Grimes, aka Claire Boucher, has been known since her MySpace days for her dark, eclectic, self-produced pop and aesthetics created by using looping and layering techniques in production. Her image, maintained by her unconventional approach to music and art as well as self-proclaimed “anti-imperialism” via Twitter, spurned an array of reactions to her announcement of…
Album review: Charli
As an artist who kicked off her career at age 14 performing at illegal warehouse raves, Charli XCX is known for churning out futuristic avant-pop bangers. Though often underappreciated, she has had a foundational influence on pop music both through songs she’s written for herself and those she’s written for other artists including Gwen Stefani,…
Album Review “Exit 16” by Roosevelt Collier
As far as record companies go, there are a select few that I really pay attention to these days — most current bands produce on their own or they have a small, independent label. One record company that I thoroughly enjoy is Ground-up Records. Founded by Michael League, bassist/composer/bandleader of the group Snarky Puppy, this…
Album Review: Fennesz’s “Plus Forty Seven Degrees…”
This review is about Fennesz’s second album, “Plus Forty Seven Degrees 56’ 37” Minus Sixteen Degrees 51’ 08.” Recorded in 1999, the album shows off the amazing variety of sounds that can be created on a single laptop. Christian Fennesz, who goes by his last name on commercial releases, is an Austrian composer of experimental…
Album Review: Weezer’s “Pacific Daydream”
When I write an album review, my general approach is to write the review about an artist that I know or like already. For this issue, I will be reviewing “Pacific Daydream,” the latest effort by ‘90s alt-pop goofballs, Weezer. I’ve always been a fan of Weezer, particularly enjoying “The Blue Album,” “Pinkerton,” and “The…
Album Review: Beck’s “Colors”
I’ve always loved Beck, whether I’ve admitted it or not. He’s gone through so many phases and worn so many hats—both literally and musically—that his music always has an unpredictable edge to it. From the slacker folk of “Mellow Gold” to the fuzzed-out riffs of “Guero,” he has always done whatever he has wanted to.…
Album Review: Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo”
On Feb. 14, 2016, Kanye West released his seventh studio album. The Life of Pablo addresses the media’s perception of West and is an explanation of and response to West’s own actions. The result is a poetic mixture of remorse and blatant honesty. Since this album is a hard-to-tackle 20-track masterpiece, I’m going to begin…
Album review: Boards of Canada’s “Geogaddi”
Fifteen years ago, the electronic music duo Boards of Canada released their second full-length album, “Geogaddi.” After their surprisingly large debut four years earlier, the pressure was on to create an exciting new evolution of their style. While I only discovered this album about six years ago, I have enjoyed learning about the creative process…
Album Review: Andrew Bird’s “Echolocations: Canyon”
Songwriter and instrumentalist Andrew Bird has followed his own path since the start of his musical career in 2003. He has played in several bands, developed his own solo act in a variety of ways and gained a large following. He is known for his violin-centric indie-folk rock sound, which guided most of his releases…
Album review: Jonwayne’s “Rap Album Two”
Rapper and producer Jonwayne has been relatively quiet for the past two years, focusing on himself and his music, but recently released what many are already calling his magnum opus. A history lesson: in April 2015, he released a rap EP, “Jonwayne is Retired;” later that year in October, he released an instrumental album; and…
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