“Revival in Lincoln” by Graeme Kennedy: A Searing Portrait of Religious Hubris
I’m an agnostic nowadays, but I grew up Catholic, which means I get to enjoy the existential dread of the former and the omnipresent guilt of the latter. (I’m doing great, thanks for asking.) My family was not particularly observant–we only went to Mass on Easter and Christmas, and eventually not even then. Still, I […]
“Drive Alone” by Rose Hotel: An Elegant Sway of a Song
Imagine slow dancing on the beach as the sun sets, and it’s the end of a wonderful summer vacation; there’s a slight chill in the air, the waves are frothing gently on the shore, you’re feeling a bit melancholy but otherwise content… This is essentially the vibe you get from Rose Hotel’s song “Drive Alone.” […]
“Angelina” by Kitten: Upbeat, Catchy Indie Pop
Kitten has been storming the music scene for almost ten years, beginning with their first music video on YouTube back in 2011. Over the years their style has stayed relatively the same, but with an interesting detail: older stuff sounds new, and newer stuff sounds old. As in, their earlier songs, like “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny” […]
It’s Not Easy Being Young and Urban: Malady’s “London, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”
Sometime in the late fall of 2008, Kermit The Frog took the internet and the music industry by storm. In a video that quickly went viral and that’s since received almost 4.5-million views on YouTube, the pleasant and well-meaning star of The Muppet Show is seen alone and sitting on some rocks at sunset along […]
“Maggie” by Cedar Sparks: A Ghost Story
In the final act of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta come upon the two missing couples as they wake up in a glade and begin to recount vivid anecdotes of magic and witchcraft. Bemused, Hippolyta remarks on how strange yet strikingly similar their stories are, to which her fiancé […]
“Quarterback” by Clearbody: Energetic, Emotional Punk
The concepts of longing for the past and regretting decisions from your life are no strangers to the punk rock genre. While some may say this genre is too simple, which makes the music boring, others will say that it is that simplicity which helps this genre thrive. By simplifying the instrumentation, more room is […]
Martha Skye Murphy’s “Self Tape”: A Full-Body Experience
Listening to Martha Skye Murphy’s music isn’t a mindless activity where the sounds droning out of our earbuds get our half-attention or where the notes are confined to a state of perpetual existence as ‘background noise.’ Rather, her music is a full-body experience. Perhaps what’s most masterful about Murphy’s latest release “Self Tape,” is that […]
“Overwhelmed” by Crossing i’s Dotting t’s: Bracing, Satisfying Emo
Get out your eyeliner and dark T-shirts. Emo is back, and the one-man-band Crossing i’s Dotting t’s serves up a roaring reminder of why we loved it. “Overwhelmed” is a blazing, gritty song – the brainchild of Matthew Mucerino, the artist behind Crossing i’s Dotting t’s. The song is defined by its passionate guitar riffs […]
“Cat’s Cradle” by Tigers Jaw: A Playful Metaphor for a Tangled Truth
One of the best things about kids (or worst, pick your poison) is how attached they get to the most random trends. Silly bands, rainbow loom bracelets, those weird little eraser toys that no one ever actually used for erasing—they all hearken back to simpler times. And of course, the pillar of schoolyard fads: string […]
“Whirlpool” by Told Slant: Craving Somebody’s Return
The one thing in the world that will always be more painful than somebody you’re interested in not wanting to speak to you is somebody who was previously interested back in you no longer wanting to speak to you. Coming to terms with the loss of anyone close, whether they be a friend or lover, […]
