On Oct. 23, 2020, Indianapolis-born singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker released “songs.” Lenker is most known for her role in the band Big Thief, and her latest release provides the same emotional lyrics and high octave vocals that prove time and time again to be a relentless earworm. The album, “songs,” was born from a breakup and…
Album Review: Porky’s Groove Machine’s “Porkus”
Lawrence’s favorite funk band is back with a follow-up to last summer’s EP, “Make America Funk Again.” After a mini-tour in support of their new EP, Porky’s brings us “Porkus,” four tracks of syncopated silliness. It boasts the talents of their most recent lineup: Matt Lowe ’14 on trombone, Marshall Yoes ’15 on trumpet, Casey…
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…
Album Review: The Living Strange’s “Home?”
The Living Strange’s sophomore extended play (EP), “Home?,” finds the rock duo in an electronic-heavy setting, even more so than their debut EP, “2 AM Freak Show.” Since first hearing them, their commitment to staying true to the rock ’n’ roll genre while also pushing forward to incorporating new sounds in the genre has been…
Album Review: Sk8 City High School All-Star Jazz Band’s “Ranch Generation”
There is nothing quite like a Sk8 City show. Their tenacious voracity is omnipresent, rearing its head in dense music and comedic moments. If you have seen them, there is no doubt you have had Easy Mac thrown at you, laughed at their goofy quips or stood in awe at a particular otherworldly musical moment,…
Album Review: BackPOCKET’s “Primary Colors”
Campus band BackPOCKET (formerly known as DOPE AF) was on an indefinite hiatus this past year but made a triumphant return with its debut album, “Primary Colors.” The album, which melds jazz, hip hop, funk and R&B, features six originals and a cover of Donald Byrd’s “Think Twice” arranged by guest artist and senior Miles…
Album Review: The Dillinger Escape Plan’s “Dissociation”
After 20 years, The Dillinger Escape Plan (DEP) is breaking up following the touring cycle for their new album, “Dissociation.” DEP is known for pioneering “mathcore,” a subgenre of punk rock defined by rapidly-shifting time signatures and tempos. On “Dissociation,” released on Oct. 14, DEP continues to rage against genre boundaries. The album is much…
Album Review: The Goat Wizard’s “The Anthromancer”
It was only a matter of time before The Goat Wizard released a full-length album with their current lineup. As one of Lawrence’s busiest campus bands, releasing a set of demos in the summer of 2015 and playing many shows last year, the progressive rock group has been brimming with material—they just had to record…
Album Review: Foxygen’s “Take the Kids Off Broadway”
Foxygen’s debut album, “Take the Kids Off Broadway,” is a chaotic concoction of sound from start to finish — and that is meant in the best way possible. The album is composed of experimental, psychedelic songs that repeatedly defy any traditional song format. Often complex and always mesmerizing, the group’s 2012 album fuses stylistic elements…
Album Review: Green Sound’s “Green Sound”
It is impossible not to bob your head at least a little to Green Sound’s hypnotically funky self-titled album, which pulls listeners in with its compact compositions and laid-back improvising. With a diverse set of backgrounds between the three of them—jazz, math rock and classical, to name a few—the trio molds genres together into something…