I have learned time and time again to never expect much from an awards show. This rings especially true for the Grammys, and I have reached the conclusion that their only redeeming quality is the occasionally spectacular performance by a well-seasoned or breakthrough pop artist.
Tegan & Sara occupy a precarious niche in commercial music — they aren’t mainstream but neither are they alt, hipster, post-funk or any other of the slew of labels available to musicians today.
In the four years between Local Natives’ debut album Gorilla Manor and 2013’s Hummingbird, the band noticeably underwent a lot of growth, both musically and emotionally.
Valentine’s Day is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of Hallmark holidays. Some prefer the smooth layer of chocolate, while others dive in for a delectable rush of peanut butter, but there are always the naysayers who can’t handle any strain of the sugar rush.
I sometimes find it astounding that a few short minutes of deliberately placed melodic notes and well-chosen words can so easily capture emotions universal to mankind.
Until last Wednesday night, I thought I was the only one raised on Citizen Cope’s “Sideways.” It was the first track on the first mixed CD that my first boyfriend gave to me.
If you were expecting to hear new material — or even beloved classics — on Destiny’s Child’s 2013 compilation album, Love Songs, you will be sorely disappointed.
As the opening half of Super Bowl XLVII dragged on, the only thing keeping me even mildly interested was Beyoncé’s looming halftime performance.
You’ve probably heard of Yo La Tengo. From the early ‘90s to the mid-2000s, the band’s name, if brought up by one of your Bohemian musicophile acquaintances, was always followed by the hackneyed hipster-ism “You’ve probably never heard of them.” You probably truly haven’t heard, however, that during the height of the band’s career, Yo La Tengo’s blend of noise-rock, lo-fi production, sensitively structured songs and occasional forays into whimsical pop repeatedly earned it the moniker of “quintessential critics band.” Nevertheless, the band’s performance at the Jefferson Theatre and the release of its January album Fade have given audiences the sense that the band’s heyday has passed and it has ceded its position in the sideshow spotlight that is the “Indie scene” to hipper and more hipster acts.
Until True, there has been little opportunity to appreciate Solange Knowles’ talent. It was her older sister Beyonce who emerged as the star and a pop culture icon when the golden age of Destiny’s Child ended.
“Monback,” once an abbreviation for “come on back,” now can be heard during fans’ encore chants at venues such as the Norva and the Jewish Mother in Hampton Roads.
Comebacks. They’re what diehard fans of countless artists dream about, usually to no avail. After keyboardist Drew Stavola left Mutiny Within and Roadrunner Records dropped the band for failing to achieve high-enough record sales with its debut album, vocalist Chris Clancy left because of financial difficulties and the group went on hiatus.
A$AP Rocky is a textbook case of a budding musician in the Internet age: His series of music videos on YouTube in 2011, including “Purple Swag” and “Peso,” garnered attention from record labels and led to a $3 million contract with Polo Grounds/RCA Records.
This Christmas, as I was thrust into the past by an assortment of old-school gifts, I found myself in the good company of blink-182.
Alicia Keys is the type of artist that compels you to search for the lyrics to her songs while you listen to them.
If you weren’t at the Parachute concerts Nov. 29 and 30 at the Jefferson Theater, you missed out on a high-energy show jam-packed with great music and fantastic performers.
If I were to describe British boy band One Direction’s sophomore album Take Me Home in one word, it would be “familiar.” It seems the five insanely successful X Factor alums wanted to take this album in exactly the same direction as that of their first record, Up All Night.
Has it really been a year since Lana Del Rey captured the attention of taste-makers all over the Internet with her viral tunes and self-directed music videos?
What did you miss if you weren’t at the Jefferson Theater Nov. 16? In the words of Carbon Leaf lead singer Barry Privett: “A row, a ruction, a fracas, and a fray.
Mark your calendars: The University may be a hotbed of a capella culture, but it’s not every day that the most exciting act in instrument-free music sweeps through town.
