music Tag

1. ‘Merica Every year, Bonnaroo tells the story of America in four days. People come to a 600-acre farm in Middle America hoping for the best but not knowing what to expect. Massive amounts of dollar bills are exchanged, people get drunk, friends are made, and on Monday you have the worst case of Mondays this side of Mike Judge’s imagination. Bonnaroo offers everything for everyone. You can watch the World Cup while eating a grass fed hamburger and drinking a microbrew. You can watch Skrillex, Damien Marley, Robbie Krieger,Read More

NOTE: This post was co-written by Writtalin contributors Cat Hausler and Sophie Tahran. The two are besties and life-long festival buddies. It’s been four weeks to the day since we started on our journey to Sasquatch. No, we’re not talking about going on a quest to find the giant, furry monster that supposedly haunts the Pacific Northwest, but the epic three-day music festival that stole our hearts. This year’s Sasquatch was our first, and after the amazing time we had, it most likely won’t be our last. Here’s a breakdownRead More

I’m most comfortable in my car. Correction, I’m most honest in car. Or maybe I’m most human. (Ah, they’re all the same…). It is my belief that the best place to feel all emotions is inside your car. Particularly your car with no one else present. Not other people’s cars. Other people’s cars are their havens, not yours. You’ve got your own car (maybe you don’t, so, well, I don’t know). Let me explain. There is no other place in this world where no one can disturb you. I promise.Read More

As we move further into the 2010s, many bands seem to be dropping the “indie” from their indie pop moniker in favor of the straight-forward melodies and smooth production that dominate the Top 40 airwaves.  Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing.  For every Imagine Dragons that trades in their quality for popularity, there is a group that effortlessly thrives on sweet, melodic pop music. Take DC threesome Jukebox the Ghost for instance.  Buoyed by frontman Ben Thornewill’s powerful, crooning voice and melodious piano hooks, they prove that pop musicRead More

Nowadays, it’s not a matter of whether or not you’ll pony up $400 to attend your local 3-day music festival, but rather which one you’ll go to. We’ve all heard of Coachella and Lollapalooza, but those behemoths have birthed a whole sea of imitators across the nation.  From Firefly and Governor’s Ball on the East Coast to Outside Lands, Bottle Rock and Sasquatch on the Pacific and all the Bonnaroos, EDCs and Austin City Limits in between, it now seems impossible to drive a hundred miles without an expensive, overstuffed showcaseRead More

Lana Del Rey, even with her melancholy vocals and brooding melodies, is far from epitomizing what being sad really is. If for whatever reason you’re having a rough start to your summer, here are ten of the saddest songs ever written to send you deeper into your dark place.     #10: Modest Mouse – “Little Motel” Whether you interpret “Little Motel” as referring to a divorce, a disintegrating relationship, or even the loss of a loved one, there is nothing happy about this track. Isaac Brock’s subtle vocals overRead More

Ahhh summer, the time of year when new music blossoms just as the flowers do. Here are my Top 5 Artists to look out for this summer:   Sia   Sia isn’t exactly an unknown artist. She has written hit songs for artists such as Katy Perry, Rihanna and Beyonce. However, after the success of her featured vocals on hits such as Titanium and Wild Ones it is no surprise that she would attempt mainstream success herself. Recently, Sia released the lead single off her new album “Chandelier” which has alreadyRead More

As most of you can tell, whether it is due to my ironic writing style or my bio at the bottom of this page, I am a loud and proud hipster. If they had a parade, I would be gyrating my bum on the lead float. Of course, I would be wearing aviator sunglasses, a denim jacket, and rocking a nice fade haircut. But that goes without saying. What I’m getting at here is that I perform at a lot of open mic nights. And I love it. Here’s why.Read More

Streetz 94.5: You’ve been spendin’ all your life livin’ in a gangsta’s paradise. You’re a hoodrat with a dark past and you’ve done some things you’re not proud of, like listen to a T-Pain song every once in a while. You’re the slightly more underground version of Hot 107.9, meaning you’re the underdog but you’re on the come up. I respect your hustle. V-103: You’re smoother than a baby’s bottom stuffed in a tiny velour track suit. You’ve got the moves that make all the ladies swoon, and the fact thatRead More

In modern music, true musicianship, true composition, has largely gone by the wayside. Relatable lyrics, power chords, and computer-automated sheen has become the norm. However, there exist several groups, generally categorized as “post-rock,” that continue to focus on the music – the real nuances and complexities of melody, progression, and instrumentation – to create sonic soundscapes that allow a listener to truly lose themselves in the sound and the environment it creates. Perhaps the best known band in the genre is Austin’s Explosions in the Sky, who have found breakthroughRead More

Here in the North West sector of our country, the rain has let up (sort of), school’s out (for those who are students and don’t go to U of O or any other school on the god forsaken quarter system), and people are trading in pants and flannels for shorts and tanks (they’re not), which means… It’s time for Sasquatch, the Northwest’s premier annual music festival!   For those of you who are unfamiliar, Sasquatch is a three-day, outdoor music festival stationed on the cliffs of the Colombia River Gorge.Read More

“Harmoneeeee and Meeeeee, we’re pretty good companeeeeee” might have been Elton John’s best rhyme. Honestly, if you listen to a lot of Elton John, you might realize that not many of his songs rhyme. When you try to sing one of his hit songs for yourself, it comes out with none of the angelic strut that Sir Elton just belted. And you wonder why this is.  Well, it might be because Sir Elton is one of the greatest masters of vocal range of all time. An you’re not. Years agoRead More

Believe it or not, nine years have passed since a little known five-piece from San Diego burst onto the scene and into the ears of every American with a melancholy, beautiful power-ballad by the name of “Boston.” Seemingly overnight, Augustana – the creation of crooning frontman Dan Layus – found themselves thrust into the mainstream. “Boston” appeared on everything from MTV’s TRL (THAT WAS STILL A THING!) to episodes of Scrubs and One Tree Hill, and was played repeatedly on every major radio station. The song went on to becomeRead More

Does it seem like there’s been more and more commercial encroachment on your life?  It should.  The average American consumes about 11 hours and 52 minutes of media every day – a number that includes digital formats, radio, and print, as well as TV – up a staggering 66 minutes since 2010.  All that time gives advertisers more opportunities to take a stab at you, whether you’re relaxing in front of the boob tube, catching up on Hulu or reading articles on your favorite site (see: Writtalin).  We live underRead More

No working musician today seems less concerned about the changing landscape of rock and roll than Jack White.  On June 10th the eclectic singer-songwriter will drop his sophomore solo album Lazaretto, yet another collection of fuck-you rock and Southern sensibility that we’ve come to expect since he and Meg burst onto the scene thirteen years ago with White Blood Cells.  We’ve already gotten a taste of what’s to come with the ferociously gritty title track and the Icky Thump-esque instrumental “High Ball Stepper.”  Bent on teasing us further, White justRead More