Once a band of five strangers put together by Simon Cowell on the X Factor in 2010, One Direction has made their name within the music industry indestructible — four years and four albums later. With the world at their feet and their careers in their pockets, the 20- to 22-year-olds have seized the opportunity to make a concerted...
Big K.R.I.T.’s come a long way from his days of being a 2011 XXL Freshman or the victim of Kendrick Lamar’s notorious “Control” verse. With his sophomore release “Cadillactica,” K.R.I.T. makes up for the lost potential of “Live From the Underground” with spacey synths, soulful compositions and encapsulating concepts. Big K.R.I.T. has always been known as the underground’s rapper...
As a preface to this review, I would just like to say that I am a huge fan of Pink Floyd and always will be. However, Pink Floyd's latest and final album “The Endless River” has succeeded at almost nothing, other than inducing me into a state of unbearable grief, followed shortly by an endless river of tears. These...
Unapologetic — the single word I’d use to describe the Godfather of Grime’s tenth studio album, “Snakes and Ladders.” Before listening to this album a few times over, I had no idea who Wiley was nor did I comprehend his prolific impact on the UK music scene. Like most American hip-hop heads, I’ve had amateur contact with the grime...
If you happen to enjoy generic electronic music, then look no further than Calvin Harris’ new album. Even after a two-year wait since his last album, I fail to see what kind of innovations Calvin Harris has made in his work. The music on this album is as forgettable as a David Guetta collaboration.
Harris’ work has recently been graced...
A songwriter frequently known for her teenage sentimentalism or specifically providing listeners with new break-up songs, Taylor Swift has often been dubbed as a Southern songbird with a soft voice, safe songs and on a constant journey for her Romeo. (“Love Story,” anyone?) Flying away from her Nashville roots and glitter guitar, Swift welcomes pop music’s synthesizers and keyboards...
Many of us have heard the crazy and exciting stories coming from the counterculture of the ‘60s and ‘70s, a time of civil rights, second-wave feminism, LSD and, of course, the radical changes in the way music reflected the complexity of human nature. Westlake Village experimental rock duo Foxygen, composed Sam France and Jonathan Rado, takes us right back...
Fans of “Robbers and Cowards” will enjoy the latest album dropped by the Cold War Kids. “Hold My Home” has the same upbeat energy and variety that is unique only to the Cold War Kids. After ten years of being together, Cold War Kids have the same momentum they’ve had since their 2006 debut album. From what this album...
If you’re still reeling from the fact that you were unable to witness the greatness that is Childish Gambino at UCR’s 2014 HEAT music festival that never happened, I have a nice surprise for you. After hinting at the possible release of new music earlier this year, Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, shocked fans with the sudden release of...
The music industry has faced its fair share of death over the years. Whether it’s the loss of musical pioneers like hip-hop producer J-Dilla, the death of musical platforms such as the album, or the death of a genre, death is a subject that constantly recurs in music. It is the mystery we all wonder about, but can be...