“Why not keep this interesting?” lead vocalist Keith Murray belts out on opening track, “Buckle.” This lyric serves as the controlling idea for “Helter Seltzer,” the fifth studio album by alternative indie rock band We Are Scientists. Though the album is rooted in the band’s usual alternative rock sound, each track strives to have some kind of unique sonic...
I’m losing my edge. New technologies have paved the way for unprecedented synthesis between high and low, the personal and public, known and unknown, a process that is far from over. Nothing is ever truly “gone,” everything can always be “remembered.” So if it’s going to be a funeral, let’s have the best funeral ever.
LCD Soundsystem started as a...
Trigger Warning: This article contains content relating to sexual violence and sexual assault.
In a pitch-black theater and a single light illuminating her, Heather Marlowe stood and gazed at the audience, not to command attention, but to start a conversation about her experiences with rape
—bringing to the subject a candid honesty and gallows wit.
Performer, playwright and activist of “The Haze”,...
The restaurant, lit by a smattering of candles and sconces lining the walls, was abuzz. People chattered at their tables, loud revelers ordered drinks along the bar and the clanking of dishes and indistinct voices echoed from the kitchen. Over the noise, a few telltale sounds could be heard. A violin was plucked, a guitar was tuned, a hi-hat...
First off, let’s address the elephant in the room. This is not another cash grab attempt exploiting the reputation of J Dilla. This is an album he wanted to release back in 2002 to expand his repertoire and compete with the likes of close friend Madlib and his side project, Quasimoto. This was the prolific producer without a voice,...
At the Highlander, we consistently review and analyze music by more famous artists. However, there are many musicians who receive less attention so here is the first of our series on artists that are flying a little “under the radar.”
Aaron Grech- filous
This 18-year-old Austrian producer and multi-instrumentalist first gained popularity on Soundcloud for his instrumental remixes and covers of...
If there has been a movie so far this year that has proven that comedy and depth can successfully co-exist, it would be “Barbershop: The Next Cut.” I know that that sounds strange, since a majority of the movie happens within a hair salon and because the urban-Chicago setting of the movie suggests the inclusion of excessive gang violence...
“The Jungle Book” evokes a feeling of nostalgia that instantly transports me to warm summer evenings at my grandmother’s. When I picture the movie, the smell of freshly popped popcorn and hot chocolate floods my senses and I can faintly make out “The Bare Necessities” ringing in my ears. Therefore, when I heard that Disney was planning a remake,...
On the top floor of Back to the Grind, where the indignant, electric-voiced Jaykob Mare was setting up his guitar and the sound system, a sign hung next to the giant bookcase encapsulated the spirit that the Bernie Sanders festival and fundraiser, called Bern Fest, built upon: “Back to the Grind is a place for all to come together,...
When Prince Rashid walked into the room, I was unsure of what exactly to expect: Here was a Bengali rapper, whose music has been making rounds on social media lately, and has performed multiple shows. He and his executive producer walked in, immediately projecting a sense of purpose in order to shoot the video for Radar Sessions. While the...