Music genres are expanding every single day. New horizons and soundscapes are available in a very organized, visually pleasing and mind blowing way on Every Noise at Once. On their website their algorithm exhibits about 1000 different music genres and sub-genres. It’s super easy to fall into a rabbit hole here and discover good music especially because they offer Spotify playlists for most genres. Here’s a few of my favorite lesser known genres and some artists.
Scandinavian Pop – Little Dragon, Cloud, Boom Clap Bachelors
Math Rock – Chinese Football, tricot
Deep Funk House – Homero Espinosa, way too many artists to count
I’m no expert in music production, but I am trying to learn and I’ve realized that one of the most important things to decide when you’re learning to make music is what DAW you’re going to use. A DAW is a digital audio workstation where you record, mix and master music.
I have a macbook. so naturally the most available thing to me was to use garageband. But for some reason I heard a lot of criticism people have for the software. So I decided to try it out for myself and see what all the fuss was about. I did make my first ever song in garageband and I have to say, it’s not quite as ‘easy’ as some people make it out to be. I guess if you’re an expert you might disagree but as a total newbie I was still really confused during the whole process. I have used other DAWS like Abelton and Reaper, from what I can see I’d say that garageband really is a unique platform so I can see why it might turn people off. It did take me a minute to get used to it, and i’m still not that familiar with it, but it can get the job done. I wouldn’t bash it because I think different ideas need different ways to execute them, and I’d definitely see where garageband could have its place, but I’d understand why people aren’t too fond of the software. That being said I do think it has its place, I mean it totally works so it probably is right for some and not for others. DAWs can sometimes be hard to learn and I think some people will definitely prefer the look and feel of garageband.
Personally I have to say Reaper and Ableton are my top choices. So what do you think? Is garageband for you or do you prefer something else?
I’ve been a Daytime DJ at WKNC for over a year now and I still have the hardest time answering when people ask me, “What exactly is indie’. Recently one of my co-workers asked me this and my mind went completely blank. So I decided I should probably think about that question.
The reason it’s so hard to define ‘indie’ is because it has so many subgenres and those subgenres can be ambiguous and sound a lot like other kinds of music. What’s the difference between indie rock and rock? What about folk indie and folk music? Is there a difference or is it just a title? Is there some stylistic differences between the two? How does something qualify as ‘indie’? I mean I really don’t know but I do play/ listen to a lot of indie music so I guess in some indescribable and undefinable way I do know what ‘indie’ music is.
As far as what I like to call ‘indie’ music I sometimes say that if it doesn’t fit somewhere else it probably fits into indie and if the band is smaller it’s even more indie. But that doesn’t apply to all cases so that’s not even close to a good definition. Maybe indie is a style? I definitely see indie as a bit of a style, the album artwork and the way people in indie tend to dress can really be described as just weird enough and a little effortless looking.
Indie is one of those things that you can spend ages explaining and not making sense (much like this article) or you could just listen and look to identify it. Basically, what I’m saying is the only real way to know what indie is to listen to the music and look at the style. So I’ve linked my ultimate indie playlist (it’s something I’ve been working on for ages and still work on regularly) so if you’re curious about this ‘indie’ thing be sure to check it out.
Miss May I was the first band that got me into heavier music in general. When I first heard Miss May I, I was with my cousin and he was playing Relentless Chaos and 14-year-old me loved what I was hearing. It was the perfect blend of harmony and heaviness.
Miss May I was the first band that I went and saw alone. Back in 2015, I went to Warped Tour in Charlotte just to see them! I got to meet the band at Warped Tour and they are the most genuine guys I have ever met. They were so nice and down to earth and I really enjoyed talking to them. At Warped Tour, I was in the front for their set and I was singing the words back to them; their singer, Levi Benton, pointed at me and when he ran into the crowd during Hey Mister, he was right in front of me. What a great first show (alone) experience.
From there, I have seen Miss May I two other times: at the Filmore in Charlotte, when they went on tour with Thy Art Is Murder, In Hearts Wake, and Parkway Drive. I also saw them in Greensboro on their headlining tour with Upon A Burning Body, Kublai Khan, and Currents. I met the band again at that show and they were just as nice as the first time I met them. They put hearts around their signatures when they signed my ticket at Warped Tour and on my poster when I saw them in Greensboro. I love them.
The band formed in 2007 and are from Troy, Ohio. They signed with Rise Records in 2008, released their debut album, Apologies Are for the Weak while the band was still in high school. Their song, Forgive and Forget, is featured in Saw VI and Apologies are for the Weak is featured in the video game Saints Row: The Third.
The band has kept the same lineup since its formation. Their bassist, Ryna Neff, left the band in 2007 but rejoined in 2009 and has stayed ever since! Since then, Miss May I has released 5 other albums: Monument (2010), At Heart (2012), Rise of the Lion (2014), Deathless (2015), and Shadows Inside (2017). The band left Rise Records in 2016 and signed with SharpTone Records.
In other news regarding the band, their singer, Levi and his wife JoJo, just had their first child! JoJo gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and named her Jax. I am so happy for the both of them and can’t wait to see where this path of their life leads them! Relationship goals af.
Leslie Bear’s second album as Long Beard, Means To Me, is a silky dream pop album about her suburban New Jersey hometown and how the people and places in it have changed or disappeared over the years since her 2015 debut Sleepwalker. In this album, Bear confronts her feelings of nostalgia and instability of the universe migrating around her while she seems to be staying still. To me, the most nostalgic and lonesome song on this album is track number four Sweetheart in which Bear sings about her first kiss long ago on a rainy day outside of the local CVS pharmacy. Everyone who has ever lived in an American suburb can probably reminisce back to what it was like being inside their local CVS while it was pouring outside.
Means To Me features heavy filters, reverberation, jangly guitars, and yearnful vocals. Overall, I would describe this album as dream pop in its purest form. The beat, melody, and vocals all merge together like gently flowing water.
At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of this album because I usually prefer songs with either a bit more intensity or gut-wrenching sadness, but I listened to this album on repeat while I was studying for a biochemistry test and I have never been so focused. This is my perfect type of studying music because I can’t understand the words over the heavy vocal filters, so I don’t get distracted by them. Picking the best tracks for this album was hard because most of the songs on this album all sounded the same to me. I picked the best tracks based on the catchiness of the guitar riffs. This album is great if you’re looking for some uninterrupted background music though!
Recommended that you listen if you like Jay Som, Hatchie, or Japanese Breakfast!
I have seen a lot of E-boys and goth girls on TikTok recently and I can’t help but realize that they look so metal. But, some of them don’t even listen to metal. This got me thinking, how has metal influenced fashion?
The heavy metal fashion derived from the biker, rocker, and leather subcultures. Heavy metal fashion includes elements such as leather jackets; combat boots, studded belts, hi-top shoes, blue or black jeans, camouflage pants, and denim jackets that are sometimes decorated with pins and patches. Various bands have also helped contribute to the metal fashion, primarily Judas Priest. The lead singer, Rob Halford wears leather costumes on stage, and the rest of the band followed suit. Bands such as Iron Maiden soon followed, also. The use of modern military clothing was put to use in the Thrash metal scene with bands such as Metallica, Destruction, and Megadeth. This style was also used in the punk-metal and anti-fashion as well.
Here recently, I have noticed that the metal fashion has been used in modern-day fashion. Now, I am not saying that the metal scene owns this fashion, but I will argue that it has influenced what we see, today. For example, I have seen individuals wearing chokers, chains, fishnets, studs, leather, and heavier, darker makeup around. I do appreciate the style and versatility people have put on these outfits to make it their own.
There have been some debates as to whether or not individuals should wear band shirts of a band that they don’t know. As we can see in Pop Culture, celebrities have been spotted wearing band shirts (AC/DC, Slayer, Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Nirvana, etc). Primarily the “big name” bands. I have seen some artists (like Kanye West and Travis Scott) wear heavier band shirts such as Cattle Decapitation. For me, I do not mind if someone wears a band shirt that they don’t know. I am not going to gatekeep and ask them to name off songs from the band. To me, it is publicity for the band.
What trips me up is how some people will look completely “metal af” but have no idea about the metal culture and where there style has derived from. How can someone look like a badass goth girl and listen to Taylor Swift? I don’t know, but I love the fit!! Keep the ‘fits looking fresh!! I love it!!!
What has been your favorite fashion trend? For me, I love a good hoodie and denim jacket combo with a chain lock necklace. Total hardcore.
Artist Record Label 1 CHASTITY BELT Chastity Belt Hardly Art 2 KATE TEAGUE Kate Teague [EP] Muscle Beach 3 LALA LALA Sleepyhead (Reissue) Hardly Art 4 OH ROSE While My Father Sleeps Park The Van 5 (SANDY) ALEX G House Of Sugar Domino 6 PEACH PYRAMID Bright Blue Oscar St 7 ROYAL CANOE Waver Paper Bag 8 KOOLEY HIGH Monogamy Mass Appeal 9 OH SEES Face Stabber Castle Face 10 YOUNG MAMMALS Lost In Lima Wallflower 11 ROYAL TRUX Pink Stuff [EP] Fat Possum 12 COACH PHILLIPS Never Is Enough Den Tapes 13 CEREMONY In The Spirit World Now Relapse 14 PIP BLOM Boat Heavenly/PIAS 15 TACOCAT This Mess Is A Place Sub Pop 16 FLORIST Emily Alone Double Double Whammy 17 HATCHIE Keepsake Double Double Whammy 18 SACRED PAWS Run Around The Sun Merge 19 KIM GRAY Plastic Memory Buzz 20 DUMB Club Nites Mint 21 SLOW PULP Big Day [EP] Self-Released 22 PALEHOUND Black Friday Polyvinyl 23 LAL Dark Beings Coax 24 STEF CHURA Midnight Saddle Creek 25 BODYWASH Comforter Luminelle 26 NOTS 3 (Three) Goner 27 GRINGO STAR Controlled Burn Baby Robot 28 WILD NOTHING Live From Brooklyn Steel Captured Tracks 29 TY SEGALL Deforming Lobes Drag City 30 JULIA SHAPIRO Perfect Version Hardly Art
TOP ADDS 1 CAMP HOWARD Canon Self-Released 2 CHRIS FARREN Born Hot Polyvinyl 3 BARRIE Happy To Be Here (Ext) [EP] Winspear 4 DOMINIC SEN Visitor Roll Call 5 PHIL AND THE OSOPHERS From The Rise Of Fall Self-Released 6 WALRUS Cool To Who Outside 7 HOVVDY Heavy Lifter Double Double Whammy 8 STRAIGHT WHITE TEETH Charming Pet GIFs Self-Released
Artist Record Label 1 FANTOMPOWER Summertime and the Living’s Easier inner ocean 2 DENZEL CURRY Zuu Loma Vista/Concord 3 AMINE OnePointFive Republic 4 TIERRA WHACK “Wasteland” [Single] Self-Released 5 INJURY RESERVE Injury Reserve Loma Vista/Concord 6 RICO NASTY “Sandy” [Single] Self-Released 7 PRINCESS NOKIA Metallic Butterfly (Remastered) Rough Trade 8 MALIBU KEN Malibu Ken Rhymesayers 9 LIZZO Cuz I Love You Nice Life/Atlantic 10 SK, THE NOVELIST Baggage Self-Released
Artist Record Label 1 VARIALS In Darkness Fearless 2 CATTLE DECAPITATION “Bring Back The Plague” [Single] Metal Blade 3 KUBLAI KHAN Absolute Rise 4 KNOCKED LOOSE A Different Shade Of Blue Pure Noise 5 VALLEYS Fearless Tragic Hero 6 INVOKE Invoking Chaos [EP] Arduous Path 7 GIDEON Out of Control Equal Vision 8 OBITUARY “A Dying World” [Single] Relapse 9 FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY “Shepherd” [Single] Human Warfare 10 AFTER THE BURIAL Evergreen Sumerian
