Top Stories
Stories in Beat that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
10 Movies All About Music
Music is gateway to another world and watching movies is also. Put the two together and it’s magic. Here are some movies that have music to speak to the soul.
Rich BurtonPublished about 20 hours ago in Beat
Hot Chip (Concert Review) | Philly Music Vocalizer
Synthpop party stars Hot Chip performed at Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia this past Wednesday (on May 11th, 2022). Not only was it my first time at Brooklyn Bowl Philly (which just opened at the end of last year in fall of 2021), and my first time at Brooklyn Bowl with fantastic photog Queen McLean, it was my first time ever experiencing a crowd so uniquely and unabashedly their own. When I go to a show, I'm just as interested in the people at the show as the show itself. I'm interested in not just what the concert sounds like, but what the concert feels like. In other words, I want to know about the experience, as well as the experiencers.
Ashley Hans: Philly Music VocalizerPublished 4 days ago in Beat
Game Over Bitch
The human condition. Why is it that we always remember the very best things and the very worst things? Like I guarantee that as you read this, you can remember the best sex you ever had and perhaps a little smile came over you as you flashed back to how it felt. And you can remember the worst sex you ever had too - and that memory probably has you dying with laughter, and maybe even questioning why you slept with that person. You might remember the best meal you ever had as well as the worst meal you ever had. Or the best and worst kiss, hotel stay, movie you saw and more. This can be applied to just about everything.
Jennifer Lancaster @jenergy17Published 6 days ago in Beat
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar | Album Review
It's been years now since the drop of award winning album, DAMN. We've gotten a taste here and there with teasing singles and features with Baby Keem, but a new album is finally here - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, a double album filled with x and y, topping off what has been one of the most incredible discographies of the modern era. The intimacy of family is front and center, with glimpses of religion, gun violence, and struggle hiding within plain sight - a Compton paramount. Kendrick, a modern rap king, has solidified his place atop the throne with this release.
Josh HerringPublished 9 days ago in Beat
REVIEW: ROLLING STONES - EL MOCAMBO '77
By 1977, the Rolling Stones were in trouble. Their previous albums, It’s Only Rock’n Roll and Black and Blue, did not match the heights of their halcyon run of legendary albums from 1968 to 1973. The loss of Mick Taylor was a tremendous blow to them artistically, and Keith Richards’ drug habit was spiraling out of control and affecting his musical ability. Despite bringing in former Faces guitarist Ron Wood to the fold, the band struggled to match the fireworks of their peak years, and their live shows had become sloppy and lethargic, lacking in the vigor and danger that made their 1971-73 treks among rock’s most celebrated live experiences.
Anthony NastiPublished 9 days ago in Beat
Seven Awesome, Yet Little-Known Songs By Bands I Love
Most people love music. And most of those people love bands and artists’ biggest hits. But what about the songs that you rarely hear on the radio? Songs that were never released as singles. There is a multitude of relatively-unknown, amazing songs out there. These are the first seven I thought of, in the order they came to mind. Give them a listen and enjoy.
Jason ProvencioPublished 21 days ago in BeatCalm that Anxiety Playlist
Through the years, I've recognized how powerful music is to calm the soul. As a preteen, I fell asleep to Amy Grant's album Heart in Motion. I waited anxiously on the radio for Gloria Estefan's "I See You Smile". Through the years, I went through phases of what songs calmed my troubled soul--some pop, rock, or gospel music. However it works, music speaks and soothes the spirit.
Eileen DavisPublished 24 days ago in Beat
5 Well Known Musicians With Fruitful Careers Outside Music
When you picture a successful musician, one normally does not imagine them in any other situation aside from performing the craft they are known best for. After all, if you’re good at one thing, why commit to something else?
Earth Day Songs Everyone Should Hear
Earth Day should not be one day per year. It should not just be focused on in schools. We all live on this planet, and we all need to do our parts to take good care of it. With this in mind, here are some of the best songs to listen to related to Earth Day. These are songs worth hearing any time, not just April 22.
Julie LacksonenPublished about a month ago in Beat
Did I Help Make Ooga-Chuka a Top 40 Hit?
Now, I’m not Forrest Gump, but I have had a few minor brushes with history in my life and, oddly enough, one of them involves Blue Swede’s cover of BJ Thomas’ classic song, Hooked on a Feeling, known for its Ooga-Chuka, Ooga-Ooga-Ooga-Chuka chant. You see, in 1974, I was a sophomore at The University of Chicago, living in one of the dorms: Thompson House in the now-demolished Pierce Tower. Believe it or not, Thompson House claims credit for making Blue Swede’s version of Hooked on a Feeling a hit in the United States. Yep, we claim credit for making a song a #1 hit.
Donald J. BinglePublished about a month ago in Beat
5 MORE Classic Bands That Benefitted From Adding A New Member
Hello everyone! Hope you’ve all been well. I figured I’d try out something a bit different for this article. My first ever article for this publication was 5 Classic Bands That Benefitted From Adding A New Member. It did quite well and I soon realized that there were quite a few more iconic bands that benefitted by bringing in someone new.
Meet a Giving Artist
A slender, wide-eyed young man springs onto the stage of the Park West Theater in Chicago and spirals into a double-pirouette pencil turn. Painted white from head-to-toe, the movement of his frame resembles that of a flower petal whipped up by a breeze. But Corey Bishop, is in fact a Greek Statue and prompted by a musical cue, he transitions to a rhythmic staccato routine demonstrating great physical strength and attentiveness to his precise pantomimes. Suddenly he freezes and reaches for a curtain which he quickly peels away revealing a naked Mona Lisa. In a flutter, the 24 year-old actor collapses sharply to the stage floor where he is veiled in a curtain of black lace.
