcloud are services that for a monthly fee (Splice is $8/month), you can peruse a collection of samples, loops, and individual notes or drum hits and download them or drag it into your DAW directly. It is very helpful for producers looking to add extra elements to their music. If you’re thinking that you’re unoriginal for using samples, then trust me, I understand. However, it is what you do with the sample that makes it yours. Plus, professionals sample audio all the time.

I would also recommend googling free sample packs and see what comes up. People are always giving away free sounds which may be part of your new hit. I hope these tips help new producers learn more about the world of music and remember, create the music that makes you happy.

-Tegan