album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
Dirty Computer
At any hour of the day, when I go to start my car and push to turn on my radio, I will likely be met by one of the voices of the rising star that is Lizzo, the absolute powerhouse that is Beyoncé, or the business empire mogul that is Rihanna. Throughout my childhood, a lot of Saturdays in my home were spent cleaning along to the songs playing from the likes of Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, or Mary J. Blige because those women represented some of my mother’s all time favorites. If I were at my grandma’s home, I would likely be met at the doors by the tunes of Ella Fitzgerald, or Nina Simone, and most definitely I would hear Diana Ross and The Supremes at some point during my stay. Around my high school years, I spent a considerable amount of time with my aunt who was positively in love with the music of Aaliyah, India.Arie, and FKA Twigs. Often I think back to a moment when I was young, it was during what felt like a years long car ride with the shouting of far too many children. I can still hear my uncle yelling, “Can you please shut up, Whitney is singing!” If only but for the length of the song, he desperately wanted a moment to hear Whitney Houston and nothing else. It stuck out to me, he does not come across as the image of a man who would be truly taken with “I Will Always Love You”. But nevertheless, it was what he wanted to hear. So many of my memories will always connect back to the art I consume the most, music, and I know I’m not the only one.
By Emily Agopian6 years ago in Beat
SHINee - ‘Don’t Call Me’ Album Review
There’s no denying that SHINee are K-Pop royalty. After all, their ‘Princes of K-Pop’ moniker feels only natural given the chart-dominating, sonically rich history the group have. From electronically-infused anthems akin to “Everybody”, to ‘80s tinged retro floor-fillers (“1 of 1”) all the way to the permeating moombahton rhythms of an offering like “Who Waits For Love,” nothing has ever been out of the picture for SHINee when it comes to their discography. Uncompromisingly diverse, the chameleon-like charms of the foursome gives them an unpredictable, bold appeal, and their ever-changing, inclusive soundscapes serve as an ample a testament to their wholly adventurous nature.
By Nathan Sartain6 years ago in Beat
Delain Albums Ranked
Delain are a metal group I’m really fond off. I discovered them through Within Temptation’s Wikipedia page. Stephen King fans may recognize the band’s name as its name of a kingdom in his novel, The Eyes of a Dragon. They’ve been one of my favourite bands to see live and I thought it was cool that the lead singer, Charlotte had the same birthday as me.
By Chloe Gilholy6 years ago in Beat
Standing at the Crossroads of Hell
Robert Johnson sold his soul at a crossroads in Mississippi. About 70 years later, Tracy Chapman was asked to do the same after roaring success gained from the brilliance of that song (you know which one…..) and subsequent self titled debut. Tracy not only declined to sell hers, she wrote a record about why she wouldn’t, why she couldn’t. Souls, according to her, are to be treasured, nurtured and most of all protected.
By Nico Versluys6 years ago in Beat
The Rocket[TAPE] Review
As an A&R for Rocketship Records, my very first tape of the New Year was something special. Different. (In the great way) We've heard of this band before in the past but things were never actually active upon our "RocketRadar" (where we keep strict tabs and monitoring levels of acts that resonates with our label and fellow talent) throughout the building).
By Rocketship Records6 years ago in Beat
Welcome to Hotel Diablo
A review and interpretation by Shelly Slade, edited by Jaclyn DeBonis. Full disclosure: what you are about to read is a review of an album by my favorite artist. Yes, I am biased. Everybody is. More importantly, I am familiar with nearly all of his music from teenaged mixtapes to collaborations to EPs to albums.I have seen the progression musically and I think it’s time that everybody else takes notice of Machine Gun Kelly. He’s a polarizing artist - rapper, musician, actor, model. People love him and other people hate him. There are, though, a lot of people like me who had never heard of him or heard his music until recently (I discovered him in the fall of 2017). I would like to introduce you to his latest project, Hotel Diablo. This album is, essentially, a portrait of Machine Gun Kelly (real name Colson Baker) in musical form.
By Shelly Slade6 years ago in Beat
Placebo Albums Ranked
Why I Love Placebo How many bands do you know have lasted 25 years? Placebo are an English rock group that mean a lot to me. Their songs of angst, drug addiction, and melodrama hit me on a personal level. There’s a lot of bands that do indie rock, and there’s plenty of bands that do angst-driven songs. Placebo stand out to me because I think they’re great, they’ve got this star quality about them. The French would call it: Je Ne Sais Quoi.
By Chloe Gilholy6 years ago in Beat
Alexander Hamilton The Musical Soundtrack Review
"What are the odds the gods would put us all in one spot Poppin' a squat on conventional wisdom, like it or not" Alexander Hamilton the Musical was released to Disney Plus due to the pandemic and I cannot express in words how much this musical has inspired me to keep moving forward no matter the distractions, challenges, or judgments around me. Delivering greatness with its all inclusive cast of mostly Latinos and African Americans; the history shown in Hamilton is the perfect representation that there has been little change between then and now.
By Blue Dymond6 years ago in Beat
