Top 4 of March 16-22, 2014

By: Sam Boyer, Blogs Editor

1. La Dispute - Rooms of the House 

By Megan Fair

I honestly cannot express how impressed I am with this record. There is something so very entrancing about the intricate story lines and imagery that make me feel vast sorrow and nostalgia for memories that don't even belong to me. The more I hear it, the more I notice all the modest sonic touches and intricate musicianship behind every emotionally delivered track. There's something to be said for a group of artists who aren't afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves, especially when these hearts are battered and bursting with rich experiences. La Dispute naysayers will have a pretty difficult time denying this album of merit, especially because the vocals have way more control than ever before, supplying the perfect amount of emotion and tact. Just listen to Rooms of the House and let yourself disappear into the nooks and crannies of every scene described; you won’t regret it. 

2. Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden Summer Tour

After an incredible co-headlining tour with Queens of theStone Age, Trent Reznor and company decided to team up with grunge heavyweight Soundgarden for yet another co-headlining tour. This should be good. I’ve seen Soundgarden before, but I haven’t had the pleasure of witnessing the magic of NIN, so I’m curious how these bands will vibe off each other. And adding Death Grips to the bill was a fascinating choice. Though the tour isn’t coming anywhere near Ohio this summer, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing these guys sometime in the fall.

3. Kurt Cobain Death Case Reopened…And Closed Again

Okay, so let’s clear this up. Seattle police did not really reopen the Kurt Cobain case. A cold case detective went through all the details of Cobain’s death because of the 20^th anniversary coming up next week and found some undeveloped rolls of film. A photo of Cobain’s heroin kit made its way on to the Internet a few days ago, but the case is, and has always remained, a suicide. When I first heard about the case being “reopened,” I could already sense the conspiracy theorists crawling out of their parents’ basements, poised at their keyboards for a good old fashioned “I told you so” blog-apocalypse. Sorry, guys, but Courtney Love didn’t kill Kurt.

4. The Black Keys Announce New Album

Akron homeboys The Black Keys revealed the release date for their new album, Turn Blue. Well, technically Mike Tyson revealed it through Twitter. No joke. The whole promotional campaign for this album is bizarre and I love it. Check out the “Turn Blue” YouTube account for some creepy promo videos. The album’s first single, “Fever,” drops on Monday the 24^th. Turn Blue comes out on May 13.

Top 4 of February 16-22, 2014

By: Nadia Kurtz, Managing Editor

1. Modern Baseball – You're Gonna Miss It All
By Garrett Bower

A day may come when I stop ranting about Modern Baseball, but today is not that day. So I’m back to say just a little bit more about the gang’s bomb-ass sophomore album, You’re Gonna Miss It All, which was a fun and funky-fresh take on emo pop-punk. In hindsight, the record has gained a great deal of traction, reaching number one on the Billboard vinyl charts and premiering at number 84 on the top 200, which is even more awesome when you consider these guys are still in college and almost turned down a tour with The Wonder Years because of that. Great things are afoot for Modern Baseball and it’s thrilling to think this is just the start for them. So go listen to Modern Baseball right now.

2. Lobsterfest Lineup Is Here

It's finally here, everyone--we now know who is playing Lobsterfest this year! And luckily, it looks like a pretty great lineup. Along with some really awesome Athens staples such as Method Air and Small Steps, we are welcoming some great bands from the East Coast and Midwest states. Our headliner is the fabulous Deerhoof, an amazing pop/rock band from San Francisco. Based on what I've heard, they're pretty great, so don't you dare skip out on this one. I sure as hell can't wait to enjoy Lobsterfest with all you awesome music-lovers, so get pumped!

3. Lana Del Rey's New Album is Actually Happening

Lana Del Rey is one of my favorite recent stars, and I have been waiting for her to release a new album for a long, long time. Although news of the album was hinted back in December, it is finally evident that a new Lana gem is in the works--and along with none other than Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys! I'm not going to lie, that band holds a special place in my heart, mostly because they are from my home city, Akron. Besides, they make pretty great music. Anyway, Auerbach is evidently going to produce Del Rey's news album, Ultraviolence, and I am all sorts of excited.

4. Arctic Monkeys Add More Tour Dates

I was pretty bummed when I missed Arctic Monkeys' concert a couple weeks ago in Columbus. I was really looking forward to seeing them, but missed the boat when I tried to buy my ticket after they were already sold out. Luckily for me and all other AM fanatics, the band just released additional tour dates in Europe and North America. Even luckier is the fact they booked a show in Cleveland at Jacob's Pavillion. Now that is almost too convenient since it is really close to where I live. But, hey, I'll take it. Oh yeah, I guess I better go buy those tickets now.