Top 5 of March 9-15

By: Xavier Veccia, Features Editor


1. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else

Here And Nowhere Else is Cloud Nothings at their best. Harder, faster and way more heartfelt, this album will likely be remembered as the record that cemented them as one of the best indie-rock bands of their time. If you're at all into guitar-driven indie, this album is a must listen.

2. Tycho - Awake 

It’s no secret that I absolutely love Tycho’s music. I’m a big fan of the chillwave sound in general, but Tycho does something special with the genre that’s so incredibly unique compared to other chillwave musicians. Quite often, multiple bands and artists that fall under the same genre sound so much alike that it can be hard to distinguish what song belongs to whom, but I can always pick out a Tycho song. It’s because of his individualism that made me fall in love with his sound in the first place. Tycho’s just one of those artists that really speaks to me through his music and the guy doesn’t even need lyrics to do so. I especially love his latest album because Tycho’s managed to maintain the same sound he’s always had without sounding repetitive and boring.

3. SXSW Tragedy

Festival season is about leaving all your worries behind and listening to some of the best musical acts the world has to offer. However, Thursday morning, we were reminded that there are some things even music can't protect us from, as two people were killed and 23 were injured due to a hit-and-run. The Austin police acted quickly and managed to get the suspect in custody shortly after the incident. The man will be charged with two counts of capital murder along with 23 accounts of aggravated. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the concert goers.

4. Tyler, the Creator Starts Riot, Arrested

In typical Golf Wang fashion, Tyler urged a massive crowd to push past security, who were controlling access to an already over-capacity venue, at a show Thursday. The Odd Future rapper was arrested later on Saturday for allegedly starting a riot. If he's convicted, Tyler could face up to a year in prison. A short video has surfaced in which Tyler can be heard shouting, "Just run in right now. Fucking do it. Let's go." That's just so Tyler.

5. Chance the Rapper Becomes a God

That might be a bit much. But did you hear his collaboration with Skrillex? Yeah, I guess the real story is that Skrillex pulled a Hova, releasing his first full-length studio album Recess song by song through his app, Alien Ride. And that's cool and all, but hot damn is that Chance song on it a banger. With his recent collaborations with high-profile recording artists like Skrillex and Justin Bieber, it seems Chance is trying to make 2014 an even better year than 2013. And that's good news for us fans.

April 2 Releases, 2013

By: Zack Baker, Copy Editor

This week has basically been the week from hell for me. I’ve been buried under papers, exams and quizzes for every single one of my classes, so taking a break from all that stress to check out this week’s new music was much needed for me. And luckily, this week’s releases rule in so many different ways.

Up first is Tyler, The Creator’s Wolf. If you’ve been paying attention to music at all for the past few years, you know who Tyler is. The ringleader of hip-hop collective Odd Future, Tyler’s been putting out music that varies in theme from offensive jokes about rape and homophobia to introspective tracks about his estranged father and social anxiety issues. His collective’s gained quite a following, and the follow-up to his 2011 release Goblin has been hotly anticipated. Wolf is a continuation of these themes, and while production quality has gone up significantly, the weird split between Tyler’s styles has only become more prominent. Next to the album’s numerous high points (“Jamba,” “Answer,” “IFHY,” “Rusty,” “Tamale” and “Lone”), a lot of the songs on this 18 track opus fall flat.

The Cold War Kids also dropped Dear Miss Lonelyhearts and, even though I’ve never listened to the group before, I thought I’d give it a shot. Based on what little I know about the band, this album definitely seems to be incorporating a lot more electronic stuff than their previous albums (it’s 2013, what else is new?). Lots of really thumping basslines here, and Nathan Willett’s vocals fit right in with the chaotic instrumentals below them. Seems like some pretty groovy stuff for anyone looking for a harder take on indie rock with a dash of electronic influence thrown in for good measure.

So, New Kids On The Block are apparently back. How could I pass up the opportunity to see what a band who peaked well before my time are producing well after their prime? 10 is an album with a deeply confusing name (it’s not the ten year anniversary of anything as far as I can tell, nor their tenth studio album), a fantastically outdated album cover and no discernable style of its own. Particularly strange and hilarious is “Remix (I Like The),” which sounds like what would happen if Nickelback tried to do a psuedo-dance track and talked about remixes as a metaphor for a female dancing. Pretty much everything else here sounds like an attempt to bring the boy band craze back, and while it’s nice to reminisce about what bad taste we all had back then, the album doesn’t serve any purpose other than that.

This week also brings the release of new albums from Alkaline Trio and Bring Me The Horizon if you like your music on the heavier side, and Telekinesis and Generationals if you’re more keen to the indie rock persuasion.