Hey all. Looking to put off your weekly responsibilities? Attend a local show, people. If you're into music and good times, the local venues have plenty to offer this week. In case you're unaware, the Lincoln/Omaha area is just bustlin' with bands from near and far that would love the opportunity to win your oh-so-valuable affections/support/fandom/whatever. Give 'em a chance, I'm sure they'll appreciate your attendance and such. 5 Shows To See:
1. Pure Bathing Culture w/ Wild Ones - 9 pm Monday @ Reverb Lounge 2. Big K.R.I.T. w/ BJ The Chicago Kid, Scotty ATL, DeLorean, Hakim - 8 pm Wednesday @ The Bourbon 3. Flannel Channel - 9 pm Saturday @ Vega 4. Fever The Ghost w/ Purple, Black Finger Cult - 8 pm Wednesday @ Vega 5. Low w/ Andy Shauf - 9 pm Thursday @ Reverb Lounge At the top of their game, blink-182 released Enema Of The State in 1999. I was 6. Nah, I wasn't the cool 1st grader with a walkman and "Going Away to College" in queue. The iconic '90s punk band was more my style about a decade later. Timeless stuff, eh? This album, in particular, was driven by the popularity of it's three singles: "What's My Age Again?," "Adam's Song," and "All The Small Things." Enema Of The State can incite some sweet head-banging, yeah. But it's also incredibly relatable. Most lame (cool?) teens catch angst at some point, and blink-182 became the poster-child for it. So if you're looking for a way to deal with post-high school/college frustrations, give this album another listen. Extra points if you play it over office loudspeakers or during your nephew's baptism.
With All We Need, Raury artistically weaves his talents as a folk singer/songwriter/guitarist into his knack for production and rap. The folk influence on the album is evident, especially on "Revolution," "Devil's Whisper," and "Crystal Express." But I'd never classify this as folk, per se. RZA and Big K.R.I.T. are on the album, sure, but it's still hard to see All We Need as hip-hop. So what is it, exactly? Raury is the epitome of indie rap. This guy maintains musical distance from both traditional and contemporary rap artists while still exhibiting certain traits that make those artists successful. The backbone of All We Need is its insightful lyricism and free-spirited rhythm, similar to, but not exactly mimicking other alternative hip-hop artists like Chance the Rapper. If you appreciate versatility and talent or you're a rap-loving hippie or something, I suggest you give Raury a listen.
Thank Your Lucky Stars is exactly what you'd expect from Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally. Though some thought the release came too soon after Depression Cherry (also worth your time if you haven't already given it a go), the duo's reasoning was understandable. During a press release, the band explained the surprise release: "The songs came together very quickly and were driven by the lyrics and the narrative. In this way, the record feels very new for us, and a great departure from our last few records. Thematically, this record often feels political. It’s hard to put it into words, but something about the record made us want to release it without the normal ‘campaign.’ We wanted it to simply enter the world and exist.” And I'd say the second 2015 album from Scally and Legrand does more than just exist. With ambient production and fluid lyricism, Thank Your Lucky Stars thrives in its genre. The LP is as entrancing as its four predecessors. But then again, I'm biased. If Beach House releases a new song every day, you can bet I'm going to listen to it.
I was referred to this band by KRNU's music director and my go-to music guru, Jordan, and was captivated within the first 30 seconds of "Glob." The Dongo Durango is pure feel-good music. The climactic "Dress Like Mothers" is the closest thing to a ballad on this album, so I'd say that's quite the testament to Sun Club's happy-go-lucky nature. Indie pop-rock with a lo-fi sound and addictive rhythms, The Dongo Durango (and the "Tropicoller Lease" video below) are fresher than your mother's linens. The only downfall of this album is that it wasn't released before summertime.
Blowing On The Devil's Strumpet - The Love Junkies
October 2nd, 2015 marks the 5th Annual College Radio Day! And KRNU is quite excited about it. In a nutshell, College Radio Day is about getting listeners to celebrate the college radio's contribution to music and local areas. It's about encouraging people who wouldn't normally listen to give it a shot. I mean, what could it hurt, right? Some pretty great bands owe their fame to college stations, and it's cool to know that KRNU and its listeners get a chance to be a part of that! Happy College Radio Day, everyone! In June, I trekked down to Tennessee to spend some quality time with 80,000 fellow music/art lovers. Before I get to the good stuff, I’ve gotta mention the bad. First. 12-hour car rides are a doozy, especially when you tack on an 8-hour wait in line. Second. Showers and toilets are underrated. Third. Scheduling conflicts (Childish Gambino and My Morning Jacket? Overlap? What?) As far as I’m concerned, the downsides are worth it when you have the opportunity to see 100+ great artists and meet some friendly festival-goers. I could go on about the atmosphere and the people and the food and the artwork. But this is a radio station indie music blog thing. So the shows…. My Morning Jacket… Was long, but fantastic. They played plenty from their new album, The Waterfall (one of the former music director's top picks). I would’ve liked to hear more of their old stuff, particularly It Still Moves, but I was still thoroughly pleased with the performance. And BONUS. They ended with "One Big Holiday." I wasn’t even that bitter about missing the first half of Childish Gambino. Okay, maybe a little bitter. Run the Jewels… Not surprisingly, the rap/producer duo put on a great show. Pretty good turnout, too, despite their conflict with Earth, Wind, and Fire. Their performance was comprised mainly of their 2014 album, Run The Jewels 2, with a few songs from their first album. I’m a total sucker for El-P’s production on RTJ2 so, needless to say, I was stoked (especially when Blockbuster Night Part 1 started. Holy smokes!) . A stellar rap performance. Honorable mentions: Alabama Shakes, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, Temples Jungle… I knew I liked their stuff beforehand, but I hadn’t listened to them a whole lot until Bonnaroo. Honestly, I was kind of surprised that I ended up at their tent. They overlapped with Gramatik and Mac Demarco (two of my must-sees), but I walked by and was hooked. Upbeat modern soul/funk of the highest caliber, I’m telling you. Outstanding live performance. I even danced. Robert Plant & The Sensation Space Shifters… Would have been unforgettable (Led Zeppelin fanatic, here) had G-Eazy’s bass not overtaken Robert Plant’s set. I did see a bit of “Going to California,” so it wasn’t a total loss. Otherwise, I was so disappointed. Don’t want to talk about it anymore. There ya have it. My brief, mediocre analysis of Bonnaroo. A post that few will probably read and even fewer will finish. Bottom line, though. Bonnaroo is pretty alright. My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall
|
Join our Writers!Our blog posts are written by an assortment of students. Want to see your album or concert review here? Email us! Categories
All
Archives
November 2015
|