I was one of the millions of “Beyhive” fans who immediately downloaded Beyoncé’s new visual album upon its surprising release last month.
Remember the days when musicians used to keep to themselves and genre-lines were always clear cut? Yeah, me neither, but it seems like these days especially, genres, labels and categories in contemporary music are in their most nebulous state; previously segregated styles are being mixed, and styles and trends are being imported and exported at an alarming rate.
This seems to have been the year of the comeback artist, even among the punk rock scene legends don’t want their veteran status to fade into the background. The latest offender is the highly-regarded Black Flag, who is back with their first studio album since “In My Head” from 1985.
Stand out tracks: “Nothing For Christmas,” New Found Glory “Do You Hear What I Hear?” William Beckett “All I Can Give You,” Jason Lancaster “Fool’s Holiday,” All Time Low “Punk Goes Christmas,” as strange as the title may sound, is one of the best compilation albums to be released all year.
The UVa Baroque Orchestra displayed a wealth of talent at its fall concert right before the Thanksgiving holiday, offering the audience an auditory experience unrivaled by the usual inundation of musical acts students find across Grounds The ensemble, directed by David Sariti, brought together students of a variety of instruments to perform 17th- and 18th-century pieces using baroque-style instruments including the harpsichord and the baroque flute.
In my soon-to-be three semesters at the University, I’ve found myself surprised, overwhelmed, and amazed by the number of talented students on Grounds.
On the track “Y.A.L.A.,” after a marathon of nightmarishly abrasive electronic percussion, multilayered vocals, and an overuse of dubstep, Mathangi Arulpragasam gives a moment of silence with just the isolated lyrics: “If we only live once, why we keep doing the same s***?”
Eminem’s latest album is conceited, insane and at times downright annoying. It’s also utterly brilliant.
Last Tuesday, Adventure Club, a Canadian electronic dance music duo, stopped at The National in Richmond on its nationwide Superheroes Anonymous tour.
String quartets are often associated with the smooth, classical melodies of Mozart and Bach — a musical standard that new music group “The Radio Music Society” hopes to redefine by performing popular, top 40 songs with string instruments.
Singer-songwriter Toby Keith’s latest album, “Drinks After Work,” delivers the country singer’s signature blend of charming twang, inventive lyrics and line-dance rhythm.
For fans of Midlake, “Antiphon” sounds very different than their previous albums. Following the departure of lead singer and lyricist Tim Smith, Midlake has transformed their once recognizable indie folk sound into Pink Floyd reminiscent progressive rock.
Last Wednesday night, Dr. Dog fans witnessed an amazing concert, where the Pennsylvanian indie rock band managed to pack the house even in the middle of the week.
Since the release of their debut studio album “Eyelid Movies” in 2009, Phantogram has built a noticeable grassroots following through extensive touring campaigns, playing with the likes of The Antlers, The xx, Beach House, and Ra Ra Riot.
Lou Reed, the legendary guitarist and vocalist of the Velvet Underground died October 26 at the age of 71.
“Klezmer” might not ring any bells, but chances are you’ve run across the style of traditional Jewish music at some point in time, perhaps most notably in the musical film “Fiddler on the Roof.” Despite its relative obscurity, this form of music is alive and well, and the Klezmer Ensemble ensures it has a presence even on Grounds. The group, led by Assoc.
My experience Sunday night at the Paramount Theater was less of a concert than it was an exercise of spiritual arousal.
Katy Perry’s latest album, “Prism”, is another solid addition to the pop music canon. In short, the record does everything a pop album should do; it makes you want to dance, it’s fun and it’s a collection of top-notch anthems, with a few power ballads sprinkled in for good measure.
If you somehow managed to miss the swing dance flash mobs, the colorful chalk advertisements all over grounds and the group of students in AFTERDARK t-shirts tossing out flyers on the lawn, you really must have had a lot of midterms. For everyone who got the memo, you had the chance to experience AFTERDARK, “where music and message meet” and featuring heartthrobs Ben Rector and Tyrone Wells.
It’s Thursday afternoon and you have just finished your last class of the day, maybe of the week. Regardless of whether or not you have class on Friday, you’re looking for something to do to start the weekend off right, but what?
