Category: The Music Sounds Better
OCD Moosh & Twist ‘live it up’ on the East Coast
By Tyler J. Scott ’12
THE ROUNDUP
Lately the high school music audience has been hit with a new age of hip-hop and rap music including the likes of Wiz Khalifa or Mac Miller.
Like these two progressive artists, the hip-hop music collective OCD is from Pennsylvania, reining from Philadelphia.
OCD’s members include DeQuincy “Moosh” McRae and Oliver “Twist” Feighan.
“Moosh & Twist are 17 years old with dreams to change the game in a positive way,” according to their Facebook and YouTube pages.
Danimal Collective a remarkable experience, makes way for future ventures
At last semester’s Fine Arts Extravaganza a group of musically inclined individuals dubbed “Danimal Collective” performed an hour’s worth of music for a vivacious crowd of about 350 wonderful faces.
I was indeed one of these individuals.
Indulging in the energy of the music and audience, I can very well speak for the entire ensemble that it was an exceptionally marvelous experience, one we hope to recreate in the near future.
New Swift album ‘Speak Now’ shows maturity in style, not lyrics
By Alex Stanley ’12
THE ROUNDUP
Taylor Swift’s latest album, “Speak Now,” yet again fails to disappoint the throngs of pre-teen and teenage girls, plus me, who hold her music close to our hearts.
After listening to the first few songs of the album, one may distinguish no difference from her first two records.
Songs like “Mine” hold true to the upbeat and poppy style that she is well known for.
But when the listener approaches singles such as “Back to December” or “Innocent” they may see a difference in the style.
Girls, Girl Talk, and ‘Best Of’ close great music year
By Michael Mandeville ’11
THE ROUNDUP
As 2010 winds down, new music continues to find its way through the cluster of anticipated end-of-the-year lists and compilations, so in this edition of “The Music Sounds Better” we’ll cover a little bit of both.
‘The Suburbs’ marks return to normal for Arcade Fire
By Joe Skoog ’13
THE ROUNDUP
Canadian indie rock act Arcade Fire has been one of the most influential groups of the past decade and continues to inspire with their latest release “The Suburbs.”
Their debut album, “Funeral,” was widely regarded as one of the best albums of the last 10 years.
Their dedicated fan base and arena filling indie music has turned them into the poster children for the indie rock scene.
Their second album, “Neon Bible,” was not as well received as their first. The album was bogged down by overly dramatic arrangements and political messages ruined some potentially beautiful songs.
Kanye West invites listeners into ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’
By Julian De Ocampo ’13
THE ROUNDUP
A lot of people know Kanye West in different ways; music devotees and critics view him as the savior of 21st century hip-hop, the media views him as the devil’s spawn and President Obama views him as nothing more than a “jackass.”
But West has had a tough few years. First it was the death of his mother in 2007, and then his fiancé left him in 2008. And it goes without saying that 2009 was a rough year for the rapper, who fled the country after interrupting Taylor Swift at the VMA Awards.
2010 promises to be a different sort of year for West, who is making his triumphant return from exile with his latest effort “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” his most grandiose and perplexing album yet.
The Aquabats conquer ska
By Dillan Ducar ’13
THE ROUNDUP
The beat heavy sounds of contemporary music are known for being the fuel that drives Brophy’s dances.
While no one can call the dances bad, not everyone likes the hip-hop and techno of popular culture, or at least all the time.
Some people like rock, some like reggae, and some like ska.
The Aquabats is a band based out of Orange County, Calif., that has a longstanding reputation among ska listeners.
Joe Satriani’s latest release exceeds expectations
By Greg Goulder ’13
THE ROUNDUP
Guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani’s new album has not only met, but raised the bar set by his previous albums.
The guitarist’s 14th studio album, “Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards,” brings back Satriani’s signature sound after two weaker albums: “Super Colossal” in 2006, and “Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock” in 2008.
This album features no vocals, simple drums and basic bass riffs, but extraordinary ’80s metal guitar.
All tracks on this album consist solely of guitar backed by a rhythm section of drums, bass and keyboard.
Kid Cudi revolutionizes hip-hop with new album
Ben Jackson ’11
THE ROUNDUP
When most people think about hip-hop think it is all about money, girls and cars, along with bass heavy beats and lyrics that are generally repetitive and offensive.
Kid Cudi has been revolutionizing the hip-hop scene with his lyrical genius and catchy beats.
His beats and style are close to that of B.o.B. and Lupe Fiasco but Cudi has flow and lyrics similar to Eminem and Wale, which make him standout from other artists.
Sufjan Stevens blips his way through Age of Adz
By Julian De Ocampo ’13
THE ROUNDUP
In 2005, Sufjan Stevens took listeners to the Prairie State with his venerated album Illinois.
He wrote songs about empathizing with serial killers, UFO sightings and road trips to Chicago, earning more than his fair share of fans along the way.
Five years, a number of sidetracked projects and a few false promises later, Stevens is back with The Age of Adz, the proper follow-up to Illinois. Dropping the state-themed album motif that made him famous, Stevens instead crafts an album more personal and intrinsically human than ever before.
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